It was still raining hard outside, and we quickly scrapped the idea of making our plans at Takahashi's lunch counter. Instead, we made our way back to Piper's house where we could get under a more or less solid roof. Nat was out front, hawking papers under the awning, and she waved to us in greeting when we came close. 

 

"Damn, Piper, you look good," she commented. "How come you get a new coat and I don't?" 

 

 

I think Piper might still have been feeling a lack of 'journalistic gravitas' in her new outfit, because I'm pretty sure she blushed a little in the face of her sister's complement. Still, she had a snappy answer ready.

 

"Because I'm broke and I don't have the money for two new coats."

 

"Then you should have got one for me," challenged Nat. "I'm the public face of this business, after all. How am I supposed to move paper when I'm dressed in rags?" she continued, plucking dramatically at the worn fringe of her coat.

 

 

I considered both of the women in turn before suggesting, "you could always move up to one-eleven territory. Everyone gets new gear free of charge when they settle in."

 

Nat seemed to seriously consider it for a moment, and Piper interrupted her before she could ponder further. "No way, Nat's staying here in Diamon City."

 

"I am?" Nat asked with a bit of outrage coloring her voice. "I'm not a little kid anymore, and I can choose where I want to go."

 

Piper looked ready to snap back, before she took a deep breath and visibly calmed herself. "Look, we'll talk about this later, for now I've got to talk business with Blue."

 

"Fine, but we're not done talking. You know I want to get out of DC anyway, so maybe this is just what I need to get my break as a journalist. I can go up to Blue's settlement and do an exposé on the real truth about the one-elevens. Not just the party line that Vault 81 wants everyone to believe."

 

Piper was already most of the way to the front door when Nat finished her elevator pitch and just waved in combined acknowledgement and dismissal. "Later, Nat. I promise we'll talk a bout this later."

 

Once we got inside, Piper slipped out of her coat and shook it out. "Jeez, we take a five minute walk and we're soaked. This has got to be the first really big downpour of the year. Let's hang these clothes up to dry while we talk." 

 

That sounded like a pretty good idea to me, so I slipped out of my vault suit while Piper shimmied out of her shorts and undid her corset. In no time we had everything hanging from hooks on the ceiling and we settled down on the couch.

 

 

"I can't help but notice you've got a bathrobe and I don't, Piper," I observed as she joined me on the couch.

 

"Sorry, Blue," she said with a shrug, "broke, remember? Plus, I figured you'd be more comfortable without."

 

Judging from the coarse material of Piper's robe, she was probably actually right, and now it was my turn to shrug. "Fair point. So what's our plan to find Valentine?"

 

"If Nicky's down in Park Street Station, then he's on the far side of Boston Common. We head east from Diamond City, down Boylston or Commonwealth Ave, and we're there in no time."

 

I shook my head. "I could have told you that. What's the catch?"

 

"The catch? There's nothing but catches. There's a raider gang at Hangman's Alley that controls the west side of Commonwealth Ave. No way to get there without coming under their guns."

 

"So Boylston Street then?"

 

"Still not perfect. Trinity Plaza's overrun with super mutants. We could try Newburg street, but if we run into trouble we'll be boxed in with nowhere safe to run north or south. I think the best bet is to loop around south of the Prudential Center and then follow Stuart street until we reach Tremont, then northeast to the station."

 

"Sounds like we're bypassing the Common completely."

 

Piper nodded emphatically, "Hell yes. The Swan Pond is a death trap. No one knows exactly what's out there, but nobody who cuts through it comes out the other side."

 

"OK," I agreed, "what you've laid out sounds like the most direct safe route then. Do we go under cover of dark, or is daylight better?"

 

"Daylight, for sure." Then she let out a little laugh, "and I didn't say anything about 'safe.' This is just the not-guaranteed-fatal route. Trust me, we're going to have to be careful picking through the back bay."

 

"Point taken. So, I guess we've got some time to kill - it's too late to make it on foot before nightfall. You got a shower?"

 

 

She laughed. "Do I look like I got a shower? Go outside and soak in the rain if you want to get washed. There's enough of it."

 

"Not actually a bad idea. Is there a door to the roof upstairs?" I asked, pointing to the stairs at the back of the ground floor.

