selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos blushed a bit and he tried not to let his smile grow too big. He turned his attention to Hancock’s hands instead, watching the wrinkled digits take apart the wrapping that Carlos had carefully put together. Then he smiled wider.

“That label is actually a newspaper ad for Red Menace that I found and I decided to use it,” Carlos explained. “I used some rubber cement to adhere it to the holotape. The tape itself actually has more than just one game on it – there’s six of them.”

“Wait, six? How’s that possible? I didn’t know they could even hold that much.” He beamed even bigger as he looked the game over, wishing he’d brought something to play it on right there. He looked up at Carlos again and reached up to grab him by the collar to tug him down into a deep kiss, lingering for a moment before pulling away again. “Thank you, sweetheart, this is perfect.”

Carlos made a noise of surprise as he was pulled in. His hands came up to hold Hancock’s waist and his eyes fluttered shut as they kissed. When they broke apart, Carlos smiled at him, a little dreamily.

“I’m glad you like it,“ he said softly. He swallowed slightly. “Um, admittedly that holotape is a bit beefier than standard ones. It… it took a little bit finding the right parts to put it together. But I already had the games – my brother was a programmer and he beefed up my Pipboy for me. So… um… yeah.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

“Huh?” Carlos asked. “Oh, um… well, I like it very much.
Yeah, it’s nice… nice to work in a more enclosed space with a lock on the door.
And it’s nice to have places to do what I do best, you know? Just… working on
machines makes me feel really good and… y’know, useful.”

Carlos finally picked up the little bundle he’d wrapped with
a bit of old newspaper that was tied with a bit of copper wire (which he’d
recycle after this). The newspaper was an old Nuka Cola ad so the paper was a
little bit colorful. Carlos turned to Hancock, smiling and holding out the
package.

“Here it is. Merry Christmas, Hancock.”

“You’re always useful, whether or not you’re working on machines. You could just be sittin’ around on my couch and you’d still have worth, you’d still have a purpose.” Hancock leaned in then, pressing a soft kiss to Carlos’ cheek as he took the little package from him.

Carefully, the ghoul unwrapped it, untwisting the wire first then peeling the newspaper away, a grin on his face when he saw the game inside. “Heh, where did you find this? Thank you, sunshine, I love it.”

Carlos blushed a bit and he tried not to let his smile grow too big. He turned his attention to Hancock’s hands instead, watching the wrinkled digits take apart the wrapping that Carlos had carefully put together. Then he smiled wider.

“That label is actually a newspaper ad for Red Menace that I found and I decided to use it,” Carlos explained. “I used some rubber cement to adhere it to the holotape. The tape itself actually has more than just one game on it – there’s six of them.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos made a surprised little squeaky noise when Hancock kissed him, but he quickly tried to cover it up with a frankly obnoxious-sounding clearing of his throat. He closed the door behind them and went toward his desk.

“Uh, go ahead and sit down, Han,” he said, gesturing toward his chair. “Gimme a second to find it. I put it away so it wouldn’t get hurt while I worked.” Carlos started to go through the top drawer of the desk, taking tools out and setting them on top so that they weren’t in the way.

“The suspense is killing me, sunshine.” He laughed as he followed Carlos’ order and took a seat, watching him with an amused smile–– and maybe checking him out a little–– as he searched. “Y’know, it’s pretty nice in here. Quiet. I dunno why I don’t come down more often to see what you’re up to and watch ya work. How are you liking it?”

“Huh?” Carlos asked. “Oh, um… well, I like it very much.
Yeah, it’s nice… nice to work in a more enclosed space with a lock on the door.
And it’s nice to have places to do what I do best, you know? Just… working on
machines makes me feel really good and… y’know, useful.”

Carlos finally picked up the little bundle he’d wrapped with
a bit of old newspaper that was tied with a bit of copper wire (which he’d
recycle after this). The newspaper was an old Nuka Cola ad so the paper was a
little bit colorful. Carlos turned to Hancock, smiling and holding out the
package.

