A Holiday Surprise (closed w/ selfmedicatingmayor)

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos grabbed the chopsticks and a bowl in each hand before
turning to head over to the couch. He smiled at Hancock as he a bowl down in
front of him and offered a set of chopsticks to him – one of the closest
matching sets he could find.

“Thanks, sweetheart.” The ghoul replied as he took the chopsticks, before even taking a look at the food in front of him. When he finally looked down and noticed the noodles, his face lit up. “Oh shit, I didn’t even realize–– when’d you sneak off to get these? Thank you, sunshine, you spoil me, heh.”

Carlos smiled at him. “I like spoiling you when I can,” he
told the ghoul as he sat down beside him with his own bowl and chopsticks. “And
I actually didn’t go anywhere. While I was bartering with Daisy and giving her
some orders to fill, I asked if she could have one of her runners pop into
Diamond City for a couple bowls of noodles.” He gently nudged Hancock’s elbow
affectionately and then just decided to lean in and kiss his cheek.

Food for the Soul (closed w/ selfmedicatingmayor)

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos grinned again. “It’s kinda nice,” Carlos said. “I
like seeing all the order and knowing that things are connected in a special
way. I can’t tell you how many cars or machines that I’ve seen that just made
me sad looking at them. I’ve always wanted to ride in a car.”

Carlos took the casing off and set it to the side, upside
down as a make-shift tray for parts. A thought occurred to him. “Oh – can you
get me a bowl for the screws I get out?” he asked Hancock. “I’m sorry; I didn’t
think of it until now.”

“Wait, is the inside of a car messy? Never really looked in one’a them either, never had a reason since they don’t exactly run, y’know? I’ve always wanted to ride in one too, wonder if I ever will.”

At Carlos’ request, Hancock got up and headed over to the cabinet to grab a bowl, carrying it back over and setting it down beside the other man as he took his seat on the floor again. “This work well enough? Don’t need a couple for different sizes? I dunno if that’s a thing, heh.”

“This will do great – I can tell which screws go where,”
Carlos told him, giving him a smile. “Thanks!” He started to undo screws on the
piece and dropped them into the bowl.

“About the cars… I get sad because they don’t run. Now they’re just miniature nuclear reactors
waiting to go off because they can’t be properly contained. And without working
parts… they’re of course completely useless.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos kept smiling and nodded. “Yeah… sure,” he said,
trying to sound at least a little casual and not nervous at all; or not as
nervous as he was. “Do you… wanna run and get us some towels while I look for a
fresh pair of underwear?” Carlos cringed a little at his wording – he should
have just said ‘clean clothes’.

“Yeah, alright. I’ll get the bath started and find us some towels.” He still wasn’t sure Carlos really wanted to do this, but if he said he did, he’d trust the other man was telling him the truth. With a little smile, Hancock got up and pecked him on the cheek then headed into his bedroom, stripping out of his first few layers of clothing before stepping into the bathroom to start a bath and pull out towels, setting them near the tub.

Carlos smiled a bit at the kiss on the cheek. It always gave
him little tingles when Hancock kissed him. Every
time.

Carlos got up and went to the bedroom to grab his clothes –
for now just a set of boxers and his undershirt. He thought for a moment but then also
searched for a pair for Hancock. Though what he found, distressed him a little
bit – Hancock’s briefs obviously had seen better days… maybe twenty years ago.
They were clean just… not white. Carlos decided to go grab another pair of his
instead for Hancock before heading to the bathroom, making a mental note to
find out Hancock’s waist size and seeing about ordering some from Daisy.

Carlos poked his head in and smiled over at Hancock. “Hey.”

A Holiday Surprise (closed w/ selfmedicatingmayor)

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

Carlos went to the drawer indicated and found what he was
looking for. He nodded, grabbing the serving spoon and a couple sets of
chopsticks. “Found them,” he called out. “Thank you!”

Carlos went back to the
stove and busied himself with filling their bowls. He looked over at Hancock. “Where
do you wanna eat?” he asked, smiling widely.

“Depends on whether ya wanna sit down or stand over the counter.” He chuckled, glancing back over the couch again to meet Carlos’ eyes. He breathed in through his nose then, letting out a pleased little hum afterwards. “Man, my sense’a smell might not be so great anymore, but I can tell whatever that is is gonna be delicious, heh. C’mon and sit, let’s eat, sunshine.”

Carlos grabbed the chopsticks and a bowl in each hand before
turning to head over to the couch. He smiled at Hancock as he a bowl down in
front of him and offered a set of chopsticks to him – one of the closest
matching sets he could find.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos smiled and nodded to him. “No, you can’t,” he
agreed. “And… thanks, I guess. For
thinking I’m interesting. Heh, I would’ve thought that I was too geeky for you…
but it seems like you’d be very interested for me to talk nerdy to you, huh?” Zing! And this car trip was off to a great start!

“Honestly…. I was into a lotta nerdy shit in school.” He admitted, offering a little shrug and a smile. “I know I probably don’t seem it, but I was real into my studies back at Hogwarts, one of the best students in my year until my folks died and I kinda lost that drive. Of course, I was big into partyin’ too, but I always made a point to get shit done first. It’s a shocker, I know.”

Carlos smiled. “Me too,” he said. “I was a Horned Serpent. I
didn’t do the partying bit so much though… Class clown, yes, but hardly any
parties.”

