#i might put certain cowboy on the horse next who knows

[jazzkolart]

I finally put the knight on the horse.

Inspired by the Russian story books illustrations

Detail below:

[inoankin]

Rodeo Tricks (scrapped)

i think i might be incapable of writing smut, because i keep trying and getting stuck just before it gets good. no clue what that's about but. okay.

ANYWAYS. this has been lying in my drafts. it's kind of a newer one in comparison, but it's been long enough since i've touched it that i'm pretty sure it's never getting finished.

enjoy :)

______________

The day is bright and warm with spring in Tulare County. Leo watches Vincent’s back shift in rhythm with his percheron’s slow, steady steps as a breeze combs through the valley. He’s been quiet, so far. Just leading them along an invisible, winding path through hills springing with golden poppies. Leo doesn’t mind too much. He hasn’t exactly known the man for long, but he’s well-enough acquainted to know he’ll speak when he needs to; as it is, he’s contented enough to watch the rocking of his hips in that sturdy Mexican saddle.

They ride for a while longer before Vincent pulls Belle to a stop beside a brook, in a relatively flat clearing. He peers at Leo as he stops beside him, a quiet smile on his lips. “Fancy yourself a showman, cowboy?”

A raised brow. “I don’t see no fuckin’ broncos out here, if that’s what you mean.”

“What, no rodeo tricks?”

“None that you ain’t already seen. ‘S not like we got time to train for that kind’a thing. We got jobs to do.” 

Kalahari snorts as if to agree. Vincent clicks his tongue, more as a response than a command, but Belle starts forward, and he has to pull back gently on the reins to stop her again. Leo does not laugh.

“Real shame. I thought you might have saved something special, just for me.”

“Tell you what, granjero: we ever come back ‘round here again, and I will.”

“Always the charmer.” Vincent then directs his horse across the brook and strolls farther into the valley, his back to him once again. Leo follows. “You ever wrestle steer?”

“Well, sure. Been a while, though.”

“You remember how?”

“The basics.” He taps his heels into Kalahari’s sides and comes up to walk beside Vincent, frowning curiously. “What’s all this about?”

“I figure you could put on one performance for me, if it ain’t too much trouble.”

With a confused look, he gestures around. “With what steer?”

There’s a certain glimmer in Vincent’s eye when he meets Leo’s gaze, tightening his hold on the reins. “You can do with a substitute, can’t you?”

Through his teeth, he throws a whistle sharp enough to kill, and in the next moment he’s gone, carried on the wind. Leo blinks a few times before it clicks. The cheeky bastard. 

He kicks into his horse’s sides and they race after him. Vincent is but a spot of brown and grey among miles of green and gold. From the distance comes a joyous shouting, though he has no idea what he’s saying over the roar of wind in his ears. Hais Stetson tries to fly away, so he pulls it off and slaps it on Kalahari’s thigh to urge him on.

It’s not long before he’s close enough to hear Vincent’s laughter floating on the breeze. Leo tries to get on his right side, but swears when he darts to the left. Yanks the reins to keep up. Belle is surprisingly agile for a draft horse, her rider equally deft for a farmer; but if Leo knows anything, it’s how to out-maneuver a slippery bastard, steer or otherwise. So he tightens his jaw and picks up the pace. Vincent’s quick but he knows he’s quicker. The only issue is trapping him. Rock and a hard place, or so it goes. 

They get up and stick to Belle’s haunches, and surprisingly, Vincent allows it. He laughs like nothing in the world. Leo answers in kind. The glen is just a blur to his senses as they gallop on.

And suddenly he’s there, staring him in the face. Vincent only grins. This has got to be the stupidest idea he’s ever had.

Leo leaps. 

He’s not sure who it is that yelps, or if it even matters. The impact of the ground jars them both, but they have no time to gather their bearings before they’re tumbling, rolling over the grass and the poppies. He reaches out to take hold of whatever he can, which turns out to be a wrist as they come to a stop. Vincent twists and kicks, bucks like a bronco. Leo wrestles them around and forces him flat on the ground, finding his other wrist and pinning them both above his head.

Vincent blinks, his eyes wide and chest heaving. Leo grins. “You’re lucky I left my lariat with the coach.”

“Is that so?” He says, sounding positively breathless.

There it is — that helpless, almost bashful look he got when he caught Leo’s eye yesterday evening. He’d offered him a drink and told him about the grain farm he labors with his brother, and Leo had told him about the other vaqueros he works with on Five Lakes Ranch a few towns farther south. They stayed and drank until the barman kicked them out. Vincent had looked at him with a quietly fond expression from atop his percheron that night, before he’d headed home. And just a few hours ago, something more hopeful as he invited Leo out for a ride.

He releases Vincent’s hands and sits up on his hips, considering the man under him. 

“You wanted this to happen.”

“Clever guy,” he pants. “Or am I just that obvious?”

“You’re pretty fuckin’ obvious, granjero.”

“I guess I’ll have to find subtler tactics.” He reaches up, then, which Leo doesn’t expect, but allows. Finds a loose grip in the front of his shirt and pulls him down, all doe-eyed and cautious in that reserved way of his. Leo plants his hands on the grass either side of his head. A golden flower crumples beneath his thumb. “May I—?”

“Yes.”

And then he does. 

Vincent’s mouth is already open when they connect. His lips taste like Vaseline and his tongue tastes like oranges. Stubble prickles Leo’s palm as it glides up his throat to hold his jaw, a small sigh escaping Vincent as it does. When they pull apart, he’s even more breathless than before, staring up at him with flushed cheeks and an awed expression. Leo tries not to laugh.

“That’s…”

He quirks a brow. “Good?”

A nod. “Yeah.” Vincent’s eyes dart around his face, searching for something as his brows slowly pull together. “And you’re…”

“Fantastic?”

Leo expects a laugh, or a smile, or something, but all he gets is silence as Vincent lies there and studies him, like he’s trying to find God in the work-worn lines of his face. He stares long enough that he starts to worry that was somehow the wrong thing to say, until he sits up, forcing Leo to move back and give him space.

“Leaving.”

Oh. Right.

Him and the rest of the cattlemen are leaving in the evening. Packing up and heading home. Of course, he’d like to go home; but there’s also this, here, now, and it’s making Vincent upset, and that’s the last thing he wants. He just kissed the man, for fuck’s sake. He can’t leave it there without some kind of conversation, at the very least — which is impressive, coming from him. Harv would be proud. Problem is, he hasn’t got the first clue what to say, how to make this not such a bad thing. He has to leave. Vincent is upset. 

“It doesn’t— I mean, you make it sound so final, but we could— it’s not like I just… you… um. Hola.”

Leo’s train of thought comes to a stop as Vincent grips his shoulder and guides him around until he’s sitting on the grass, fitting himself neatly, perfectly, on Leo’s lap, without so much as asking. They’re close again, breathing the same breath, and he’s all flushed with this half-unsure, half-wanting look as he just hovers there. Like he’s not completely certain what to do now that he’s gotten himself here.

“Howdy,” he says as he continues to study his face, though it seems more now like he’s committing it to memory. “Figured we best… well, make the best of it. Right?”

“We can come back around. This isn’t— it doesn’t have to be forever.”

“I know. I know. But you are leaving. And I won’t see you. And I want…”

A warmth blooms in Leo’s chest as he trails off. The words don’t need to be said, not really. Still, he wants to hear them. 

“What do you want, Vincent?”

The distance between them closes. It’s not much more than a peck, though Vincent lingers on his lips as if that alone will answer the question. A man of few words, or so he tries to be. And after a moment, he pulls away. Goes back to studying him. Not that he minds the attention. If there would be one reason to stay, it would be to lie under that calculating gaze for the rest of his days. And, shit, he’s not gonna think about the implications of that. 

Vincent thumbs absently at the collar of Leo’s shirt and finally focuses on his eyes. “I want you. If I can have you. If you’ll let me.”

It sounds almost like he’s asking a different question, though Leo would probably say ‘yes’ to whatever came out of his mouth, proposition or otherwise.

“I think I can do that,” he says, unable to stop the lopsided smile that pulls at his lips. He gets a bright smile in return, and that’s all it takes.

This time, he pulls Vincent down, pushing eagerly into the heat of his mouth. Vincent opens up easily.

fin.

[cultofdixon]

Stubborn Beau

Daryl Dixon • He/Him Pronouns • AU: Ranch Owner x Ranch Hand — You are looking for work and find an ad in the paper for Dixon Ranch needing another farm hand to help run things. Your friend, the local sheriff, tells you that ranch has a track record…but your optimistic self is taking the risk • ANGST/SFW• TW: Nightmares / Scars / Injuries / Domestic Abuse Mentioned / Alcohol & Drug Consumption

Requested by: Anon

“You’ve got to be shitting me” The eldest dixon yells loud enough for his baby brother on the porch to hear. But his attention was on the cigarette between his fingers and the open field before him.

The angry footsteps echoed loud enough for him to hear and put out the cig on the wooden arm rest before turning to the eldest holding the paper.

“The fuck is this?”

“An ad. Thought you knew that”

“Don’t be smart with me, boy. Why is there an ad for a fuckin’ farm hand to work at our ranch?”

“Need help. You ain’t doin’ nothin’. I ain’t doing it by myself no more”

“What if this attracts the fuckin’ sheriff again?! Making him search the house and the barn. Hell even—-“

“Keep on ramblin’. I ain’t listening to yer bullshit” The youngest rose from his seat putting his black cowboy hat back on. “Move yer supply to the shed in the back. The help won’t go there and will be told not to go there unless lookin’ for trouble. But that’s all the shit yea get” he glares at his brother even when the rage pouring out of him was astronomical. “Everything else is under my name so it’s my rules. Keep your gang shit after hours on the ranch. Ain’t dealin’ with y’all no more”

“Wow. Look who finally grew a pair” he spits on the porch. “Fine by me. But you stick out of my business”

“Deal”

~

“You’re lyin’ or tryin’ to get me to react” One of the sheriffs of the town was trying to enjoy his beer when one of his closest friends admitted to wanting to take up a job with the Dixons.

“Why would I lie to you? I need the work…” the man groans across his friend at the table. “Leaving the city was the best decision of my life. But it’s about time I get off your couch and do something”

“I don’t think Lori or Carl mind having yea around, Y/N. A job would help but again it doesn’t have to be with these brothers! You were tryin’ to build a business for Christ’s sake!”

“Alright but I was raised on the farm. The same farm a certain Rick Grimes came and visited their school yard friend to chase the sheep back in their pen.” Y/N circled his finger around the rim of his glass. “It’ll be fine. And if shit happens. I know exactly who to go to”

Rick chugged down the rest of his whiskey with a sigh to follow after. “I’ll get behind that. But the second shit happens. I’m getting yea out of there”

“Deal” Y/N cheered Rick’s empty glass before downing the last of his.

The next morning, Y/N was dropped off by a friend of a friend with a wagon to carry his belongings. A quick thank you followed by a hat tip later and the fresh meat on Dixon Ranch started making his way toward the main house.

No one is here? Y/N thought as he sets his trunk suitcase down on the porch along with his pack before investigating further.

It was slightly difficult not to go into the house unannounced because Y/N’s first suspicion was the ranch owner was murdered. He couldn’t help it due to personal experiences… but that thought was quickly barked away and his attention drew to the noise coming from the happy Belgian Shepherd that made his way straight toward the stranger to investigating. More so sniff him until he became familiar and comfortable.

“Hey there and who might you be?” Y/N smiles kneeling to the dog and petting him behind the ears.

“Dog!” The man who Y/N can only assume and be right to be Daryl Dixon, the one he talked to about the offer on the landline rode in on a beautiful Morgan horse.

“You uh. Named your dog, Dog?” Y/N questions as Daryl hopped off his horse holding the reins giving him a deadpan look. “Is your horse, Horse?”

The scowl that appeared on his face shortly after the failed joke made Y/N regret speaking in the first place. He jiggles the reigns in his line of sight to give him the idea to take them and so he did before being lead toward the barn.

“It’s Winger.”

“That’s uh…” Y/N stops suddenly when Daryl did turning to face him when he spoke. “It’s a nice name” he smiles warmly watching the man relax his shoulders giving no response. Which he’ll take as a win.

The ranch was a couple acre and Y/N couldn’t wait to see it all for himself but what currently amazed him was how big the barn was. He noticed the few nameplates on the stables and saw one named Chupacabra but no Chupacabra.

“Is that horse a mustang? Or an Arabian? Regardless it’s a black coat…or I don’t know. Never seen a Chupacabra”

“Yea talk a lot” Daryl interrupts his train of thought making him shut up, only for him to sigh. “Sorry. But yeah. He’s a mustang and a fucking bitch. No wonder my brother likes’em”

“Has he seen a Chupacabra?” Y/N questions tying Winger to the post by his stall seeing Daryl grab a spare saddle. Giving him the idea that they will be riding around the ranch so that Y/N can look around.

“Nah. I named him.” He replies while using his foot to open the stall he was entering that held the other breed Y/N stated, an Arabian. “But he doesn’t like anybody but Merle. And speaking of the son of a bitch, I inherited this ranch…you listen to me. Never him”

“Got it.” Y/N nods with a smile which felt a bit intoxicating in a strange way to Daryl as he stared at the man after getting the saddle on.

Daryl tugged on the lead after attaching it to the halter bringing the Arabian over to the stepping block thinking Y/N never got on a horse before. But was quickly proven wrong when he completely ignored the block and swung his leg over settling on the saddle.

“Yea rode before?”

“Yeah? You haven’t really asked me anything to get to know me so…you wouldn’t know until proven”

“Alright smartass” Daryl chuckles giving Y/N a glimpse of a small smile gracing his lips. “Let’s get goin’. Then you’ll get tomorrow’s chores and settle in for the night” he got on his horse after untying the lead.

“Sounds like a plan Mr. Dixon”

“Don’t ever call me that again.”

“Right…right” Y/N watches him leave first giving him enough time to groan out of embarrassment. “I just need to shut up”

The ride throughout the ranch was extraordinary. Y/N hasn’t been on the open land in such a long time that every part of him missed it. The pieces of land where his livestock roamed freely, the lake a couple yards out within the forest, the well taken-care of crop fields…and so much more…that Y/N was surprised that he took care of it all by himself, and even more.

“Here” Daryl opens the door to the room Y/N will be staying in. “‘M upstairs if anythin’” he watches him set his suitcase and pack on his bed before checking everything out. “Be up at 0600, chore list will be in the main room”

“Where will you be?”

“Tending to my own shit. You’re focusin’ mainly around the barn given you just got here. Dog’ll be around in case of anything”

“Trust the Dog to supervise?” Y/N says in a playful manner but Daryl always wore the same neutral look that nobody could really read.

“Is that really a question?”

“Guess not…I’ll uh. See yea tomorrow then”

“Mm” He nods closing the door behind him as he set off to take care of something before turning in for the night.

As the night progresses for the youngest Dixon, he made his way to the shed in the back unlocking it with the spare. Knowing the other one hangs around his brother’s neck. Daryl pushes the door open finding the stolen drugs and whiskey crates taking up 3/4ths of the shed leaving only a small portion for actual necessities.

“Where’s that stupid fucking box” Daryl grumbles to himself searching from “his side” and eventually finding what he was looking for. It was a shoe box and when he opened it, it held mementos…

Old matches, playing cards, a prized ribbon or two, but more important to him were the pictures.

Daryl sets the box down after pulling out the few photos he had in such. Family portrait…why do I even keep this fake thing He frowns setting down the picture of his family when he and Merle were kids. Stupid fat pig He scoffs at the first prized ribbon he got for the biggest big in their farm at the time.

You… The last photo in Daryl’s hand was with another boy, during their teen years as he sort of still looked about the same. Just bigger with more scars and stubbornness. As for the other boy…You’ve changed, except for the same bandana you used to wear around your neck…is

now hanging from your back pocket. Daryl frowns watching Y/N tend to the chickens that were following him and the food he was carrying in the buckets on either side. He sets the buckets down a second shooing the chickens away from them to take out said bandana to wipe the sweat off his brow.

“Do yea always stare at the help like that?” God, does he ever shut up?

“Fuck off Merle” Daryl pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Touchy touchy. He don’t even got an ass to look at. Like the one on your lady friend” Merle grins thinking about such, only for Daryl to shove him to stop. “What! It’s been a fucking month and you watch his every move! You don’t watch the volunteers like such. Get a grip” he scoffs heading back inside the house to get ready for whatever business he has to attend to soon.

But he was right. He’s going to make a fool of himself if he doesn’t get a grip on himself.

It’s just upsetting.

________

The youngest Dixon picked up the pace running away from his yelling father.

“Don’t yea think you can out run me boy!” Mr. Dixon yells off the top of his lungs holding his belt in his dominant hand.

A young boy was tending to his nightly chores of getting the goats back in their pen along with getting his father’s horse in the stables.

As he gently tugs on the leads to bring his father’s horse into the stables, he heard crying. He opens the stall that the horse occupied and found the youngest Dixon crying in the corner of such.

“Dad! Dad I need—-“ the boy stops yelling on his way to the house finding another yelling individual.

“You know something L/N! You’ve gotta”

“How the fuck should I know where yea son is at? Just cuz we’re neighboring ranches don’t mean I know where—“ His dad sees his son shaking his head not to say a word about what he knows. “Hell. Mr. Dixon, yea ever think you’re a little rough with your kids? Maybe Daryl ran off to avoid—“

“The fuck are you assuming L/N” Mr. Dixon suddenly grabbed the man’s collar forcing him toward him. “Don’t tell me how to teach my kids consequences. Mind yer business!” He snaps letting go of him and leaving the ranch.

L/N sighs looking at his son with worry but knew to trust him.

After some time, Daryl flinched to the stall opening finding the boy and his father who carried a first aid kit.

“Why yea helping me?”

“My dad was abusive too, kid. Nobody deserves to be in that situation” L/N states finishing the wraps on Daryl’s right arm. “Made me wanna be a good father”

“Yer son is lucky” Daryl frowns looking over to the absent-minded kid.

“Guess so. Y/N’s a good kid. Hopefully, that goodness sticks with’em”

________

It did

“Daryl? Hey!”

“Shit. Sorry.” He snapped back into reality seeing Y/N’s signature smile on his face that he grew even fonder of. “What’s going on?”

“Glenn’s here. And with a lady friend” Y/N smirks going to grab the crate of eggs they’ve been collecting that they trade with Greene farm.

Glenn directs their wagon more toward the farm house as he got off to talk to Daryl while Y/N approaches the wagon where the young lady patiently waits.

“Farmer’s daughter ey?” Daryl smirks only for Glenn to elbow him to shut up while his face flushed. “How is the old man anyway?”

“Taking in strays. Forgot his name but their family keeps growing that way”

“Mm. He’s always been kind like that.” Daryl kept a half smile present while reading what they’ll be given in the next exchange. “So how long have yea been—-“

“You fancy your farm hand?” Glenn smirks watching his friend crush the paper in hand out of a sudden reaction. “Ha! Knew it! That was a goddamn guess but I got it right! Should’ve made a bet on it”

“A goddamn bet?”

“Yes! I’ve told Maggie about yea and Y/N countless times before she decided to hang on my route with me. Should’ve made a bet. Cuz she even thinks there’s somethin’”

“You are trouble, Rhee.” Daryl sighs not denying his accusations watching Maggie laugh at Y/N’s words as he felt his entire focus lock onto his smile. Fuck.

“Thanks for the carrots, Maggie. These will definitely help us get started on the next crop”

“You should stop by Greene farm sometime. Put a face to the name of the one that’s softenin’ Daryl Dixon”

“Softening? I don’t believe that one bit. He’s always been a tough cookie” Y/N leans on the crate of carrots still sitting in the wagon as both conversations weren’t ending any time soon.

“Always?” Maggie smiles edging on for more form her new friend as he sealed his mouth with an invisible key. “Oh come on! We’re friends now! I gotta know all the juicy details!!” She laughs shaking Y/N in his place making him laugh.

“Nah! Not today”

“Well hopefully I’ll get to know more at the barn party my daddy is hosting” Maggie smiles hoping for a confirmation right then and there that they’ll be attending but this is the first Y/N was hearing of such.

“I’ll be there. Don’t know about the other”

“How long have yea been here?”

“Why?”

“Getting to know more. Just answer the question!”

“A few months. But I’ve been raised in this town…” Y/N leans against the wagon with Maggie. “Lil bit of a backstory, Greene Farm used to be L/N Ranch until my dad died”

“Holy shit!” Her realization caught everyone’s attention but the conversation kept to themselves. “But wait…when he was tellin’ me the story on our move…your mother passed at childbirth and your father was uh.”

“Murdered? Yeah, that never leaves the headlines for a while. But yeah, what yer getting at is I owned the ranch after…I just. All my good memories there left with me when I thought I could have a fresh start in the big city. Instead…I missed a whole lot back here” Y/N frowns glancing over to Glenn and Daryl watching them talk to one another, only for Daryl to gain the suspicion of eyes on him.

In a second, it was just them staring at the other and a sudden wave of worry washed over Daryl when Y/N’s happy display faded.

“Don’t yea got more stops to make before yea can finally be alone with your lady?”

“Shit! Right right” Glenn pats Daryl on the shoulder before heading back toward the wagon indicating they’re about to leave.

Y/N quickly grabbed the crate and right as he was about to step away, Maggie pulled him into a hug. He stumbled a bit to the action before relaxing.

“You don’t gotta go if it’s too much…but again, it would be nice to have a friend there” Maggie gave him one last smile as she takes Glenn’s hand in helping her back onto the seat beside him.

“See yea in another two weeks!” Glenn yells as Maggie whispers to him quickly about the barn party. “Oh! Or this weekend! Bye!”

The two watch them head off for the rest of Glenn’s route, guess it was time to continue with the rest of their day. Or more specifically, Daryl thinking way too much about Y/N’s atmosphere changing.

“Heavy?”

“Nah. I’ll go ahead and prepare this for planting tomorrow…” Y/N gave Daryl a sad smile on his way to the shed by the barn.

The man wasn’t having it.

As the night crawls in, Y/N found himself finally returning back to the house after finishing chores and handling a bit of the mental drain life brought from remembering the past. But to his surprise, there was a pleasant smell filling the house as he approaches the kitchen finding Daryl making dinner. They usually eat at different times, not together.

“Did yea get hit in the head or something?”

“No? Why yea think that?” Daryl puts the lid back on the pot to preserve the heat in the stew he’s making.

“Just surprised is all…” Y/N took a seat at the table after wiping his hands off with his bandana. “Smells good”

“You’ll like it” Daryl chimes in one last time to the small conversation, checking the stew one last time before getting bowls.

Y/N couldn’t help but watch him for the duration of his time waiting. He was enjoying the rare sight of the man cooking for him.

