#ELIAS & CASSIE. ( modern. ) ( undercover. )

[rykerelias-archive]

   @rubiesintherough / cassie gets a text message bc that gave me feels.

TEXT: are you awake? TEXT: please don’t be asleep.  I’m drunk and need to tell you how much i love you.

[rykerelias-archive]

                              @rubiesintherough ( cassie. ) liked for a soft starter. || accepting. 

                     “Come back to bed,” he urged, his voice low and tired, though a contented sort of weariness from the long day and longer night waiting for her to close down the bar, and the energy expended in their lovemaking had left him teetering on the edge of an exhausted and comfortable sleep -- up until he’d felt her slip away from the motel bed, bare feet padding across the room.   “Stay with me tonight.”  Please, he wanted to add, but hesitated -- she had enough in her life to stress about without him adding any more guilt onto her shoulders that already carried so much weight.  “I’ll set the alarm, we can get breakfast in the morning --”  As if it wasn’t already the wee hours.  “I’ll drive you back after.”

[rykerelias-archive]

     @rubiesintherough​ - cassie sent in a meme for elias.

“ if y' don’t take y' butt back t' bed , i will carry y' there m'self . ”

      The blonde’s comment garnered a short, hoarse laugh, cut short as Elias swallowed down the rasping cough that tried to follow, caught in his chest and escaping in more of a low wheeze than anything else, but he still managed a smirk flung her way as he pulled his cup of hot tea closer to him at the bar.  “Trust me, as much as I’d pay to see you try --”  The smirk lingered, weary as it was, a shake of his head following.  “I’ve gotta somewhere to be in a bit.”  Somewhere he couldn’t not be, even if he’d trade just about anything to spend the next few days curled up and passed out on the shitty bed at his makeshift apartment, with nothing to worry over other than giving in to the exhaustion that weighed him down.   “But I promise, soon as I can spare it, me and that bed have a reckoning.”

[rykerelias-archive]

TRANSFERRED FILE. || @rubiesintherough Cassie & Elias VERSE: modern. ( undercover. ) 027. THREAD: to be named.

                  “ Ah… S H I T. “

ANOTHER glass slipped from her hand and shattered against the floor. The SECOND one tonight. The man upstairs wouldn’t beHAPPY to know that, now would he? Maybe he didn’t NEED to know.      Her hands closed around a broom and an apologetic glance was shot toward the bar’s single patron.     “ Sorry ‘bout that. GettingCLUMSY t’night, I guess. “

No, it was more than that. She was DEAD TIRED. About two seconds from passing out cold amidst the broken glass and beer stains. But, she shoved the tiredness back. And she chucked the jagged peices away behind the bar, glancing back toward her guest.  

                                         “ Need another drink? “

   The bar wasn’t his usual, wasn’t his usual anything, really, if he wasn’t hanging out with one of the other cops at the station for a drink after work he usually just grabbed a six pack on his way home, if he was in the mood for it but with the way his last week or two had been going, he hadn’t really trusted himself to be drinking alone.    At least, not at home.  Drinking alone in public had to be better than drinking alone at home, right?  The mostly quiet had been a nice change of pace, his attention focused, loosely, on whatever game was on the television over the bar, slowly nursing his way through his second draft when he’d heard the crash – a sharp snap of his hazel gaze up, and back behind the bar to the pretty little thing that had fumbled a glass. Again.  

    He’d already sussed out more than he’d really needed to; the shadows under and around her eyes weren’t JUST from weariness, the particular shade of purple and green around her eye socket and on her temple and cheek spoke VOLUMES, even more so with the fact they’d been covered so EXPERTLY.  “No need to say sorry to me, not my glass,” he offered, with a half smile, his beer raised up to drain the last of it before setting it back down on the bar and scooting it a little further away from him.  “Sure,” he agreed, reaching yet again for the soft pack of smokes in his shirt pocket, tapping one out and plunking it between his lips – pausing long enough to offer the pack out her way in case she wanted one.   “Th’ place usually this quiet or is it just my charming personality keeping all the folks at bay?”

