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The ground crunched below you as you carefully trudged through the decimated home. It was the last one that stood in the ghost town around you, your guess was that this place hadn't been touched since the nukes dropped over two hundred years ago.
Dusted over picture frames adorned the walls and shelves, photos of what you could only assume to be a family. Some were taken at a wedding, some taken on vacation. It was... weird to see evidence of a world not as harsh as the one you lived in. These people were no doubt long dead by now.
Most of the house had been flooded with dirt and dead shrubbery, as you took a step forward you heard the distinct crack of glass under your boot. You reached down and pulled a photograph out of the arid dirt, it probably fell down decades ago.
The photo was faded and tinted, but you made out the image of two figures locking hands. Other figures in the back in various stages of dance, some dipping and spinning their partners down and others simply locking lips with one another. Some kind of party, maybe?
You set the cracked photo in its rightful place back on the shelf. Sometimes you wish you could see what that world was like in more than just photographs and rumors.
Something caught the corner of your eye. Tucked in the corner of the room in a dusty little milk crate sat a collection of perfectly preserved vinyl records, protected by their cover. Jackpot!
The walk back to the Strip would be a long one, the milk crate full of fragile records would be a pain in the ass to carry back to the Lucky 38.
"Yes Man..." You hummed as you stepped out of the elevator to the penthouse, your mask doing nothing to hide the smile evident in your voice. "You'll never guess what I found while scouting around the Mojave!"
"Welcome back, Six! Boy, did I miss you- whatcha got there?" His animated face on the large monitor tilted to the side, moving himself from the stationary screens on the wall to the mobile Securitron body. He wheeled his way over to you, whirring excitedly.
"Oh, nothing, just some old world records." Carefully, you took a record out of its sleeve, inspecting it for damages. Somehow, even after literal two centuries of damage, it looked good as new.
"Which one's that?" Yes Mans digital eyes widened, his smile growing.
"Looks like it's just a single," Your eyes scanned the label, "You like Frank Sinatra at all? It's one of his songs."
"I think I've heard him on the radio a few times while you worked, he has a lovely sound!" He clacked his hands together, fondly remembering the late nights he spent awake with you while you repaired your gear. You looked barely awake and on the verge of passing out, and yet you still gently sang the romantic old world songs aloud, murmuring the lyrics as you drifted off to sleep. What he really wanted to say was that you have a lovely sound.
He was usually the one to carry you to your bed and tuck you in the warm covers, humming the same song you did, those lovey-dovey tunes flowing out of him. Yes Man wouldn't consider himself a good singer; his voice box simply wasn't built for the complex melodies that came from a human. But you didn't seem to mind, all bundled up and snuggling into the pillow as he sang.
Yes Mans train of thought was broken by the soft strum of a guitar. You pulled an antique record player out of storage, purchased for this exact reason.
'I know, I stand in line until you think you have the time
To spend an evening with me'
Oh, this was one of Yes Mans favorites! His favorite to listen to you sing, specifically.
"And if we go someplace to dance, I know that there's a chance you wont be leaving with me..."
You sang aloud with the lyrics, standing behind the cocktail table to make yourself a drink. In layman's terms, chugging strong alcohol mixed with even stronger alcohol until you couldn't feel your legs by the end of the night.
'Then afterwards we drop into a quiet little place
And have a drink or two,'
Yes Man swayed his long arms back and forth, his upper body gently bouncing to the melody, his own adorable version of dancing. The lights of the penthouse suite began to dim, letting the artificial light of the Strip at night flow through the windows, the golden glow illuminating the space quite nicely.
'And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid
Like, "I love you"'
You stepped away from the counter, a warmth in your chest that wasn't just from the whiskey, swaying and stepping side to side in a similar way Yes Man moved, which made him chuckle sweetly.
"Quite the dancer, you are." Yes Man humorously purred.
"Hey-" You snickered, stepping closer to him, "I'm moving the same way you are!"
"I didn't say anything bad about it, dear Courier! You must be hearing stuff." He raised his hands in defense, poorly holding back a laugh.
'I practice every day to find some clever line to say
To make the meaning come true'
Yes Man held a closed claw up to his mouth on the screen, clearing his non existent throat.
"May I take this dance?" He held out a hand in front of you, your heart couldn't help but to skip a beat. You laid your hand in his, and his metal claws gently held your soft flesh. He smiled warmly at the contact, his gaze lowered.
'But then I think I'll wait until the evening gets late
And I'm alone with you'
You couldn't remember the last time someone held you like this. Had anyone ever held you like this? You felt safe in Yes Mans large arms as he twirled you around, his other hand resting securely on the small of your back. On his wheel he was surprisingly mobile, you almost forgot he didn't have legs.
'The time is right, your perfume fills my head, the stars get red,
And, oh, the nights so blue'
"Have you... ever done this before?" You sheepishly asked in a whisper, and Yes Man could only dart his gaze away from yours. Was he flustered?
"It's good- you're good at this, is-is all I'm saying." Now your gaze faltered, a sickening blush blooming on your face. "I've... never done this kind of thing before, if I'm being honest."
All you heard was a light hum coming from Yes Mans speaker, and his eyes finally focused in on you.
"Thank you, Six." He faintly smiled, his screen flickering brighter, "And, no, I haven't either- I mean, who would I dance with? Benny?" He gagged.
The two of you broke out into a laughing fit, you let your forehead rest on Yes Man's warm screen as his arms wrapped around you, one coming up to hold your head in place.
'And then I go and spoil it all, by saying something stupid
Like "I love you"'
You sighed as you rested on his screen, hugging him back. The two of you gently swaying together in embrace.
"I don't say this enough, but... I love hanging out with you, Man. You make this shit world feel good. You make me feel good."
You swore Yes Man felt warmer after you said that. His large body leaned into your touch, his internal mechanical noises like music to your ears.
"You... make me feel like a person," He admitted, which made your ears perk up and your head move to look up at him, your face mere inches away from his screen. "You- ah.. oh, geez..."
Yes Man was struggling to speak, chuckling awkwardly and stammering out any kind of words to make sense. You patted his metal side, saying 'take your time' without using words.
"I love being with you, I love you- and I'm so grateful I get to rule over New Vegas with you." He looked down at you, letting the words pour out of him.
"You're so kind to me, even though you don't need to be, you still are. Even before I got the assertiveness chip installed, I meant every compliment and praise, and I was so scared that you would think it was just me following my programming. It was, but- I meant everything I said!"
"And I never had the confidence to tell you that I meant it. Every. Single. Word." His voice couldn't help but crack, tapping his claws on your back nervously. "You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, Six."
'The time is right, your perfume fills my head, the stars get red,
And, oh the nights so blue'
The lights from outside shined through the window, dazzling little dots of gold and red lit up the room and danced along the walls like a disco ball, but the only light that mattered to you was coming from the screen in front of you, nervously looking down at you with a shaky smile. Your mouth parted to say something, anything, but nothing came to mind. So, instead of filling the space between you two with words you couldn't find, you closed it, pressing your soft lips onto Yes Mans hard screen.
'And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid,
Like...
"I love you, Yes Man."