Daryl wasn’t first to finishing his dinner this time, or scarfing it down before his brother could take it from him like when they were younger. He watched as Y/N not only enjoy his dinner but take down three bowls of the stuff.

“Fucker, you must’ve been starving” Daryl grins at the display as he continues to eat his portion watching Y/N finally stop devouring the bowl to take a breather.

“I didn’t eat since breakfast, lost track of time when fixin’ the fence” He sighs happily now that he’s full.

“Could’ve come and help yea after dealin’ with Merle if yea came back”

“What’s his issue anyway? Like. Nah I know the crazy shit he’s done. Who doesn’t in this town but he’s never around and his horse looks malnourished when he’s in his stall”

“Gotta get him to keep Chup here for a couple days. Don’t trust him with any of the others though if he did leave him” He finishes up his bowl expecting Y/N to leave after finishing his third but he stayed with his head resting in his hand invested in what he’s gotta say. “Maybe could knock his ass out and tie him up in his room to have Chupacabra rest”

“Merle looks like a bitter. I ain’t helpin’ with that if we did do that” Y/N laughs. “‘Sides. Wouldn’t his gang realize he’s been gone too long”

Daryl suddenly bites down on his spoon feeling the shiver run down his spine. He takes the utensil out of his mouth staring down at his hands. “How yea know that?”

“He looks the part, besides…his actions have been in the paper and the man is on a wanted picture”

“And yet yea still came to work here months back…”

“I didn’t come here for Merle” Y/N knew how he phrased it, and kept it to Daryl’s imagination what he meant by that as he went to clean his dishes. “So uh. You have a record player?”

The awkwardness left the room when Y/N emerged from his room with a record in hand after retrieving such. Daryl sat on the couch in the living room pointing toward the record player and watching him get everything set up.

As the music slowly starts to fill the room, Y/N couldn’t help the light tapping of his foot enjoying the music instantly. Daryl watches him unwind from his stressful day as he started to dance a bit more.

The stubborn man on the couch didn’t realize until Y/N shot a playful smile his way when his foot started to tap along to the beat out of instinct.

“Care for a dance, cowboy?” Y/N smiles extending his hand toward Daryl.

Who was glued to the wall for most of the barn party and has been watching Y/N enjoy himself in the company of other lively people. But he found himself drawing close to Daryl the closer the song reached its end. He held his hand out for Dixon to happily take and the excitement build inside of him when he was about to take the offer. Then the song became a much slower one causing Daryl to retreat back and Y/N knew he wasn’t much of a slow dance guy.

“Don’t stress about it. But yea owe me a dance, Dixon” Y/N smiles, turning to the voice calling his name. “Be right back”

The things you do to me Daryl kept his attention on Y/N always, watching him talk to Hershel and his younger daughter Beth who was holding the family barn cat. Please just look at me a second more he sighs hearing his heart pounding in his ears when Y/N gestured his way in a manner of having to go back.

But his thoughts were interrupted…

“Dixon. Can’t believe you’re here” The infamous Shane Walsh, one of the other officers in town and the one with a track record of being a home wrecker. “Who managed to get yea here? Carol? She hasn’t been home in a while”

“I wonder…maybe cuz yea didn’t find her daughter after promising her that you will. Then yea got drunk after failure and started hurting a lot of people” Daryl glares at the man, crossing his arms. “No one wants to be around you”

“Jeez. Ain’t ever gonna let that go?” Shane scoffs. “Someone’s gotta be dumb to hang ‘round yea.” He left on that note right as Y/N came by with a box under his left arm and a glass in his right hand. He watches Shane leave, confused a bit and given Daryl’s annoyed expression he can tell it was because of him.

“You alright, D?”

Daryl tried his best to shake it off but couldn’t find any words that weren’t going to come off harshly toward Y/N by mistake. Y/N handed the glass toward Daryl as he took it hesitantly.

“Finish that and let’s head out alright? I’m gettin’ pretty wiped”

“Yea serious?”

“Yeah…Come on” Y/N tugged on his arm gently to urge him in the exit locking arms with him when Daryl straightened up beside him.

Soon the two were riding back to the ranch when Daryl whistles for Y/N’s attention leading them down a different path that lead more into the mountains. The thinner the trail got the more anxious Y/N became when riding up behind Daryl.

“Daryl I—“

“Keep yer eyes on me. Watch where I’m goin’. Don’t think about it”

“O-Okay. This better be worth it, D”

“It will be”

They were getting closer as the moonlight reached where they were. Daryl picked up the pace a little to get Winger more in the open space he was aiming toward. He got off his horse and tied the lead to a tree before trotting over to help direct Y/N’s Arabian by the lead once Y/N had let go. Daryl gave Y/N space to get off his horse and take care of it.

Y/N approaches the edge of the look out spot that Daryl brought the two to. He looks out seeing the whole picture. Their town. The ranches. The minimal light that emerges from it all.

“So. You remember me huh” Y/N smiles crossing his arms keeping his attention forward.

“Who could forget L/N’s kid? The same kid that tipped my old man’s favorite cow”

“That son of a bitch hurt my favorite person. Had to fuck with him until he kicked the bucket”

“Dark talking about my old man like that. But go right ahead” Daryl chuckles standing beside Y/N enjoying the view with him. “Why didn’t you say who you were the second you arrived?”

“Part of me thought you had forgotten about me, another thought you uh. Wouldn’t have been exactly happy if I tried to go back to how things were”

“Who could ever forget about you” Daryl frowns staring at his boots. “And yeah. I wasn’t. I played along until I got fed up. I missed yea.”

“‘M right here” Y/N nudged his hand gently, watching him instantly take it into his.

“Yea left me, Y/N”

“I was broken. I didn’t know what to do and where to go.” Y/N sighs, on the brink of tears as he squeezes Daryl’s hand. “You needed the light in your life after all the darkness, and at that time I…burned out”

________

“Yea sold it. Yea really sold it” the twenty-year-old Daryl Dixon suddenly broke out in a sprint toward the train station after seeing the locks on the gate to L/N Ranch.

Y/N couldn’t stop the tears from falling down his face as he gripped harder onto the handle of his suitcase waiting for the train to arrive.

Right as the train came to a stop, Y/N was about to step on when he felt someone grab the back of his coat pulling him back.

“Please. Don’t leave me here” Daryl begs as Y/N froze for a second turning toward his friend…best friend…partner. “Please. I can’t. I can’t lose yea too”

“I…I need space from that place D. I…I really don’t wanna be there when all I see is my dad getting fucking killed by one of your dad’s gang members…” Y/N frowns hearing the whistle coming from the conductor as the tears came on faster. “I love you, Daryl. If I stay, your bitch of a dad might hurt yea just because of you and I.”

“Leavin’ me won’t make a difference…” Daryl frowns clenching his fists. “We’ll leave that ranch. Get yours back, start a new—-“

“Daryl…Please” Y/N felt the weight grow heavy on his shoulders watching his partner slowly break before him. “Let me go”

Before Daryl could get another word in, Y/N grabbed his vest bringing him into him. Pressing his lips firmly against his one last time and when he parted, he hopped on the train and left.

________

“Yea left me behind…” Daryl felt that same pain return for a second as he took off his hat with his free hand to feel the night breeze flow to ease some of the pain. “But yea came back”

“To you…to this life…hell, I’d like to make up for lost time without needin’ to worry about anything” Y/N wanted to say more but Daryl had enough of the waiting and letting fear pull him back.

The man let go of everything he was holding to grab on the suspenders his partner was wearing to pull him in and bring his lips firmly against his. There was no protest from the other party as his hands found purchase on each side of Daryl’s torso, keeping the kiss going.

The night continued as the two found themselves sitting on the edge of the cliff watching few lights go out in the town. Keeping close to one another as the cold air blew through. Y/N leaned into Daryl’s embrace feeling his protective hold on him, enjoying it all.

“Wanna hear something dumb?”

“Nothin’ yea say was ever dumb”

“You think we’d find each other in another life?” Y/N turns to look up at Daryl seeing his annoyance grow which made him laugh. “See. Dumb question”

“Me in whatever the next life is. Would be a dead man without yea”

“True…”

~

“Hey!” His voice startled the marksman and the deer he’s been tracking with the archer now approaching him. “We gotta start heading back before nightfall”

“Or what? Rick’s gonna think the best hunters aren’t gonna survive the forest we know like the back of our hands?” The marksman laughs wrapping his hunting rifle around his shoulders.

“Nah.” The archer brought himself closer and wrapped his arm around the marksman’s waist pulling him close. “I want some alone time with yea before the stupid dinner you agreed to”

“Im sorry for wanting to have a family dinner with our friends before the runs to the city in the morning” He smiles holding onto the other’s vest. “But yes. I agree to havin’ alone time with my husband”

“Good. Now let’s go, Y/N.” He smirks kissing him quickly before parting and heading toward his motorcycle.

“Can I drive, Dar?”

“Fuck no! Come on!”

We’ll always be together in every life.

[prettywordsyouleft]

The Cowboy - Part 9

Summary: Leaving the city for a rural area called Blayne seemed simple enough. Your task was to convince the people to agree with selling their land for a resort redevelopment. But once there, you soon realise that your city ways are entirely different to theirs. Winning their trust was going to take some effort, and when you start to fall for a local cowboy, you wonder if you really needed Blayne more than the city life after all.

Pairing: Jung Jaehyun x female reader

Genre: cowboy au / drama / romance / if you squint there’s some enemies to lovers up in here.

Warnings: Jung Jaehyun is a cowboy, need I say more? (a bit of angst and drama, and it sometimes might feel like you’re reading a Nicolas Sparks book, so I’m told lol)

Word count: 2332

This series will be updated every Thursday and Friday.

Preview | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

“Just one more,” you murmured, pressing your lips into Jaehyun’s before he could object.

He didn’t hesitate to kiss you back, chuckling softly when he separated. “You’ll have me late if you keep this up.”

“It’s not even light out yet,” you complained groggily, your hands blindly searching for a place to anchor onto.

“That’s the point. I need to get home, so I’m back in time to start the day when dawn arrives,” he reminded, reaching for those travelling hands and taking hold of them.

Your eyes had since adjusted to the dim lighting in the bedroom, and you noticed the embers from last night hadn’t yet been put out within Jaehyun’s gaze. You stoked the fire a little more, shifting your leg to nudge his.

Jaehyun groaned. “You’re tempting fate, Y/N.”

“I’m attempting something,” you mentioned demurely and shook your hands that Jaehyun still held.

“Not even my Mum has made me turn up on that yard late, I’ll have you know. I can’t be having you ruin my good reputation.”

You pouted, but nodded the further your slumber rolled away and your mind became alert. Unhooking your leg from his, you sighed. “Your career is important. Go be the best cowboy you can be.”

“You’re so cute, you know that?” he breathed, grinning from your supportive statement.

“I aim to be everything you need,” you announced and Jaehyun, who had pulled himself to the side of the bed and reached for his jeans, halted his movement, glancing over his shoulder in thought at you. You reached for your hair, assuming he was taking in your abominable morning state. “What? Do I look ugly?”

“No. You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever laid my eyes upon.”

“You better go before my heart starts ruling over this head of mine and I take back about being supportive of your needs and aim to satisfy mine,” you confessed, and Jaehyun shook his head, discarding his attempt to leave and kicked his pants off.

Crawling back to you, he gathered you up in his arms, a giggle leaving you when his hands brushed along your sensitive sides. Once fully captured within his arms, he kissed you passionately.

“Even if I’m late, you’re well worth putting in the extra effort this morning with.”

After Jaehyun had gone, with a final kiss exchanged at your front door and a warning about not answering the door looking like that to anyone but him, you headed back to your bed, nestling in under the warm covers in just one of Jaehyun’s t-shirts.

You were extremely happy right now.

And had been for the past month too. Everything was working well. You woke up most mornings feeling warm and appreciated, kissing Jaehyun off to work before eventually getting up and starting your own. You so far had acquired two signatures of landowners in Blayne over your proposal for redevelopment and was certain you’d have three more by mid next week.

You had chosen to go this path first before confronting Mr Jung with your proposition. Word travelled all too easily in these parts for you to rely on what was spoken was kept confidential. Part of you hoped for this to happen. If you got enough people talking about the redevelopment positively, you believed that would shape the head of the town’s opinion too.

It was a gamble, though, and the longer you spent racking up other names and parts of the land as opposed to the one Pierce instructed you to get meant you would be running out of time to convince Jaehyun’s father if he initially rejected your proposal.

You had confidence in your decision.

And that confidence clearly shone in other ways now too. “You know, I haven’t seen you this dressed down since you came to Blayne, Y/N.”

Glancing up at May as you stopped in for lunch with Reg, one of the landowners you were meeting with, you laughed lightly. “I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“You finally look like one of us, is what she means,” Dorothy, from the table over, chimed and you grinned at her.

“Do I? I wonder how I managed that, being a city-slicker and all.”

“I don’t think it’s about how, but rather whom,” May concluded, and you bit your bottom lip, trying not to smile with the image of Jaehyun surfacing in your mind.

“We had it pegged that it’d be Avery,” Reg chortled, and you spluttered on the water you had taken in, looking up and apologising profusely. The older man held out his hand to May. “Well, it’s not him. Pay up.”

“Not my boy? Surely it’s him that has you enjoying Blayne. Out of us all, he’s the most understanding to newcomers.”

“Are you making bets on my relationship status?” you asked, and the patrons of the diner all chuckled in one way or another. “Well, I’m sorry May, but I’m not dating Avery.”

“You didn’t deny dating someone else,” Josie, the only waitress, piped up and there was immediate silence as everyone stared at you.

“I’m dating Blayne,” you answered cheekily, and they all groaned with protest. “What? Call me a sucker for what I’m trying to do out here, but this place has changed me.”

You left out the part about a certain cowboy that had as well.

Word travelled too fast around this place.

“Avery is disappointed, you know,” Jaehyun mentioned when he stepped through the front door of your home later that evening. You glanced up at his arrival, dropping your laptop onto the couch and moved into Jaehyun’s waiting embrace.

After kissing Jaehyun in greeting, you smirked. “Word sure doesn’t struggle to get around here yet mobile data does.”

“You completely ruled my cousin off your it-list. The elders are scrambling about trying to figure who’s left to catch your fancy.”

“Have they suggested you at all?”

Jaehyun grinned and shook his head. “Not Jung’s boy.”

“Because you’re so exclusive.”

“I’m destined to marry a Blayne Belle, apparently.”

“So you’re either going to wait another six years until Melody is legal or pick up Josie? I mean, she looks great for forty.”

“Don’t!” Jaehyun exclaimed, encircling your waist with his palms. They felt hot against your barely covered skin. “Where are your clothes by the way?”

“I’m used to the summer weather being removed by air conditioning in my apartment,” you admitted, gesturing to your singlet and shorts with a sly smile. “And this is more than what I had on when you last saw me.”

“Wicked woman,” he stated and went over to a panel on the wall.

You followed Jaehyun and pointed at it. “I tried to turn it on, but it’s ancient and doesn’t have any instructions.”

“You’d be lost without your damn instructions, wouldn’t you?” he teased, and you rolled your eyes, peering around him to inspect his efforts.

“Do you know where the toolbox is in the truck?” he soon asked, and you nodded. “Can you get it for me?”

“Why, are you going to be Mr Handyman instead of Mr Cowboy to me now? Perhaps Avery might be a better option after all.”

“Har-har. If you want to learn how hellish this summer is going to get in the countryside when the heatwave hits next week then-”

“Toolbox. Onto it!” you cried, dashing outside into the humid evening and over to Jaehyun’s truck. After spotting it nestled just behind the passenger seat, you went to reach for it but stopped, your eyes travelling to the papers sitting on the chair you had just leaned over.

Picking them up, you read the contents and returned inside with the toolbox in a daze. “Thanks, Miss City. I’ll have you feeling cool in no time.”

“Were you going to tell me about the rodeo tour?” you queried in a small voice a moment later, and Jaehyun stopped looking through the box for what he needed and up at you.

He shot you one of his lopsided smiles, though his eyes were hesitant. “You’re concerned already? The rodeo season is basically over for this year, don’t worry.”

“I know. This is for next season, but the qualifiers are tomorrow.”

“I was planning on telling you tonight.” Standing back up and wiping his hands on his jeans, Jaehyun gauged your expression. “You know I do them from time to time. Old Joey from the county over popped by and offered me a horse to ride. It’s a real nice horse, gave him a test-”

“What about Blaze? What will he think?” you cut in and Jaehyun frowned. “He’s your riding horse.”

“He’s a work horse. And horses don’t really get offended if you ride another. You’re being weird about this.”

“I’m just confused. This morning I woke up thinking this weekend we’ll be going to the farmer’s market and maybe ride over to the lake and take a swim or something. Now I’m going to be on the sidelines of some rodeo? What do they call them? Rodeo Bunnies? Don’t expect me to become one.”

Jaehyun laughed heartily, scooping you up into his arms in a warm embrace. “You’re coming?”

“Of course. I have to.”

“Why?”

“Why are you asking why? I’m supportive of your endeavours,” you answered, puzzled by the smile spreading Jaehyun’s lips out further. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like a girlfriend would support me?”

“Girlfriend?” you echoed and let out an awkward laugh.

“Is it more for you now, Miss City? A whole month of you and me having this secret rendezvous and you might be feeling something deeper than my skin for me, huh?”

“Do-don’t you have to fix the air-con? It’s hot in here.”

“Stifling.”

“And if you’re going to some rodeo thing, don’t we need to sleep early or something?”

“Are you flustered, Y/N? You’re awfully good at not answering my question.”

“What question was that now?” you diverted, slipping out from under his strong arms and over to the toolbox. “Which one do you need?”

“All of you. That’s all I need,” Jaehyun confirmed, coming back to your side, kissing the top of your head before taking the tool you held in your left hand and got to work.

You arrived on the Jung’s property around six the following morning, travelling in your car separately. Whilst June was aware of your ruse, and no doubt Avery had strong suspicions, Jaehyun had asked to keep your relationship on the low for now. At first, you had agreed. You had a job to complete and complicating that with personal affections could ruin your credibility.

Still, it was hard to keep your hands off of Jaehyun when he came out from his room above the stables. “Wow, you know I’ve been calling you a cowboy from day one because of the hat and boots but I didn’t realise just how much this shirt was missing from the picture until now.”

Jaehyun glanced at his rodeo shirt, tassels and all, before shooting you an embarrassed smile. “Get a real good look at it today, Miss City. I don’t dress up like this often.”

“Another reason why he’s single, I’m sure,” his father gruffly mentioned, patting his son on the shoulder. You realised the older man was proud for some reason. All this time, you assumed he only cared for Jaehyun by the level of work he did around the farm.

Perhaps that was because Jaehyun was adamant that was all he cared about. However, as you watched the interaction fondly, you realised the man had a lot of love for his son. Jaehyun mentioned he had been on the sure-fire track to going pro as a teen on the rodeo circuit last night. You wondered if Mr Jung wanted that for him and felt guilty for needing him to help on the farm.

Either way, it warmed your heart to see a nervous Jaehyun, and his father equally acting out of character for once.

“Don’t you go worrying about marriage for our son today,” June fussed, straightening out Jaehyun’s collar as you had been itching to do. She smiled up at him. “Come home in one piece.”

“Of course, he will. We can’t be having Y/N’s first rodeo dashed with any hospital visits,” Avery commented, arriving at your side and slinging an arm over your shoulder. “You and I need to do some talking about the earful I got from my mother last night.”

You giggled awkwardly. “I’m sorry about that.”

“You’ll be sorry when they start trying to hook you up with all the eligible men in Blayne. Dorothy is convinced you’d suit her boy, Jacob.”

Jaehyun snorted. “Y/N’s a little too high maintenance for Jacob.”

“Am I now?” you retorted, waving off Jaehyun’s parents who were staying behind to look after the farm. Hopping into the cab of Jaehyun’s truck and looking at Avery who got in after you, you scoffed loudly. “If I was too much high maintenance, I’d recommend we take my vehicle over this one. At least, I’d be convinced we’d get there on time, for one.”

Jaehyun glared at Avery’s somewhat stifled snort before patting the steering wheel of the truck. “Don’t you worry. This old beauty of mine will get us there with ease. It’s you we have to concern ourselves over.”

“Me?” you wondered, and Avery nodded. “Why me?”

“Rodeos are a whole other world, Y/N. I bet you won’t be ready for what’s about to happen.”

“It’s people riding horses and taking on cows or something with ropes. I’ve seen it on TV,” you assured the cousins, who looked at one another with loose grins forming.

“She’s not ready for this.”

“Nope. Not a chance.”

“Would you two just shut up, and Jaehyun, start driving. Watch me prove how-”

“Adaptable you are,” both boys chimed, and you rolled your eyes, trying not to smile as Jaehyun finally threw the truck into reverse and headed down the driveway towards your first rodeo.

_________________

Part 10

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[boxesandrings]

Hello! First off, I simply adore your writing. Your characterizations simply feel so... natural! It's lovely! Second, could I request some fluffy Harvey/Elliott at either the Feast of the Winter Star or the Spirit's Eve festival? That would be grand. Thank you!

Teehee sorry this took so long! I had written a story about the two of them at the Feast of the Winter Star and then hated it so much I completely started over 🤪 So I hope you enjoy this now seasonally appropriate Spirit's Eve fluff!

Title: Meet me Halfway

Rating: G

Summary: Harvey is crushing on Elliott, but is more than okay with keeping things the way they are. When Elliott invites him into the maze at the Spirit's Eve festival though, the men get much closer than Harvey ever thought.

Characters: Elliott, Harvey, Sebastion, Marlon, Maru, F!Farmer

Words: 2841

Harvey had been standing by the refreshments table when Elliott passed behind him, his fingertips lightly grazing against the Doctor's shoulders. Harvey jumped, almost spilling his drink but managed to steady himself, cheeks flushed as Elliott laughed.

“A bit on edge, Doctor?” Harvey cleared his throat and set his cup down, his other hand reaching to the back of his neck.

“No! I mean, kinda. I have to say, I think this is probably my least favorite festival.” Elliott nodded. Harvey studied his face, trying to read the man next to him. Was there a slight blush in his face as well?

Even though they had lived in the same town for years now, only a few months ago had it struck Harvey how cute the man living on the beach was. They had talked a bit around town and at festivals, and of course Harvey was Elliott’s doctor. But since the community center had been restored Harvey had begun to spend more time there, reading articles that his colleagues from the city had sent him or using the craft room to work on his model planes. Elliott was there constantly as well, and the two men began to grow more familiar.

Harvey’s feelings surprised him. It wasn’t that he had never had feelings for another man before, but just how suddenly they had developed after getting to know Elliott was strange to him. Harvey had accepted who he was at this point in his life; he was rigid and methodical, overthinking most aspects of his life. But Elliott had somehow swept in and threw his life out of order— Harvey acted impulsively around him, and it scared him.

