Work Text:
“So I think your intel was wrong,” Nora managed, sweeping her hair out of her eyes as they gazed at the carnage around them. The T-60 armour turned its helmet to face her, a tinny sound of disgust coming from its filter.
“Wrong, or old,” Elder Maxson added. “Either way. That lack of knowledge is dangerous.”
“Well, I can agree with that.”
She took a few steps towards the boathouse, wiping a line of blood off her cheek from a scratch on her forehead, and heard the hiss of hydraulics as Maxson followed suit. The door was broken but she pushed it open anyway.
“Is it clear?” he asked.
A buzzing sound met their ears.
“Oh, god fucking dammit!” she hissed, raising her pistol. “Back up, back up!”
The air was heavy with ozone smell by the time the bloodbugs were dead, and she kicked a corpse angrily.
“I can’t believe these things survived! And got bigger!” she whined.
“They’re troublesome,” Maxson agreed, picking up one of the bodies and throwing it out of the house. “Is the upstairs secure?”
“I’ll check.”
A moment later, she let out a sound of surprise.
“There’s a body up here. Do we leave it?”
“Put them in a pile. We can burn them.”
“Along with this suit,” she muttered, and carefully picked up the corpse.
They shifted the remains out of the house, and as the adrenaline slowly pumped out of her system, her wounds began to throb. As she crossed the threshold, she pulled off her coat and hat, tossing them aside. Maxson was behind her, closing the door and parking his power armour in front of it, face towards the gaps, to stop anyone from getting in. She kicked off her shoes as he climbed out of the armour, and reached for her medical bag, pulling out stimpaks and antiseptic. A moment later, she found some bandages, and parked herself on the couch with a loud, exhausted sigh.
“How’s the damage?” he asked, making his way over to the couch.
“Don’t know,” she admitted.
“You should take a look before it gets worse.”
She winced as she unzipped her suit, watching him take a seat before she began working the blue fabric off her shoulders. She heard him grunt at something, pulling her arms out of the sleeves, and then warm fingers were on her back and she stifled a gasp at the touch. Her lips parted in expectance of the breath, and she hoped he didn’t notice.
“You’ve got a few scrapes you won’t be able to reach,” he told her. “Do you want me to help you?”
“I think…I might need to,” she agreed, trying not to flush at the thought of…his hands were warm.
Wordlessly, Maxson picked up the antiseptic and found a clean cloth. He poured a little over the fabric and began to drag it over an abrasion on her back. Nora hissed, winced, and he paused, the pulled just far away that the cloth didn’t touch her.
“Sorry, carry on,” she muttered.
“How badly does it hurt?” he asked softly, and Nora bit her lip.
“On a scale of 1 to 10, about a 3,” she replied. “It’s just a harsh sting. I’ll be okay.”
She gripped her arm tightly as the cloth swept over her dark skin, gritting her teeth. He was slow, methodical. He must have been tired, his hands lingering as he worked over the damage on her back, and the room was quiet but for the occasional hiss that she made to express the sting of pain.
A hand gripped her chin, and turned her head as the Elder raised the cloth and began to work on her face, and Nora twitched as it caught a cut on her forehead.
“Try not to move too much.”
“Easier said than done,” she muttered.
“Your face isn’t badly hurt. I’m almost done.”
“What about the rest of me?” she asked. She watched his blue eyes drop and move over her body, and oh, fuck, there was a semi-unpleasant sensation of being surveyed that didn’t stay unpleasant for long.
“Unless there are any cuts on the backs of your legs, you can probably easily do the rest.”
He finally let go of her face and she resisted the urge to touch where he’d touched, the skin left feeling scorching hot.
“Thanks.”
He nodded, his eyes on the floor as he shrugged off his battlecoat and began unzipping his flight suit.
“I could use some help,” he admitted. Nora blinked, flushing.
“Right, of course.”
She found a fresh cloth as he peeled the suit down to his waist, her hands checking him over. He winced as her hand found his arm.
“Bruising?” she asked.
“Think so.”
