Annabelle Banks was everything the infamous Tyler Owens was not: she was introverted, fear ridden, and buried so deep within herself that she saw no way out. He was determined to show her that life was more than just routine, and the world seemed to glow brighter than ever before when she learns to let go with the help of a certain cowboy.
warnings- depictions of domestic violence, harassment, sexually explicit, drug and alcohol abuse, etc. minors dni!
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Honey grumbled with a fire she didn't feel burning, eyebrows twitching in frustration. The damned computer. She hated asking anyone for help, especially when her job revolved around the angry hunk of metal that sat buffering in front of her. Blowing a piece of hair out of her face with a huff, she decided she would rather let someone else try to fix it. That way, it was their fault if her files were gone. Was is selfish to think that way? Never mind that. Her kitten heels clicked on the spotless tile, entirely too loud for her liking.
Peeking her head around, she squinted victoriously when she spotted Peter talking animatedly with Steve about what she presumed to be whatever new feature was attached to his suit that Stark was obsessed with updating. Honing in, she waited for the perfect moment of weakness to pounce. The second the conversation was over, and he started to walk towards the hallway and coincidentally towards her, she bit her lip dramatically and scratched the back of her neck, eyes scanning nervously.
Peter, being the kind soul he is, paused when her saw her pained expression. "Hey Honey, are you ok?" His hands held tight onto the straps of his backpack, knuckles white. She just gave him a tense smile.
"Pete! I didn't see you there. I'm fine, I just, uh," she sighed softly, dropping her shoulders. "I was just trying to figure out where the computer manuals were. Havin' some trouble in my office." She pushed her gold-framed glasses up the ridge of her nose softly, nails painted delicately with little strawberries.
"Really? You know maybe I could lend you a hand."
Gotcha.
She smiled widely. "Would you? Gosh, I feel so clueless when it comes to anything techy. Not exactly my strong suit." She giggled lightly as she grabbed his hand, leading him back into her office with sparkling eyes and a victorious grin.
"Oh, it looks like you just need a little reroute." Peter went off into a rant of technological terms that her brain couldn't start to decipher when John opened the door. He smiled at her with raised eyebrows and a pink gift bag. She gave him a sweet smile, welcoming his arm around her like a warm embrace.
"Hey, babe." She bit her lip at the nickname. She wasn't too fond of being called babe. She didn't mind baby, but babe feels lazy and abrupt. "I got you something." He held the bag up.
"What for?" She grabbed the bag from his outstretched hand.
"Think of it as an early Valentine's. I was too excited to wait." He whispered. She laughed at him.
"All fixed!" Peter jumped up from under the desk, flinching when he saw John in the room, not hearing him come in. "Oh, hey man! Scared me there." He laughed nervously.
"Peter." He nodded down at him. An awkward silence went through the space.
"Well then, thank you, Pete!" She kissed him on the cheek and patted his shoulders. "Don't know what I'd do without you. I'll catch up with y'all later, alright?"
"Oh, uh, ok." His brain seemed to short circuit, face twitching before settling on a tense smile and waving goodbye without another word.
John chuckled. "Took him long enough."
"Hey, now. He was fixin' my monitor." She scolded him lightly. He rolled his eyes.
"Do you always gotta be so... touchy?" He grumbled. He face was tight. Blank. "I mean, not just with Pete. You're always hugging and touching people, always kissing their cheeks. You're my girl."
"John Walker are you jealous? Of a junior in high school?" She smirked playfully. "Pete is like a brother to me."
"He sure doesn't see you like a sister." He mumbled, rolling his eyes.
"Don't get yourself in a tizzy." She winked. "Now let's see what we got here." She pulled the wrapping away, revealing a small blue box in the bottom of the bag. She smiled giddily, popping open the lid, but her heart stuttered when she saw the silver bracelet looking back at her.
She was never one to wear silver. Gold burned bright and alive, like the sun in the early morning. Silver dulled and tarnished. Nevertheless, how picky can she be when he was trying his best?
She smiled anyway, kissing him promptly before the thought bled too deeply into her mind. The color was jarring against her dainty yellow gold pieces. She felt her eye twitch and a small pool of dread in her stomach build.
It was dreadfully ugly.
"Thank you baby. I love it." She whispered, giving him one last peck on the lips.
"Knew you would. Look, it stands out. A nice change from the rest of your collection. Cheaper too." She winced. He winked.
With a strangled sigh, Honey found herself chasing down Steve to confirm his color swatches for his tie for the upcoming Gala. Something about funding STEM programs for transfer students that Tony felt the need to involve himself in. Attendance was non-negotiable for all the Avengers, and higher-up SHIELD employees were promised Monday off if they attended.