But what scared Harvey even more was that he couldn’t tell how Elliott felt about him. Elliott was definitely flirty with him, he couldn’t deny it. But Elliott flirted with everyone, or at least seemed to. Elliott was confident, outgoing, and rather touchy with almost everyone in town. There was no way Elliott felt the same way about him, introverted and anxious, but Harvey couldn’t help but feel the hard thumping in his chest everytime Elliott was around.

Beside him Elliott nodded, scooping some of the hot apple cider Gus was providing into his own cup.

“I can understand that. While I’m sure you’ve caught on that I tend to have a certain… flair for the dramatic,” Elliott regarded Harvey out of the corner of his eye, a coy smile on his lips, “this holiday quite honestly might be overdoing it.”

As if the universe was proving a point, a loud clanging noise rang out behind the men. Elliott’s eyes went wide with fear as he jumped, his body colliding with the Doctor’s as he moved away from the noise. Harvey dropped his drink as he steadied the man in front of him, not sure whether to be disappointed by the loss of his cider or elated by the touch. Once Elliott was no longer falling, Harvey turned to investigate the noise.

Behind him, one of the walking skeletons was at the edge of his cage, a bony arm outstretched and rattling against the bars. Sebastian had fallen back onto the ground and was trying to crawl away from the beast with wide eyes. Marlon stepped in quickly after the skeleton had made its move, pushing the monster further back in with a large stick. Once the skeleton was far enough back, Harvey watched as Marlon offered a hand to Sebastian and pulled the boy up, saying something stern but inaudible from this far away. Harvey turned back to Elliott, who was watching the scene with a grimace.

“You want to move somewhere else? Like, away from this?” Elliott’s gaze snapped back to Harvey, his unsettled look quickly turning into a smile.

“I’d like nothing more, my dear doctor.” Elliott linked his arm through Harvey’s and began to march off, Harvey blushing furiously as he stumbled along.

Elliott led them far away from the refreshments, until Harvey found them standing in front of the maze. Elliott looked toward the entrance, then turned to the Doctor.

“Do you want to go in? I’ve never actually tried the maze before, but with you I’m feeling a little bit more bold.” Elliott winked and Harvey coughed, scratching the back of his neck.

“I’m not sure how much of a help I’d be in there. Honestly, the one time I tried before I barely made it 20 feet.” Elliott laughed.

“Well, maybe with the two of us working together we’d go 30.” Harvey chuckled. Before he could agree, someone called out behind him.

“Hey, Doc! You going in?” Harvey and Elliott turned and saw Maru and the Farmer walking toward them, hand in hand.

“Yes! The two of us are going to try to make it an astonishing 30 feet in.” Elliott had answered before he had gotten the chance to, so Harvey nodded along. Had he really agreed to go in, though? Beside him, he saw Elliott tip an imaginary hat toward the Farmer. “Howdy, partner.”

The Farmer sighed, letting go of Maru’s hand to brush her hand through her hair. “El, just because I live on a farm doesn’t mean I’m a cowboy.” Elliott tilted his head to the side, smiling slightly.

“I mean, you sure ride that horse of yours almost everywhere.” Harvey bit his lip, using the moment to bring himself back to reality. Elliott wasn’t flirting with him, he was like this with everyone. The Farmer sighed again, grabbing Maru’s hand once again.

“Whatever.” She began to pull Maru toward the maze. “Later, losers. We’ve got a maze to finish.” Elliott laughed next to Harvey, and waved the two women off. Maru looked over her shoulder grinning at Harvey, mouthing ‘you got this’ in an animated manner until she disappeared behind the first hedge, trailing after her partner.

Harvey furiously blushed. Maru had figured out his crush weeks ago after the two of them had gone out for drinks after work, when Harvey had been so busy staring at Elliott that he had walked straight into a stool and fallen over it.

“Well, no time like the present, I suppose.” Harvey blinked back to reality. Elliott was standing in front of him, the two men eye to eye. Harvey swallowed.

“I guess.” He put on a weak smile, attempting to feign some kind of confidence. Elliott nodded.

“Then let’s away!” Elliott turned and began to walk toward the maze. Harvey sighed, and followed quickly after.

It wasn’t long until the pair came to the first challenge of the maze. As Elliott and Harvey walked side by side, making pleasant small talk, that green hands began to poke their way out of the ground. Elliott jumped, his body colliding with the Doctor’s.

“Oh, Yoba!” Harvey instinctually grabbed Elliott, pulling him close.

“Oh, no, nope! No. Come on.” Harvey let go of Elliott’s shoulder, his hand grabbing the man around the forearm. He took off down another branch, Elliott running behind him.

Once they no longer saw the hands coming out of the ground, men stopped, panting.

“Okay, I get why you didn’t like to go in here.” Elliott looked up at Harvey, still out of breath. Harvey, unsure of how to react, just began to laugh, dropping to the ground as he tried to regain his composure. Elliott sat beside him, brushing his hair back.

“Yeah! No duh.” Elliott began to laugh as well, the men giggling in the dark. Once composed, Elliott turned to face Harvey.

“You know, I quite like it when you’re more relaxed like this. Not that you’re always stiff, just… you seem like there’s a lot going on in your mind.” Harvey weakly smiled and stood up. He was getting too loose.

“Well, that’s being a doctor, I suppose. Especially being the only one for quite a distance.” He offered his hand to Elliott, who took it and pulled himself up.

“That makes sense. You’re always thinking of others.” Elliott smiled. The two men regarded each other. Harvey found himself getting closer, their bodies almost touching, until he noticed a hedge off in the distance reflecting light. He took a step away.

“Wait, what’s that?” Elliott turned around and tilted his head, searching for what Harvey was referencing. Once spotted, Elliott faced him again.

“I guess we know where to go next.” Harvey nodded, and the two moved toward the light source.

The pair came to a large TV, alternating with static and a series of strange images, weird whispers emanating from the speaker bar attached.

“I mean, it’s not as unsettling as the hands but… I’m not a fan of this either.” Elliott was scanning the TV, frowning.

“I know Lewis is trying to boost tourism, but this seems like a lot,” Harvey added, taking a step closer toward his companion. It was human nature to huddle when scared, right? Elliott surely wouldn’t notice. Harvey thought about how he had held the writer when the hands came out of the ground. As terrifying as that was, he almost wanted to do it again.

“I don’t think Lewis built it. I think the Wizard in the woods said he was doing this,” Elliott suggested. The pair heard a snort and both jumped back, trying to find the source.

Maru stepped out from behind the TV, a funny look on her face. “He’s not a wizard, he’s just some hermit in the woods who likes to play with grass.” Harvey’s shoulders relaxed. It wasn’t a monster, it was his nurse.

“I don’t know. Leah said she’s seen some weird things going on at his tower at night.” Maru snorted again and turned her attention back to the screen.

“He probably has some of those LED strips that change colors on the outside of his home.” Elliott nodded, but didn’t look too convinced.

“Maru, what are you doing just lurking out here? And where’s your girlfriend?” Harvey looked around, making sure the TV was the only horror nearby.

“I wanted to figure out how this is working. There’s no plugs out here, and when I opened the battery compartment it was empty. There has to be some other energy source in here.” Maru held up her pocket knife in one hand, a couple of screws in the other. “And she went on ahead to keep exploring so I could play with this. When I’m done I’ll meet her in the middle point of the maze, it’s just up ahead.” She returned her full attention back to the monitor, walking around it’s backside once again.

Harvey turned to Elliott, who shrugged. “Should we move on?” Harvey smiled.

“Lets.”

From where they were standing, Harvey could see the middle point that Maru had talked about. The pair headed toward the fountain, and paused to watch the water shoot high up into the air.

“Well, I’d venture to say we made it quite a bit farther than 30 feet.” Harvey chuckled as Elliott gently elbowed him.

“Quite a bit farther than I made it last time, for sure.” Harvey smiled at Elliott, then turned his gaze back to the fountain. “I’m surprised it’s already the halfway point. It doesn’t seem like we’ve gone too far.”

“I suppose what this maze lacks in physical size, it makes up for in psychological horror.”

As if on cue, the men heard a yell from beyond the midway, and Abigail ran back in toward them, a blur of purple.

“No way, nuh-uh, nope! I’m out.” She blinked out of her confusion, and looked up at Harvey and Elliott. “Dudes, I’m OUT of here.” Harvey stuck a hand out, trying to stop the teen from bolting past him.

“Woah! Abby, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” He scanned for any obvious signs of injury, his doctor instincts kicking into gear. Abigail was generally fearless, even in regards to her own safety. It took a lot to rattle her.

She looked up at the doctor, her eyes wide with fear. “Dude, I mean Doc, there’s some big spiders back there. Like, me-sized. I’m outta here.” She brushed past Harvey and Elliott, making her way toward the path that the men had just come from. “Good luck!”

Harvey looked toward Elliott, who had noticeably paled. Elliott swallowed, then met the doctor’s gaze. “I mean, making this far was a personal victory anyways? Why push it?”

Harvey stared at Elliott, mouth ajar, before bursting into loud laughter. He sat on the edge of the fountain, trying to take deep breaths to contain his joy.

“Oh thank Yoba, I did NOT want to go in there.” Elliott laughed and sat beside him, his fingertips resting only an inch away from Harvey’s own.

“I think we did very well, though! I mean, halfway is nothing to sneeze at.” Elliott looked toward Harvey and winked. “And you’ve been so brave! Why, the way you rescued me from those hands was quite impressive.” Harvey coughed and stood up, suddenly aware of how close he was to Elliott.

“Yes, well, of course.” Elliott looked up at him, his smile slowly falling. Finally, Elliott sighed.

“I don’t know how much more direct I can be, Harvey.” Elliott’s voice was low, and much more serious than Harvey had ever heard. He turned to Elliott.

“What?” Elliott stood up and crossed his arm over his stomach, nervously rubbing his forearm.

“I mean, I hoped you would have caught on by now, over the past few months, or maybe you have and are just trying to be nice? I don’t…” He trailed off, his gaze lowering toward the ground. “I guess I just like you, Harvey, and I was hoping that by inviting you into the maze with me something would happen, but you keep pulling away and I just… I don’t know.”

Harvey’s jaw dropped. Elliott was flirting with him. Him! And oh Yoba, he had blown it, overthinking each touch, every word, the tone of his voice. Elliott had liked him, and Harvey was too full of fear to do anything. Had Maru known? Is that why she wished him luck?

Harvey sputtered, trying to spit out something, to reassure Elliott. He likes me too. Elliott sighed, meeting Harvey’s eyes again, forcing a smile.

“I’m sorry, that was probably a lot at once. I don’t know why it all came out like that. We can head out if you want.” Elliott took a step back.

Harvey needed to act, to break through his fear. He likes me. Now was not the time to be frozen by indecision, to read far too much into every action. Elliott was there, in front of him now but moving away.

Without thinking, maybe for the first time ever, Harvey reached out and grabbed Elliott’s shoulders, pulling the man in closer to him. Their lips connected, and as Harvey kissed him he could feel his heart beating violently in his chest. Elliott had tensed momentarily when the Doctor had grabbed him, but Harvery could feel him smiling now, melting into the kiss as Elliott placed a hand on the side of his face.

When he pulled back, Harvey was breathless, his hand shaking as he brushed a piece of hair out of Elliott’s face. Elliott was smiling, his cheeks flushed red.

“I like you, a lot, Elliott. I just… I didn’t think you felt the same way.” Elliott laughed quietly, his thumb stroking Harvey’s cheek.

“For such a bright man, you can be awfully dense.” Harvey smiled.

“Yeah.” Harvey moved to kiss Elliott again when he heard something shuffle in the maze behind him.

The men looked toward the path, still holding each other, as the Farmer huffed out of the maze, holding a rather large pumpkin in her hands.

“It’s just a pumpkin! I had to make my way through all that for a pumpkin! And not even a special one like last year, it’s made of foam!” She looked up, her expression softening when she realized what she had walked into. “Oh, um.”

“Maru’s back at the TV still,” Elliot said, his hands not moving from Harvey’s face. The Farmer’s eyes flicked back and forth between the two men’s faces, trying to press her lips together to stop from smiling.

“Thanks. Uh… yeah.” The Farmer walked quickly toward the way back, passing the men with a poorly suppressed smile on her face. Harvey figured she’d break the news to Maru as soon as she saw her.

“Well, where were we?” Harvey turned his attention back toward Elliott, who was smiling warmly at him. Harvey bit his lip, smiling.

“Oh, yeah.” He kissed Elliott again, much calmer than before, enjoying the feeling of their lips touching. Harvey pulled back again. “Want to go back and get a drink? I spilled my cider earlier”

Elliott dropped his hands from Harvey’s face and laced his fingers between the Doctor’s. “I’d love nothing more.” The two men went back into the hedges, hands swinging between them as they made their way back through the maze.

[majesty-madness]

An Outlaw’s Better Half (Arthur Morgan x reader series)

https://giphy.com/gifs/rockstargames-revolver-rdr2-reddead-5WIMcQNeu6TWoIrkfB

Summary: Y/N lost her only friends to a gang of thugs, who murdered them all. With nowhere to go, she wanders the streets only to be met with a certain cowboy. After saving her life, Arthur brings her back to camp and everyone is very welcoming. Y/N begins to think maybe this could be her new family, a real family, but how will she react when she learns that the gang that welcomed her with opens arms, steals and kills to get by? 

Chapter One

Word Count: 4000+

Warning: Angst, violence and murder, blood, cursing

Violence wasn’t something that she hadn’t experienced in all of her life of living. It was everywhere and sometimes a necessity if you wanted to survive.

There were times when she had actually used brute force to get away from a sticky situation but it wasn’t until afterward that the events would truly dawn on her. Though she never dwelled on it for long. As long as she made it out alive, that’s all that mattered.

Y/N had recently settled about a mile away from the town of Valentine, the spot was hidden by massive trees and overgrown bushes.

She wasn’t alone, a few other individuals had joined her or rather she joined them. They were a relatively small camp with only ten people. Not at all capable of taking on a whole gang by themselves but strong enough to survive.

Y/N was patching up a ripped hole in a thin quilt of hers when a woman in her mid forties, walked up to her.

“Need any help with that?” She kindly asked, taking a seat next to the young (h/c).

Y/N smiled, “No thanks, Isabelle. I think I can handle it this time. Besides, I’m not sure how you could help me with sewing anyway.”

“I could hold it for you.” Isabelle replied.

The (h/c) abruptly stopped what she was doing and plopped her hands in her lap. “Hold it?” She asked, raising her eyebrow.

“What? I meant like keep it still for ya, that’s all.” Isabelle defended. She gestured to the blue quilt in Y/N’s lap.  

Y/N let out an airy laugh, her body convulsing harshly. “Thanks but I’ve got it.” She wiped her teary eyes and continued to sew.

The older woman playfully scowled. “Alright, fine. Don’t come crying to me when you forget how to tie off the ‘nd.”

“That was one time!” Y/N jabbed back, an amused smile still plastered to her face.

There was a moment of silence, different members of the small group attending to their own chores or activities, and Y/N just remained sitting on a log that sat only two feet from her tent. Then the familiar ear shattering noise caused Y/N and Isabelle to jump up from their seats.

Other members' attention had also been directed toward the sound of the noise. But before they knew what hit them, men on horses were charging straight for them.

Y/N’s small group of people tried to retaliate but were far too late and lacked better aim.

She and Isabelle were attempting to escape when Isabelle caught a bullet to the back and crashed into the young (h/c), sending them both to go tumbling to the dirt ground.

With the adrenaline coursing through her veins, Y/N’s legs were tempted to pull her body back up and push her to start running the opposite direction but her mind quickly came to a conclusion that made every muscle in her body freeze.

If she did try to run then she would surely be killed on the spot so she did what she thought would at least give her a chance to survive. Nothing.

She laid still, right where she had fallen, and closed her eyes. Waiting. Praying that whoever was there would just go away. Especially when she heard the gunslinging gang argue with one another.

“Why did you shoot all the women?! What the hell is wrong with you?!” One man yelled.

“What’cha you talkin ‘bout?” Another man snapped back.

“We could’ve brought’em back to camp, had a good time with them but no! You had to go in guns blazing and now they're all dead!”

Y/N’s breath hitched in her throat at this bit of information. She silently thanked the universe for giving her the wisdom to play dead.

“Oh shut up, you drunken bastard.” The one man grumbled, taking heavy footsteps away from where Y/N was lying.

Hours past. Late morning turned to early evening. The sun was beginning its descent and not once had Y/N moved from her initial position, keeping as still as her body would allow. On several occasions though, she wished she could sink into the ground below and use mother earth as her protective shell when the men wandered particularly close.

And as if the universe was answering her silent pleas, the sound of gravel and dirt crunching under someone’s footsteps shattered the silent air. “We gotta go guys! The law is gonna be on top of us!”

“Damn it! Let’s go boys!” Another man, assumingly their leader, said breaking into a full sprint to his horse.

The way the hooves of their horses made contact with the ground, it was obvious that they were leaving quickly, not sparing another glance back on the camp they’d destroyed only hours ago.

Y/N waited a few minutes just to make sure that they were really actually gone.

When she could only hear the sound of the wind rushing through the trees, she wiggled herself free from the cold, dead grasp of what once was a kind older lady.

She crawled across the ground, her body becoming covered in mud. A few grunts and groans of excursion left her mouth, and eventually she flopped down on her back when finally free.

All was silent. Not a word was spoken. Not a single animal call could be heard. Just the wind, blowing softly through nature’s livelihood.

It was an absolute nightmare.

The silence felt  like a hot knife in her chest, burning and suffocating. She was left to rewind to the events of what had happened.

Hot tears rolled down her cheeks as she quietly cried to herself.

Was she crying for her group or for herself? She wasn’t sure. All she knew was that she was, once again, on her own.

__________

It was night by now and the moon was in full bloom.

Arthur and John were making their way back to camp after finding out a tip they’d heard about in a saloon turned out to be a bust.

Should have known better than to listen to a drunken idiot.

“Got any idea where we can start looking for another score?” John asked, his eyes darting to the back of Arthur’s head.

Arthur shrugged. “I ain’t got a clue. But I’ll head back into town tomorrow, see if there mighta been something we missed.”

“Let me know if you hear about anything.” John replied as he and Arthur continued to make their way down the dirt road.

Arthur nodded. “I will.”

Recently, they haven't had any luck getting any money. Yeah, there was the few occasional stagecoach robberies and such but nothing that could help them move the whole camp somewhere no one would find them. That would require more money than they were able to get.

They needed to leave and soon or else things were gonna end badly for them.

“Get the hell away from me!”

Both Arthur and John raised their heads at the sound of a woman shouting.

About ten feet in front of them stood a group of men, completely surrounding a young lady.

“Stay back!” The woman fearfully hissed, holding up her knife so as to give the impression that she wasn’t afraid but anyone could tell otherwise. Especially these arrogant bastards.

“Oh come on, we just want to have a little fun.” One man smirked, licking his lips with lust coating his eyes.

He reached out to take the woman’s arm and as soon as his hand made contact, she pulled him towards her and jammed her knife deep into his throat.

The man stumbled back as he gurgled on his own blood, eventually flopping down onto the dirt ground. The rest of the group of men stared at their dying friend.

John and Arthur watched as the events unfolded, hands pressed to their revolvers just in case things were going to get messy.

“You’re gonna pay for that bitch!” Another man yelled, pulling out a gun from his holster.

However, before he could even wrap his hands around the handle, another loud boom echoed in the air.

The loud gunshot caused everyone to turn to the origin of the noise.

There sat Arthur, revolver in hand, and a thin trail of smoke seeping from the tip of the steel barrel.

“Any of you think of reaching for your guns, I’ll put a bullet in ya.” Arthur said, his voice low in tone and VERY intimidating.

He didn’t have to tell the group of men twice as they quickly scurried away.

Arthur set his revolver back into his holster and hopped off his horse.

When the young woman caught sight of the mass of the brown haired, blue eyed cowboy approaching her, she pointed her now bloody knife toward Arthur.

“Whoa there, ma’am.” Arthur immediately raised his hands up in surrender. “I ain’t gonna hurt ya.”

Heavy pants slipped past the lady’s pink lips as well as a few pained whimpers. She was dreadfully scared but based on her demeanor she was not going to let someone threaten her without a fight.

Though Arthur decided he might press his luck.

“Are you alright, miss?” He asked with some variation of concern but readied himself in case the lady tried to attack him.

She hesitated but eventually shook her head. Arthur looked back to John and he only shrugged.

The cowboy took another step forward. “Are you alone?”

The lady’s eyes darted to the ground, her quivering lips and watery eyes telling Arthur all that he needed to know.

Even though she hadn’t said anything, it was obvious that this poor, fearful woman had been through some kind of trauma.

Arthur’s eyes squinted in sympathy. “I’m sorry.”

The lady looked back up, her expression softening just a bit.

“You’re bleeding…” He pointed to the blood dripping from her temple then again looked back at John to see if maybe he thought there was something wrong. Though, he didn’t seem bothered by it all, in fact, he nodded his head knowing what Arthur was insinuating.

“If you want, you…” Arthur paused. “You could come with us, we’ve got some other women back at our camp that can help you get cleaned up.”

“How-” The woman finally spoke. This perked Arthur’s attention. “How do I know I can trust you?”

“I saved your life. And if I was a threat, you would’a known it by now.”

Arthur could see the gears turning in her head as she thought through her options. Stay to die alone or get some help from a couple of cowboys? She chose the latter.

She slid her bloody knife back into her sheath and nodded. “Okay.”

Arthur gestured towards his horse that was waiting next to John, and the young lady followed behind him. She kept a considerable distance away from the man that saved her just in case he was going to try something.

He stepped up onto his saddle, pulled himself up, and swung his leg to rest on the other side then held out his hand for the lady to take.

She grasped his hand in her own and used her own strength to help Arthur lift her up on his horse. She sat side saddle, her hands resting on Arthur’s broad shoulders. It would be weird if she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Or at least she thought so.

The three individuals made their way back to camp. For the rest of the trip, no one said a word. Instead there was silence except for the occasional animal calls which Y/N made sure to admire as her mind wandered into the abyss.

From this point on, she had no way of knowing what was going to happen to her next.

Either she was actually going to get help from these strangers, get killed, or…

Y/N shook her head. She didn’t want to think of what they were capable of doing to her. Terrible things she imagined. However, even though she didn’t know these people there was this gut feeling, an instinct, telling her that maybe, just maybe they were trustworthy.

After all, this man saved her life. Anyone else would have walked by, without so much as batting an eye but not him. He saw she was in trouble and came to her aid.

Suppose there was still some good left in the world.

Arthur and John approached the edge of camp, their horses trotting towards Charles who was guarding the camp this particular night.