In all honesty, his wounds were mostly within his reach, but he’d helped her, and she returned the favour as she cleaned his cuts, eyeing the bandages. A moment later she was winding them around part of his forearm, and Maxson let her do it, his dog tags glinting in the light as his chest rose and fell. She tried not to stare at him, or at the thick trail of hair leading down his stomach.
He sagged into the couch, leaning into her touch as she cleaned him up, and the room was completely silent. Maxson didn’t make a sound, no indication of pain, just his gentle breathing and hers.
“I don’t have any ice, but I do have a cold Nuka Cola for the bruising,” she finally said. “You need it?”
“The stimpak will fix that.”
“All right.”
She put the bloodied cloth down and paused.
“I…need to clean my legs up.”
She followed his eyes, watching them find her legs, and hastily fought a blush. His throat bobbed.
“If you don’t mind patching up the rest of me, I’ll do the same for you.”
She failed to fight the hot flush that covered her face this time. It was followed by an embarrassed cough, and Nora found her brain blank with confusion as she tried to work out her next move. Her eyes fell on the black suit still around his waist.
“I…okay. Um. Jumpsuit. Needs to be off.”
He arched up and slid the fabric down his thighs, kicking off his boots and working the suit over his knees. Already she could see a few cuts on his inner thighs and calves, and searched for another cloth. He tossed the suit over the opposite couch and Nora let her eyes wander just long enough for him to do it, admiring the thick, muscular thighs and powerful calves, already adorned with a fair few healed, silvery scars.
She reached for his thigh and Maxson stiffened. Her hand withdrew, waiting until he’d relaxed. He leaned back, letting her run the cloth over the inside of his thigh, and Nora tried to suppress the way her fingers shook. She was, essentially, currently feeling up the man in charge of a blimp filled to the brim with soldiers and firepower, and all she could think of was how strong he was beneath her touch. He was incredibly solid, hardly even flinching as the antiseptic cleaned his wounds.
“Any on the backs of your legs?” she asked.
“Hold on.”
He got to his feet, took a few steps forward, and Nora was not staring at his ass, dear God Almighty. He had a few wounds at the back of his thigh and near his joints, and she moved around him to tend to them, her eyes meeting his just once as she passed around his front. The brief gaze did nothing for the flush still covering her face. He was still as stone, doing little more than clenching his fists as she wiped the rest of his damage clean, and Nora straightened up.
“You look fine,” she told him. “I mean…there’s no other damage that I can see. There might be bruising but the stimpak will help that.”
He sat back down, reaching for a stimpak and jabbing it into his thigh, pushing the plunger down as Nora made her way back to her seat, throwing aside the three blood-stained rags for later.
“Your turn.”
The soft rasp of his voice made her jump, and she turned to see the Elder sitting up, looking at her expectantly.
“I just need to clean my hands,” she began, and reached for her bag, retrieving a can of purified water and some soap. As she was leaning over the arm, his hands found the blue suit and began tugging it away from her, and Nora’s eyes widened at the return of the warm touch. Maxson dragged her legs over his lap, carefully undressing her as she washed her hands and found an old towel to dry them on.
“Is there any more cloth in that bag?” he asked. She found one final scrap that looked clean, handing it to him and watching him pour some antiseptic onto it, his hand sliding around her calf and lifting her leg. She felt her body pulse in desire at the careful touch, leaning back and letting Maxson swipe the cloth over the cuts on her leg.
The heat and strength of his fingers was a wonderful distraction from the sharp slashes of pain, and she closed her eyes, letting him move his pam down her shin and grip her ankle. The cloth skimmed down the inside of her leg, and she bit her lip, feeling it curve around her calf. Her toes curled.
“So I wasn’t expecting the Behemoth,” she managed.
“It could have killed us,” he muttered, the cloth sweeping over her thigh. Nora winced and tried not to shudder in delight at the pressure.
“How was your information so outdated?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied, his brows furrowing. “But that much oversight was dangerous. We’re fortunate we were both equipped well enough to take it on.”
God, how was he so unshakeably concentrated? As his hand slid beneath her knee, she was fighting back gasps.
“Lucky it was us two,” she murmured. The cloth dragged down her inner thigh and this time she couldn’t stop the sharp inhalation.