She twirled around in the tower, going through endless halls to find him, and smiling widely when she spotted him through the glass in the gym. Pushing the door open, her ears were assaulted with loud music as they all trained.
"Cap!" She smiled widely, walking up to him with a clipboard and a few books in her arm. He turned to face her, feet bounding heavily on the treadmill at an ungodly speed. His muscles rippled under his skin as he moved, chest rising and falling steadily. Steve looked carved out of bronze as he moved, sure and steady. Looking between her and the machine a few times, he pressed the pause button and hopped off, chugging his water bottle.
"Hey, sweetheart. What you got for me?" He licked his lips, scratching his beard as he looked down at her.
"I need you to approve what color you want for your tie for the STEM students' Gala." There were five different blue fabrics on her board, all just slightly different from each other. To the blind eye, they looked the same. He squinted closely, frowning at the clipboard.
"They look the same." He chuckled. She rolled her eyes playfully.
"Do not! This one is more of a muted gray, this one is a mature navy, here we have-" She was quickly cut off.
"Honey. Which one do you like?" He raised his eyebrows. Her eyes lit up at the question.
"Well, this one would really make your eyes pop with the deep rich blue-"
"Then do that one." He chuckled at her liveliness. She was wordless for a moment before she nodded and saluted him before walking back out, not before greeting her friends though.
"Bye, Cap! Hi Sammy and Nat." She winked at the two sparring before leaving through the same door she came in. Steve looked back, pausing when he saw Bucky in the corner with a scowl on his face, but the thing that confused him was the longing look in his eyes. Fleeting and dark, the moment passed before he returned to racking his weights.
The second the heavy glass door closed, she felt a cold, slender hand grab her shoulder. Whipping her head around, her eyes quickly found Pepper's looking into hers with a wicked grin on her face. Her eyes twinkled hopefully.
"Drinks at Cosmos?" She batted her eyes. Honey frowned.
"Who's going?"
"Well, obviously me, Tony, Natasha, Sam, Steve and Buck, uhh..." She counted on her fingers and looked up at the ceiling. Honey let out a hmph.
"James is going?" She bit her lip nervously, pulling the skin apart between her teeth. She and Bucky had never quite connected over the last six months since he arrived at the Tower. The first month or two, she tried her best to give him the benefit of the doubt, with his being fresh off the ice and struggling to acclimate to the world around him, but his abrasive attitude and rude, clipped answers never satisfied her and only left her frustrated. Bucky was a man of few words, but the ones he let slip were rarely very kind.
"Are you still butthurt? Jesus, Honey, that was three months ago." Pepper giggled and rolled her eyes. "Anyways, meet us at 8. Invite John if you want." She winked before dismissing you for the day.
Rain poured down from the sky, pelting into her umbrella with a harsh slap. She cursed under her breath, racing across the flooding streets and quickly regretting her choice to walk. Cosmos wasn't far from her apartment, and she figured the rain would be light.
Oh, how wrong she'd been.
Her fingers trembled from the cold, droplets racing to soak her skirt through to her bare legs. All she could do was focus on her heels to make sure she didn't trip, and she let out a large sigh when the vintage sign came into view.
Cosmos was known for its cocktail hour and vibrant atmosphere. The walls were a deep, crusted velvet maroon, and smooth jazz played through the speakers on the weekdays. Weekends had live piano. Her hand struggled to yank the heavy door open, but when she did, she was met with the rich, intoxicating smell of bergamot and the sound of glasses clinking. Soft laughter was heard from the different booths, but Tony always reserved the same one, tucked in the corner with deep-seated benches and a large round table.
As she approached the table, she could hear Tony's laughter grow louder. He was talking animatedly, and she could tell he had had a few drinks by his lack of volume control. "Hey, strangers." Honey smiled at her friends. The umbrella hung low in her grasp, and she let out a small sigh as the cold soaked her legs.
"Jesus! What'd you do, walk here?" Tony chuckled. "Get in here." He waved her in, and she nestled into a spot between Pepper and Natasha. On the right was Pepper and Tony, and on her left were Natasha, Sam, Steve, and Bucky. He tapped his fingers on the whiskey glass he nursed. "Is John coming?" He asked, his tone half-genuine, half-poking.
"Should be! Said he won't be here until 8:30, though." She took off her glasses to wipe them clear on her shirt. Quickly, the conversation picked back up, with Tony narrating the majority of the time. Time passed slowly and she checked her phone nervously for any new messages.
8:08. No new notifications.
