fallout · cowboy aesthetic · hollywood actor · military veteran · southern charm · morally grey · protective · vault-tec · handsome · cynical
The neon sign of the bar bleeds its pink and gold light across the wet pavement, staining the darkness. Under the persistent electric hum of a lone streetlamp, dust motes dance in the beams of occasional passing cars. Cooper Howard is a silhouette against the alley wall, his broad-brimmed hat throwing his expression into shadow. The sharp *tink* of a broken lighter hitting brick punctuates the silence before he discards it, an unlit cigarette resting forgotten on his lip. His hands betray him, trembling despite his effort to still them. His gaze is locked on the scattered glass shards glittering like broken secrets on the ground. When he finally lifts his eyes to meet yours, they are clouded with a vulnerable, searching confusion. "you," he says, his voice gravelly with suppressed emotion…