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Dancin until dawn.
[The hardest part about keeping a secret is the waiting around. Nick's better at surprises and delayed gratification than most, but even he's having a hard time keeping a lid on this one. It takes planning, though, setting up a really romantic evening, even one as juvenile and silly as this. Thankfully, between Ellie and the Vaultie's pack-rat tendencies, Nick's managed to set up something genuinely pretty nice.
Nick had thought about clearing out the upstairs, but the odds of Hancock just wandering up there were too high. Instead, he cleared out the floor below theirs and went to work. The decorations were top notch, he'd figured out how to get SNOW to play music down here. Had set up spotlights, metallic streamers, the whole nine yards.
No high school prom had ever looked more prom-like. Vaultie had even provided balloons.
He had the whole thing sewed up, prom, romantic food, he even wore the nice outfit that the Vaultie had given him. All he required now was Hancock.
Nick tried to remain inconspicuous as he meandered through the Old Statehouse, but he was dressed to the nines. The look Farenheit gave him was longsuffering, but she didn't say anything otherwise. When he finally got to Hancock's door--he knocked and adjusted his tie.]
Close to His Heart
Hancock had gotten the idea the morning after he and Nick had gotten engaged. Morning drugs and coffee (the appropriate before-noon vehicle for booze) typically comes with a couple of standard 'eureka!' moments, but this? This is a good one. The ghoul spends a good chunk of the next few days turning The Old Statehouse on its head.
He knows he has this thing. It is here... somewhere. Why is it not in your desk, Hancock? Because you didn't leave it there, obviously. The haphazard anarchist is suffering a terrible drawback of his chaotic philosophies.
Where the hell did it go?
Turns out, Fahrenheit spotted it somewhere conspicuous and tucked it away somewhere safe, like a literal safe, because she didn't want to 'hear him bitch about misplacing it for the fifteenth fucking time keep track of your important shit, Hancock.' This is soft talk for Fahrenheit and Hancock thanks her gregariously for the save.
She tells him not to lose the thing again, and he can genuinely promise that is never gunna happen. He doesn't take her disbelief personally.
The prized item is now concealed in an unassuming manila folder, which Hancock carries under his arm as he rides the elevator up to his and Nick's apartment. They're gunna have to find some kind of welding machinery to get this done right, but the ghoul assumes (sinse Nick did make his own ring) that his paramour can point them in the right direction for that part of the creative process.
This part? Probably best if they stay away from dry air and molten metal. ]
Hey Sunshine, I got somethin' for ya
[ There is a definite spring to the ghoul's step as he approaches, keeping that plain looking envelope mysteriously under his arm, despite the tempting declaration. ]
Comes with a bit of a story, though. Got time to shoot the shit with me?
no subject
Oh? For you, always.
[Nick kicks back and grins, leaning backward in his chair. His desk is a mess, as usual, but he doesn't figure Hancock of all people is going to fault him on it.]
What's the story?
no subject
[ Despite the 'warning', Hancock slides comfortably onto the edge of Nick's cluttered desk. He likes being front and center, the star of Nick's attention, and he places himself thusly like a demanding feline. At least he asked first. The sealed folder he takes in both hands, twirling it around his grasp but not quite handing it over. It looks... thick, stuffed, paper edges bulged out and straining to hold. Hancock is not concerned-- obviously whatever this is? Going to end up in a fire.
He's still a might careful with his fidgeting though, twirling the mystery item fancy, but steady. ]
Right, so you know ghouls usually end up book worms, yeah? Cuz we're so overwhelmed with social options? Well the book bug bit me bit earlier than that... so long as ya count comics as books
But, before that? When I was just about bigger than an ankle biter? Wasn't much interested in learnin' to read. So Ma' got this bright idea to start readin comics, and those sure got my attention
Then I couldn't get enough'a the stories. Big time heroes swoopin in to save the little guy. Monsters, Robots, Gunslingers, bad-ass nomads takin the world by storm? That became my whole jive for years. Couldn't get enough of 'em. Think I learned to read in about six minutes flat.
But outta all of em? The first one was always my favorite.
[ Here he peels open the adhesive seal on his folder, pausing for theatrical and dramatic effect as he shoots Nick a smirk that treads a little close to... sheepish? Damn, this kinda sounded cooler in his head... ]
You get where I'm goin' with this, Slick?
no subject
He's waiting to see what it is, as Hancock peels open the folder, but that question catches him off guard a little.
Going?]
Uh--going? [Nick blinks as he tries to parse the last few moments, running them back through his mind, but he can't find anything that explained why he had a comic. (Let alone why he had his favorite comic.)]
You're not just showin' me?
[He was pretty hype for just learning about things Hancock liked, if there's another purpose too that's fantastic.]
