fallout x reader one shots

•piper wright x female reader #1: pt.1•

"Blue?" Piper whispered, her fragile hand cusped around her slightly chapped lips, "Are you sure this is the right Vault?"

"I'm sure of it..." I replied, turning to face my anxious partner, "I mean, this is the place the ol' Pipboy points to. Plus, Maccready swore this was a safe space back when he was out here in the Capital Wasteland, and we both trust that dumb sharpshooter a lot."

Piper nodded gently, tucking her black hair behind a dirtied ear, "You're right, you're right. Just my overactive journalist nerves picking up. Maybe there's a good story waiting in here! That has to be what I'm feeling." She sounded like she was mostly reassuring herself at this point, but it didn't matter to me.

My feet ached with exhaustion, and quite frankly, I just wanted a place to lay down. Piper and I had wandered outside of our familiar Commonwealth and into the vast wasteland that was once the America I knew. A lot of the Railroad's intel led us to believe there was something important south of our current location.

I entered the cavern-like entrance to the old vault, Piper following not far behind. The control panel to open the vault looked like it hadn't been been used in a while, raising my suspicion. "Pipes," I warned, turning my head over my shoulder to look at her, "You might be right... something seems a bit off about this place. It's pretty worn down, especially for a vault that's supposed to be occupied."

"Roger, Cap'n," she grinned, placing both her hands on my shoulders and peeking over to watch my Pipboy at work. I relaxed back into her, feeling the cool press of her holster against my lower back. The Pipboy's cord came out with a rough tug, and I plugged it into the outlet on the display.

"No security alert from that intercom," Piper commented, removing her hands to adjust her hat, "Vault 88 always has that ass-kissing security guard at the ready."

I made a small, affirmative sound, removing the Pipboy's cord and putting it back in place. The Vault's old alarms buzzed out loudly, their yellow light flashing around the damp cavern. I noted the odd crystal formations sticking off the walls, silently pointing them out to my adamant companion whilst the vault door hissed and spluttered. It's loud creaking suggested it hadn't been opened in a while.

"Maybe they're some sort of self sustaining vault," Piper hypothesized, walking alongside me to the yellow pathway that was extending out from the now open vault door. "I mean, it would explain the dust and super busted door."

"That could be the case," I agreed, "But Vault 88 is super advanced, and even after all the help we put into restoring and aiding the structure and its inhabitants, they still require outside trading every once in a while."

Piper began scribbling down in her tattered notebook, a feverish glint in her eye. I recognized that look: the beginning of a story. "Don't get your hopes up too soon, Ms. Wright," I laughed, knowing my efforts to sway the woman were futile.

"Well, Blue, it was Vault-Tec's original plan to keep a self maintaining vault, at least for a few years until help arrived, so it's plausible they go on some sort of streaks where they don't risk the outsiders' help!"

The cogs were already turning in her brain as we meandered through the old structure. I kept my non-dominant hand linked with her arm to act like a guide dog. After all, I didn't want the idiot crashing into a wall while she was entranced by that book of hers.

A too familiar click began to emit from my wrist: rads. "Pipes, pause," I said gently, waving my hand in front of her face. 'Pause' was Piper's command, for lack of a better word. It's the only thing that can free her from the world of her notebook.

"Hmm?" she hummed, locking eyes with me, pen still suspended over the unfinished sentence.

"Rads," I briefly answered, squatting down and removing my backpack, "We gotta put these on so we don't get ghoulified." I handed a hazmat suit towards Piper, grabbing one for myself. She sighed, way too loudly may I add, and placed the notebook in her jacket's worn pocket.