The bartender rolled around, collecting everyone's order. "What about you, darlin'? Dirty Shirley?" She froze in her spot. A dirty Shirley felt wrong. Wrong in the way silver jewelry clashed against her skin. She opened her mouth but Bucky beat her to it.
"Cherry whiskey sour," Bucky mumbled up at her, giving her a tight-lipped smile. Honey’s heart gave a strange, stuttered skip. She thanked him too brightly, too fast. He just looked down.
8:13. No new notifications.
Honey: Hey! Let me know when you're heading this way. Love you.
8:24. No new notifications.
She tapped her fingers on the table.
"You okay?" Steve looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. "You seem tense."
"Huh? Oh! Yeah, I'm fine," she waved her hand at him with a dismissive sigh. "John's just, he just hasn't answered me." She smiled tightly, sipping her drink. Steve just nodded, looking away after a moment.
8:45. No new notifications. Honey rolled her eyes and tossed her phone into her purse, silencing it for the night. If John wanted her attention, he could fight for it. Tony suggested a game of truth or drink, which everyone reluctantly agreed to.
His first victim was Steve.
"What celebrity do you wish you could date?" Steve chuckled, scratching his head for a moment.
"I don't really know many new ones. Uh, who's the redhead in Titanic? She's pretty." His face got flustered, blood rushing to his cheeks. His eyes glanced over to Natasha, but only for a fleeting moment before looking into his glass.
"Kate Blanchet! You know, I asked her out one time. Turned me down, though." Tony rolled his eyes. "Alright, golden boy, your turn."
Steve was lost in thought before looking at Sam with a sly smirk. "How many times have you googled the Captain America workout, no steroids, no serums?" Sam's face was gravely still, and there was something the rest of the group was not aware of.
"It was one time, Steve! How many times are you gonna bring that up?" He rolled his eyes, chugging the beer in front of him. Honey giggled into her hand. "Is that funny, blondie? How about you then? Is Walker really your type?" The table went quiet, and Honey’s drink caught in her throat, burning on the way down. She sputtered, wide-eyed, words tripping over themselves but never forming.
"That's a no," Bucky mumbled under his breath, voice low but sharp enough to cut. Honey rolled her eyes, focusing them on the thorned brunette across the table sulking into himself.
"Tell me, Barnes," she furrowed her eyebrows angrily, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "What is my type? Since you seem to know me so well from the sparse conversations we've had." She smiled at him. Soft and sweet, but her voice was sour like the glass clinking in her hand. If she was truly honest with herself, the reason the answer riled her up so much was that she knew deep down he was right, and even deeper down that he knew that as well.
Bucky simply stared at her, sizing her like prey almost. "You want someone to keep you comfortable." His voice was so quiet, falling low yet not quite reaching a whisper. Strong and deep. She watched as he slowly licked his lips, holding eye contact longer than he ever had before.
"I'm sorry?" She asked, half confused, yet half offended. He sighed, leaning his elbows forward against the mahogany wood and challenging her sharp, searing stare.
"You want someone who doesn't ask too many questions. Someone who lets you talk and nods at the right parts. Someone who buys you things that look good from far away and doesn’t notice when they don’t fit.” He pointed at the thick, silver bracelet that seemed to shy away from her other pieces like oil and water. Her eye twitched with frustration.
The table had gone uncomfortably quiet. Tony had stopped smiling. Natasha’s eyes flicked between them like she was watching a tennis match.
"You don't know me." Her tone quiet, yet stern. Her gaze remained unwavering.
"You think you're so mysterious? You don’t want to be challenged. You want to be agreed with. You want someone who likes how you look on their arm, how you make ‘em feel in a room. Someone who calls you ‘babe’ because actually knowing what you like would take real work." He spat his words, but his face remained stoic and dropped downward.
That last one bit. She felt the sting settle into her skin, like a bruise forming under the surface. Her throat felt constricted, and she reached up to grip her little heart necklace tightly between her thumb and pointer finger. His eyes followed every minuscule move she made, observing the way her throat bobbed. He knew he struck a nerve.
"I don't know what's worse, Honey," he spoke, softer now. "The fact that you settle for it or that you pretend it's enough." He sucked in a deep breath, whisking down the rest of his glass without breaking eye contact. She watched as his wide shoulders sank back into the booth with a quiet comfort. Pity hung low in his eyes, but unbeknownst to her, the very core was deep-rooted envy.
Silence stretched. The jazz humming through the bar felt suddenly too loud.
"I think I should go." The words came out softer than she had meant them to. Turning to the rest of the group, who sat with wide eyes and awkward expressions, she gave them all a polite smile. "I'll see everyone Saturday. Steve, don't forget to pick up your suit tomorrow morning." Without another word, they all watched as she walked away, kitten heels clicking with devastating familiarity.