“Arthur. John” Charles greeted.

His eyes then wandered to the young lady seated behind Arthur. She quickly looked away from his intimidating stare. “Who’s that?”

“Someone we picked up coming back to camp.” John answered, still following behind Arthur.

Arthur hitched his horse and hopped off. He turned to Y/N and held out his arms toward her to help her off the back of his horse.

She looked down at his hands, a perplexed expression bent into her features.

Arthur bobbed his hands up and down for a second before saying, “Come on.”

Y/N hesitantly leaned forward and rested her hands on Arthur’s shoulders as he lifted her from the horse and placed her on the ground.

“This way.” Arthur said, leading Y/N towards the center of camp.

Her eyes darted around the makeshift camp, searching for anyone she’d consider friendly. Not many of them looked all that amicable but she did see some woman which she wasn’t sure that relieved her in some way or made her even more skeptical.

Though when members of the group began to form a crowd around her and Arthur, that small relief soon vanished.

“Ah, Arthur.” Dutch greeted him as soon as the stocky cowboy came into his vision. “How’re things in Valentine?”

Arthur scratched at his stubble, “Not so good. Turns out the leads were nothin’ but rumors.”

“We’ll just have to keep looking.” Dutch said and Arthur nodded in agreement.

Just then Dutch caught sight of the young lady timidly standing behind Arthur’s towering figure.

“And who is this young lady?” Dutch said strutting around Arthur to see Y/N more clearly.

Y/N’s (e/c) orbs flashed up to meet Dutch’s gaze and she found herself stepping closer to Arthur.

“This is… uh...well actually, we don’t know her name but we found her on the main road, a few men were becoming little less than friendly.”

Dutch welcomed Y/N with a smile. “Well, miss…” He paused, waiting for her to respond.

Y/N gulped, fiddling with her shaking hands. “L/N. Y/N L/N.”

“Well Miss. L/N, you are welcome to stay here with us for as long as you need.” Dutch then looked over to the girls that had conveniently gathered together. “Miss. Grimshaw. Abigail. Get Miss. L/N cleaned up and a fresh pair of clothes will ya?”

Miss. Grimshaw and Abigail nodded then stepped forward and guided Y/N away from the crowd.

Y/N let them lead her away but not before she turned her head to look over her shoulder to Arthur, getting one last glance at his blue eyes as she walked further away.

For some reason, she felt she would rather not leave him but did anyhow.

“Come this way, honey.” Miss. Grimshaw said, pulling Y/N towards Abigail’s tent.

They stepped inside the tent along with Mary-Beth and Tilly following suit.

Miss. Grimshaw turned to Mary-Beth, “Go get some water and clean rag.” She ordered.

Mary-Beth nodded and headed out of the tent.

Miss. Grimshaw turned her attention back to the young (h/c) standing patiently in the middle of the large tent. “Let’s get you out of those dirty clothes.” She reached out to help her but Y/N instinctively flinched away, startling everyone remaining in the tent.

They all stood with their eyes on Y/N’s stiff form. She seemed as if she were prepared for someone to attack her.

Abigail stepped just a tad bit closer. “It’s okay. We ain’t gonna hurt ya. We just want to help.” The burnette reassured.

Y/N’s eyes darted from Abigail, to Miss. Grimshaw, to Tilly then back to Abigail again.

After a minute or two of waiting, the three women could visibly see the (h/c)’s body relax as she rested her arms at her sides.

“Abigail, get Miss. L/N some clean clothes. Looks like she’s ‘bout your size.” She said and Abigail agreed, walking over to a corner in the tent and beginning to rummage through her clothes to find something decent for the young (h/c) to wear.

Mary-Beth then walked in with a cool bowl of water, and a clean rag sticking out from the edge of the metal. She stood next to Grimshaw, a soft expression on her face as she made eye contact with Y/N.

Grimshaw grabbed the rag from the metal bowl and rang out the extra water the rag had soaked up over the course of the time it sat in the bowl.

When it was damp enough to her liking, she stepped toward Y/N and very gently placed one hand under Y/N’s chin to keep her head still while she wiped away the dried blood that lay against her temple.

Even though Grimshaw was usually a hard ass, she handled the scared woman with care, almost as if she were made of glass. Fragile to the touch. Which surprisingly comforted Y/N, they were much kinder than originally anticipated.

Once the blood was wiped clean, Grimshaw tossed the now blood covered rag back into the metal bowl. “Alright. You’re all good. Just get changed into some fresh clothes and bring these ones out. We’ll make sure to wash’em for ya.” Grimshaw said, gesturing to her dirt covered skirt and shirt.

Abigail walked back over, neatly folded clothing in her hands. “Here ya go.”

Y/N cautiously extended her arms to take the clothes from Abigail. “T-thank you.” she mumbled scarcely, her lips pressing into a tight line.

She wasn’t sure what to make of what was happening.

Most people weren’t so kind, and selfless. Not that she didn’t appreciate what they were doing for her because she did very much so, but why go out of their way just to help some stranger that, for all they know, could be a threat?

Guess they were willing to take that chance.

“Go on, get changed. We’ll give ya some privacy.” Grimshaw stated hurriedly gesturing for the rest of the girls to exit said tent, leaving Y/N alone with her thoughts.

It was a good few minutes before Y/N even thought about moving and proceeding with swapping out her clothes.

The older lady was right, she was the same size as the burnette.

There was no mirror around to check out her appearance so she just had to hope that she didn’t look too ridiculous, not that it really mattered.

She approached the edge of the tent. Her nerves getting the better of her.

What would happen once she stepped out of the confines of the tent. Nothing? Her worst nightmare?

Arthur’s words rang through her head. “If I was a threat, you would’a known it by now.”

If these people went as far as to clean her, bring her clothes, and overall help her then maybe they could be trusted.

Y/N closed her eyes. “Breathe in. Hold it. Breathe out” She took a deep breathe then let it out in an attempt to calm her nerves.

When she stepped away from the makeshift home, Y/N immediately saw that a few men had grouped together and were discussing amongst themselves.

It was hard to tell what they were saying at first but in curiosity, she stepped closer and was able to make out what they were saying.

“We’ve got to let the girl go.” Micah said.

“We can’t just throw her out.” John intervened, annoyance palpable in his voice.

“She’s a stranger. And a threat to all of us.” Micah continued.

Arthur scoffed. “Didn’t realize you were so concerned for the rest of us.”

“I’m only thinking about the group.” Micah defended, his tone hiding some ulterior motive.

A pang of sadness rushed through Y/N as she listened in on what they were saying.

Micah continued. “I say we send the girl on her way.”

“No. I think we should let her stay with us and if she wants to leave then-” Dutch stopped when he caught sight of Y/N who was standing a few feet away.

The other men followed Dutch’s gaze, seeing that the damsel in distress had been standing right there, most likely listening in on what they were discussing.

Y/N’s expression told them all they needed to know. Her brows furrowed inward, not in anger but in sadness. Her (e/c) eyes held a thousand words, and her slightly parted mouth emphasized how she felt.

“I-”

“There you are, honey. Let me take those-” Miss. Grimshaw interrupted, causing Y/N to look at her then she took a hold of Y/N’s dirty clothes. “And let’s go find you somewhere to sleep.” She continued, and quickly guided Y/N away from the men.

As Miss. Grimshaw led Y/N away from the group of men, she caught a glimpse of that saddened expression making a home into Y/N’s features.

“Oh honey, don’t you worry ‘bout Mr.Bell. He says a lot of things but he’s all talk.”

“But he’s right; I am a stranger.” Y/N objected earnestly.

Miss. Grimshaw quickly pulled Y/N over toward a propped up tent. “Listen to me; you might be a stranger but don’t mean you ain’t decent.”

Her answer surprised the young (h/c).

The elderly woman continued. “You needed help, and we took upon ourselves to help you. Now don’t go worrying about things that ain’t gonna happen.”

Miss Grimshaw turned away grabbing an extra blanket from the back of one of the wagons then turned back and plopped it into Y/N’s arms.

“Now you’re gonna sleep right next to Mary-Beth.” The older woman spoke as she led Y/N over to a pitched tent in the center of camp.

Y/N assumed that Mary-Beth was the one already standing under the tarp that was the roof of the tent.

As soon as Grimshaw was near Mary-Beth, she started to rapidly swat her waves toward her signifying she wanted her to move over.

“Scooch over! We need to make room for Ms. L/N.”

The brunette quickly grabbed the edge of her sleeping bag and scooted over just a few inches.

“There you go, honey.” Miss Grimshaw said, looking to the (h/c).

Y/N perked up and slowly walked over to the now vacant spot and stood there for a second.

Miss Grimshaw continued. “Now lie down, get some rest, and I’m sure things will look better in the morning.” And just like that she walked away and out of sight.

The young female merely stood frozen in her spot, letting the events from the day sink in. Before she could protest, hot tears fell from the base of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

Mary-Beth could notice the change in aura around this young lady, and lightly rested her hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright?”

A sniffle was heard causing a wave of sympathy to rush over Mary-Beth. She stepped out from behind the young woman to see her face. The tears were the first thing she saw even in the black ridden night.

“Here.” Mary-Beth dug into the pocket sewn into the front of her dress and pulled out a sparkling, clean, white handkerchief.  

Y/N gently took the handkerchief out of Mary-Beth’s hand and used it to wipe the continuous tears. “I’m sorry…” She whimpered her voice cracking in the midst of her apology.

Mary-Beth managed a light hearted smile. “Sorry for what? For crying? You got nothing to be sorry for. It’s alright to cry when you’re hurting.” Mary-Beth paused. “I know we don’t know you very well and we don’t know what you’ve been through, but it’s gonna be okay. You’ll be safe with us.”

Y/N looked up at Mary-Beth and saw the genuinity in her eyes.

She wiped her eyes once more before handing the handkerchief back with a nod following soon after. “Okay…”

The brunette flashed a smile again as she took her handkerchief and stowed back it into her pocket.

Y/N turned around and backed away from her designated spot to roll out her sleeping bag. Right now, more than anything, she just wanted to get to bed, though she wasn’t sure that she would be able to sleep. Not when she was in a strange place with strange people, but she could at least try.

She laid down to cover herself up with the thin fabric to hopefully fall into a peaceful slumber.

Despite the trauma, Y/N allowed her thoughts to linger on those of her fallen friends.

They were good, and hard working people trying to make an honest living.

Trying to survive. Same as her. They didn’t deserve being shot down by a bunch of two bit thugs who cared about nothing but their own desires.

Though, that was the world they lived in. Life and death go hand and hand and sometimes it was just a person’s time to go even if it was in a brutal fashion or even if it was unfair.

Most times it was.

______

Series Masterlist

[ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes]

Roguish Women Part 49

Summary: Kate is an American who fled to Paris to escape her past life. Now she's dancing and  playing the part of a courtesan at the Moulin Rouge. There she meets Tommy Shelby who thinks she can be useful in expanding his empire. But has he been blinded?

Part 49: Neither Kate nor Tommy can remain idle for very long. 

//Sorry for such a delay. School has been so tough this semester but this week is finals so I'll be back to writing in no time. I think Helen's death really took the wind out of my sails too. I still haven't really gotten over it. I take celebrity deaths so badly. 

            But by the time Tommy had returned, however, his own bride had gone missing. Alice pointed him outside again, this time on the back patio. Grateful for some time alone with her, Tommy left the rowdy party inside.

            Kate was sitting on a garden wall; her back was to the party as she overlooked Arrow House’s great lawns. Tommy shrugged off his coat and draped it over her arms.

            The soft-touch of the fabric knocked her out of her own thoughts. “Did you find Alfie?”

            “Yeah, he was out on the steps.” Tommy sat down next to her.

            “Oh good. Mabel was sure he had gotten cold feet and ran.”

            “He’s not going anywhere. Never thought I’d see that man in love. Guess I’ve seen it all now.”

            Kate laughed softly and leaned into his side. Her eyes were still lingering over the grassy hills where grasshoppers chirped and a few owls surveyed hidden in their trees. “This place is bigger than the block I grew up on in Boston.” She remarked. “I’d always grown up wondering where those great outdoors were. Where there was almost nothing for miles and miles. You couldn’t see the end of it. I thought someday I’d go out west and maybe just disappear out there.”

            “I would’ve joined you.” Tommy agreed. “I wanted to a cowboy when I was growing up.”

            Kate smiled and tried to picture young Tommy Shelby pretending to be an outlaw. In a way, he had become one. They both had. “I guess the city isn’t so bad when you’ve got people you care about there. Still, it’s nice to know that there are places where city stuff doesn’t matter.”

            Tommy knew there were things they could never escape. But there was no use destroying the illusion.

            “I was thinking if we had a boy, we could name him after John.” Kate glanced over at her husband. “Arthur and I were talking about it. I guess we could nickname him Jack to make things easier. But I thought it would be a nice honor.”

            Tommy nodded. “I think that’s a nice idea.” There was a hole in his heart that his younger brother had left. So many times, he was tempted to pick up the phone and call him. But then the realization trickled over him like cold water. Esme had taken many things but there were items Tommy still had. Letters and an old schoolbook that John had written all over. The binding was coming loose and the pages were yellowing, but Tommy would never throw it away. He had learned early on to keep little mementos of people before they were gone. He had nothing from his mother. No one did. It was almost like she never existed because there was no trace of her left. It was something he regretted and a mistake he wouldn’t make again.

            He took Kate’s hand in his, squeezing it gently. “What we have girls?”

            “Then one of them will be Jacquelyn.”

            He chuckled. “You always have a plan for everything, don’t you?”