“I’m trying not to hurt you,” he assured her, finally putting her leg down and picking up the other. A few firm tugs, and she was pulled almost into his lap, his eyes fixed on the scrapes and cuts as she pursed her lips and looked away. “Did you use any stimpaks whilst fighting?”
“A couple,” she said. “You think it helped?”
“Very likely.”
She lay her head back and tried not to think too hard about the man gently holding her calf, even as he moved down to her inner thigh. Her leg tensed, toes curling again as the cloth swept dangerously near to her pelvis. Nora took a deep breath, and clenched her fists.
“I don’t have anything for the pain,” he apologised. “Turn on your front for me, please.”
“…right…”
She slid herself out of his grip and rolled onto her belly, planting her elbows into the old cushions to keep her upright as Maxson touched the back of her leg. Nora felt a moan beginning and managed to turn it into a puff of breath.
“I’d like to thank you for your help,” he began, the fabric stroking over the back of her thigh.
“It’s no problem, really,” she replied, breath strangled, desperately battling the moan that was not going to dissipate, no matter what she tried.
“I mean it, General. You showed the best of your abilities out there today. We handled ridiculous odds, but we pulled through.”
He was touching her calf, still gently tending to her wounds. When he was done, he reached for a stimpak, and Nora hissed as the medication flowed out the needle and into her body.
“I’m just glad you trust me enough to be on the ground with me,” she admitted as he put the empty syringe down, and moved to slide her legs from his lap. His hand caught her ankle, and she stiffened.
“I do trust you.”
It was said so quietly she almost wasn’t certain she’d heard it.
“Well…I appreciate that,” she said. “Is…there a reason why…”
“You’re not quite done,” he replied.
“I feel fine,” she told him, feeling his palm slide up her calf and squeeze her thigh gently. “…Elder?”
“I think after that fight, you…can probably call me Arthur.”
His fingers slid up to the edge of her ass and paused. She could feel his palm twitch, his hand uncertain. The sound of his brain whirring was almost audible.
“…Arthur…”
He let out a breath.
“…I’m not wounded anymore, am I?” she murmured.
His hands moved to the small of her back.
“Do you want me to stop?” he asked. The heat of his hands was wonderful, enjoyable, a much-missed sensation and oh, no, she did not.
“No.”
His palm skimmed up to the clasp of her bra, and he unhooked the metal one-handed, moving to kneel over her as he pulled the straps down over her shoulders. Her back was bare, and he began to gently press his fingers into the flesh, moving in little circles. Nora didn’t stop the moan this time, her eyes closing.
“What…brought this on?” she asked, arching as his fingers found the waistband of her underwear. There was a long pause.
“I’m not alone very often.”
“You’re not alone now,” she pointed out.
“This is different.”
“In what way?”
“You’re not my subordinate. And I trust you.”
She twisted onto her back, the bra tugging at her arms, elastic pulling as she sat up, and his eyes dropped to her breasts briefly.
“So, what’s this about?” she inquired softly.
He looked down at his hands, fingers clasped tight around her legs, his face thoughtful.
“I don’t get to touch much,” he admitted. Her skin prickled, a sudden and random wash of upstanding hairs and arousal coming over her. “And I see a lot of people, but…it’s very rare I have any real human contact.”
“That’s common,” she murmured. “It’s called touch-starvation. I can’t imagine you can exactly pull anyone over and ask for a hug either.”
His lips quirked. “I imagine I’d get some strange looks.”
She leaned forward, and their eyes met. Nora smiled gently, placing her hand over the top of his.
“It’s a very human desire, touch,” she began. “Not even…not the…sexual kind, either. Just…being with someone is…it’s very…it’s soothing.”
“I…apologise if this was,” he began, pausing as she pulled her legs from his lap and stood. “Yes. You’re right. It’s not an appropriate- oh.”
She pulled her underwear down her legs and let it drop off, allowing her bra to fall to the floor. A moment later, she unpinned her hair, and climbed into Arthur Maxson’s lap, her fingers cupping his face.