A Holiday Surprise (closed w/ selfmedicatingmayor)

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos sighed. He barely had the chance to try to be sneaky.
Oh well – in the end Hancock would still be surprised.

As Carlos cooked/warmed up the food he thought about the
other present he had – it was in his workshop. Or… an area in the warehouse
that he deemed to be his work area. He’d have to run out and get it after
dinner. Damn – he wished he had a little bit of foresight.

Carlos paid close attention to the noodles, stirring
constantly so that none of it got stuck to the pot. Eventually, steam was
coming up out of the pot and after a test with his finger Carlos thought it was
warm enough without risk of overcooking. He quickly shut off the element and
covered the pot before he went in search of a serving spoon and some
chopsticks.

“Hey, Han – where did you put the utensils?” Carlos called
as he started opening drawers and cabinets.

“Hmm?” Looking up from his book again, Hancock peeked over the back of the couch at him, the question taking a moment to register. “Oh, that uh, that drawer there by the sink….. I think. Unless I moved shit while I was high, it’s happened before, heh.”

Carlos went to the drawer indicated and found what he was
looking for. He nodded, grabbing the serving spoon and a couple sets of
chopsticks. “Found them,” he called out. “Thank you!”

Carlos went back to the
stove and busied himself with filling their bowls. He looked over at Hancock. “Where
do you wanna eat?” he asked, smiling widely.

Food for the Soul (closed w/ selfmedicatingmayor)

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos looked at him and he smiled. “Oh, of course,” he
said.

Carlos got his tools and set them aside before he started to
carefully unwrap the terminal that they got from the fabric he’d wrapped it in.
He then took out one of his screwdrivers and started to take off the casing.

Going quiet then, the ghoul just sat close and watched the other man work, a curious look on his face. “Y’know, I don’t think I’ve ever really seen the inside of one’a these things, not like…. whole, anyway. I’ve seen ‘em smashed up before.”

Carlos grinned again. “It’s kinda nice,” Carlos said. “I
like seeing all the order and knowing that things are connected in a special
way. I can’t tell you how many cars or machines that I’ve seen that just made
me sad looking at them. I’ve always wanted to ride in a car.”

Carlos took the casing off and set it to the side, upside
down as a make-shift tray for parts. A thought occurred to him. “Oh – can you
get me a bowl for the screws I get out?” he asked Hancock. “I’m sorry; I didn’t
think of it until now.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos smiled at him. “Well… I want to have fun, and to make a good friend. As for anything else…
well, a good rule of thumb my Dad always told me was to make sure you can stand
a road trip with someone first before things got serious.”

“That’s fair, heh. If I’m being honest, I tend to jump to the physical first and then get to know a person, but you’re different. You’re a hell of a lot more interesting than most folks I know and I wanna get to know ya regardless of what may or may not happen. If all we end up as is friends, I’m happy with that, can never have too many, right?”

Carlos smiled and nodded to him. “No, you can’t,” he
agreed. “And… thanks, I guess. For
thinking I’m interesting. Heh, I would’ve thought that I was too geeky for you…
but it seems like you’d be very interested for me to talk nerdy to you, huh?” Zing! And this car trip was off to a great start!

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

And just like that, the moment was quickly going. And Carlos
could see that the night was going to be awkward if he didn’t do something.

“Um… hey, Han? I think I’d like to give it a try.” Carlos
looked at Hancock and smiled at him. “I mean… you just said it would be nice so…
if you’d like to, I’d like to try it.” It did sound nice… sitting in warm water
cuddled up against Hancock. He wondered how they’d be able to maneuver to get
any washing done, but he supposed there would be a way.

“Are–– you’re sure?” Where the ghoul was normally cool and confident in situations like this, his uncertainty was beginning to show. Committed relationships…. weren’t something Hancock was familiar with and he was more than a little paranoid about scaring Carlos. “You uh…. you’re not just sayin’ you’re interested to make me happy? You actually wanna do it?”

Carlos kept smiling and nodded. “Yeah… sure,” he said,
trying to sound at least a little casual and not nervous at all; or not as
nervous as he was. “Do you… wanna run and get us some towels while I look for a
fresh pair of underwear?” Carlos cringed a little at his wording – he should
have just said ‘clean clothes’.

A Holiday Surprise (closed w/ selfmedicatingmayor)

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

Carlos smiled. “I’m trying to keep it a surprise,” he
admitted as he put in the second container. Enough for two people. “But you’ll
like it, I promise. I know for a fact that you will.”

“A surprise it is, then. I’ll stay over here until you’re done.” Picking up his glass, Hancock settled back into the couch and sipped at his drink, idly leafing through the book he’d been reading.

Carlos sighed. He barely had the chance to try to be sneaky.
Oh well – in the end Hancock would still be surprised.

As Carlos cooked/warmed up the food he thought about the
other present he had – it was in his workshop. Or… an area in the warehouse
that he deemed to be his work area. He’d have to run out and get it after
dinner. Damn – he wished he had a little bit of foresight.

Carlos paid close attention to the noodles, stirring
constantly so that none of it got stuck to the pot. Eventually, steam was
coming up out of the pot and after a test with his finger Carlos thought it was
warm enough without risk of overcooking. He quickly shut off the element and
covered the pot before he went in search of a serving spoon and some
chopsticks.

“Hey, Han – where did you put the utensils?” Carlos called
as he started opening drawers and cabinets.