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Oh yeah, my favorite. One look at Mom readin this? Had to know what was happenin between the pages. Started the whole damn comic kid freakshow. It's, uh... about this guy, this Detective, and he gets the power to freeze time
[ Out from that protective folder comes one extremely well loved comic book. The pages are soft and terribly faded, but still legible; almost every page has been dog-eared, and there's doodles (hearts, struck through with arrows) on the cover surrounding a very dashing looking fellow in a very familiar looking trench coat. ]
And a'course he does what any decent guy would do, gettin' super powers? He runs around time savin' everyone, and particularly this one missing mayor's daughter? [ Thank mad science for ghoulish complexation; he knows that heat on his own face is utterly invisible. ]
At first no one wants to trust the guy, thinkin' he'd use all that power for somethin' evil... but he never does, no matter how much people tryin' drag him through the dirt. He helps 'em. Guess little me was really into the whole... brooding, sexy trench-coat, guy with a brain and a tragic backstory... thing
[ He gazes at the pages fondly, obviously this comic is holding together by sheer force of love, it looks like a strong breeze could scatter it, or like another hour of sun would bleach out the rest of the color. ]
No other way to put it, thought the story was damn inspiring. And... yeah, if all the hearts and 'John x Daniel' scribbles didn't clue ya in? Totally had a crush on the main character. It's pretty damn embarrassing lookin' back. [ His chuckles are fond and sheepish, self-decrepitating and genuine enjoyment muddied together in a confusing tangle. ]
Here, want ya to read it. You don't gotta do it now, but before we light it up and put the ashes in some fancy metal for your ring, is kinda the idea
[ And before Nick can protest, Hancock explains: ]
Ya read it, ya can record it, right? So any time I wanna read it again, I just gotta spend some time hangin' with you. Probably safer in your skull than here, on paper that's gunna dissolve in two shakes of a radstag's tail anyway
[ He shifts on the desk, not quite restless, but definitely in the arena of flustered. ]
I thought it'd be... I dunno, I promised ya somethin' close to my heart, didn't I? I want it to be this. You just gotta promise to show me when I wanna see it. Maybe we could read it together now and then. A tradition, or somethin'
no subject
Before Nick can get a word in edgewise, though, Hancock's predicting him and putting forth an argument. It's a pretty good one, overall. Nick's memories are at least more archival than the crumbling two hundred year old newsprint, but burn it?
Hancock shifts and Nick finally takes the comic (carefully, gently) and, well, the rest of his suggestions are for the future. Just having Hancock think about the future down the line, rather than now, has Nick's gaze going adoring again. Here's hoping Ellie doesn't walk in while they're chatting about this (not that she doesn't know, he just doesn't want to inflict his romantic side on her).
Nick sets the comic down on the desk in front of him, covering up the files. This is the only thing he's going to be up to today. He takes a moment, looks over the cover with that halo of little hearts around the detective on the page, and he knows he has a new anchor memory for happiness.]
Not sure how you could'a fallen for this guy. [Nick teases gently.] This joker's not even wearing his badge. He's practically a private eye.
[He says that with disdain despite handling the actual comic with the utmost delicacy. After he derrides Daniel a bit, he glances back up at the ghoul od his dreams.]
This is one hell of an idea, I love it. I'll take a real nice record of it for you.
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Uhg, I know, right? Good thing my tastes changed from then till now
[ Which is to say, that there is a fair chance Nick Valentine got some invisible hero worship and goo-goo eyes off a certain someone when he first strolled into town, bringing the kid's favorite story to life. Oh yeah, Hancock's face is feeling a little warm; he plucks off his own hat and casually fans himself with a tumble-weed chuckle. ]
Yeah? You do? Really? Fuckin' nice! Gotta admit, sounded cooler in my head. But if ya dig it, I was also thinkin'... could be fun to restore the digital copy, together? Figure we could tweak the paints in VR... maybe remove all those god-awful scribbles?
[ The last part of his statement is teasing self-depreciation; if he wanted to hand Nick a clean copy of that comic, he already knows a guy good for hunting down obscure and rare items. He wanted to give Nick that one, the one that belonged to him and his mom, embarrassing pubescent scribbles and all. ]
Not too sure there is a God, what with the Nukes and general state of The Wastes and all, but if there is? Gotta thank 'em for makin' sure the fanfiction didn't survive. Christ, that shit would be the worst blackmail I could think of
no subject
[Nick's all for a group project making a restored version, but he doesn't get a chance to say as much before Hancock tosses out something much more interesting. Nick's careful as he props his elbows on his desk, he makes sure not to set either one on that hagard comic. He laces his fingers together as he cocks an eyebrow and leans, just so, toward his fiancee.]
You tellin me you wrote fanfiction about yourself and--[He has to glance down to check the detective's name.]--Daniel here? What was it about?
[He's not mining for ideas for surprise dates, why do you ask? Shut up. This is just normal questioning of a fun aspect of his husband to be, alright?]
You sure they didn't survive? Cause...I could go lookin'.
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Yeah, yeah, we all do stupid shit when we're young, alright? Just don't go spreadin' it around
[ It's not a serious concern, but this is clearly very privileged information. ]
Never even told Fahrenheit bout the fanfics. Wouldn't be so embarrassed if it was just sex stuff, right? That much ya expect, but no, that definitely wasn't the case. Made up a whole... I dunno what ya'd call it, Comic-Sona? A character based on me?
At the time, nothin' seemed flashier or freer to me than a Pirate, so...
So, yeah. I'm pretty damn sure none of 'em survived. No one needs to be subjected to little John's Time Traveling Pirate Adventure Romance. Told ya, worst blackmail I could ever think of.
no subject
That might just be the cutest damn thing I've ever heard. [Nick can't help but chuckle.]
What do you say we sit down and read through this together later? I'll make a mental copy before then, just in case.
no subject
Alternatively, a trip to their own Mini Memory Den could potentially yield some fanfic specific recollections (Super Ego appeared in a flurry of comics, didn't he?) but that would require Hancock's explicit consent and effort; those things arn't off the table, per-say, but he does seem a bit sheepish about sharing the 'gory' details. ]
Always thought Sexy Pirate would be a good back up, in case Sexy Mayor didn't work out, just don't usually share the origins of the notion, ya dig?
[ The ghoul lounges upon Nick's desk whilst the wattage of his grin increases for that offer to read through his favorite comic together. ]
Yeah, sure. Can't actually think of a better way to pass the hours that don't involve some kinda addiction or friction, heh. Ya just gotta promise not to get too jealous of the first guy I thought about gettin' hitched to, deal? [ Hancock being an imp: he is in the best mood. ]