            “Well, I learned from the best.” She murmured and pulled him close for a deep kiss.

 ~~~~~~~~~~

            The day was warm as Kate stepped outside. But there were clouds coming in from the horizon. She took her time walking across the patio to the lawns. She went to stand on top of the hill that overlooked the rest of the fields on Arrow House’s land.

            There, she could spot Tommy coming from the forest trails on Blue. He had the horse on a loose rein, letting him lope across the grass. May had told Kate it was a miracle the gelding responded so well to Tommy. According to May, the horse had a fiery temper but that didn’t seem to bother Tommy in the slightest. Kate had a feeling he enjoyed the challenge. She knew he’d been itching for something to do. Between being on holiday and waiting for the due date, Tommy was getting stir-crazy. Having a young horse to focus on training was good enough of a distraction. At least for the time being.

            Blue’s hooves were heavy against the ground as he trotted up the gradual hill to Kate.

            “I thought I’d find a cowboy out here.”

            Tommy chuckled and dismounted. “Were you waiting for me long?”

            “No, I just came out. I was worried you were going to get caught in that storm coming.”

            Tommy took Blue’s reins in hand and began walking with Kate back to the stables. “A little rain doesn’t bother me.”

            “Well, I didn’t want Blue to be spooked. I think it might thunder.”

            He patted the gelding’s shoulder. “He’ll learn to get used to the noises. Warhorses always get used to the noises.”

            Kate noticed the faraway look in his eyes. “I hardly think Blue would be a warhorse. Deserves a better life than that, don’t you think?”            

            “Hm.” He nodded but didn’t seem to really hear her.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~

            The sky had gone completely dark by the time they reached the stables. Tommy got Blue untacked while Kate combed out his mane. But the horse was starting to pick up on the storm brewing. His nostrils flared and he tossed his head.

            “Sh, sh, easy.” Kate soothed and stroked his neck. “It’s alright.”

            Tommy took Blue off the cross ties. “He’ll settle in his stall.”

            Kate put the mane comb away and wandered to the stable doors. In an instant, it began to pour. Heavy raindrops smattered against the gravel walkway back to the house. The wind picked up and rushed through the budding trees.

            Every time it rained; Kate felt washed over with memories. She didn’t know why the weather had such an impact on her. But there was only so much she could do when the sky was putting on such a violent display.

            Tommy wrapped an arm around her waist. “Guess we’ll be stuck here for a bit.”

            “It’ll go as soon as it came.” She said quietly.

            “Want to sit?”

            “Oh, yes, that would be a good idea.” Sometimes when she was lost in her thoughts, she forgot the burden of carrying twins.

            Tommy grabbed a stool from the tack room to let her sit. Kate sighed and watched some of the rainwater trickling into the stable aisle.

            As if reading her mind, Tommy slid the doors shut. The rain was muffled and mixed with the sound of the horses stirring in their stalls. Blue poked his head out, snorting uneasily.

            “Y’know, it rained one of the last few days I was at the Moulin Rouge,” Kate said. If they were going to be stuck in the stables until the rain ebbed, she figured it would be a good idea to talk. “And I realized that sometimes the worst comes before the good.”

            Tommy sat down on a bale of hay next to her. “I’ve found that too.”

            She smiled. “So maybe with all we’ve been through so far, it opens us up for happiness the rest of our lives.”

            “Kate, I want nothing more than for you to be happy.”  

            “I know, so I guess I…” She chewed on her lip. “I don’t want to sound like an awful person saying this, but I don’t want to lie to you either.”

            Tommy reached over to lift her chin. “Tell me.”

            “I hope that during this holiday you’re taking, you’ll realize there’s more to life than clawing your way to the top.” Kate took his hand in hers. “I hope you’ll see that maybe you were destined for better things. You said how you wanted to work with horses. You have plenty of money to just do that. To retire and-” Her voice faded when she realized she was losing him.

            His blue eyes were steady on their entwined hands. “I can’t stay still, Kate.” He whispered. “Not since the war. If I stay still, if I stop moving forward…everything catches up to me.”

            Kate understood completely. When she was running from Santo all those years, she never felt safe in one spot. Physically or psychologically. If she kept moving, she felt she was steps ahead of her opponents. Steps ahead of the turmoil she’d left behind. If she kept moving, she could forget about her mother’s death. She couldn’t ask Tommy to stand still and let it all catch up to him.

            “I understand.”

            Tommy brought her hand to his lips, gently kissing her knuckles. “It’ll be alright.” He promised. “The holiday will be fine. We’ll be busy soon enough.”

            Kate smiled but felt a little deflated. If only there was something she could do to help her husband. But it felt impossible.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

            The rain let up just enough for Tommy and Kate to hurry back to the house. Thunder rumbled across the sky and the wind tore across the countryside with a vengeance. Kate didn’t like to think she was superstitious, but she was getting an ominous feeling that she couldn’t shake.

            The windowpanes rattled after dinner from the thunder that was still getting closer. Kate retired to bed before Tommy but she couldn’t sleep. Instead, she paced by the windows. There wasn’t much to see outside. It was too dark and raining too hard. But Kate she could see shadows on the lawns. A chill ran up her spine when a crack of lightning flashed across the sky.

            She gasped when she swore that she could see a menacing figure standing outside. In her panic and fear, her brain conjured up an image of Santo. The floorboards behind her creaked and she couldn’t help but let out a scream.

            “Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” Tommy turned on the light and rushed over to her.

            So startled, Kate began to cry.

            “What’s wrong?” He pulled her close.

            “I’m just s-so scared, Tom.”

            “There’s nothing to be afraid of, love, I would never let anything bad happen to you.” Tommy kissed her temple and rubbed her back. “What spooked you?”

            But Kate was too petrified to answer. Every roll of thunder and every flash of lightning made her shake. She couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. “I-I’m just scared.”  It was scarce, the number of times Kate admitted to being afraid of anything. No one needed to know her fears. If they did, she was certain they would just use those fears against her. Some sort of manipulative tool. But there were times, like in that moment, she couldn’t contain her anxiety. There was no telling why, but so many things were coming up to the surface that night. Perhaps she had remained idle for too long as well.

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PB Masterlist

[katehuntington]

Title: Ride With Me (part sixteen) Fandom: Supernatural Timeline: 2008 Pairing: Dean x Reader Word count: ±5500 words Summary series: Y/N is a talented horse rider who is on her way to become a professional. In order to convince her father that she deserves the loan needed to start her own farm, she goes to Arizona for six months, to intern at a ranch owned by Bobby and Ellen Singer. Her future is set out, but then she meets a handsome horseman, who goes by the name of Dean Winchester. A heartwarming series about a cowboy who falls for the girl, letting go of the past and the importance of family.  Summary part sixteen: The wranglers return and Jo can’t wait to hear about Y/N’s adventures, until a disturbing call comes in. Warnings series: NSFW, 18+ only! Fluff, angst, eventually smut. Swearing, smoking, alcohol intoxication, alcohol abuse. Mutual pining, heartbreak. Crying, nightmares, childhood trauma. Description of animal abuse, domestic violence, mentions of addiction. Financial problems, stress, mental breakdown. Description of blood and injury, hospital scenes, character death, grief. Music: Opening scene: ‘River Crossing’ - Carter Burwell. Dean & Ellen scene: ‘She Is The Fire’ - Gareth Dunlop. Check out ‘Kate Huntington’s Ride With Me playlist’ on Spotify! Author’s note: It’s about damn time, ain’t it? Thank you @kittenofdoomage​, @girl-with-a-fandom-fettish​​ and @winchest09​​ for helping me. You girls are awesome betas and friends.

Ride With Me Masterlist

     “They’re here!”      With two long ranch ropes hanging from her shoulders, Jo walks up to the fence and hangs the bundles by the loops on a post. All the preparations have been made. Garth and her moved the trail horses to the pastures further to the left, creating space for the youngsters. The hay feeders are stacked, water troughs filled. All that’s left now is to get the horses in the right fields, which sounds easy enough, but has proven to be a struggle many times before. Getting a group of young feril stallions into a certain space is like herding cats.      Both excited and in suspense, she rests her bare forearms on the wooden rail, the sleeves of her plaid shirt rolled up. Jo hopes everything went alright and that everyone, humans and horses, are in good health. The blonde rancher peers at the orange haze up ahead, the wind carrying the veils of dust further east. The sun is slowly setting, catching the clouds rising up from the earth and setting them on fire. 

     She and Garth have one task: take the pack horses out of their hands so they can round up the horses and secure the gates. She looks over her shoulder, whipping her blond braid as she turns her head. Garth joins her, a big smile on his kind face, clearly just as excited. Behind him, in the tall doorway, Bobby and Ellen watch the approaching herd, several guests doing the same from the terrace at the outdoor arena. When she hears Benny’s classic ‘grito’ shout above the intensifying sounds of hoofbeats, she knows it’s time for action.       Macy and Jon come down the trail that carves through the property, both with a pack horse by their side. They only slow down when they turn the last corner. After handing over Cash and Aerosmith, the tourists thank them briefly and spin around, pushing the animals into a canter; their job is far from done. 

     As they speed back to the group again over the trail path outside the fenced pasture, Benny is the first to come through the first gate and from then on, it’s chaos. Most of the juvenile stallions follow him, but two hit the brakes when they notice the bottle neck, demanding quick responses from both Dean and Brad. A few others spread out before Benny has lured them through the second gate. Joplin bolts towards the stragglers once Y/N moves the reins towards her horse’s ears. Like she has been doing so all her life, Y/N cuts of the two youngsters, following the movements of the speedy mare. Dean is with her in a split second, ready to back her up if necessary, but Y/N doesn’t need saving. Jo smiles at the sight, proud of her friend, who is proving herself to be one hell of a ranch hand. She might be State Champion in the arena, but out there, working the fields, she rules the world.

     Shouts and whistles rise above the dust. Horses neigh, the ground trembles. Hooves dig deep into the ground, their beats pounding against the earth. It takes some maneuvering, but within ten minutes, the herd is on the right side of the fence, the animals cantering through the field and clinging together like a flock of birds. Once Macy has pulled the gate shut, the spectators on the terrace cheer, the ranch owners clap as well. Jo lets out an excited ‘woo-hoo!’ as well, Garth joining her in the howl. 

     Y/N turns in the saddle, her attention drawn by the applause coming from the ranch, and she smiles when realizing they have an audience. Ted is waiting for his next cue patiently, catching his breath after the intense ride, while his rider pulls his neckerchief down, using the other end of it to wipe his face. It doesn’t help much, the fabric just smudges the dirt and Y/N chuckles at the sight of the handsome cowboy, covered in dust.      “What?” He rubs his nose with the back of his hand.      “Nothing,” she laughs. “You just need a bath, that’s all.”      “Something about a pot and a kettle.”       He leans over, dragging the pad of his thumb across her cheek, showing her the dark smear on his finger. She laughs in surprise, only now tasting the earth on her lips. Playfully she glances at him from under her lashes, locking onto his green eyes, which stand out even brighter on his dirty face. God, she wouldn’t mind sharing a tub with him. 

     Dean redirects his attention to the group when the other wranglers join them. Content, he allows his eyes to pass the riders and their horses, all worn, covered in sweat and dust. The six of them turned out to be a solid group, because they absolutely nailed it.      “Alright, y’all,” he starts, resting his wrist on the horn of his saddle, absently tracing the dressing of his bandaged hand. “Awesome job, that was some impressive teamwork. I know it wasn’t always easy, but we brought them home.”      “Thanks for having us,” Macy returns, smiling genuine. “We would’ve gone in circles if it wasn’t for you.”      “Hey, now! What about lil’ ol’ me? Y’all would have starved to death if it wasn’t for my phenomenal stew,” Benny recalls, fishing for a compliment.       The riders laugh, Brad patting the Southerner on the back and thanking him for the fine dining. They turn the horses to the trail along the fenced pastures, heading towards the stables.

     Jo watches the company of six approach from under her hat, which shields the setting sun from blinding her. It’s an epic sight, the silhouets of the wranglers and their horses, illuminated with an edge of gold, dust clouds in their wake catching the light. Benny is right up front, accepting the small applause from the other guests with a ‘thank you, you’re too kind’. He looks like he just crawled out of a coal mine, his distinctive blue eyes standing out from the dirt.       She sighs with relief when she notices the three tourists, excitedly sharing conversation with each other about their epic Wild West adventure. They are all unharmed and clearly had a good time, which means they will pay the invoice they will receive once they check out in a couple of days. Maybe they’ll even throw in a tip; God knows the ranch needs it.

     Behind them, the last wranglers follow. Dean and Y/N ride stirrup by stirrup, exchanging a look that has the blonde cowgirl frowning. What’s going on with those two? The moment passes when Macy gets off her horse, Jo’s cue to help her tack down, while Garth assists Jonathan and Brad. She loosens Jimmi’s singe and glances over the horse’s back. Dean has allowed Y/N to pass through the fence first, turning Ted around to close the last gate from his saddle.      Joplin speedwalks onto the square as enthusiastic as the morning she left, not a trace of fatigue with the feisty little horse. As the mare and her rider pass by, Y/N makes eye contact with the ranch owner’s daughter, who follows her with her gaze, confused. The suppressed smile creates dimples in the intern’s cheeks, her lips pulled together in a thin line, as if she’s trying to contain herself. Almost like she has done something bad, something Jo told her not to do. Underneath she’s glowing, her eyes giving the sheer happiness away. Y/N averts her eyes again and steers Joplin to a free spot on the tack up area and only then Dean moves into Jo’s peripheral vision. His expression has similarities to Y/N’s, yet isn’t quite the same. For one, he’s way worse at hiding the sly smirk that reaches from ear to ear, not to mention the mischievous sparkle in his emerald greens. 

     Jo does a double-take, bouncing her eyes from the head wrangler to the intern and back. Then it clicks.      “You despicable dickwad,” she hisses.       Her piercing glare bores into Dean, who has aided Ted to halt next to the horse Jo is tacking down. Playing innocent, he raises his eyebrows at the insult as he dismounts.      “What did I do now?”       Jo narrows her eyes at her cousin. “Oh, you know damn well what you did.”      She lifts the tack from Jimmi’s back, pulling the damp saddle pad from underneath, after which she barges off, muttering to herself. Three days. I left those idiots alone for three days! 

     She enters the tack room, the heavy saddle on her hip. Still shaking her head disapproving, she hoists it over the high beam and hangs the wet blanket on the drying frame. When the door opens behind her, she spins on her heels and faces Y/N, who’s holding Joplin’s saddle, bridle hanging from her shoulder. Guilty, she tips her chin down, looking back at Jo while she bites her lip. The ranch owner’s daughter sighs, deciding to cut her some slack.      “You better hurry up hosing down your horse, ‘cause you have some explainin’ to do,” Jo tells her. “And hose down yourself while you’re at it. You look like you crawled up a chimney.”      Y/N chuckles, putting the tack away. “Oh, how I missed your honest judgement.”      “Missed you too, sis,” Jo returns, a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. “Now get goin’, I need a drink and I need to get you drunk, because I wanna know everything. Meet me at the saloon in thirty.”

     A half an hour later, Y/N has taken a seat at one of the small round tables in the corner of the saloon, tapping her fingertips on the dark varnished wood. She’s freshly showered, her hair still damp, held together in a French braid. It’s nice to feel so clean again, no sticky sweat on her back, no sand in her bra, no dirt up her nose. Jo didn’t lie when she mocked her friend for looking like a chimney sweep; Y/N was shocked when she saw herself in the bathroom mirror. Dust as makeup foundation isn’t really the look she is aspiring for. 

     Funnily enough, Y/N has grown fond of this new version of herself, the one that isn’t so fussy over the details. After her shower, she didn’t even bother with her usual makeup and hair routine, a little bit of mascara was all she put on. Old her would have been self-conscious, especially knowing she’ll most likely meet the man she wants to impress. Old her would have ironed her shirt and polished her boots. Old her would have sighed at her reflection, nervous and disappointed, never pretty enough. But for three days straight, Dean looked at her as if she was the only girl in the world, no matter how dirty, dusty or sweaty she was. He even told her she was beautiful, with or without makeup. 

     The way he said it, the way he meant it, quieted that dreadful voice in her head and beckoned the small suppressed girl to step forward, into the light. That little girl’s voice grows louder when she accomplishes something. When she’s accepted, successful, appreciated… loved. But as it goes in business, one bad review might destroy what all the good accomplished. Her confidence is fragile, made of glass. She’s aware that when it falls, it will shatter. Maybe that’s the exact reason why she seeks confirmation. Glueing all the pieces together has proven to be difficult before. Some pieces go missing, others don’t fit together perfectly anymore. Cracks remain visible. And every time that brittle heart is stepped on, it’s harder to put it back together.

     “So!” Jo sits down opposite of her, roughly pulling her off the train of thought. “You better start talkin’.”      She shoves a large margarita glass towards her friend, keeping her delicate fingers around the neck of her beer bottle.      “I want details. Well, not all the details. He’s my cousin after all, I have no desire to know that much,” she corrects herself, thirstily gulping down her IPA when she pauses, keeping the beer in her mouth for a second before she swallows. “Hmm, so let’s start with… what the hell were you thinking and why didn’t you take my advice?”      “I couldn’t have stopped myself if I wanted to, Jo,” Y/N confesses, taking a sip from her beverage.       The blonde cowgirl sighs. “At least tell me it was a moment of weakness? One isolated incident?”

     Another sip, this one a little slower, hoping her friend can’t detect the blush.      “Oh, come on, Y/N,” Jo utters. “He ain’t a bad guy, but you know how he treats women. Remember Casey? Because I bet Dean doesn’t.”      “I don’t think this is like that,” she ponders, shaking her head. “The way he was with me... it’s different.”      Jo leans back in her seat, taking a swig from her drink, looking at her friend even when she tilts her head back and allows the golden brew to slip down her throat. She’s not judging her friend over her decisions, not really. She just wishes this fling with Dean won’t hurt her feelings, despite years of observation that say otherwise.      “Honey,” she starts empathetic. “I hate to break it to ya, but that’s how he’s been with every girl he had sex with. He makes them feel special and then he--”      “- I didn’t have sex with him,” Y/N corrects.      “Wait, what?” Jo cocks her head back, somewhat confused. “You didn’t?”      Y/N chuckles, shaking her head. “No. We kissed, we got a little handsy, but we didn’t have sex.”      Dumbfounded, her friend blinks, needing to process that information first before she responds. Then she nods impressed.      “I knew you were smarter than that,” she grins.      Y/N smiles, amused about how wrong Jo’s assumptions are. “It wasn’t me.”      “What wasn’t?”      “It wasn’t me who suggested taking it slow.”      “Then who--” the first words have fallen from Jo’s lips already before Y/N’s message sinks in and she realizes what that means. Eyes full of shock stare at her. “What?! Dean?!”

     Y/N laughs now, covering her mouth with her hand to keep the noise down. Oh, this is priceless.      “Dean wants to take it easy?” Jo double checks. “We’re talking about the same Dean, right? Dean Winchester? Cowboy Ken Doll with the cocky attitude?”      The tequila mixed with lime juice almost resurfaces through Y/N’s nose and they both laugh when she spills some.      “The one and only,” she giggles, wiping the spilled drink away with her sleeve, not bothered by the stain.       “Hold up. Let’s take it back,” Jo leans in, making sure no one can listen in. “You’re telling me that he had the opportunity to hit a homerun, but didn’t take it?”      “He had several opportunities, actually,” Y/N admits casually.      Perplexed Jo averts her gaze, focusing on nothing in particular, unable to grasp what is going on.       “Did he say anything?” she carefully checks, her frown marred with worry.      Jo assumed Dean was into the intern, but now that he passed up, she’s starting to doubt it. That is so unlike him. The thought crosses her mind that Y/N will most likely get hurt, just not in the way she was trying to prevent. What if the attraction isn’t mutual, but her dear friend hasn’t picked up on it yet?        “Yeah, he did,” she starts off. “We had a pretty deep conversation last night. Just the two of us.”      Jo raises her eyebrows. Another surprising fact; Dean having deep conversations. Have the stars aligned? Is she in a different universe?      “What’d he say?”

     Y/N becomes a little more guarded, unsure if it’s her place to discuss the matter with Jo. The small bit of information Dean shared with her about his past feels top secret, and she doesn’t want to break his trust when this circles back to him. She decides on keeping it plain.      “We talked about us, how to proceed from there. He said…” she smiles at the memory, remembering the sincerity in his voice and in his eyes. “He said he really cares about me, and that because of that, he doesn’t want to rush into it.”      Jo can’t believe her ears. “He said that?”      Y/N nods. “He also said he wants to be with me, Jo. Like really be with me. He just needs a little more time. I think he wants to make sure this lasts.”      “Well, I’ll be damned,” Jo huffs. “How about that?”

     The double saloon doors behind them are pushed open with a shriek, a few guests coming through. Y/N’s heart skips a beat when Dean enters as well. He looked good on the trail ride, in his long stockman coat, his leather fringed chaps, covered in dust and sweat. But my God, he looks even finer now. Dean also showered and changed his dirty jeans for a pair of clean dark ones, a navy blue button up hugging his strong back, shoulders, and arms. He trimmed the stubble that was transitioning into a beard, the shorter facial hair allowing the sharp line of his jaw to come through. Still standing on the doormat, he takes off his hat while scanning the saloon. Is he looking for her? When the cowboy finally spots her, he instantly smiles, the expression reaching his eyes. He holds her gaze when she smiles back happily, shooting her a wink, before heading for the bar. 

     “Ha...” Jo scoffs, amazed by the exchange she just witnessed. “Maybe there is hope for him after all.”      Y/N chuckles, clinking her glass to Jo’s raised bottle, the sound clear as a bell. Beaming, she steals another glance at the handsome cowboy by the bar, who has trouble keeping focus on the conversation with Bobby and Benny, looking over at her briefly every now and then. Taunting him, she takes the remaining beverage before her in one swig, licking the salt from her lips. When she checks on the head wrangler again, his eyes are glued on her, the sight of her downing her drink in one shot clearly having an effect on him. Jo observes the interaction like she’s watching a tennis match and scoffs.

     “Judging by the look he just gave ya, he’s not gonna be able to ‘take it slow’ much longer, because I’m positive you and your margarita just gave him a boner.” She gets up from her chair. “Want another one?”      Y/N nods, chuckling at her comment; Jo has so much faith in her cousin. She can’t really blame her, though, with Dean’s track record, but Y/N knows that this time it will be different. 

     She’s halfway through her second drink when she starts to feel the influence of the alcohol on her system. The music seems a little louder, the candle-shaped lights on the wagon wheels hanging from the ceiling sway slightly. She tells Jo about her adventure off the grid, about singing songs by the campfire at Willow Creek, about swimming with the horses at Eagle’s Nest, about her night ride with Dean. And of course about her moments with the wrangler. Jo stops her when the intern shares a little too much information about the heated kiss in the water, the ranch owner’s daughter putting her fingers in her ears and singing ‘lalala!’ to overrule the juicy details.

     Dean can’t tell what the girls are talking about, but he has a hunch. He smiles content with a beer in his hand, watching them giggle and clearly having a good time. Y/N taunts him every now and then, and he can’t help but smirk when she sips from her cocktail again. She’s gonna be the death of me, he thinks to himself.

The saloon is pretty busy, guests lingering after the arrival of the herd, having a few drinks to celebrate. He takes a second to absorb the ambiance. Cheerful conversations, laughter, eight-balls colliding on the pool table, country tunes playing. It’s much like the evening right before the new intern arrived. He had no idea how his life was going to change, but it did. His gaze lingers on her again, her wide smile and sparking eyes lighting up the room. God, she’s breathtaking. His chest grows a little tighter, but he has grown accustomed to the sensation. It terrified him at first, but now it feels comforting and warm. Dean knows what it means, he understands it, and although he’s still intimidated by what lays ahead, he is excited. This could be the beginning of a new chapter, hell, a whole damn book.

    “So, you and Y/N, huh?”      Staggered, Dean snaps out of it and turns his head to the person on the other side of the bar. It’s Ellen, who apparently noticed her nephew’s longing looks. She’s restocking the fridge under the counter, a dish towel draped over her shoulder and an amused expression on her face. The arched eyebrow surfaces frown lines, her knowing smile reaching her light brown eyes. For a second Dean considers denial, but stops himself, very much aware she will see right through it. Instead he stays quiet, a blush on his cheeks which his freckles can’t hide.      “Please don’t tell Uncle Bobby,” he pleads, keeping his voice down.      “You don’t have to whisper, he’s deaf as a doorknob.” She sets four bottles of IPA down on the counter, flipping the caps off swiftly. “And I personally think he wouldn’t mind.”      Dean scoffs. “Oh, he would. He told me not to get involved with her.”      “Well, he told me I wasn’t allowed to buy Jo a horse for her sixteenth birthday, and look what happened,” Ellen reminds him, the memory of the surprise gift with four legs still vivid, causing them both to chuckle. Bobby was grumpy at first, but Jo was ecstatic. One glimpse of his happy daughter took the old man’s bitterness away in an instant.      “He won’t make a fuss, honey. Believe me.”