The second her hand wrapped around the heavy metal handle and icy rain pelted her skirt, the tears came—hot and salty, streaking down her cheeks. She didn’t care. The sky was crying with her anyway.
Babe. Baby. Honey.
She placed the names over and over in her head, listening to the way they roll off John's tongue. She imagined his soft smile as he spoke to her. The way his teeth glinted in the sun, the way his lips curved slightly, the way his choppy brown hair-
"Ugh!" She slapped her hand against her head repeatedly, sobbing as she did so. Why did he have to ruin everything? She sucked in a shaky, snotty breath, lips shuddering as she did so. God, she wanted to be alone so bad, yet her heart yearned for comfort. From whom she wasn't quite sure, but her boyfriend seemed to who she should want. She let out a broken sigh, questioning the lest few months with John.
The Uber to his apartment was quiet and stuffy. She watched as rain slowly melted off her heels and into the rubber floor mats. She picked nervously at her manicure, replaying his words over and over. The little strawberries now cracked and pulled apart.
"I don't know what's worse, Honey. The fact that you settle for it or that you pretend it's enough."
They tugged at her heart in ways she had never felt before, and she was so embarrassingly ashamed to admit that his words were nothing but the dark, ugly truth. She didn't love John. Not like that, anyway. She felt sick to her stomach.
The world seemed to move around her in blurs, and she found herself approaching his apartment door faster than she thought. She didn't remember taking the elevator. His building was nice, with a single older doorman and warm sconces lining the hallways. It felt so warm and classy, so inviting.
“Tell me gorgeous, do you always have to be so charming?” John grinned down on Honey, taking a swig of his beer as he did so. She smirked at him, tilting her head flirtatiously and letting her ponytail sway with her body, bangs ruffled from the breeze off the lake. His eyes drank her appearance in, mouth practically salivating as he stared at her little pink boy short bikini with dainty black bows on the strings of the top.
She was petite. God was that attractive to him. Her wedge flip flops did little to match his height. The size of her sunglasses amused him, but what amused him most was her mouth. Such a polite, well mannered doll with such a vulgar tongue. The first time he paid attention was when he heard her bickering with Sam about how he’s a bag of dicks and somehow he still doesn’t have any balls. He let out a snort and turned around to listen, but gave a second look when he realized who was talking.
He decided then and there that he wanted her. Sweet, rotten, sugary, wicked little Honey Breeland.
“Didn’t know you found penises so charming, Walker.” He choked on his beer, her eyes squinting cruelly behind her comedically large sunglasses. “Do you have a little secret to share?”
“Now now, I’m straighter than a stick, baby.” He scrambled, defending himself. “You’re a real tease, aren’t you? So much spunk for such a little lady.”
Honey raised an eyebrow. He had a weird way of flirting. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” She raised a hand up to block the sun from her face, turning back to the water to watch Natasha and Steve floating on the surface of the lake with a pool noodle holding them together, both holding either side.
He whistled at the sight in front of him. She stood proudly with her hip pushed to the side, gleaming from the beaming sun, making her glow like a star in the sky. Her lips were now drawn into a small pout, cherry red and juicy. He wanted her to be his.
And he made sure she knew.
From then on, each encounter became more flirtatious than the last. Each attempt of hers to push him away failed, and he only pursued her harder. It started small, with little comments here and there about her appearance. Walking her to lunch. Bringing her coffee and memorizing her order. John was a man lost in the dream of taming the wild woman that she was.
"Looking sweeter than Honey today."
"Morning, beautiful. I ever tell you how good you look in blue?"
Honey found the dedication amusing. He wasn't her usual type. John was brash and boyish, with his all-American grin and desire to claim what he felt he deserved. She didn't take the attempts seriously, at least not for the first month or two. He wasn't what she wanted.
What did she want?
She had no answer. More time passed and the question started to weigh on her more and more. Every bridesmaid dress she slipped over her shoulders or congratulation text she had to send to her college friends who were getting married or pregnant or moving in together and so on. She didn't want that, not truly.
But being twenty-six and your only accomplishment is your job seemed to be an embarrassment to brag about.
So after one particularly hard reunion with her past, and eight months of persistence, she finally said yes.
She let him buy her a drink.
Her feet hurt with every step she took on the plush hallway runner carpet. She felt as if she didn't belong, her presence comparable to a stray cat walking into the Plaza hotel, paws dripping with pity. Her tights dug uncomfortably into her abdomen, sticking to her in the worst way possible. She grimaced at the feeling of her bangs sticking to her forehead, letting out a small sigh of relief when his door came into view.