His response was met with a — ALBEIT, BRIEF — grateful smile from the barkeep.  ( It was a nice change of pace… not beingSHOUTED at by those visiting the establishment for making too much noise, making a MESS. )  Though, she was quick to refuse the offer with a quick wave of her hand and grabbed HIS glass from the bar top, turning to refill it for him. And there came a quiet laugh at hisQUESTION.

     “ HMMM… s’posed t’ be POLITE t’ th’ guests here, but,YEAH, I was meaning t’ mention it t’ ye since ye came in here, sir. Jus’ scared everybody right out, ye did. “     Her answer was accompanied by a grin as she turned and slid the, now full, mug back across the counter toward him. Both arms folded on the worn, stained wood and she leaned forward, smile fading by a FRACTION as her gaze swept across empty tables.

Another night without breaking even. At this rate, they’d beSCRAPING BY at the end of the month. Another thing her dad would get PISSED about, that. Another thing to be HER FAULT… And Cassie TENSED at that thought, nails digging a bit too far into her arms. No. Breath in. OUT. No sense worrying about that, now.     “ NAH. Always gets really DEAD this time o’ week. ‘M sure people have BETTER places t’ be than this ol’ HOLE IN TH’ WALL.  ——  Anything else I can get fo’ ye, though? Got a slice o’ pie left, I think. Fresh baked this morning. Ye can have it on th’ house, to…?  I mean, I was going t’ have t’ throw it out when I close up, ANYWAY. “  

“Yup, it’s almost like you know me – the Big Bad Wolf,” he declared, with a tsk and an exaggerated stretch complete with momentary over-blown puff up of his chest before he was relaxing, deflating back to ‘normal’ size, a smirk dancing on his lips as he tapped the smoke on the counter a couple times before sliding it into the corner of his mouth.  Did that make her Little Red Riding Hood cause DAMN he could eat her up….   “So – you’re here a lot then, what, you and your hubby own the joint or somethin’?”  She wasn’t wearing a ring, but that didn’t mean jack shit.  And it was clear somebody didn’t mind the idea of marking their territory.  A sniff, a rub of the back of his finger against his nose briefly, a distraction from the flicker of disgust that twisted up inside his chest.  

“Much thanks,” Elias muttered as he snagged the handle of the glass, a quick swallow taken before the froth had time to dissipate entirely, the back of his hand wiping against his mouth lightly, glass set back down onto the slightly damp paper coaster.  “Hey, pretty sure I’ve never met anybody that’d turn down pie, especially free pie, homemade pie, free home-made pie I mean that’s the penultimate,” he said with a shrug and a chuckle, thumbing the lighter and taking a long pull to light the cigarette, tossing the pack and the lighter onto the counter near his beer.   “You probably get real sick of hearin’ this but that’s a pretty sweet accent – you Irish or something, little red?”

Well, Cassie gave… really just the most UNLADYLIKE snort at that. On both accounts.    “ All th’ time, actually. So, next time ye need a drink, ye can come back whenever, really. We’ll be open and ready with another mug o’ drink.  ——– No, no hubby.  Jus’ me and… dad. Though, he hasn’t really been feeling well, lately. So, ‘tween running this place and looking after him? Not a whole lot o’ time t’ go out finding romance. Seems like too much work, anyway. I mean, getting flowers and kisses? Who really wants that? “   Her tone wasjoking, but — if she was being completely honest? — the words bit a little more than she would’ve liked.

Though, she didn’t let herself dwell on them. Cassandra’s lips parted in a laugh as she scooped out the last slice and dropped it on a plate, scooting it toward him.   “ Nah,  jus’ been working here for a long time… living here even longer. Met a whole lot o’ people from everywhere, so guess their way o’ talking rubbed off on me. ——– But, ye know what? Been answering a lot o’ questions ‘bout myself, haven’t sent a whole lot t’ ye. So, tell me…  “    Her elbows rested on the bar top, chin dropping down onto her hands.   “ What’s some fun trivia I should know ‘bout YE, then? Seems only fair, don’t ye think? “