“Come here,” she whispered, and wrapped her arms around him.
His arms raised even as he relaxed, leaning into her touch with a groan of delight, and he hugged her back, his grip tight around her body. She cupped the back of his neck, winding her fingers idly into the chain of his holotags before she began playing with his hair, stroking gently down his scalp. She could feel the short puffs of breath against her shoulder as he enjoyed the gentle touches, his hands running up and down her back carefully.
“Oh god,” he breathed, kissing her skin. His beard scratched her as Nora straddled him, and she continued to tease at parts of his hair as she pulled back from the hug. She was immediately dragged into his arms and held again, and she laughed softly, running the backs of her fingers across his cheek.
“This okay?” she asked, tracing the deathclaw scar.
“Better than okay.”
She tucked his head beneath her neck, and Arthur’s hands slowly slid down her back. They hovered at her hips, squeezing softly, and she closed her eyes as they carefully ventured south, cupping her outer thighs.
“General-”
“Nora.”
“Nora…can I…”
His fingers flexed around her hips. Her brow rose.
“Sure.”
He grasped handfuls of her ass and pulled her closer into him, and as her stomach pressed against his, Nora felt two things.
One, the cold metal of his holotags.
Two, the thick, hot length pulsing in his boxers.
She couldn’t help grinding down against the second thing, and Arthur moaned underneath her, his hips bucking. Her reply was to press against him again, and he held her against him with a hand on the small of her back as he arched just enough to start working his boxers down his thighs. She knelt up to give him more space to move, and his head darted forward and found her breast. Shaking fingers gripped his hair tightly as he suckled on her, and when he pulled away she could feel an answering ache in her core.
He shifted, lying on his back and pulling off his underwear, tossing it aside as he gripped Nora’s chin and tugged her mouth to his. His lips were softer than she’d thought, and she gave him a soft moan as his lips parted, teeth biting down on her lower lip before he resumed kissing her, tangling his fingers into her hair, even as most of it fell around her face. Her breasts pressed against the wiry hairs covering his torso as she lay atop him, her leg curling around his thigh.
“This is…not how I expected to spend the evening,” she chuckled softly once their lips parted.
“So long as you don’t regret the outcome.”
She kissed him again, and felt his hands across her back and ribs, finding her breasts. She arched her back, giving his hands the freedom to do as he wished. His thumbs stroked against her nipples and she gasped into their kiss, her hips pushing back and finding his cock, erect and warm. Maxson moaned, dragging her forward, and Nora let out a cry as he moved her up and began to suck on her nipple again, using the arm of the couch as support, her head buried in the crook of her elbow. She could feel herself getting slick as his tongue swiped over the nub, the ache he’d left growing.
“Fuck,” she whimpered, and he groaned in response. “Oh, god, Arthur…”
He let out another sound of pleasure at the sound of his name, and pulled his mouth off her, switching to the other breast.
“Arthur, please…I need…I need you to…I’m…”
His hand moved between her legs, a finger stroking against her clit, and Nora shuddered, gasping. A moment later, two fingers sunk inside her to the knuckle, and she cried out, bucking into them.
“Jesus,” he rasped from beneath her. “You’re so wet.”
She whimpered at the sound of his voice, kissing him passionately as he slowly fucked her with his fingers. Her ass arched into the air, thighs parting widely to give him better access, and he rewarded her with a thumb on her clit.
“I…wanted this…for months,” he panted, his hand moving faster, and Nora cupped his face, and then she tangled her fingers into his hair, pulling his head to one side, burying her whimpers and her teeth in his neck as he fingered her.
She marked his skin with lovebites, her lipstick leaving stains on his body. “Months?” she repeated with a gasp.
“Since I saw you.”
Nora’s mind flashed with the first fantasy she’d had involving him, the idea of a dark, quiet corner, Maxson’s hips between her thighs, her back to his chest. She recalled thinking of him sliding his fingers into her mouth, almost fully clothed even as he stripped her suit down to her thighs, and shuddered, squeezing her walls down on the fingers of the real Arthur Maxson, nipping along his shoulder and pulling on his hair.