“What makes you think that?” he wonders, nursing his beer.      “Because I’ve never before seen you look at a girl like you look at her,” she returns, hinting at Y/N.      The corner of Dean’s mouth curls up a little as he drops his gaze; she knows. He’s not surprised that Ellen is able to read him like an open book, she always had her way of deciphering what was going on in his head. He exchanges a look with his aunt, before she walks away with a tray of beer, the unspoken understanding saying enough.

     Just like on that evening when Y/N walked into his life, the phone rings. Not Bobby’s cellphone this time, but the landline. Ellen whips her hair over her shoulders while serving out the drinks, her hands still full.      “Can you get that, Dean?”      In response, the wrangler stands up from his stool and circles to the other side of the bar. Before he picks up the phone, he glances at the display, frowning when he notices the area code. 207; isn’t that up North?      “Gold Canyon Ranch.”      “Yes, hello. Is Y/N nearby? I’ve tried to call her cell, but I can’t reach her.”      Dean looks over his shoulder at the intern. She didn’t bring her phone on the trail, she wouldn’t have had reception up in the mountains anyway. The man’s tone on the other end of the line sounds serious.      “Yeah, she’s here,” he returns. “Can I ask who’s calling?”      “Her father.”

     Dean freezes, staring at the liquor stash on the shelves in front of him. Fuck. It’s her father. Her father! The wrangler has exactly 0.2 seconds to collect himself, but several thoughts already chase each other in his mind. Holy shit, and I’m messing with his daughter. And I was worried about Bobby?!       “Uh, I - I’ll get her,” he stammers, leaving the phone next to the machine.      Before Dean turns around, he takes a breath. Why would her father call? Just to check up on her? It seemed urgent, and he tried to reach her before. What if something has happened at home? Dean closes his eyes as he feels his stomach constrict. What if she has to go back?

     The cowboy swallows thickly and makes his way to the table in the far corner. He can see her expression fall when she notices the concern on his face, instantly reading in his body language that something is wrong. When he reaches her and Jo, he leans on the table, his knuckles white on the surface.      “Your father’s on the phone,” he notifies.      “What?” she returns, staggered. “My dad?”      Dean nods. “Yeah, he said he tried to call you.”      She quickly reaches for her back pocket, where she usually carries her Iphone. She got so used to not having the device on her, that she didn’t even miss it.      “Did he say what it’s about?” she asks, confused, as she gets up from her seat.      “He didn’t,” he says, trying to keep his tone unchanged, not wanting to worry her more than necessary. “You can take the phone in the kitchen, you’ll have some more privacy.”

     She nods a little bit dazed, takes a beat and then heads to the kitchen. Jo and Dean walk with her, staying behind the bar, offering her space. Through the round windows in the doors, they can see Y/N pick up the phone, but her voice is shut out, the saloon too noisy.      “I wonder what’s going on,” Jo says out loud.      The head wrangler doesn’t say anything, but grinds his teeth, his jaw set. His heart is beating faster than it should, drumming in his ears. Trying to distract himself, he grabs a beer from the cooler and flips the cap off with an opener, but he can’t stop his head from over-analyzing. Shit, what if this is it? What if her father wants her to come home? They were just beginning to grow closer, he was finally allowing himself to feel something. What if it blows up in his face?

     “Dean.”      Jo calls him back from his spiraling thoughts and he turns to peer through the small window. What he sees might just confirm his fear; Y/N has her hand clasped over her mouth. She’s facing away from them, but whatever her dad told her, it clearly impacts her, the pale fluorescent light harshly illuminating what seems to be a tragic scene. Dean’s hand is on the door handle before he can think twice, but his cousin grabs his arm.      “Give her a moment,” she insists.      Reluctantly, he waits, keeping a close eye on her. After another minute, she hangs up, but remains where she is, still processing the news.      Now Dean does push the door open, stepping into the kitchen, cautiously. “Y/N? You okay?”      The young woman who has him worried turns around, as if for a second she forgot he and Jo were waiting for her. Her eyes are glazed over, emotion evident, but Dean can’t quite guess which. As if she’s unable to believe what she just heard, she scoffs.      “I’m - I’m going to ride at Congress,” she stammers.       Her best friend’s jaw drops, staring at her stunned.      “Congress?” Jo checks. “As in the All American Quarter Horse Congress?! The biggest show of the year?!”      Y/N nods, still not sure if this is real.      “I sent in an application in March after I won the State Championships. I wasn’t sure if I had enough points to qualify, and when I didn’t hear back, I just figured...” she pauses, chuckling. “They sent the invitation to the university campus. Mom and Dad only received it last week.”

     Her eyes meet Dean, who stares back surprised. He has heard of Congress. It’s the most important Western riding event in the country, the event every equestrian owning a Quarter horse dreams to be a part of. It’s the biggest single-breed horse show in the world, the competition where the best face the best. Earning a spot on the starting list is a mission in itself, entering the massive arena is an honor. But right now, he couldn’t care less about statistics. He huffs a laugh, his shoulders relaxing in relief; Y/N isn’t going anywhere. Even better, her wish is about to come true, and witnessing her happiness right now, is all he could wish for himself.      “Holy shit...” he stammers, grinning wide.      “You’re going to Congress!” Jo exclaims.      The blonde cowgirl can’t contain her excitement any longer and jumps into Y/N’s arms. Knowing exactly how much this means to her friend, Jo hugs her tight. Absolutely glowing, she returns the embrace, the kitchen filling with their laughter, while Dean watches with a wide smile on his face.      “Well, if this ain’t a reason to raise our glasses, I don’t know what is,” he comments.      “Yes! I’ll get the tequila!” Jo announces, dashing back to the bar to gather the liquor.      “Wait! I have to train Meadow, I can’t waste another day. Congress is in three weeks!” Y/N protests, when her friend grabs her wrist to drag her out of the kitchen.      Jo snorts. “You had two margaritas, hon. You’re not getting on that poor horse.”      “But I should at least lunge her, and my freestyle needs work…” Y/N protests.

     Before they move through the double doors, she pleadingly glances over her shoulder at Dean, but for once the cowboy agrees with his cousin.      “You can train first thing in the morning, Yankee,” he assures.      “See? Now let’s celebrate!” Jo has already turned the music down, catching the attention of the ranch workers and the guests.      “Y’all! Guess who qualified for the All American Quarter Horse Congress?!” she exclaims, pointing at her friend, proudly.      “Well, slap my head and call me silly,” Benny responds surprised.      Garth grins wide, too. “I knew our Yankee could ride, but dang it! That’s impressive.”            Ellen, who was wiping down a table, leaves the cloth on the counter and dries her hands on her jeans, before opening her arm for Y/N as she closes the distance between them.      “Sweety, that’s amazing. Congratulations,” she says warmly, hugging the intern who is becoming a part of the family.      Bobby comes over to congratulate her as well, same as the other ranch workers, and even the tourists she spent the past couple of days with. In the mix of receiving all the praise, her eyes meet Dean’s, who watches her from behind the bar, a content smile playing on his lips. She mirrors his expression and in that little moment they share, time stops. As if for a second it’s just the two of them in the saloon. They don’t need words, he doesn’t have to wish her best of luck, she doesn’t have to hear him say it. The subtle wink he sends her way, combined with the warmth in his eyes is enough; he’s happy for her.

     “I don’t know about y’all, but I think we should drink to this,” Benny - of course - proposes.      “Free round on me!” Y/N promises, earning a loud cheer.      Chuckling, Dean takes the first pint glass in hand and pulls the lever of the beer tap towards him, letting the golden brew swirl into the shaker. He has a feeling this will not be the last round, and Y/N, for once, is indulging in the fun too. She’s always so focussed, eye on the prize. He appreciates how committed she is to achieving her dreams, how passionate she is, but sometimes she forgets to stop and enjoy how far she’s come. He replaces a full glass for an empty one without wasting beer and starts to hand them out. Today they will drink on recent victories, tomorrow they will work on the ones that will follow.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate every single one of you, but if you do want to give me some extra love, you are free to like or reblog my work, shoot me a message or buy me coffee (Link to Kofi in bio at the top of the page).

Read part seventeen here

[dresupi]

Wild Horses - Bucky/Darcy/Steve

for @mirthandnomatter​ Bucky Barnes/Darcy Lewis/Steve Rogers Wild Horse - The Rolling Stones (1977) 1080 words Rated T, Old West AU

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Darcy had first arrived at the ranch, she’d been too hungry, hurt, and cold to worry much about their living situation. Hell, she’d been half-delirious with infection when she’d shown up here.

Randomly, as it turned out. Due to her delirium, Darcy thought she’d found her mother’s house. But her mother lived clear across the country, so...

Bucky and Steve though, they hadn’t asked questions, they’d simply tended to her.

They didn’t ask about her engraved handguns or the fact that she wore britches and kept her hair short. So she didn’t ask any questions either. Nothing as to why two single men were living out here alone in the middle of nowhere and breaking yearlings that Steve took around to the outlying areas to trade for other supplies.

Bucky kept the house. Not well, but it was at least clean. Even if he did cook the same thing every night. Darcy wasn’t about to look a gift horse, no pun intended, in the mouth.

But after she’d put on a little weight, her wounds healed, and her brain wasn’t so foggy anymore, she started to just take over that part of the housekeeping. The cooking part. She’d always liked that part of keeping house. It was just the rest of it, belonging to a man, the constant bearing of his children, that turned her nose up.

Roasted game and cornbread was good and all. They really were, but there was so much more they could be eating.

It was sometime after she’d made a bread starter and started using it with some regularity that she realized that there was just the one-bedroom in this house. She really should have figured it out sooner. Those two gave it to her and slept in bedrolls in the only other room in the house.

But before that, had they shared this double bed? Was that something two men did? She’d heard tales of how cowboys kept company, but she’d never really thought it was more than talk.

It didn’t bother her, not at all. In fact, she sort of thought it fit. With both of them as good-looking as they were, it only made sense that they’d be together. She was fairly certain she’d never seen two better-looking people in her life.

Hell, sometimes Bucky leveled a look at her that made her belly swoop, and she had to remind herself that he wasn’t for her. Never mind that they’d been in such close quarters for a few months by then. Either one of them could have taken her for their wife and hadn’t. In fact, they’d been nothing but polite to her. What with allowing her to sleep in the only bedroom and all.

She finally got bold enough to ask when Steve was out on one of his yearling runs.

“Buck?” she began, kneading a pile of bread dough while he cleaned a rabbit he’d snared.

She had plans for the meat.  Stew was in order. Steve had traded for potatoes and carrots on his last run, and she had plenty of both in the root cellar.

“Ma’am?” he countered, not looking up from what he was doing.

“Why is it that you and Steve never took wives?” she asked. “If it’s none of my business, you can say so.”

He was silent for a long moment before speaking. “Me and Stevie are close.”

“I know,” she said, looking up and locking eyes with him to let him know that she knew.

“Well, we’ve always been close, notwithstanding how we are now. Since we were kids. We always shared everything, and we never could work up the courage to share a wife.”

“That’d be the only way you’d take one?” she asked.

Bucky smiled as he finished up with the rabbit and went to plop it down in the stew pot. “Yes’m. I reckon so.”

“Oh,” she said simply, trying to keep her heart from beating out of her chest with the desire to offer herself right then and there.

But no, she’d wait for Steve to get home. He was due home the next day. She’d offer then. And if it made things weird, well… she was more than healed enough to go back out on her own. She’d been on her own for most of her life, and she could handle it. Bucky’d cleaned her handguns and hung them up on the wall. She could lift out just as quickly as she’d dropped in.

When Steve finally heaved himself through the door, something new in his hand for Darcy, she almost felt bad about bringing it up and bursting the bubble they had. But the thought of the three of them wouldn’t leave her mind, and she’d just as soon say it as not.

Steve had brought in a variety of seeds. For a vegetable garden. Darcy’d been after him since the carrots and potatoes to let her put in a garden that spring. And with the snow melting outside, it was about time to start breaking up the ground for just such a garden.

Darcy hugged him good for those seeds, making plans that might very well go up in smoke the second she brought up what was on her mind.

She brought it up that night. But not during dinner when she’d planned. Nor after dinner when they all sat around the stove talking. Both would have been opportune times. No, she waited until she’d already changed into her sleeping clothes and brushed out her hair.

She opened the door to her bedroom while Steve and Bucky were situating their bedrolls.

“If you wanted to come back in the bedroom, just ask,” she said, feeling mortified at how she’d chosen to put it.

Bucky frowned and Steve asked, “You want to sleep on the floor?”

She closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head. “No.”

“Then I’m not sure I understand…” Steve began, but Bucky grinned, placing his hand on Steve’s arm.

“I do,” he stated. “I think she’s offering for us to come share the bed with her, is that right, Darcy?”

She sighed again and nodded. “Yes. Sharing is what I’m talking about. Sharing.”

Bucky glanced over at Steve, who seemed to catch up to the conversation right that second.

“I think we’d love to,” Steve said softly, rising to his feet. He and Bucky crossed the floor to the bedroom door.

Sharing worked out better than Darcy could have imagined.

[eponymiad]

Queen’s Thief Appreciation Day Four: An AU (this is a country western AU. Drag me for it, if you must. I deserve it. But it has been a JOY to write). 

Irene's friends drag her out to a country western bar. She's less than thrilled to be there. Helen's obnoxious cousin, on the other hand, is thrilled.

*

Irene can’t believe her friends tricked her into a night out at this godforsaken country western bar again. She’s leaning against a wall in the darkest, emptiest corner of the bar and she’s— well, she’s painfully aware of what a TV stereotype she looks like, brooding in a corner, sipping her double whiskey and glowering at the crowded dance floor. She’s not going to pretend otherwise.

She’s still annoyed when her brooding is interrupted.

“Those are really cool earrings.”

She jumps at the sudden voice in her ear, close and loud enough to be heard over the music. Irene turns to look at the guy, who looks pleased to have gotten a reaction. How the hell hadn’t she seen him walk up?

Irene knows him, but can’t seem to place him. He’s got warm, brown skin; dark, curly hair, and... Oh. He only has one hand.

Helen’s cousin.

Irene can’t remember his name— something old-school, maybe a family name? Or religious?— even though they’ve met a few times, at bars and parties. He’s much younger, and from what she can remember, immature and desperate for attention.

Clearly that hasn’t changed. He’s managed to take the western theme entirely too seriously. He’s in a Nudie suit — dear gods, did he own this already? — embroidered with erupting volcanoes, some men sword-fighting, and what looks, inexplicably, like elephants. His brown leather cowboy boots have matching gold accents, and his double ear piercing includes a thin gold hoop and what looks like a carved sapphire stud. The entire outfit is ridiculously over the top.

Much to Irene’s irritation, it actually works.

“What?” she says. She’s distracted.

“Your earrings — they’re really cool,” he repeats.

Her hand flies up to the golden bees dangling from her ears. They’re her favorite earrings, inherited from her mother. She wouldn’t have worn them tonight if she had known she’d be coming here. “Thank you.”

He smiles at her, warm and friendly, if a little awkward. “Gen, by the way,” he says loudly, talking over the noise. “I know we’ve met but, well.” He gestures at the loud, drunken space around them as if that explains why he expected her to have forgotten him.

It probably does.

“Irene.”

“I remember,” he says with another warm smile. It tugs at something in her chest.  

“But really, what’re you doing wearing those earrings here? Those are the nicest things this bar has ever seen,” he says.

She gives his Nudie suit a once over.

“Well,” Eugenides says, with a thoughtful head tilt. “Maybe tied for the nicest thing.”

“Mmm,” she says, and half-turns back to look at the dance floor, worrying one of her earrings between her thumb and forefinger. “I thought we were going to dinner.”

From the corner of her eye, Irene can see he brightens, though she can’t imagine why.

“Well, you’d have to ask me out first, but I’d say your chances are pretty good.”

Her single raised eyebrow belies the hitch in her breath she manages to hide. That was obnoxiously smooth.

“I’m going to dance,” he says, left hand — only hand — palm up, tilted slightly toward her in offering. “Join me?”

She looks at him. “No.”

He shrugs. “Suit yourself. It was nice talking to you, Irene,” he says, and waltzes off to the dance floor. Within seconds, he’s found someone else to dance with.

*

Irene is leaning against the bar, a fresh drink in her hand, when the music shifts to something upbeat and familiar. Oh — apparently they’ve moved on to the line dancing part of the night.

She’s watching the drunken crowd dance to “Cotton-Eye Joe” when she spots Gen. He’s front and center, dancing in a group, and somehow, inexplicably…he’s good.

A line dance to “Cotton-Eyed Joe” isn’t supposed to be something anyone is good at — it’s a dance they teach five-year-olds in PE. It doesn’t involve any actual skill.

Except apparently it does. Gen is moving with a practiced grace that shouldn’t be allowed at a country western bar. He’s dancing in time with Helen and five or six other people who look as though they could be relatives . Irene wonders if they’re one of those families — it happens sometimes, a group shows up who is so good it blows everyone else in the room out of the water.

Irene can’t stop watching them.

Eugenides looks over at the bar and catches her eye. She still can’t bring herself to look away. He gives her a giant, toothy grin and, without ever looking at his dance partners, slips his right arm over one man’s shoulder, his left arm around a woman’s waist, and together they lift two women off the ground for a spin.

*

“Red wine, please. And a cup of water?”

Gen has appeared at her side again, fresh off the dance floor, face sweaty and hair a little wild.  

The bartender looks back at him funny. Gen tilts his head, feigning ignorance. Irene snorts. Gen doesn’t turn, but she sees a tiny upward tilt at the corner of his mouth.

The bartender rolls his eyes and pours the wine without any more fuss. Gen’s smile is victorious when the other man looks away.

Drinks in hand, Gen turns toward her. “Having fun?”

“Definitely,” she says, sarcastically. “Nothing more fun than fending off drunk assholes at a bar.”

Eugenides wrinkles his nose. “Well, I’m not that drunk. But point taken,” he says, with a nod, and starts to leave.

Ah, shit.

“No,” she says, with a quick hand on his elbow. He freezes. “I meant— Not you.”

“Ah,” is all he says, and takes a sip of his wine. “Why’re you here, then? Aside from admiring my dance moves.”

She gestures at the throng of people. “Got dragged out by friends. If I leave, they’ll just make me go out next weekend. If I stand here and drink my whiskey while they dance with drunk strangers, it buys me another two months.” She shrugs.  

Gen smiles. “Do you want to get some air?” he says, and gestures at the exit with his right arm.

Irene debates. She doesn’t want to give him the wrong impression — she knows what men are like. One yes and suddenly they think they’re entitled to positive answers the rest of the night. Alternatively, he seems marginally less drunk than everyone else who has approached her, and it’ll get her away from the guy who’s been leering at her across the bar for 20 minutes now.

“Sure,” she says, and heads toward the door without waiting to see if he follows.

*

Of course he follows.

Outside, where the din from the club is distant, they have a real conversation. He lives up in the mountains, and hates horses, and asks for the story behind her earrings. She tells him about the vintage jewelry collection her mom left behind, and about running her dad’s company.

“What do you do? Or are you still in school or...?”

Eugenides laughs.”I’m a computer hacker, basically. But an ethical one,” he assures her.

“What does that even mean?”

“Companies pay me to break into their systems and expose security threats. It’s fun,” he says, and waggles his eyebrows a little. Irene laughs despite herself.

They chat some more, but eventually there’s a lull in the conversation that neither of them seem to know how to fill. She’s swirling the ice in her glass idly, fighting her desperation to be home with a reluctance to end the conversation.

“Do you want another drink?” Gen says tentatively, like maybe he thought she was angling for him to buy her one.

“No, I think I’m going to head home,” she says, because the...everything is getting to her, the concentration of stimulus and emotions making her skin itch,

“Oh, okay,” he says, and he definitely sounds disappointed. Which, again, is the problem with ever telling men yes.

“I need to close out my tab though,” she says. He nods, and makes his way toward the door.

*

The dancing looks fun. It always looks fun. It’s the actual act of dancing that’s less than enjoyable. Crowded dance floors, strangers trying to touch you, people watching…

Irene wishes — though she’ll rarely even admit it to herself — that she could dance with the carefree abandon she’s seen people like Eugenides relish in her entire life. Unfortunately, she wasn’t afforded that luxury.

Irene is eying people on the dance floor while she waits for the bartender to finish up with someone else. She sees Eugenides watching her in her periphery. She looks at him. Gone is the shy kid from two minutes ago. The sly smile is back. It’s like he can see through her; it’s unnerving.

“Irene...do you want to dance?”

She hesitates, but just for a second. Fuck it.

Gen looks delighted.

He leads her out to the dance floor. The song switches just as they find an empty spot, and Irene freezes. She’s not going to do a fucking square dance, and she’s certainly not going to do it with him. Gen might have a modified choreography with his relatives, but that doesn’t mean he can manage to dance one-handed with a woman who barely knows the steps. She’s awful at following dances she doesn’t already know. She’s going to fuck this up and embarass them both.  

Somehow, Gen picks up on her exact freakout. He shakes his head. “Don’t worry,” he says. “I’ve got you. Just reach for me like you’re expecting my right hand, but I only use my left.”  

And he does.

Irene is fairly certain she wouldn’t be able to explain, even in an hour, how the hell Gen does it, but she makes it through the entire dance without messing up a single time. It’s entirely thanks to him.

It’s also...very fun.

She’s not sure how long they’ve been dancing, but Gen is spinning her every few seconds to something carefree and upbeat, her hair slipping out of her bun, when a very large man puts an arm on Eugenides’s shoulder to get his attention. Irene recognizes him from earlier — she’s fairly certain he’s one of the cousins.

“Gen,” says the man, with an accent so heavy she can hear it from the first word. “We have to go.”

Gen looks at his cousin sharply. “Why?”

“Boagus,” the man says with a heavy eye roll. “Got into a fight outside.”

Gen narrows his eyes up at the man, but eventually shakes his head in resignation.

The tall man looks from Irene to Eugenides. “I’ll meet you outside,” he says over the music, and walks off.

Eugenides turns to her. “What luck you have,” he says, and his smile is back to shy. He hesitates for a second.

Irene wants to say something — though she has no idea what — and she’s probably being ridiculous — when Gen leans forward just enough for her to realize what he’s going to do. He pauses, and gives her time to pull away. Instead, she can feel herself swaying toward him just enough that he takes it as invitation to close the gap.

He has his hand on her jaw, angling her face down toward his just a little. The kiss is far too soft and sweet for the middle of a sweaty dance floor, surrounded by drunken fools and loud, pounding music.

It’s a really nice kiss.

When he pulls away, he grins at her, a full-faced thing that makes his eyes twinkle.

“Bye,” he says, with a quick wave, and he’s gone.  

What the fuck was that?

*

Irene kicks off her kitten heels and dumps her purse on her silver entryway table the second she’s through the door.

This was a weird night, and she’s so relieved to be home she could cry. Her skin is still prickling from the kiss-and-dash, and all she wants to do is scrub the night off of her with a hot shower.

She gets the water running, and doubles back for her phone while it heats up. Maybe she’ll put on some music — ABBA or Beirut or literally anything but country music.

She flips open her crossbody bag, and sees a folded napkin she definitely didn’t put in there. Opening it, she recognizes the horse and lilies from the bar’s logo. Scribbled in terrible handwriting just below it is a name and number—

Gen

471-288-6547

*

Find it on AO3 here! 

My ETERNAL, undying love to @helvetica-upstart for the life-changing betas. 

[getbacktoworknovice]

🐎Snarky, Handsome Devil

[an AU in which you are a summer time employee who works at a riding ranch for kids and have a massive crush on one of the instructors Jacob Frye~ (this is part one of a series (reposting some older Ao3 stuff~)]

You always looked forward to summer.

A chance to get away from school, your siblings and your parents for three glorious months. Not that you didnt love your family of course, it was just a nice break from the reality you were stuck in nine months out of the year.

Every summer, ever since you started high school, you worked part time at the Frye Riding Ranch, a sort of summer camp for underprivileged kids to get a chance at taking care of and learning how to ride horses.

The people who ran it, Ethan Frye and his twin children, Jacob and Evie Frye, were very generous being that they only charged the families one dollar for the three month camp and in some cases, they let children join for free.

Apparently they had come from hard times as well.

You yourself were an actual hired hand, hired on by Ethan your first year at high school and kept on as he seemed to like your personality. You were hoping he would, after all, you loved kids AND horses and this was like a dream come true to you.

Kids were always so much easier to deal with than adults and they adored when you did your funny little voices, especially the British one as the owners whole family were Brits. Adults tended to give you odd looks.

Especially Jacob.

But then he would just give you that annoyingly charming half smile of his and go back about his business as if he hadn’t been looking at you at all. He rather loved kids too (which was part of why you found him so attractive) and even referred to them as his little “Rooks”.

He was kind with the horses as well. You’d caught him before as he was giving one a bath, talking to her sweetly and patting her lovingly as he got her cleaned up. It was the cutest thing you ad ever seen. Though you were certain he would deny he ever did such a thing if you asked him.

To be perfectly honest he had annoyed you at first. On your first day he had paired you with the worst horse they had to “break you in”, he’d doused you several times with the power hose and made you shovel so much manure you couldnt smell anything but for three days after.

You definitely hadnt had much of an appetite your first week, making Evie worry for you and then give Jacob a harsh telling off when she found out what he’d done. He wasnt a bully, she assured you, he was just…a pain.

Needless to say you’d avoided him for a month afterward but towards the end he came around. Apologized even. Which surprised you. You didnt realize you had a crush on him until you came back the next year and he gave you a big hug…