 

As it turned out, she did, and I let myself up onto the roof. My hopes that Piper had a beach chair or something up there were in vain, but the rain wasn't so cold that I couldn't lie down for a few minutes to soak. I undid my ponytail and settled down to let the rain do it work, and soon I started to feel the dirt sliding off me. 

 

 

What I'd planned at first to be a quick rinse turned into a long soak as I rolled to one side, then another, and then stood and worked my fingers through my hair to take as much advantage of the rain as I could. Towards the end, the rain finally tapered off, letting the sun peek through the clouds. Stepping towards the edge of the roof, I realized that Piper had a great view of Diamond City from up there, and I took some time to scrutinize the town. Seen from above, the maze of buildings was less confusing, and I think I developed a much better feel for the best way to navigate through the streets and alleys.

 

I suspect in the meanwhile that at least a few of the denizens got a good view of me as I surveyed them, but I didn't feel any discomfort about having eyes on me. In fact, I found it a little exciting to be completely unbound by any of the old rules and mores from before the war. After all, who was going to tell me not to stand up here. Diamond City Security? They seemed barely interested in stopping shoplifters, much less playing 'morality police.' And I certainly didn't hear any complaints from the street. 

 

Looking back in retrospect, after my first visit to DC we got several new settlers from down that way, so perhaps my display aroused some curiosity, especially with all the rumors circulating about one-eleven. Who knows? 

 

 

But I digress. Heading back inside, I shook out my hair once, then pointed to Piper and instructed firmly, "give."

 

She got the message and slipped out of her bathrobe, offering the garment to me. It only carried the slightest bit of dampness from its previous wearer, and Piper's body heat had warmed it up nicely. I could almost immediately feel the wet coming off my skin, and I smiled as I wallowed in the comfort.

 

It struck me as I considered her that Piper had what looked like an eminently pettable tummy - enough padding and curvature for it to feel nice running hands over, but not so heavy that it was too much to handle. 

 

 

"So," I asked her, "what's the sleeping arrangements like here? You can Nat just pile on for warmth, or does everyone have a separate bed?"

 

Piper gestured to the bed on this upper level, then down through the floorboards. "I've got a bed up here, and Nat's got a sleeping back downstairs. No guest bed, I'm afraid. Are you OK sleeping on the couch?"

 

Now, that couch was pretty comfortable, but after my spontaneous foray into rooftop exhibitionism I was feeling a little frisky, and so I decided to push my luck a bit. 

 

"I don't know, I was hoping for a proper mattress. Besides, they say that body heat is the best way to warm up when you're soaked. I bet the two of us could fit on there just fine."

 

Piper glanced away, but then - still not meeting my eyes - she nodded. "You want that, Blue?"

 

"Yeah," I said with a slow smile. "That would be a nice way to wrap up the day."

 

"You, ah," she said, haltingly, "don't think I'm too big for you?"

 

"Piper, I think you're just fine. Come on, let's get some rest while the clothes dry."

 

I led her to the bed, scooching backwards onto it and beckoning forward. I think I'd envisioned me being the big spoon, so I could reach around and stroke that warm belly, but as Piper climbed in after me, I found myself with my back to her, and all the softness of her breasts and tummy instead warming my back.

 

It was a wonderful, relaxing sensation. For all the fun that Winter and I had got up to before my 'job' started interfering with my love life, she'd never been too much of a cuddler. More of a 'separate bedrooms' lover. Piper was obviously made for snuggling, and it was just what I needed.

 

Hearing my contented sigh, Piper's posture loosened further as she relaxed. We cuddled for a bit longer, before sheepishly Piper said, "Blue, I think my arm's falling asleep. Mind if I reach around?"

 

I nodded, making an mm-hmm noise, and thankfully Piper didn't interpret it as "yes, I do mind" because soon I felt her left arm moving and I raised up my head so she could slip underneath. Resting against her elbow, she warmed my neck nicely, and I could feel tension draining out of my as she pulled closer. I was so relaxed that when her fingers brushed my nipple it surprised me and I let out a little gasp.

 

"Oh no," Piper said, "I'm sorry."

 

Before she could pull away, I staid her hand with my own. "It's fine," I said. Guiding her fingers back to my nipple I said, "you can touch if you want."