“Nora…”
She moaned, his hand moving faster now, working her towards her climax, and she moved her mouth back to his, kissing fiercely, cupping his face with one hand as the other slowly tightened its grip, finally abandoning his lips as she gasped in just enough air to cry out in pleasure. His fingers kept fucking her as she reached the edge, her body quivering, toes curling, as her orgasm hit. She enjoyed his grunt of aroused pain as her hand in his hair pulled just shy of painful.
“Oh…god, Arthur,” she whimpered, as his hand slowed. She watched him bring his hand to his lips and suck them clean, her eyes widening as the post-orgasmic heat thrummed through her. She pulled his hand away and leaned down to nip at his lower lip, his warm palms moving to skim up and down her back.
She shifted, and her thigh brushed against his cock. She could feel the moan he made vibrating against her skin, and she kissed his jaw, sliding her hand across his chest, reaching to grip him. He jerked in her fingers, and grasped her wrist, tugging his back up.
“Don’t…you want me…to…”
His hands covered her ass, his lips scratching down her jaw and neck, leaving a trail of rough bites down her sternum, and when he couldn’t reach any further, he slid over the couch and dragged her thighs around his head, gripping her legs tightly. Nora barely had time to voice a surprised ‘oh’ before his tongue was running wetly up the length of her from perineum to clit, sparks of pleasure in its wake.
Her body was still singing from her last climax when his lips found her clit and sucked, and Nora tangled her hands into his hair as his fingers stroked over her skin, mapping her with his palms. His tongue slid past her lips and pushed into her. It made her quiver, and she moaned out his name and heard the responding sigh of delight.
“You really are touch-st-ahh-rved,” she whimpered, her fingers massaging his scalp gently. She could’ve sworn he laughed, pulling his tongue out and kissing the inside of her thigh before he returned to licking at her, his beard scratching her skin. She hazarded a look down at him, and his eyes switched their attention from her sex to her gaze. The sight of the pale blue pushed a wet gasp out of her throat, and she had to shut her lids, her back arching.
His hands were still caressing her, and a moment later she felt them teasing at her breasts. At the brush of his thumb against her nipple, Nora called out his name and bit her lip, grinding unwittingly against his mouth. He left her breasts, gripping her hips tightly as she started to buck, his tongue working her quickly towards another orgasm. Her breath caught, and she shivered as the coil of pleasure between her thighs uncurled, pulling her into her climax with a cry of ‘abhika!’ that got a soft, pleased grunt out of him.
His tongue was still stroking her by the time Nora could concentrate, and she squeezed his hands.
“I-it’s…too…”
He sucked on her clit again, his eyes fixed on her, and Nora tried to pull away.
“Fuck, fuck, Arthur,” she pleaded, squirming.
He relented, placing scratchy kisses up her sex before he finally released her, and Nora braced herself against him as she got her breath back, her heart pounding in her ears. He was still gazing as she gasped for air, and a rush of shyness, embarrassment and self-awareness suddenly came over her. She crossed her arms over her breasts, and his brow furrowed.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“It’s…been a while since I…your stare is…it’s quite intense,” she mumbled. “No one’s looked at me like that since…well…quite some time.”
He kissed the inside of her thigh as her fingers ran through his hair, and then she let go and reached behind to grip his cock. He let out a moan of pleasure, and she jerked her palm.
“Did you…I can…you know…”
He sat up, and she slid off his chest and into his lap as he gripped her ass tightly.
“Is it…okay if…we…
He sounded so hesitant, so nervous, and she leaned down to kiss him softly, stroking his face.
“Sure,” she whispered. “Go for it.”
There was a wet dribble of precome on his shaft as she straddled him, and when combined with her wetness he slid inside her easily. Arthur gasped as she sunk down onto him, and Nora arched, her fingers sliding into his hair again.
“This is…ohh…not what I expected,” she panted, as he thrust upwards.
“I…unnnh…I assure you, I…did not intend to…seduce you.”
“Sure,” she laughed breathlessly. “That why we were alone?”