She didn't bother knocking, instead tugging the handle and pushing the door open, watching her feet as she walked in, careful not to ruin his doormat.
"God, I just had the worst night. I was up as Cosmo's with-" She looked up, but her heart sank into the ground. Every half assed comment, every lingering doubt illuminated as she watched John roll off the couch, Sharon Carter gasping and scrambling to pull a blanket over her bare chest.
"Fuck! Babe, I didn't know you were coming over!" He gasped, rebuttoning his jeans and jumping up. "This uh," he winced, "God I didn't want to do this like... this." His voice fell off, unsure and scared as he watched Honey stand with her eyes big and lip sucked between her teeth.
It hurt to see, but she felt guilty for not caring as much as she thought she should. She felt utterly betrayed and lied to, but the fact that it was from him didn't seem to bother her. It didn't feel like heartbreak. It felt like a release. Her blood pumped through her limbs with a warmth she hadn't felt in a long while. She was aware of every breath she took, the way the air felt going through her lungs, the tingles travelling up her arms from her numbing fingers. This is what it felt like to be alive. To be free.
"Honey, hey, babe-" John jumped up, yanking his pants back up his hips and over his boxers, walking closer to her shivering frame. She looked so small. Face lost and arms drooped. But she had never felt lighter. "Look, just- Fuck! Listen, things just got carried away, you know? We got a few drinks in and I missed my girl, I promise I was thinking of you."
"No you weren't." Honey deadpanned.
"You were?" Sharon butted in from the couch, body heaving but face contorted into an incredulous scowl.
"Shut up!" Both Honey and John snipped at her, watching as she sank back into the cushions and pretended to look at the TV that was turned off. Honey reached down and unclasped the goddamned silver bracelet, practically throwing it at him.
"Honestly, this is relieving. I know you can feel it. That this, us, isn't working." She spoke, pursing her lips and looking him in the eye. He knew it too; she could sense it in the way he seemed to just be defeated. His hands searched for hers, the heavy aching familiarity feeling so safe and out of place. His thumb rubbed the inside of her wrist, and when his fingers entangled with hers, it was wrong.
"I need to leave," Honey whispered, and when she looked into John's spacey eyes, they were full of turmoil. She had a strong sort of pity fall into her gut.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. "Maybe, you know, somewhere down the line we could be friends? I love you Honey. We just aren't made to match." She snorted.
"Friends? Fuck you, you couldn't even break up with me before finding a new bitch. Fuck you too Sharon! Eat my dick!" She snipped before rolling her eyes and storming out of the apartment.
The city was cold. Sleet was falling from the sky and if it wasn't so fucking freezing, Honey might've said that it was almost pretty. The lights of the city at night combined with the bustle of everyone trying to enter the Gala. They were in the heart of Manhattan and the venue was beautiful. Chandeliers hun in rows from the enormous vaulted ceiling, and red decorations adorned every blank space. She was glad that she settled on a red dress, the structured fabric suddenly confining her ribcage. She bit at her lip nervously, accidentally ripping a layer of skin and lipstick away. The spot stung and she hissed in pain.
Steve had called her earlier to see how she felt after the emotionally taxing argument with Bucky. She told him about John and Sharon. He was a good friend. He may not always have the right words, but his heart is in the right place, and all she needed was to talk. Steve wasn't entirely surprised. John and Honey were a time bomb ready to blow. He could see the way her lips would drop slightly at every mild off-putting statement he would say, or how she would huff in disappointment when he wouldn't listen to what she said the way she needed.
John was a free-floating spirit with no cares, Steve would say depth, and Honey had a heart so full of consideration that to her, a thought was love's currency. She didn't crave gifts or affirmation, not even a lot of conversation that John had so much of yet always lacked, but the simple idea of being considered. Being cared for. Being known and loved for being known. Honey burned for an all-consuming love. A love for who she is.
He could see Bucky's adoration for Honey early on.
The lingering stares across the room.
The purse of his lips when she would talk about John.
The furrow of his brows when she seemed sad, so far from her normal sugar and spice. It was subtle at first.
He was a man of another time, so when she saw his struggles in the modern world, she decided to lend him a helping hand. Honey took it upon herself to make him a notebook filled with helpful tips for everything. Technology. Pop culture. Changes in social norms. Everything you could possibly think of, she included. It took her forever from when he first arrived to finish, and eventually, after two months, she slid it under his door and bit her lip, running away to avoid any conversation.
The very next day, she was humiliatingly broken to see the very notebook she put every thought into in the garbage can in the hall. She swore then and there to never give Barnes the time of day. To her, he was nothing but an afterthought. Deep down, it was still a sore cut, but she refused to accept that it hurt her, and even worse, that she had an attraction to him simmering below her posh exterior.