“Here it is. Merry Christmas, Hancock.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos’ breath hitched slightly at Hancock’s response. He tried not to look at the other man. He couldn’t get bashful here – he was going to give Hancock a present, and he needed to be chivalrous!

Carlos stopped them at the warehouse door where his workshop was set up and he dug in his pocket for the key. He opened the door and held it for Hancock to get inside first.

The lack of any real response was slightly disappointing, but the ghoul didn’t let that bother him, not when Carlos was being so sweet. When the other opened the door for him, Hancock leaned in to peck him on the cheek before stepping through, a warm smile on his lips. “Thank you, darlin’. Such a gentlemen, heh.”

Carlos made a surprised little squeaky noise when Hancock kissed him, but he quickly tried to cover it up with a frankly obnoxious-sounding clearing of his throat. He closed the door behind them and went toward his desk.

“Uh, go ahead and sit down, Han,” he said, gesturing toward his chair. “Gimme a second to find it. I put it away so it wouldn’t get hurt while I worked.” Carlos started to go through the top drawer of the desk, taking tools out and setting them on top so that they weren’t in the way.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

Carlos laughed. “Nah – that sort of joke is for April Fool’s Day. Hm… In fact – thanks for the idea!” Carlos brought Hancock’s hand to his mouth to press a light kiss to the knuckles. “But seriously… it is something tangible that is not me, I promise.”

Carlos opened the door to the statehouse and peeked out into the alley. He tried to keep his grip on Hancock’s hand loose, in case the other wanted to pull away out in public. Carlos understood the concern about his image, he did… but in the Vault they wouldn’t have had to even worry about that sort of thing.

“Shame, you’re all I ever wanted.” He replied easily, shooting a wink over at Carlos. Even as they stepped outside, Hancock didn’t let go of his hand, still gripping it tight as they walked down the alley. At one point he may have been more concerned about showing his softer side to the people of Goodneighbor, but it didn’t take long for that worry to fade, he knew Carlos would be safe, as long as the Watch was around to make sure no one targeted him just to get to the ghoul, he’d made a point of recruiting carefully for a reason and it was never really his reputation he was worried about, only the danger that could be brought to the other man if that image was damaged enough to make someone brave enough to do something very stupid.

Carlos’ breath hitched slightly at Hancock’s response. He tried not to look at the other man. He couldn’t get bashful here – he was going to give Hancock a present, and he needed to be chivalrous!

Carlos stopped them at the warehouse door where his workshop was set up and he dug in his pocket for the key. He opened the door and held it for Hancock to get inside first.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

Carlos smiled at him. “Pretty small,” he said. “Like… it can fit in the palm of your hand.” Carlos tried to remember where he left it. In the drawer, he thought – just to make sure Fahrenheit or somebody didn’t accidentally knock it to the ground.

“Hmmm…. that does sound pretty small.” He lifted Carlos’ hand in his and took a look at it, a soft snort escaping as a thought occurred to him. “We’re not gonna get there just for you to tell me it’s holding your hand that’s my present, are ya? Not that I’d necessarily mind that, heh.”

Carlos laughed. “Nah – that sort of joke is for April Fool’s Day. Hm… In fact – thanks for the idea!” Carlos brought Hancock’s hand to his mouth to press a light kiss to the knuckles. “But seriously… it is something tangible that is not me, I promise.”

Carlos opened the door to the statehouse and peeked out into the alley. He tried to keep his grip on Hancock’s hand loose, in case the other wanted to pull away out in public. Carlos understood the concern about his image, he did… but in the Vault they wouldn’t have had to even worry about that sort of thing.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos looked at him, an excited light in his eyes. “You can
ask,” he confirmed. “But I can’t guarantee I’ll tell you much. It’s just down
the alley after all so we’ll get to it really soon. I just… I spent so much
time on it and I’m eager for you to see it. I do think you’re going to like it.”