“I…”
She laughed again, dipping her head to kiss along his neck as his cock began to slide slowly in and out of her, and Arthur’s hands gripped her waist as she began to grind herself down on him, tugging a little on his hair. He had the girth she’d expected from a man his size, and the heat of him beneath her was comforting.
His hands left her waist, his fingers playing against her skin, up and down her back, squeezing her ass, touching and feeling her as they moved together, and Nora closed her eyes and let the gentle caresses meld with the sensation of him stroking her. She arched over him as he moaned, leaning down to kiss him once more. Her hair fell over her shoulders, and as her back curved, he brushed it away and began to thumb her nipple, grunting in enjoyment at the gasp she gave him in response.
“Beautiful,” he whispered, and Nora blushed again, whimpering as she straightened up, her hips rolling against his body. “Ahhh…”
She squeezed him tightly and watched him bite down hard on his lip, a strangled cry leaving his mouth as his hands trembled.
“Dirty trick,” he breathed, and sat up. She sighed into his mouth as they kissed again, his teeth nibbling at her. She gripped his shoulders, and when his next thrust stroked a sweet spot her nails dug in. She bucked, his palm pressing against her back to keep her anchored as she rode him, her pace increasing, and the sound of their coupling, only somewhat audible before, grew in volume.
He slid his legs over the side of the couch and rested against the back, using it as leverage to buck up into her as he matched her speed, and Nora felt him working her towards another climax. She cupped the back of his head, panting into his mouth, and felt her slick dripping out of her, running down his shaft. His breathing was uneven now, his skin growing damp against hers as he gave her tiny, stuttering breaths against her lips. Nora nipped at him and braced her other hand on his chest, palm pressing against his body, skin to skin as she felt his heartbeat pumping steadily under her.
He held her close as they kissed again, and when he thrust up into her, rough and fast, Nora buried her head in his neck. She bit a hickey into the flesh, pulled back, and pressed her forehead to his as he found her breasts again, a thumb sliding down to her clit. Her thighs clenched, and she cracked her eyes open long enough to find him staring at her.
She murmured questioningly, whimpering when he started to rub at her, and he closed his eyes with a gasp as she tightened around him.
“Nora…”
She whimpered at the sound of her name, her nails dragging over his shoulders, and when he arched up into the touch, fucking her deeply, she raked them down his back and savoured the loud, strangled moan that issued from between gritted teeth.
“Nora,” he panted, and she clenched down tight in response, her head burying itself in his neck, shuddering when his fingers trailed softly down her spine. Between the thumb rubbing her nub and the hard drives of his hip, she was getting so very close to the edge, gasping as it taunted, just out of reach.
“Arthur, god,” she managed, and his teeth sank into her neck as his nails dug into her back and dragged down to her ass. It was just enough to make her cry out, and the moment she began to clench in climax, Maxson fucked her harder. Sweat dripped down her belly as heat seared through her, slow waves of pleasure following the warmth, and when she stopped coming, she could feel him tensing.
“I…need to…”
“Do it,” she breathed, pulling back far enough to find his mouth.
He kissed her, and then he arched his head away from her as his lips parted. The sound of pleasure he gave her when he came was something Nora would treasure, a noise of relief, delight and nerves wrapped it into a sharp, rasping cry that made her skin pulse hot and cold. He clutched her tightly, holding her against him as he hilted inside her and shuddered. She could feel the thick spurts of come hitting her walls, whimpering. Sated, the Elder sagged into the couch and panted.
There was something about the way he kept holding her long after he was done that made Nora’s heart skip a beat, and experimentally she softly trailed her fingers down his face, stroking the scar. His head twisted, and his lips found her hand, eyes opening and finding hers. Nora smiled shyly.
His gaze dropped to where he was still buried in her, then back up. The Vaultie leaned forward and Arthur accepted her kiss, licking his lips when she finally pulled away.
“This was…not how I planned the day to go,” he eventually said.
“I…am really…not complaining,” she murmured, stroking an errant lock of black hair out of his face.
“I didn’t just mean the…sex,” he added. “I meant all of it. The intel, the fight…we had a lot thrown at us. It nearly got us killed.”
“That wasn’t your fault,” she began.