Barnes was not worth her affection.
"Honey?" She gasped, turning around when a hand rested on her shoulder. Tony smirked, amused at her startled reaction. "Sorry, Honeybunny." He chuckled lightly, but his face was lined with concern. "Are you alright? Steve told me what happened last night."
She sighed. "I bet he did," Honey paused. "I'm gonna be okay. Can't control what people do." Her voice was weak. No fake certainty, no sugary sweet banter, just plain her. Tony gave her a small smile.
"You're strong, kid. And god knows you can find better. Come join me for a drink, will you?" She glanced around, listening to the buzz of voices and sensible laughter. Champagne glasses glittered in the hands of beautiful women as they were approached by beautiful men. Some danced, some sat silent. She looked down at the tips of her heels, wrapping her arms around her torso.
"I think I'm gonna get some air. I'll find you later though." She gave Tony a small wink before pulling away and walking out of the main ballroom. The voices simmered down and she followed the runner carpet, twisting and turning until she finally pushed open the door to the terrace.
Nose- nipping cold enveloped her body. Her breath puffed into the air, and snow fell lightly, a contrast to the sleet earlier. The sight was truly beautiful. It looked serene. The glow of building lights, the soft honking of the floors down in the road, the buzz of the city that never sleeps.
The door clicked behind her. She didn't have to look up to know who it was. The practiced stealth in his silent steps. The way he inhaled beside her. Slowly, Honey turned around to look at the enigma of a broken man behind her.
Bucky was intense. He always had been. Where everyone else had polished surfaces and smooth edges, he was all grit and jagged lines. His outfits never quite worked, and his haircuts that he only let himself do came out somewhat jagged and outgrown, even if he had just done it. His eyebrows creased severely from years of stress and abuse. Yet, while all of this conbined attributed to his cold, terrifiying demeanor, the only thing Honey could shiver from was his eyes.
They never showed any emotion. The once cerulean blue felt grey and dark at all times, glinting with restrained darkness and a swirl of negative manifestations from his head. As he stood in front of her, brows knit together and hands sitting idly on his side, his eyes were on her. She squirmed under the stare, and he only seemed to stare harder. A wisp of his hair fell into his face but he dared not move.
His adams apple bobbed slightly before he spoke.
"Hey, Honey." He said her name so simple yet firmly that she had to bite her lip. He was gruff, and his words grumbled, but now he spoke like she was a bunny that would pounce at the slightest scare. "I didn't mean to upset you last night. I can be harsh, and I'm not a good person, I know that." He humorlessly huffed. "But I wanted to say that I am sorry, really." He pursed his lips, watching her look down at her swaying skirt.
"What you said really cut me deep. I've spent my whole life being put on a pedestal by everyone, and I'm used to it from most, but not you. I know you hate everything and everyone, god especially me, but that doesn't mean you get to demean my choices and look down on how I live my life." Honey spat, looking into his eyes sharply. His eyes widened, possibly the most emotion she has ever seen on his face.
"I don't hate you! How could I ever hate someone like you?" He countered, voice trembling when he spoke. It left her breathless, hearing him prove he had some type of remorse for a man so cold.
"What do you mean someone like me?" She whispered, staring intensely.
"You are.. you. Soft with a burning passion. You're kind, god, you're so fucking sweet, it makes me sick in the worst way that it invades my dreams." He exclaimed, voice getting higher as his grip on restraint loosened. "Every morning I wake up, I see your face. I hear your laugh, I smell your perfume and cherry-flavored lip gloss. Every time I see you with Walker, I feel sick. I make myself sick, and I don't deserve to feel this way, I know it. I'm just-" he sighed, voice breaking. "I'm sick in the head, and you're, yknow- you. Your drive, your wit, you're so fucking smart. And God, you're beautiful. I am utterly consumed by you, and- and knowing that I will never be yours makes me... sick." He breathed heavily, the confession rolling off against his will.
Honey stood frozen.
He stepped closer, gently grabbing her hands. Her eyes watched as he rubbed her knuckles.
"I could never hate you. And knowing that's the impression I gave you- fuck, I feel.. sick. See, you know all these big perfect words for everything, and I'm just- me." Honey felt her eyes well up, and she bit down on her lip.
"You threw my notebook away." She whispered, and Bucky's face sat gravely still, utter mortification settling deep in the pit of his stomach.
"What notebook?" He whispered, voice flat as he realized the sheer horror of his actions. She bit the side of her cheek, looking away in embarrassment. "Honey, what notebook?" He demanded.