and you could feel every muscle he had.

He was every inch the rugged cowboy you’d seen on many a cover of romance novels. Muscled, rough around the edges, wild hair and eyes…and that damn smile of his! Yes indeed to you every inch of him was rugged and wild…and you loved it.

You just wished you were able to tell him. He was four years older than you and you just figured it was a passing fancy. You’d get over it. Yet every time you saw him and tried to still your beating heart it never worked. He would smile and nod at you, or say something that made you laugh, or stand too close to you when you saddled the horses for the kids.

He was the sweetest asshole you’d ever known.

You actually looked forward to getting up in the morning.

Today was turning into one of the funner days you’d had in the last three years. It was the day before graduation and to celebrate they always had a giant bonfire and a mini rodeo of sorts where the kids got to show off what they’d learned and earn a “badge of honor” for their efforts.

They were just cheap plastic sheriffs badges, but to the kids they might as well have been solid gold trophies. They got the biggest smiles on their faces and your heart just melted at the sight. Even Jacob took it a bit easier in terms of joking around, taking the event as seriously as the kids did.

You were in charge of getting all the firewood ready for the bonfire the next night as well as making all the certificates the kids would be receiving along with their badges. You were sitting at one of the tables in the rec room with Evie, writing out all the kids names neatly on their certificates, while Evie printed out the pamphlets for the parents.

“I do hope it doesn’t rain.” She was saying as you finally finished with the “S” names, rotating your wrist a bit to work out the soreness in it. You loved calligraphy but it hurt. Looking up when you heard her words you gave a curious gaze out the window, noting it was a bit stormy looking.

“Maybe it’ll blow over.” You said hopefully as you didn’t want it to ruin the kids’ fun. “If not I suppose we could hold the ceremony in here.” She said just as rain started to pelt outside. You gave a bit of a groan as now you’d have to go and cover up the wood with a tarp.

“Shit…” You grumbled as you grabbed up your coat and headed out the door. Te bonfire pit was a good ways away from the rec room and cabins so you had to book it to the barn to grab up a tarp. By the time you made it to the bonfire it was pouring down rain.

Quickly you began tucking the tarp into the corners of the pile, doing your best to get the wood covered so it would actually burn tomorrow, but it was getting windy and every corner you managed to get covered would pry itself loose by the time you got to the other end.

You were about to lose it when you felt someone grab the other end of the tarp to assist you. Giving a relieved sigh you looked over to see it was Jacob. You felt your heart begin to beat wildly again and you couldn’t control it. “Jacob…!” You started but he only yanked on the tarp.

“Dont just stand there like a fish!” He insisted as the rain pelted him without his jacket. “Move!” That snapped you out of it and you began to help him, tucking the tarp into place and covering it to help it stay safe from the rain.

With his help you got it done rather quickly and one he was certain it would stay the two of you took cover in the barn. You were both soaked but Jacob had gotten the worst of it, his black t-shirt stuck to him and his jeans were soaked through.

You were so glad you’d grabbed a jacket.

“Thanks,” You managed to say after you’d caught your breath. “I was about to give up there for a minute.” You admitted and Jacob laughed. “Wind was bein’ a bit of a bully wasnt it?” He grinned, taking off his baseball cap and wringing the water out of it best he could.

“Oh yeah, just a bit.” You teased in return with a smile that quickly turned into a blush when you saw him strip off his soaking shirt. You never knew he had a tattoo, but you turned your head so quick you didnt actually see what it was.

“What’s the matter love?” You heard him tease. “Never seen a man without a shirt before?” You felt your face get redder. “I-I…n-no…I mean…!” You were so flustered you couldnt even get a word out. “Sh-shut up!” You finally grumbled but he only laughed.

“Oh come now, you dont have to be so harsh with your tongue.” He said as he took your shoulder and leaned in close to your ear. “Your not having dirty thoughts are you?” He teased and you whirled on him to tell him off.

But stopped short as you felt his lips against the corner of your mouth.

Giving a small squeak you jumped back, your eyes wide in surprise. “J-Jacob, what the hell!?” You stammered, completely flustered. Jacob however only smiled that cocky little smile of his. “Been wantin’ to do that.” He said as he wrung out his shirt.

“Wh….what? What do you mean youve been wanting to do that?” You stuttered and he gave you a sideways grin. “Why, precisely what it means. I’ve been wanting to kiss you for a long time.” He said in plain terms.

You felt your knees buckle a bit and your heart began to thump in your chest. “R-really..?” You asked slowly. You felt like you must be dreaming. Youd had a crush on him true but you never in your life expected it to be reciprocated by him.

“Why?”

That question seemed to get to him as his cheeks actually turned a little pink. “Well…because I like ya.” He said with an honest shrug, putting his shirt back on. “I thought that was obvious but I guess I went about showin’ ya the wrong way.” He admitted sheepishly.

You gave a snort. “Yeah, making me shovel maure isnt the fastest way to my heart y'know!” You insisted with a swat to his arm. Jacob laughed aloud, a laugh you’d grown to love. “I guess I did fumble that one up a bit…” He admitted, giving you a soft look with his brown eyes.

“So…how is it you feel about me?” He asked and it was your turn to flush in the cheeks. You honestly didnt know what to say at first. “I..I mean I really like you Jacob. I’ve…I’ve had a crush on you for a while…” You hated to admit that out loud.

“I just…I feel like I’ve known you forever,” You said as you looked up at him. “I know it sounds silly but I’ve really come to like you.” You said, feeling a sense of relief at finally getting that out in the open.

Sensing your relief he gently took your cheek getting you to look at him. “Well since I like you and you like me….ya wanna try that kiss again?” He asked. He wasnt pushy about it or trying to force himself. His stance was relaxed, and his hand gentle.

How could you say no?

Leaning up towards him his lips met yours halfway, cupping your cheek as he kissed you long and deep. It was the most amazing kiss you’d ever tasted in your life. When you finally pulled away from him he rested his forehead against yours.

“So…theres only a week left of camp,” He said as he looked down at you with a bit of curiosity in his gaze. “I dont suppose you’d be willing to…let me come visit you in the city sometime?” he asked. You just gave him a smile and kissed his nose.

“You can visit me anytime….just make sure you come by car. If you ride a horse into the city people tend to freak out.” You teased. Jacob only laughed aloud.

“I make no promises.”

[therewasatale]

A toy's life

/It’s an older story of mine./

On Ao3.

The night finally fell. Every human member of the household went to sleep, but not everything. As the noises in the house quieted down, and Andy's breathing turned into a steady rhythmic, the toys started to move.

Woody was the first one to raise his head, and look around in the dark room. He knew that his companions were waiting for him to act. Every one of them heard the screams coming from the kitchen while they had to remain motionless as Andy played with them. A toys first and only reason to exist is to be played with. They had to do what they had to do no matter what. Still, those screams echoed in their ears even hours later.

From the side of the bed, a voice spoke, empty, and haunted.

"Woody..."

The cowboy sighed, even though he had no lungs, or ability to breath. He slid out of Andy's arms, and climbed down on the blanket to the floor. When he landed, he was unable to read anything from the actions figures face who was standing down there.

"We have to go."

Woody gave him a nod, and turned his head towards the toy box. His friends were looking at him, but nobody talked, or moved. Not Hamm, nor Slinky, not even Bo or Jessie. The cowboy adjusted his hat, and whistled. Bullseye climbed out, and solemnly trotted in front of him. The smaller container, where the plastic soldiers where, popped open too. Sarge jumped out, and hopped all the way to Woody.

"I'll go with you."

"No." The answer was an obvious order, but it was not enough for the soldier. Not this time.

"With all due respect sir, they are my men."

"I understand Sarge, but I still can't let you to come with us. It will be only the three of us. Me, Buzz, and Bullseye. I swear as soon as we know anything we will inform you. But you cannot come with us."

The fist of the plastic soldier became even tighter. "But they are…"

"Sarge" the cowboy placed his hand on the smaller figure's shoulder." How long have we been friends?"

"I don’t know. Never counted." The soldier let himself reminiscent for a moment, before shaking his head. He shouldn’t let himself become sentimental. "For years."

"During that time, I might have done things that would make you second guess my decisions but now, I still ask you to trust me. I will tell you everything." The cowboy looked into the eyes of the green figure, who, after a couple of seconds of silence, nodded.  Woody let the Sarge's shoulder go and waved to his friend to follow him.

"Let's go Buzz."

Both of them climbed on Bullseye's back. The plastic monkeys and Lenny were already waiting on the door to let them out. They formed a chain, the lock made a small click and the door slowly creaked out.

They didn’t see Sarge hopping back to his remaining soldiers. He sat down without a word and buried his face into his hands.

Bullseye moved towards the living room. Somehow his movement felt slower than usual. If they get through it, they will reach the kitchen, and they will discover what really happened.

It was a usual afternoon. Andy was playing with them, this time the Potato Head family thought out something dastardly for Buzz and Woody to foil. They recruited an army, and they hired the plastic monkeys to abduct Rex, the last remaining dinosaur on the world. They were just about to liberate the beast, when they heard the screams. In the eyes of the toys, pure horror appeared, and even Andy's hand stopped for a second. After that only the voice of the microwave, and the play continued. Andy then eat in his room and played a little before going to bed.

Woody knew that his friends were thinking the same. Yesterday Andy's mom gathered couple of the soldiers. They got bent when a shelf fell on them, it happens sometimes when Andy don’t put his toys away before the autumn cleaning. Happened before, probably will in the future. Woody was sure that Andy will ask for them back from his mother and he will bend them back into shape before putting them into their box. Maybe they will be a bit crooked, and get a couple of humours comment, but that’s it.

How stupid was he.

Bullseye slowly stepped down on the stairs, and before the cowboy could have sunk more into his self-blame, Buzz started to speak.

"It wasn’t your fault."

Woody gave out a small, sad laugh. "Right…"

"Woody…"

"I was the one who let them behind."

"Mom was paying attention to them. You know it. We would have been unable to get them back without being noticed. Not from the kitchen."

He knew that Buzz was right, but that didn’t make it any easier at all. "We broke the rules before!"

"We can't be lucky every time, Woody."

Bullseye stopped in the living room. All of them heard the faint groaning from towards the kitchen table.

"Stay here, Bullseye." The cowboy stroked the horse's head, and hopped down from his back before starting to climb up on the sofa to reach the table.

As they pulled themselves on the table, they immediately froze up. Woody was struck by cause. He was close to falling off, but his partner managed to grab him before that happened. The faint groaning noises came from the centre of the table, and became more distinguishable.

"S…sir."

Woody was still unable to move. The voice came from a soldier, but he was only barely able to recognise its form. His body was half-melted, and distorted just as his companions, but the others were unable to speak.

The cowboy realised exactly what had happened. The microwave. The screams.

The realisation made his legs weak. He fell to his knees, unable to tore his eyes away from the nightmarish scene. His friends were made into some kind of twisted ornament. They were melted, just enough that their bodies became malleable, and they were formed into the shape of a bowl. As a finishing touch, they were coloured golden. A fruit bowl. They were made into a fruit bowl because he didn't act in time.

"Woody." It was Buzz's voice that dragged him out of his self-blame. "Look at me. You can't let this destroy you, we have to be there for them. Come on, sheriff!"

He slowly stood up, and walked towards the bowl. When he reached it, he noticed the knife laying beside it. "I'm here, I'm here." His thoughts were frantically chasing each other. "We will get you out from there. Buzz come here, I will need your hel-"

"Sir."

The soldiers head was unable to move much, but he managed to turn his eyes towards them.

"Just…keep it together soldier, we will…"

"Please, don't worry about it, sir…" the soldier gave him a sad smile.

"What?" The Sheriff looked at him with a shocked expression. "Don't say it like that! We will get you all out! We won't leave you behind!"

"It's okay, sir. It wasn't your fault. None of us thought that it was." The soldier didn't look towards his companions. It would have probably break his mind that what they have become really.

"I won't let you give up, soldier!"

The cowboy words obviously didn't fully reach him. "Please, tell Sarge that it was an honour serving with him."

"No." Woody shook his head. "I won't let you give up! Keep it together, that's an order!"

The other toy raised his golden painted eyes, looking straight into his, and remained silent for a second.

"Please, the only thing I ask is to make it quick."

Buzz stood there, silent, and horrified.

During the years they lived to numerous adventures. But this time, it was truly unsettling. The feeling when he looked upon the grotesque scene have shaken him to his core. This was something that he couldn't even imagine actually Sid would do. Truth to be told, he would have been unable to imagine anyone doing something like that. Yet here it was, in their home.

"No" mumbled Woody, without much life in his voice.

"Sir…please."

Buzz started towards the knife. It was a small peeling knife. Andy's mom must have bought it only recently. The edge was clean enough that the moonlight reflected on it.

"Let me do it."

The space toy stopped beside Woody, dragging the knife behind him. The cowboy watched the slowly moving blade, and then raised his eyes towards his friend with a blank look. Buzz never seen him this tired, and empty.

"No. It's my responsibility."

Woody stepped toward the knife, and slowly raised it. He was able to lift it alone, but he needed to balance it a little bit. The knife looked sharp enough to make any necessary cut.

A toy can be damaged, taken apart, repainted, even parts can be broken down, and it will still remain alive, for lack of a better word. But only to a certain point. Do enough damage, and they will start losing themselves. Their personality warp, and change into something that doesn't even know what it was before. Do even more, and they will die. Not like a human, but they will cease to exist. Most toys didn't believe in the afterlife. A few even considered it before they ever faced the prospect of destruction. Buzz and Woody, had faced that prospect more than enough time to know the feeling.

"I won't leave you alone in this." Buzz took the end of the knife. Together, they were able to keep it steady, even when they were moving.

The cowboy looked back above his shoulder, and gave him a small nod. The toy soldier nodded a little.

"Thank you, sir. It was an honour, to serve with you two, too. "

The knife struck down.

The next the morning Andy's mother hopelessly searched for her new, homemade bowl, that he assembled according to an internet video. When she reached the living room, he was surprised to find out that the apples were scattered around the room. Not only that, but somehow the peeling knife was stuck into the table.

That day, when Andy left to school, the toys held a funeral.

[groovycatcollector]

The Wonderfully Right, And The Horribly Wrong (Daryl Dixon Love story)

Summery: After losing her brother and his wife, one young woman is left on her own, caring for a new born and trying to survive. After being taken in to a community after years of mistrust, how will she adapt, and what effect will a certain archer have on her. Starts the last episode of season5

 Warnings: slow-burn, angst, eventual fluff, violence, strong language. ptsd, age gap

Pairings: Daryl Dixon x OFC

Chapter 6

I was lucky to have been in the infirmary waiting for Denise to get back when it all went down. I had offered to come because she told me she was getting overwhelmed with the amount of work, and when I told her how I used to help my mama, I just couldn’t say no, she was desperate.

While it was safe enough, Aaron, Heath and Spencer ran in and before I could even say “grits and gravy” they had the windows barracked. Now we sat and waited, listening to the rotter’s thud agents the boarded up windows, my mind was spinning webs about how Carl and Judith were getting on, where Maggie was, I couldn’t find her earlier and was trying not to worry, I know she can handle herself, but she was a nervous wreck yesterday about Glenn.

This waiting for this to pass was getting more and more infuriating, I picked the boy up from the floor, putting him in the carrier and put him on like a schoolbag. I walked over to the corner where the men were sitting, all looking a too hopeless, even for the situation. I stood in front of them all and rubbed my hands together. “Should we try move the patience upstairs? just in case” I whispered, I was trying to have a bit of a plucky attitude, not wanting this place to be more of a wet sock. I was pretty confident of our chances of survival right now, so far they can’t get in, and we could always start picking the Rotters off from the rooftops, if they didn’t pass.

Who knows, maybe I was just so scared that my emotions shut down, especially after working myself up so much yesterday, But anyhow. There were only two patience here, so we, (well they) made quick work lifting them upstairs onto the beds.

We sat back down in the original corner, the horde still screaming to be let in. “What did you guys want to do, before this all started?” Spenser asked, staring blankly at the ceiling, hands folded over his gun that rested on his lap.

I made eye contact with Aaron who shrugged “I was a politician in DC, before joining the NGO” I smiled to myself “Of course you were a charity worker, you even kept helping people at the end of the world” It was his turn to chuckle. “I didn’t know what I wanted to be, figured I’d end up being a kindergarten teacher” I felt like we were in a dream, talking about what could have been. Spenser moved his head to look at me “You weren’t too far off, you got your son after all” He said, to which I stared back at him in shock, nearly laughing. “This is my nephew” I nodded at the man “but appreciate it that you think I’m old and mature enough to have a child” He scoffed, looking back at the ceiling “Shit sorry”

 “I wanted to be a space cowboy” Heath volunteered. He had a dead serious face on him, making his statement even more amusing. “Both me and the horse were gonna head space helmets” I smiled at him, allowing myself to giggle, just a bit, before we all became silent again. Hiding from the dead that was outside.

 **

 “C’mon, sit down, I’ll look at that back” I waved Daryl in, seeing the scratch on his back. He let out a huff, but did as asked and sat on the table with his back to me. People were gathered around Carl, or were just getting patched up. That poor kid is lucky to be alive, shot in the eye, just missing his brain, clean shot. Denise and I worked on him as much as we could, but the rest was up to him now. “I’m sorry Daryl, you’re gonna have to least take the vest off so I can get a better look at it” I said to Daryl apologetically.

He hesitated before agreeing, I helped him undress from the waist up before I caught a proper glimpse of the wound. I didn’t look big, but it was deep, will probably need stiches. I grabbed the bottle of disinfect and pour some onto a cloth “This is gonna sting a little okay?” I didn’t give him much time to object, but he didn’t wince. Just as I stepped back to get a better look at the cut, I saw the rest of his back, it was a maze of scars. I inhaled deeply with my nose, they looked old, but they were deep, still ragged and stained white. They were the type of scars that stain you inside and out.

I shook myself, I’ve a job to do. I needed to distract him before I started giving him stiches, shit it might be harder to get Daryl talking than the actual work “What happened to you guys out there? Have a run in?” I turned and threaded the surgical needle. “Yeah, we sorted it pretty quick” He was resting his hands on his knees, hunched over. “Let me guess, I should see the other guys?” I mused, then he hissed when I priced his skin.

Okay, distraction. Seeing his back I don’t think I want to ask about how his home life was, not wanting to bring anything up; so I started on mine. “Ya know my mama was a nurse” I smiled, remembering her fondly. “And my granddaddy was the doctor, they had the only practice for miles” One stich done.

“I used to come down and help after school or on weekends, but that was mostly just cleaning stuff, bringing people food or coffee” He hissed again, and I could see his fists getting tight. “But I’d a lot of brothers and sisters, and we were always getting scrapped up. I was the youngest so I always wanted to be around mama the most” Another one stiched. “So whenever she had to clean up a brothers arms or a sister’s leg I’d follow and watch, like a little lost puppy” Another stich.

I focused on the getting the needle right, I was about halfway but the gash was a bit jagged, and further apart here. Just as I put the needle threw, Daryl hissed, clearly in pain “Keep talkin’ woman”

“So I had two brothers” I started again, bitting my lip trying to focus and I tied off the second last stich “And four sisters, and I was the youngest by two minutes. I got a twin sister” I explained. “Her names Sonya and I swear to God she was the prettiest thing for miles, Gold hair and big brown eyes” I was just tying off the last stich “And it helps that we’re identical”

I patted him on his back “All done, but be careful not to tear them, take it easy for the next few days, I’ll probably clean it laster tonight if I see you” I helped him pull his shirt over his head. He stopped again looking down at me, shifting his weight. He had dirt all over his face and in his stubble; but had bright blue eyes that were darting between my own “Thanks Nina, see ya at home”

I watched as he walked away, before calling the next person who needed to be patched up, feeling a slight tenderness in my chest. 

Part one Part two Part three Part four Part five Part seven Part eight

Part nine Part ten Part eleven

[prettywordsyouleft]

The Cowboy - Part 7

Summary: Leaving the city for a rural area called Blayne seemed simple enough. Your task was to convince the people to agree with selling their land for a resort redevelopment. But once there, you soon realise that your city ways are entirely different to theirs. Winning their trust was going to take some effort, and when you start to fall for a local cowboy, you wonder if you really needed Blayne more than the city life after all.

Pairing: Jung Jaehyun x female reader

Genre: cowboy au / drama / romance / if you squint there’s some enemies to lovers up in here.

Warnings: Jung Jaehyun is a cowboy, need I say more? (a bit of angst and drama, and it sometimes might feel like you’re reading a Nicolas Sparks book, so I’m told lol) -- her boss in this part brings up gender.

Word count: 2827

This series will be updated every Thursday and Friday.

Preview | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

You hadn’t meant to fall asleep. Perhaps it was because everything that transpired earlier had felt like a dream and closing your eyes made the most sense. You wondered if you had actually been reading one of those novels Natalia had packed for you to pass by a rainy afternoon and conjured up the delicious events that had occurred in your mind until you roused from your slumber.

No. You knew you had been within the strong arms of Jaehyun’s for some time. And after you both became still from the bountiful passion, the last thing you remembered was his lips softly pressing over one of your brows, and your eyes fluttered shut.

You were at peace.

As you became alert again, however, your bliss felt short-lived as panic rose in your chest.

Had Jaehyun spent his afternoon with you and then departed? It did make sense if he had. There was always a lot to do on the ranch and playing around with you all day long would no doubt put further strain on the daily chores.

But it was Sunday, and as Jaehyun stated yesterday, the weekends were for rest.

As you gathered yourself up, wrapping your robe around your body, you looked around your room. There was no sign of the man anywhere. Going into the bathroom next, you saw the pile of damp clothing was gone, including your own.

“Maybe I really did dream it all up,” you mumbled dejectedly, going down the stairs at a snail’s pace, each step descending you further into despair.

Just how much did you like Jung Jaehyun?

You knew part of the dejection came with your past. As a woman with a career, you had often struggled with relationships. You knew of successful people who managed both, but you weren’t so lucky. You invested too much time into your job or personal growth that having a partner felt somewhat of a burden. When you did attempt to make room in your schedule for someone, it never felt genuine enough. You were used to sleeping with corporate bachelors, finding the bed empty of their presence once you woke again. There was nothing that spurred you on to find true romance within the city.

Dream or not, you had hoped Jaehyun would be different.

Slumping into the kitchen, you stopped and blinked rapidly when several sounds and smells hit you at once. It felt foreign to stand there and watch the back of a man over your stovetop cooking something that made a sizzling sound. As you regained some coherency, you realised it was bacon and eggs and the man before you was the one that had travelled with you all the way to Nirvana more than once.

Jaehyun hadn’t gone anywhere.

Overwhelmed with relief and the swelling in your chest, you rushed forward and buried yourself into his back. Jaehyun relaxed into your embrace and chuckled. “Missed touching me that much, huh?”

“You didn’t go.”

“Of course not. That would be rude of me to just—hey. Are you crying?”

You tightened your grip around his waist so he couldn’t turn to confirm his suspicions. Sniffling, you shook your head against him. “No.”

“Have I overstayed? I thought you might be hungry, is all. I figured whilst you rested, I should dry my clothes and then I wanted to make sure you ate something before I left. We’ve been rather physical today, both in and out of the house. You need to regain some energy.”

You pressed your lips into his clothed left shoulder blade and hummed in response. A smile crossed your lips with how relieved you felt. Your emotions, normally well in check, were now over the place and you were surprised with how giddy you were after foolishly crying over his back.

Blayne was surely changing the way you processed things. And Jaehyun was affecting your heart in ways you didn’t quite understand yet.

You didn’t want to try to figure it out either. If you started to apply logic to the situation, you might end up in a position that didn’t allow you to hold onto Jaehyun anymore.

You were too comfortable nestled into him like this.

“You know, I’m trying to cook here.”

“Am I bothering you from doing so?” you queried with a giggle, and Jaehyun moved quickly, a squeak coming from you as he grabbed you and pulled you in front of him. You reached for the spatula he had placed down in the bustle as he wrapped his arms around you. “Oh, so it’s now on me to cook, huh?”

“I wanted to experience what was making you feel so good right now,” Jaehyun murmured into you, peppering you in light kisses over your neck. “I can see why you didn’t want to let go.”

“Missed touching me already?” you teased and grinned when he chuckled softly near your ear.

“You made a bad choice in sleeping with this Cowboy, Y/N.”

“Oh yeah, how so?”

“I might want to keep doing it more often.”

You glanced over your shoulder as you nudged him playfully. “The food is ready. Let’s eat before we discuss where you’re going to bed tonight.”

The new week started with a smile permanently embedded upon your lips. You had kissed Jaehyun goodbye earlier before the sun had risen, knowing he had to get home before the day of work began for him.

