There's no way there weren't at least some rumors going around on the Prydwen surrounding the sole survivor and Danse, especially when you consider everyone's reactions during blind betrayal when literally everyone is the bos is like "oh you guys are so close how could you not know?" And then afterwards when they keep mentioning it like......... you've got Paladin "Brick Wall" Danse who just doesn't talk to people unless it's work-related and mostly keeps to himself, and suddenly he brings back some rando he decided to sponser that he apparently spoke so highly of that they got promoted immediately to knight, and then proceeds to spend most of his time with them, even when he doesn't necessarily need to, enough that pretty much everyone notices, there's no way people aren't gonna talk
I made myself sad by thinking about how maxAffinity!Danse is obviously already crushing hard on (if not totally in love with) the SS by the time Blind Betrayal happens, and how, on top of all the other awful things running through his head as a result of learning that he’s everything he hates, and that the man he idolized thinks he’s garbage that needs to die… He’s surely also thinking that now, after telling himself for months that he can’t act on his feelings because he’s their CO, he’s finally free of rank… But surely the SS could never love him back now. Because he’s not real, he doesn’t deserve love, they’re too good for him anyway. He looks at all the flirtation, all the efforts to win his approval, and even at how they risked everything to save him, and still doesn’t see how they could be in love with “a machine.” He cares so, so much about the SS and it takes a big goddamn neon sign saying “I’m in love with you, dummy”! for him to even start to consider that it’s not unrequited. And there’s no way that’s the last time the SS has to reassure him. It must take months, or years, or an eternity of “I really do love you"s to make him feel secure.
God, that’s so fucking relatable.
Random Danse headcanon: Danse is touch starved. He has no memories of having a family, of having love and affection and even if he opened himself up to it at some point, the loss of those close to him caused him to build walls to keep everyone out. Holding Haylen when she needed it was a rare thing and affected him deeply.
Once he starts opening up to the sole survivor, every little touch is hugely meaningful to him. Even just as friends, small things like a supportive hand on the back, pat on the head, shoulder bump, even a gentle touch on the forearm are silently treasured and massively beneficial to his mental health.
If romanced, he revels in being able to touch Sole. Being able to hold and be held by them means the world to him.
Ok but can we talk about how soft Danse has become towards Sole/Nora? He really goes all the way for her.
Canonically if after everything Nora manages to talk Maxson out of NOT killing him and letting him live and later demonstrates romantic affection for him, he is genuinely baffled.
To his horror, he discovered he was the very thing he hated and hunted. And yet, despite that Nora loved him, treasured his friendship and wouldn't turn her back on him.
At his darkest moment...a light in the dark.
In our story and before the story begins, he was struggled in coming to terms in grappling with the "am I real?" question, so settling down in Sanctuary as a boyfriend/father wasn't for him then. He needed time not just to come to terms with himself but also to be (in his eyes) worthy of her and Shaun.
i wish the romance option with paladin danse came after he asks you why you’re sparing him in blind betrayal. you’d say “because i love you,” and then later when maxson asks you why you haven’t killed him, you’d say “because i love him.” i think that would be groovy
alternative ending to fallout 4: the second maxson compares danse to a nuclear bomb sole punches the shit out of him and then danse and sole kiss. the end
who gave danse permission to be so damn romantic? “whatever caused our fates to intertwine would never let them unravel” sir i’m going to kiss you
okay look, i know i’ve said this before, but i’m going to say it again: danse’s break up conversation, and by extension, his getting back together conversation, are both grossly underrated.
and i know this is entirely because like, who in their right mind would actually lower their affinity that much after romancing danse? as a result, these conversations aren’t really seen that often without digging.
they’re sad, yes, but because both of these conversations are guaranteed to occur after blind betrayal, unlike the rest of danse’s voice lines, it offers one of our very, very few glimpses at how danse is 1. dealing with his synth identity, and 2. dealing with his and sole’s relationship.
for this post, i’m going to focus on the latter point, mostly because of this following line: “It’s taken me some time to adjust into our relationship and I’m doing the best I can to give as much as I take.”
i love the companions of fallout 4, and i’ve spent an… embarrassing amount of time looking up and playing through every single affinity conversation possible. this includes the other companions’ respective breaking up and getting back together conversations.
i’ve seen a few other people point this out, but i’ll say it again; danse’s break up conversation is, in comparison to everyone else, very, very mature and… amicable.
i’m not going to specifically shit on any of the other companions, but a large majority of them immediately place all of the blame on the sole survivor. a lot of these conversations are very similar in that they involve the companion saying the sole survivor changed, and that they aren’t the person they loved. the companion will then tell the sole survivor that they need to change, and only then will they think about getting back together.
which is why i find it so odd that danse’s conversation differs from this formula. how? well, first of all, he talks about how he believes the sole survivor is acting distant. he then says, “It feels like you’re slipping away from me and I’m hoping it isn’t my fault.”
he points out the sole survivor’s change in behavior, calmly, and also considers the possibility that he may share some of the blame. which, you know, is the case in most relationships. he isn’t quick to blame the sole survivor, and at the same time, evaluates his own behavior.
which brings me back to the danse quote above: “It’s taken me some time to adjust into our relationship and I’m doing the best I can to give as much as I take.”
part of the reason why i love danse, and by extension, his romance path, is because of how honest, loyal, and genuine he is. he doesn’t use honied words, he doesn’t lie… he completely, and fully, puts 100% into whatever he’s passionate about (sometimes even to a fault).
the fact that danse is entirely aware of what makes a healthy relationship (an equal amount of giving, and taking), and that he is consciously making an effort for his relationship with sole to be this way is… honestly such a breath of fresh air. the fact that he considers all options, and is gentle and understanding with the sole survivor… it says a lot about his character.
okay, i’m rambling here, but i’m going to end it with this last point. above, i mentioned how most of the other companions’ conversations end with the companion telling sole they need to change.
danse ends his conversation by merely saying him and sole need to take a break. no blame, no demands, etc… just a simple statement saying that the two of them need time to figure things out before continuing.
more specifically, he says: “Whether it’s you or it’s me… or a bit of both, we obviously have some issues that need to be worked out. We need some time to reflect and regain confidence in our relationship. When the time is right, we can talk about it again.”
and this isn’t even touching upon his getting back together conversation… where he thanks the sole survivor for taking his concerns to heart, and for giving him time to assess the situation. also! this sweet line, “I’m glad to have you back. I don’t know if I could have coped with losing you forever.”
i could have probably worded this a bit more elegantly, but i just wanted to write this all down – please feel free to add if you have anything!
‘not all men’
you’re right
Danse, former paladin of the brotherhood of steel, would never do this to me