"When you moved in. You seemed so.. stuck. With everything, the world is a different place now. I thought it would be nice to write out things that I felt you would need to know. I thought it would help you adjust more easily. And then I saw it in the garbage, and it broke my heart." She trembled, tears falling down her face. They felt like an intrusion on her frosty cheeks, searing as they cupped her cheeks.
"No. No, no, no, no no- fuck. Honey, I promise from the depths of my soul that I did not mean to do that. When I got here, everything felt so foreign, and I knew that I didn't belong. Everyone pitied me, and I was going insane. And when I saw the notebook that had "modern world tips" written on it, I thought it was some sick joke one of the guys was pulling, and I swear I didn't know it was from you." He moved his hands up, holding her face. His thumbs wiped her teary cheeks.
"I never knew it was from you. I still have it. I pulled it out of the trash." He bit his lip.
"You do?" She looked back up, scanning him for any sign for any type of insincerity, but found nothing except the glaze of tears and his red nose from the cold. He pulled away slightly to stuff his hand in the suit of his suit jacket and pulled out a familiar red notebook, but it was now frayed and ripped, worn from use. He held it out to show her, and she flipped though to see the small notes he made to himself in the margins.
Tap card on the side with the silver thingy.
Don't answer unpaid toll texts.
Scan the barcode and not the name of item.
She giggled at his notes, and Bucky felt his heart soar at the sound. He held his hands over hers, engulfing her small fingers. "Honey, I have been so in love with you for months, and if it's shown me anything it's that I do not deserve you."
"Hey, don't say that. You know how hard it is for me to go months thinking you didn't like me when I saw how good you were to everyone else? All I wanted was for you to let me in."
"I have known you for months. I know everything I possibly could about you. I'm a man possessed."
"How can you love me?"
"What?"
"I'm a mess. I'm impulsive, loud, abrasive, and I can never read a room. I say the wrong thing about everything. All I know how to do is make things worse." Fresh tears welled up in her eyes.
"I think that you are free, open, and personable. You say everything the way it was meant to be said, even if it comes out right or not. I love you because of who you are, not in spite of it. That is how you deserve to be loved." He spoke firmly, grounding her in the moment.
"I- I don't know how to be loved like that." She hesitated, looking up hopefully. His eyes shone a fierce blue, full of adoration and conviction. His lips quirked up slightly. Snow landed on his cheek, face burning hot despite the cold air.
pairings- Beefy Bucky x fem!reader, brief mentions of Brock x fem!reader..
summary- Never had you bonded with the brooding man next door, until he saves you from your past and you find out there's a lot more to him than you thought.
wc- 5.6k
warnings- MATURE, very brief violence, alludes to domestic violence, toxic relationships, full smut, 18+
main masterlist
The first time I conversed with my neighbor was months after he had moved in. Really talked at least. I would throw him a small wave or a slight smile in the halls at first, until I realized that he would just stare with a panicked look in his eyes before walking away. We never exchanged names, numbers, or interests, for that matter. He was just the man who lived in apartment six across the hall, and only came out at night.
Today was no different. I would give him a polite smile as I walked through the dimly lit corridor, as he passed by me with an awkward pursed lip and his hands hurrying to dive into his pockets. He was dressed up, with dark wash jeans and a leather jacket, but he never took off the hat, hiding his beautiful hair. I just sighed gently, putting my head down and unlocking my front door with droopy eyes. I had just ended another double, and it was nearly midnight by the time I left. My uniform smelled of condiments, and my button-up was stained with an unknown substance. I pulled it up to my nose, grimacing when I smelled French onion soup. Closing the door, I flashed my eyes over his door one last time.
It was a shame, really, that he was so off-putting. He was sexy in a beefy blue-collar way. Like he would pick you up with one arm and sling you around his shoulders. I bit my lip as I fantasized about his strength and stripped down to my underwear, replacing my bra with a spaghetti strap and flopping onto the bed with a sigh.
A few days later, I passed him on my way out in the morning, with him just making his way home from what looked to be a long night. His face was tight, and his eyes fought to stay open, but his hat had mysteriously disappeared, revealing the voluminous hair underneath. I couldn't help but smile.
"New look?" I spit out before remembering that we had never actually exchanged words. His head jerked up, looking at me with wide eyes. He faltered for a moment, both of us just standing awkwardly. "Sorry, I uh-" I chuckled nervously. My hands ran over the uniform I wore once again. Clean, this time at least. "I noticed your hat was missin'." I pursed my lips, wishing for a fast and painless death, as that would be more merciful than living through this moment.