You managed to fall asleep for a little longer until your alarm went off, and you happily took a shower and got dressed. You had a Zoom call at ten with Pierce to discuss the planning process so far and took your time preparing for your drive to the township over for stable internet connection.

All whilst humming a happy tune to yourself.

You could tell you were still on a high from the connection made with Jaehyun yesterday. It wasn’t just because of the sex, though you had to admit, he was an exceptionally good lover. Last night, you hadn’t moaned his name around the walls when you climbed into bed with him, though. He had simply held you and told you some stories about his upbringing, and you had shared your own. You felt content. It was a first that you had met someone who wanted to know more about you than what was under your clothes.

It empowered you as you drove down the country roads, stopping when you saw a familiar horse cantering across a field towards you.

Jaehyun pulled Blaze to an easy halt and tipped his hat in greeting at you, and your insides did a somersault. You felt like a teenager experiencing your first crush as you leaned out the window beaming up at him.

“Hello, Cowboy.”

“It’s a good morning today, Miss City. Off to work?”

“I have a Zoom meeting with my boss,” you mentioned, and Jaehyun nodded. You glanced over at another horse in the distance rounding up the cattle. “Shouldn’t you be over there helping poor Avery?”

“Poor Avery? You’re more worried about my cousin than me?” Jaehyun asked as he leaned his forearm onto the horn of the saddle. “I’m wounded.”

“You’ll be fine. The man I spent a lot of time with yesterday seemed pretty strong and capable.”

Jaehyun grinned. “Did he now?”

Avery was now on his way over, and you straightened up in your seat, wiping the adorable smile off your lips. Jaehyun frowned at your sudden disposition and then glanced lazily over his shoulder. “Are we hiding this?”

“No. Yes. No… I mean, I don’t know. People might get the wrong idea.”

“And what idea will that be?”

You scrunched your face up as you answered. “That I’m willing to sleep my way around to get changes here.”

Jaehyun was silent for a moment and then burst into hearty laughter when Avery came to a stop. The newcomer looked between you both and then cocked his head to the side. “What joke did I just miss out on?”

“Miss City here just made my day,” Jaehyun managed to say, adjusting the hat over his head from how amused he had gotten. “I think I’m going to be laughing all day after that one.”

“It wasn’t meant to be funny!” you exclaimed and waved off Avery. “Ignore him. He’s not all with it.”

“He’s been in an exceptionally good mood all morning. Maybe you might know of why, Y/N?”

“Me?!” you asked in an octave higher and shook your head. “I uh-”

“You best get to work before you’re late for that meeting with your city people, Y/N,” Jaehyun reminded, and you gasped, nodding eagerly.

“Good luck!” Avery called, and both men tipped their hats and farewell and turned the horses around.

You watched on only for a moment longer before driving off again.

“What is the status between Jaehyun and me?”

Whilst you didn’t quite know how close you would get to the cowboy, you hoped that what you had experienced over the last twenty-four hours wasn’t the end of it.

With the way Jaehyun had looked at you before, you were certain it was only the beginning.

“I see you’ve assimilated to being one of them,” your boss mentioned with a sly chuckle as he answered your Zoom call. You frowned, and he gestured to your outfit he could see through the video.

“Ah,” you breathed, glancing down at your sundress and then nodded. “I have plans to meet with Mrs Jung here after our meeting today. I didn’t wish to impose on her in office attire. They don’t wear anything quite like it out here.”

“Don’t come back to the office and think you can wear that here. You’re a little too relaxed by the looks of things. I hope you don’t see this as a paid holiday, Y/N.”

“I would never!” you pointed out and then cleared your throat, picking up your copy of your proposal you had printed out at the library just before. With a strained smile, you looked at your boss through the screen. “Shall we start with my recommendations?”

You had only gotten to page eight of your report when Pierce threw it down on the table and leaned back in his chair. “This won’t work.”

“It’s just my preliminary findings, Pierce. I’m still meeting with the people and finding out what they need for this to be pulled off.”

“I don’t care about housing. Where is the report I asked for about my resort land in the first place? We will not be focusing on any of this in our redevelopment, Y/N.”

“Pierce!” you exclaimed, shaking your head at your laptop’s screen. “We need to focus on the development of what’s here first before-”

“We’re not coming into the area to take on the complaints of the people in Blayne and serve their needs first, Y/N. We’re here to scout out the best place for a resort. That’s all. Besides, once we do that, there will be more jobs, and then the development of the county overall will make sense for those to undertake in the area.”

“They won’t agree to it,” you told your boss. “These people need to be offered hope first. They are very closed off to the concept of a resort. What Blayne needs is more housing to help bring in workers to the farms first.”

“When a resort comes into that area, do you think the farms will be at the forefront? Don’t worry about them. Worry about your job. You know, the one I sent you down there to do in the first place. I didn’t take you for being so soft, Y/N. I guess being a woman makes you more sympathetic to these people.”

You gaped at your boss. “That is sexism, Pierce. My gender has nothing to do with how I’m handling things here. Yes, it will mean a delay in building the resort, but I know my idea will lead to the end goal becoming achievable.”

“I don’t care how many people live there.” Pierce steepled his fingers together on top of his desk and leaned closer to his webcam. “They could all get driven out of there for all I care. The resort is what I want to hear about.”

You laughed incredulously. “They’ve been here for generations. They aren’t going to give up their land for any type of pressure you’re suggesting. It was you who told me that I needed to work into the people’s favour, don’t you remember? That’s what I have been doing!”

“Have you? Because all it seems that you can report to me about is a sad township that you want to build up and not about locating the most perfect place for a golf range.”

You clamped your eyes shut in attempts to compose yourself. “I’ve yet to reach page fourteen of the proposal in this meeting. I’ve already noted down where I think the resort and amenities can go once we get the support from the locals.”

Your boss was quiet for a moment, perusing the documents before him and a finger rose to his mouth as he took in the information. A smile grew on his lips. “The back property of the Jungs, you say? Your first mission is to secure that land. Get it to me in two months.”

“Two months?! Are you serious?”

“Deadly. Unless you’re softening to all that country charm they chime on about out there.”

“Blayne needs-”

“I need you to perform your job. Stop worrying about what the people want. Give them what they need. And that is a tourism destination that will bring them greater riches than the bare land and cows ever will.”

_________________

Part 8

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[magnoliawhetstone]

task eight - high school never ends

Let’s start with the simple stuff first. what classes did you take in high school? which ones were you most and least excited for? did you have a favorite teacher that made the days more enjoyable?

Lia shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Talking about high school--especially after Jack and her’s conversation--was not her idea of a good time. The blonde played with her fingers and took a deep breath. “Classes? Uhm, well--I took all the usuals. Math, Biology, History--oh, English.” A smile slowly unfolded over her face. “English was always my favorite. Mrs. Buchanan--she was the kindest woman. I always thought I might end up like her one day. She had such a way of pulling you into the story. I remember one day, we were reading The Great Gastby and the way she was asking us to think about the story really...put me there. Like I was in the car with Daisy and Gatsby. I could feel the anguish they felt over Myrtle, the panic and the fear. It was...spectacular.” Lia shook herself out of her memory and cleared her throat. “I also took French mais ça n'avait pas de sens puisque ma famille n'est jamais allée en france.” She giggled slightly. “Ah, still have it. I didn’t much like math--I wasn’t really good at it. That had always been more of Bennett’s thing.” A sigh passed through her lips and she looked down. “I wasn’t going to college, so my momma and dad didn’t much care if I took harder classes or not, so I didn’t do many honors or AP. I convinced them to let me do English though--at the time I thought I could also convince them to let me to school for it too.” That fight still seared in her memory,  the embarrassment of having to be reminded her place still hot in her heart. “Favorite teacher? Mrs. Buchanan. She’s a special lady--I hope she’s doing well.”

and now, outside of the classroom. did you participate in any extracurricular activities like sports, band, or other clubs? were you apart of the prom planning committee or did your parent always sign up to chaperone field trips? or did you bolt home or to work at the end of the day?

Magnolia let out a hearty laugh at this question. “Extracurriculars--no ma’am. The Barnes don’t do extracurriculars. At least, not me. In fact, I do believe my momma once said that school was my extracurricular. Because if I wasn’t at school, you’d better believe I’d be practicing baton twirling, question and answers, pageant walks, doing some sort of philanthropy for the local community--anything that made me look more of a queen material. I’d practice for hours a way twirling that stupid...” She blinked, realizing the aggression that had taken over her voice. “I mean, no--no time. Momma said that a pageant queen has to be motivated and dedicated to her craft, so I spent a lot of time practicing.” Another smile found its way to her lips. “But, when I did have free time, I was usually hanging out with Jack. Maybe riding horses or learning to cook from his momma or--if Jack wasn’t around--hanging by the old oak tree behind our houses on the tire swing, just thinking. i couldn’t get a lot of thoughts out inside my house, so i had to find a place to do it outside. I loved that old tire swing, she and i had some mighty good memories.” She felt a few southern saying slipping in to her words and she took a deep breath. “But no, I wasn’t involved in high school very much. I mean, it was hard to be involved when you left halfway through, right?”

a night to remember. did you go to prom? if so, did you have a date or fly solo, and was it a good time where you danced all night, and what were you wearing? if not, did you have an ‘anti-prom’ party, or why else did you decide not to go? what about other school dances or pep rallies?

Lia swallowed thickly. She did not want to think about prom right now. Her mind flew to the pale blue dress in her closest and she closed her eyes. Prom. Prom was supposed to be the thing. Their thing--Jack and Lia’s. How much time they had spent coordinating colors, figuring out small little things, even way before they were even allowed to go. Lia had always been a planner and she had kinda pulled Jack in on the whole ‘planning from prom early’ train. She never showed him her dress though--partly because she was embarrassed she had even ordered it so early but also because she wanted it to a be a surprise. She hadn’t even told him she had gotten it yet. Lia had pages filled with ideas for what her hair could look like, shoes could be and even what kind of make up she’d do. The blonde was so meticulous at making sure prom would be nothing like the pageants she had been attending her whole life. Not a single thing matched the pagaents--her dress would be completely different, her hair? curled and loose--and no tiara at all. she wouldn’t even attempt to submit herself for royalty--she just wanted a night that was just...simple and fun. She wanted to enjoy music and dancing and just be a teenager for one four hour experience before she had to go back to the world she lived in.

The day she learned she’d be leaving--and not coming back, a part of her snapped. It wasn’t dramatic and it wasn’t explosive, but lia had changed that day. Her father had packed up her room, and already driven off to FedEx to have it shipped off. He didn’t seem to notice or care that the large garment bag was doing in her closet. It all just..went. No questions. No conversation. Her mother was stone cold like she always was. “I will not have a daughter who is bent on grabbing the wrong kind of attention in my household. Do you understand what it might look like if this got out? That your little charade could cost your father the speaker of the house, even. Do you know how that would make us all look. Perhaps Bennett will lose his full ride? Do you want that? How would you feel knowing you cost your brother Princeton? No, no that just won’t do. London will be perfect, no one will know you there and you can start over. Maybe chose to leave the dramatic’s behind? No one needs to know why you left, Magnolia. No one. Don’t cause any more damage than you already have. I’m tired of cleaning up your messes.” Lia closed her eyes, biting her lip at the memory of that day. 

 “I didn’t go to prom.” 

Some more of the hard hitting q’s. who did you sit with at lunch? did you keep the lock off your locker or decorate it? were your headphones always snaked through your sleeve? was cutting class a normal occurrence or would you never dare? did you ever get detention?

“Freshman and sophomore year, I ate lunch with Jack, Sarah Beth, Hannah and Lila. Probably some other people, and those girls kinda rotated in and out as they pleased, but Jack and I usually ate together for the most part. When I moved, I liked to eat alone. In my room mostly, probably reading a book or something. By the end of boarding school I had started eating lunch with Bex, which was nice. She didn’t like to talk a whole lot but neither did I. Though, in our small conversations, I learned she liked to blow glass and create really cool art pieces. She always promised to show me but we just never got around to it.” Fingers tapped on the table. “I was a boring high school kid--never skipped, never got detention and when I did go to the headmaster’s office, it was because I had gotten a good grade or impressed my teacher.” There was a time though, when she was asked about applying for colleges. Lia had told her teacher she wasn’t going and it had sent a wave of concern through the older woman. So Lia had gotten called to the headmasters office and she had to explain that she wasn’t to go to college, her parents wouldn’t pay for it and she knew her grades were good, but not scholarship level. Her headmaster kept telling her she had potential, but on the day that she was sent away, she had stopped really believing what people said about her, at least in that way. She didn’t think it really mattered. It was such an uncomfortable conversation because the tables had been flipped--but Lia was firm. College wasn’t meant for people like her. Luckily, she had found a job with Mr. Worthington shortly after graduating--and sometimes she thinks she’s learned more in her personal assistant role than she would have at school. 

upward and onward. what did you want to be when you were sixteen? was there a career path in mind, a certain college, another route worth taking? were you excited to see your high school in the rearview mirror or was moving on bittersweet?  if you graduated, was it scary or exciting or a mix of both? did you end up where your younger self expected you to?

What did she want to be when she was sixteen? “What did I want to be or what did my mother want me to be?” A humorless laugh escaped her lips and she felt herself lower her guard for a moment. “I wanted to be a writer. Or an English teacher--I really loved Mrs. Buchanan. But really, I wanted to write. Poetry, a novel, a screenplay, it didn’t matter. There was nothing I loved more than putting pen to paper and letting the words flow right out of me. It was so...” thereapuetic? “relaxing. But Momma wanted me to be a wife--even had a whole plan to get me there.” Her laugh was different this time--softer, more gentler. Her mind went to when Mrs. Barnes told Lia that she had already picked out the person she was going to marry. Lia had just come home from school, running up the stairs to throw her practice clothes on before her mother could yell at her for running late. But instead Momma stopped her before she could make it to the stairs, and pulled her in the kitchen. Lia tensed--kitchen talks were never good. When she had heard that her mother had picked out her future husband, Lia felt a rare sense of fight arise in her and she was ready to go off...until her mother expressed who it was. “Jack?” She blinked, completely thrown aback. “Like--lives right next door, rides horses and is like a cowboy, my best friend Jack?” What shocked her the most was how...well, how much she wasn’t bothered at all by the idea? Perhaps there was more to that then what she understood at the time, but for the first time in a long time--she wasn’t mad that her momma had made a choice for her. “Y’know, I think that was the one thing Momma did right.” She said softly, running a hand through her hair. “But no--I mean, college wasn’t in the cards for me and when I got sent away, it was up to me to figure things out. And looks like neither one of those futures really worked out, huh?”

and last but not least. if you could tell your younger self one thing - what would it be?

“Say no and don’t you dare get in that car Magnolia.”

[jjba-arni-reblog]

I dunno if you do character/character requests, but if you do, could I get some Hol Horse/Steely Dan reflecting together about their lives and managing to get away from Dio over a little drink? Maybe it leads to some slow, “I just don’t wanna think anymore” sex? Thank you!!

[OH BOY! MY first NSFW(ish) work and with such characters!~~~ I am sorry it took THIS long, my precious @salmonandsoup. Thank you for such interesting request as well as a pair you chose~ Again, I struggled with lewd part so I hope this work is okay! ;-; 

{{{Not too be too deep shit, but I wanna thank @dio-daily (my cutie) for proof reading and pointing out physical aspects. Also thank you everyone, who sent encouraging messages and comforted me when I was unsure of the work. With that aside, enjoy!~}}}

Forget (Hol Horse x Steely Dan)

And old bar, almost completely empty, aside from a couple of people trying seemingly to forget the night, hoping for a better tomorrow. Two prominent, strong backs could be seen from the entrance, situated on the tall chairs, glasses in hands. One could think of them as simple regulars, found each other by accident yet sharing the same mood for the night. However, the pair had more in common than one might assume.

No words were exchanged at first, only the tired sighs of men trying to come to terms with their current situation.

DIO was defeated, the crusaders succeeded. In a small corner of their mind, Hol and Dan knew that DIO might get defeated by them. Especially after witnessing the power of Jotaro’s stand, the men, even if not being honest about it, were slightly reluctant about the possible outcome.

Yet here they are, free after all the battles and injuries, hiding their multiple scars and trying hard not to show their true emotions. Instead, a deep chuckle could be heard from a certain cowboy, trying to ease the growing tension between them two.

 “He got you pretty good, huh?” he asked, turning to the dark-haired man, who didn’t care enough to fully button up his shirt, revealing a strong muscular chest. This made looking into his eyes pretty hard for Hol, who didn’t want to get caught eyeing narcissist’s chest so obviously.

“Don’t you even dare mention him,” Dan said, annoyed. The bones hadn’t healed as fast and he was just grateful that his beautiful face wasn’t completely ruined by Star Platinum. Trying his best to not break another glass, he continued,

“If I was just a second faster, I would get the bastard and then I would kick him in his stupid face, make him lick my boots and-”

“Woah, calm down there. It’s all over. We should be thankful that we are alive after the whole deal with Dio and shit!” Hol quickly tried to reassure the man, putting his hand on Dan’s shoulder, making the other man shiver slightly.

Hol took another sip of the whiskey, not wanting to think about the harsh past and all the possible outcomes that could lead to their demise.

While the two of them haven’t been seen working together, they have known each other for quite some time. Being DIO’s servant and agent, one must know other assassins in order to work together when necessary. But it didn’t stop at that: the two of them were frequent visitors to bars. Often to pass the new information about the Joestar group, but sometimes, occasionally, to wind down.

In this case their mumbled words were angry and frustrated; their drinks shared and tipped in the fruitless practice of forgetting. Forgetting all the ordeal with DIO and forgetting about the humiliation they had to endure.

And so the glasses were raised, snarky remarks exchanged. The tone of conversation was quickly warming, however, as the cruel comments turned into a teasing remarks. Rough hands went from touching one’s shoulders to palming soft thighs, seemingly trying to conceive the action in a badly lit bar.

As time went on, they realised that staying in the bar was not a valid option anyone, especially when Hol Horse offered to open a new bottle of whiskey that he has been keeping for a special occasion. Tonight, was such it seemed.

Luck was on their side that eventful night as Hol Horse was staying in a hotel nearby. Being the traveller he is, he didn’t plan on staying in the town for a long time. Too many memories around this place.

The walk upstairs was a difficult challenge, not because the men were exceptionally drunk — they both could hold their liquor pretty well — just the staircase was a bit narrow, leading to the two of them being in close proximity. Breathing heavily (which each of them tried hard to hide) they somehow managed to reach the room. As Hol was about to open the door, Dan stopped him by putting his hand on top of Hol’s. His deep voice could be heard, almost whispering,

“Did you really take me here to drink?”

“I..what do you mean?” Hol’s eyes widened at the feeling of Dan’s breathe on his neck. He certainly didn’t mind the feeling of it.

“Don’t you want to forget instead of reminisce, Hol Horse?”

“Forget?”

“Forget about all the atrocious things that happened, forget about this dead vampire that we never cared of,” the cowboy felt Dan’s soft lips on his neck, letting out a sound of surprise. He could feel the male’s smirk, clearly aware of Hol’s reaction. However, the next second the cowboy swiftly open the door, letting the man in, before closing it as quickly.

 “Let’s forget.”

 Hol finally put his hand on Dan’s chest, the chest he had always wanted to feel. The man was well-built and reeked of hot bastard energy. The cowboy didn’t mind in the slightest, feeling himself getting weaker under the burning gaze of the bastard. Seeing Hol getting flustered, the man couldn’t help but smirk at such uncharacteristic reaction from the cowboy.

“Hmm? I see that you took a liking to my chest, I don’t blame you.”

“It’s not my fault you decided to show it to the whole world, what do you expect?”

“Not being that needy,” Dan smirked, enjoying the expression of annoyance on Hol’s face

“Says the one squeezing my ass, huh?” the cowboy mirrored his smirk. And in fact he was, leading the man to the bed situated across the room as hot desperate kisses were exchanged and clothes fell on the cold floor.

As the two of them got onto the bed, each man was eagerly trying to dominate the other with every drag of his tongue and strong grip on the other’s arms, back, waist, ass. Neither wanted to lose, all the dirty tricks fair game. As Hol’s hands hungrily travelled across Dan’s body, he paused to tauntingly squeeze whatever he could find. While the cowboy might have been a more of a subtle partner, Dan was reckless — palming Hol’s dick, making the cowboy slightly whine at the touch. After two of them broke the kiss, with no apparent winner, men let out shaky breathes, almost surprised at their own hunger for each other.

“The lube…in the cupboard…” Hol said, trying to even his breathing, motioning to the cupboard situated next to the bed.

Taking the lube and getting it onto his palm, Dan was quick to tease the male.

“So you were expecting that or are you that big of a casanova?”

“Well, I want only the best for you, believe it or not,” Hol answered with a smirk, trying his hardest to mark the man before him.

“So, you had planned this?” Dan half chuckled, letting a moan when the cowboy found a delicate spot on his neck. Being the vengeful bastard, he was quick to tease Hol with his delicate fingers, feeling the man stiffen before him, trying his hardest not to give in to the temptation and instead slowly getting adjusted to Dan’s restrained movement.

“Figure it out yourself,” Hol answered, hot breath on Dan’s neck as the man chuckled as the cowboy has straddled him, easing himself onto Dan’s cock and trying his hardest not to let any embarrassing sounds for the male to hear. Dan was known for being quite a teaser as well as a blackmailer.  

“Leave the hat on, cowboy,” Dan stopped him from taking his famous hat off.

After a moment, Hol Horse still didn’t move from his spot, making the man before him let out a teasing chuckle.

“You know how to ride, right?” Dan said, helping Hol to adjust to his dick, smirking as the cowboy closed his eyes, taking all of him and letting out a shaky breath.

“Shut up” Hol almost slapped the man, making the other let out a deep chuckle. Feeling the man before him let out a deep moan, Hol was feeling quite proud of himself for making the usually stoic and confident man unravel before him. Yet none of them wasn’t playing nice today, as Dan tested the waters with a quick snap of his hips, feeling the cowboy squeeze himself around him. As Hol Horse put his arms around the bastard male, he slowly started to ride Dan, being in a quite ironic ‘cowboy’ position. Dan almost wanted to put his hands behind his head, wanting to look at a quite interesting sight of Hol riding him. However, he was quick to change his decision, putting his strong hands on Hol’s hips, helping the man to feel all of him.

After a hoarse whisper from Hol, begging for the man to speed up, Dan was quick to comply, making his pace ruthless. Feeling cowboy’s hips slap against his, Dan couldn’t help but to hiss at the amazing feeling, roughly squeezing Hol’s hips which would probably leave marks tomorrow but neither of them cared, letting the lust overtake them. As the two of them were nearing their release, Hol Horse was quick to dive down, stealing multiple kisses from Dan. The man was happy to return the gesture as his hands wandered across Hol’s muscular body, making the cowboy moan into the kiss, feeling his body burn.  After a couple harder thrusts, Dan came with a grunt, trying his hardest to even his breathing as tiny drops of sweat dripped down their bodies, making their muscles glimmer.

After a brief pause, the cowboy suddenly spoke up.

“You got your share, now it’s my turn!” Hol Horse demanded, quickly taking Dan’s shoulders and flipping him around so that the man was above Hol. Smirking at the surprised gasp, Hol was quick to tease Dan, making the man try his hardest to not let out deep moans from the sweet yet rough touches of the cowboy. After Dan practically yelled at Hol to ‘put it in for fuck’s sake’, the cowboy obliged, slowly entering the male as the latter held his breath in anticipation. As Hol found his pace, Dan couldn’t help but to hiss at pleasant sensation, wrapping his arms around Hol, scratching his wide back. This only fuelled the need, as the cowboy quickly found the ride pace and spots to make the man above him let out shaky moans. After a while and many new hickeys on both men’s necks, Hol could feel Dan tugging on his blonde hair as the man whispered into his ear hungrily.

“Hol, deeper,” Dan almost commanded the man.

“Aye aye, sir,” the man replied, slowing down but making his thrusts stronger and he became rougher. Feeling Dan tug rougher on his hair, he was merciless, letting all his frustration of the past into his movements, making Dan almost see stars at the two of them neared their climax, grabbing onto each other’s bodies in anticipation. After a particularly harsh thrust, the two of them came. Getting off, Dan adjusted himself on the cowboy’s chest, feeling the tiredness yet happiness overtaking him.

“So…?” Dan asked, half whispering, exhausted after a such active night.

“It is fair to say that I forgot. ‘least for long ’nough,” Hol murmured, looking at the male before him who was now covered with multiple marks.

“Hmph, well I guess we know how to erase them again, when we have to…” Dan mirrored the cowboy’s smirk.

They’ll be sure to forget.

Yet one question remains…

As sad as it might seem, nobody got their dick sucked that eventful night since they argued about who should be the one sucking it. Dan promised to bite off Hol’s dick if he tried anything. Hol horse got too prideful, refusing to suck any dick at all.