 

Cautiously, tentatively at first, Piper felt the shape of my breast, at first just tracing the edges and brushing over my erect nipple, then gently squeezing and pinching. My breathing must have given away that I was enjoying the feeling, because she got bolder with her exploration. Then I felt her other hand wrap around my thigh and start to gently pull my legs apart. 

 

 

I was expecting her to start rubbing my pussy, but instead she turned me over and rolled on top of my. Moving her hand to my other breast, Piper gently pulled my nipple into her mouth and sucked gently. I shivered a little at the stimulation, and rubbed my hips against her as she kept fondling and teasing me. She started to back off at one point, but I stopped her with my hand on the back of her head. Looking into her eyes I whispered, "keep going, that's good."

 

 

Piper continued for a while, but with no sign of her planning move further down I decided to take control. I gently rolled us over so now I was on top, and then slid back a little for easy access.

 

Concerned, Piper asked, "did I do something wrong?"

 

"No," I said, "you're fine, you were just taking it a little slow."

 

"Sorry." After a momentary pause she added, "it's my first time."

 

I smiled at that. "Well, you should have said so. Just relax... I'll show you how it's done." 

 

 

Pressing in between her legs, I applied just enough pressure to spread her thighs and then took a slow lick from the opening of her pussy up to the peak of her hood. I could feel her tense and shiver under me. I started slow, going for deep pressure with my tongue as I took long, leisurely licks. Piper was already heated up and well moistened, and it didn't take long before I could see goosebumps raising up on her skin.

 

I paused for a moment, advising her, "try not to squeeze your legs together too much. My head's in there after all." Then I resumed my cunnilingus, slowly, firmly, inexorably leading her towards climax. As she reached the peak, I could taste a little sweetness flood into her juices and I wondered if Piper was going to be a squirter. She didn't make a mess this time, but I had a suspicion that with the right preparation and enough attention, I could get her to gush like a champ. 

 

"Ah, oh. Blue... that was great."

 

I chuckled. "Hold onto your hat, I'm not done yet."

 

Unfortunately for us, at that moment I heard the door shut downstairs. Nat's voice carried up through the floorboards, "Piper, I'm closing up shop for the day. Are you upstairs?"

 

If I thought Piper would have played along, I would have kept right on going. In my mind, I was imagining Nat coming upstairs to find us in the middle of the act, and turning this encounter into a three-way. I certainly would have been up for sharing my bed with the two of them. But I could feel Piper tensing and I realized that she was done. I backed off and let her roll out of bed and grab the bathrobe. 

 

"Uh, yeah Nat, I'm up here. I'll be down in a sec to help clean up."

 

I didn't follow immediately. I was still very much aroused and I considered whether I could get away with a quick private massage without causing a big stir. Unfortunately, with the house as rickety as it was, I seriously doubted anything like that would go unnoticed by the girls downstairs. So at length I followed Piper down the stairs.

 

 

Evidently, Piper's concept of helping close up the shop involved her parking on the couch and 'supervising' while Nat did all the work. 

 

"Ah," I said, "I see the divide between management and labor still exists."

 

Nat spun around and seemed about ready to make a sharp comment, but she froze when she saw me.

 

"Sorry," I said, "my clothes are still drying." I gestured towards where my vault suit was hanging.

 

"Don't stare," Piper added.

 

"Damn," Nat said, "are all the one-elevens built like you? I can see why you don't wear any clothes."

 

I sighed, but I also smiled. "I see I'm going to have to do the whole 'here's the real truth about Vault 111' routine. Don't worry, I'm used to it by now."

 

And that's how I spent the rest of the evening, before bed: explaining all the differences between the version of events that Vault 81's been telling everyone and the reality about Concord, Sanctuary, and the rest of Vault 111's territory. First we talked about what life was like there, then we went a little deeper into the philosophy behind how we ran our society. In that latter part, I could see Piper's mental notepad working, and I suspected that at least some of this was going to work its way into her next article. That's was fine. Throughout the whole lecture though, I kept having intrusive thoughts about getting those two sisters into my bed. Runaway horniness was definitely more than a little to blame, but that was the moment when I definitively decided that I wanted the Wright sisters as part of Vault 111.