“Wasn’t it? I organised this operation. I led the two of us out without insisting on fetching your power armour just in case, without checking the intel was correct…if it had been anyone else in charge, I’d have them demoted and punished,” he retorted.
“Arthur-”
“That your injuries weren’t more severe was a mixture of skill and blind luck,” he continued. “And I…allowed my desires to get out of hand earlier. I shouldn’t have.”
Nora swallowed, her heart squeezing tightly as a mixture of fear and anger turned her stomach. She clenched her fists tightly.
“So, what, you’re saying this was a mistake?” she asked.
“I’m saying I’ve been reckless and irresponsible, putting my needs and feelings before the ahhnnfuck.”
She squeezed him tightly, and his fingers trembled on her skin as he let out a gasp and bucked.
“Uh-uh,” she breathed. “No. Not happening.”
She leaned down again and kissed him passionately. He whimpered, shivering as her teeth pressed against his lips, and she planted open-mouthed kisses down his jaw, tongue stroking over his neck. His hands slid around her, one in her hair, one on her back, and he panted for air as she carefully gave him a large, dark purple love bite.
She pulled back, wiping the saliva off her lips, and Arthur’s eyes glittered with surprise and pleasure as she gazed down at him.
“You can’t just…fuck me like that and…oh god, Arthur, there’s nothing wrong with…indulging a little,” she told him, her fingers playing along his jaw.
“I have a responsibility-”
“-that will get you killed by the age of 40, if you don’t relax,” she murmured, and moaned softly as his hand stroked her scalp. “There are several people in the Commonwealth who understand what it’s like to be lonely at the top, and one of them is sitting on your lap.”
She kissed him again, and felt him stirring beneath her.
“I noticed,” he rasped, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
“I’m never calling you ‘Elder’ in private again,” she added softly. “I’d…really rather call you Arthur, unless that bothers you.”
He swallowed.
“I haven’t…been ‘Arthur’ in private to anyone for a very long time,” he admitted.
“See, now you’re just asking me to kiss you,” she muttered, and she did, softly and deeply as the man beneath her replied with a pleased moan and held her close. When she pulled away, he chased her mouth and claimed it again, and Nora giggled softly between kisses, enjoying the gentle stroke of his palm down her back.
“I intend to pursue the person who handed me such dangerous intel,” he murmured when he finally stopped. “Because I don’t enjoy the idea of going through that much hell in one day, particularly if we plan on these joint missions happening again.”
“So long as we…we do this again…as in…the uh…well, not the injuries and the fighting,” she murmured.
“Believe me, I plan on this…this being a repeat activity,” he assured her.
“Good.” Her thumb skimmed along his lips. “My door’s always open, you know.”
His eyes found hers and the gratitude in them made her curl her arms around him and hold him close.
“Being your ally is more than just co-ordinating troop movements,” she pointed out softly, and her her skin muffled his responding laughter.
“I was never informed that sex was an acceptable pastime for allies.”
“It wasn’t uncommon for powerful people to use things like sex and marriage to bind people to them legally,” she informed him. Arthur stilled beneath her.
“…I was aware of that,” he finally murmured.
“Is something wrong?”
He kissed her shoulder.
“No. Nothing. I have…an active imagination.”
“…and…what are you imagining?” she asked gently.
“…you rather blithely mentioned marriage,” he pointed out. And Arthur Maxson, Elder of the East Coast Brotherhood, did not look her in the eye.
“Oh.”
“…but maybe it’s a little early for that,” he added, kissing her neck.
Nora flushed, and the Elder shot her a bashful smile, picking her up behind her thighs. He slid out of her with a gasp, placing her gently down on the couch and standing, moving over to where he’d thrown his battlecoat, and made his way back to her. He sat down, reaching for her hand, and as he stretched out lie down, he brought her with him, and she lay across his chest, tucking her head beneath his neck.
The thick coat was draped over her, and when she was comfortable he wrapped his arms around her. His cock pulsed by her thigh, but they both ignored it.
“Other than the dangerously incorrect intel, a successful mission,” he said, somewhat drowsily. Nora chuckled.