“I’m sure I’ll love it, it is from you, after all.” He smiled warmly and squeezed Carlos’ hand a little tighter as they walked, tempted to even go so far as to rest his head against his shoulder, though he wasn’t sure how cuddly he wanted the people of Goodneighbor to see him being. “What size is it? Big or small?”

Carlos smiled at him. “Pretty small,” he said. “Like… it can fit in the palm of your hand.” Carlos tried to remember where he left it. In the drawer, he thought – just to make sure Fahrenheit or somebody didn’t accidentally knock it to the ground.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos smiled at him, very eager to show Hancock his present. Without thinking much about it he took hooked his arm around Hancock’s and gently tugged him toward the door.

“I really think you’re going to like it,” Carlos told him. “I spent quite a while finding the right hardware for it and it took me just as long making sure everything worked just right.”

A light chuckle escaped as Carlos took his arm and Hancock happily fell into step beside him, unaffected by the thought that anyone might see them that way, they’d been together long enough by this point that everyone would already know, anyway.

“You definitely got me interested, sweetheart. Can I ask anything about it? Or are ya just gonna keep hypin’ me up until we get there?”

Carlos looked at him, an excited light in his eyes. “You can
ask,” he confirmed. “But I can’t guarantee I’ll tell you much. It’s just down
the alley after all so we’ll get to it really soon. I just… I spent so much
time on it and I’m eager for you to see it. I do think you’re going to like it.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos sat there silently for a moment. He blinked up at Hancock, a little dazed from the kiss, but then he blinked himself to awareness. “Oh, uh – yeah, hang on,” he said.

Carlos wanted to finish up his bowl before the broth got cold again so he picked up the bowl and quickly started to drink it down, getting some soaked into his mustache. Carlos set the empty bowl down with a satisfied sigh and stood up.

“It’s down in the workshop,” he said, wiping his mouth on his sleeve – the shirt needed to be washed soon anyway.

His smile softened as he watched him, that dumbfounded look he got sometimes when the ghoul kissed him always gave him a fluttery feeling. God, how could one man be so damn cute?

Hancock gave his own bowl a look as Carlos drained what was left in his, considering it for a moment before lifting it to his lips and taking a few little sips before setting it down again. “I’ll let ya lead the way, handsome, I’m right behind you. I’m curious to see what you have in store for me, heh.”

Carlos smiled at him, very eager to show Hancock his present. Without thinking much about it he took hooked his arm around Hancock’s and gently tugged him toward the door.

“I really think you’re going to like it,” Carlos told him. “I spent quite a while finding the right hardware for it and it took me just as long making sure everything worked just right.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

“Observed statistics say I shouldn’t be this lucky either,” Carlos murmured, holding him. “Thanks for saving my butt from my own stupidity… I am so unbelievably grateful to be here with you.” Thinking about what could have happened weighed really heavy on Carlos’ heart. Somehow, he got a chance to pull himself up when others don’t. It wasn’t fair, but Carlos was very grateful. Just… so grateful.

“Sounds smarter when you say it.” He snorted. After a few moments, Hancock pulled away, taking Carlos’ face in his hands and pressing a deep kiss to his lips before climbing off of him fully and standing up to smooth the wrinkles out of his jacket. “Alright then, you uh, you said there was somethin’ else, right? Shall we?”

Carlos sat there silently for a moment. He blinked up at Hancock, a little dazed from the kiss, but then he blinked himself to awareness. “Oh, uh – yeah, hang on,” he said.

Carlos wanted to finish up his bowl before the broth got cold again so he picked up the bowl and quickly started to drink it down, getting some soaked into his mustache. Carlos set the empty bowl down with a satisfied sigh and stood up.

“It’s down in the workshop,” he said, wiping his mouth on his sleeve – the shirt needed to be washed soon anyway.