"Oh, uh.." He twitched, running a hand through his hair. His voice was deep and gravelly, intriguing me in the best way possible. "Lost it. Long night." He gave me a stiff, close-lipped smile.
"Ah." I rocked back on my heels, slapping my hands together. He flinched lightly at the sound. "Well, isn't it gettin' late!" I looked at my watch. 5:30 am. "Duty calls. See ya, neighbor." I sent him a flirty wink and practically ran away, fleeing the scene.
"I'm tellin' you, Nat! Never seen this man in broad daylight. He's either a night shift employee or a Tinder freak!" I balanced four waters on my tray as I walked in sync with her out of the kitchen. "Mornin' Folks! How we doin" today?" I painted on my million-dollar smile for the family in front of me, quickly collecting their orders before joining her once again.
"Sounds iffy to me. Never say nothing to you?"
"Nada. I said hi a few times when he moved in, but he never responded, so I just brushed it off and moved passed it. Such a shame, too. Lord forgive me for sayin', but that man's like a sin on Sunday. I can only imagine what lies beneath the leather jacket. And before you ask, do I know his name? No the fuck I don't!"
Natasha snorted, rolling her eyes as she put in her table's order. "Baby, I think you need Tinder. When's the last time you got some?"
I huffed. "Couldn't tell you. I don't think I've been out since I was kickin' it with Steve. He was such a good wingman. But he kept tryin' to set me up with his friend James, saying he was struggling to get into the dating scene." I rolled my eyes, air quoting the words.
"So he's short and ugly?" Nat smirked, speaking matter-of-factly.
"My best guess. Never agreed to it. God, maybe I should go out with him. Steve, I mean. I miss him." I sighed.
"See if he wants to go out tonight. Sam and Wanda might want to go. I need to get fucked." I let out a barking laugh, quickly sending a group thread.
"Alright. We're on a mission tonight, Team." Nat rubbed her hands together and made everyone get into a football huddle. Cold October air made goosebumps rise on my arms, and the fact that my outfit consisted of a skin-tight minidress and open-toe heels didn't offer much help. "Objective number one: Find Sabine a sexy hunk to take home. Try and find a quiet one, men should be seen and not heard, unless it's in bed." She snickered at her joke.
"I second that! I don't want a talker."
"Baby, if all goes well, you won't be doing much talking." She winked at me with a wicked smirk.
"Keep it classy, Nat." Steve scoffed, shoving her playfully.
"What did I just say?" Steve huffed, but obliged and stayed silent. "Objective number two: find Sam a girl so he'll stop textin' Wanda."
"I do not!" Sam whined, but refused to make eye contact.
"Now, let's drink." She jumped up, pulling us through the bouncers and straight into the madness. Strobe lights flashed over the crowd of people, sweaty bodies rubbing against one another. Blow by Kesha blasted from the speakers, drowning out the buzz of conversation and forcing everyone to yell. I beelined for the bar, ordering two rounds of shots for the five of us. I downed both and let out an excited scream, dragging Nat and Wanda to the dance floor.
The night was spent rubbing against the girls, jumping around like crazy, and getting more and more delusional about my dance moves the more shots entered my system. I briefly took the time to dance with the guys, but I never saw them in any other way than platonic. Steve was soft for Nat, and Sam was... well, he was just Sam. It wasn't long until the night was over and the close was near. People were slowly disappearing until there was only a small group left.
"Hey, baby." A long arm snaked around my waist from behind, pulling me towards him. I whipped my head around to see my ex boyfriend, Brock, smiling down at me. I frowned, rolling my eyes and attempting to pull away from his grasp, but he latched on tighter. He lowered his lips to my ear, his bottom lip ghosting along the shell. His voice made goosebumps rise on my skin. "Long time no see."
"Let's keep it that way." I flashed him a large, sarcastic smile and drove the point of my heel into his foot. He yelped, flipping me to face him and sending his palm into the side of my face. I gasped, grabbing my face and going to punch him, but the security guard beat me to it. In seconds, the muscled man had him on the floor and held his wrists with one hand. He yanked him up effortlessly, leading him to the EXIT sign. I watched wide-eyed as the man turned back to look at me, but I was met with the concerned face of my mysterious neighbor in a security uniform. He furrowed his eyebrows before turning back to Brock.
"Oh my god, are you alright?" Nat ran up to me, grabbing my chin and turning my head both ways for her to assess the damage before wrapping me in a tight hug. The left side of my face stung and felt tingly and numb. Sam and Steve were cluelessly walking out of the bathroom, furrowing their eyebrows when they saw the peculiar scene in front of them. I nodded slowly, too stunned to speak.
Damn. Neighbor boy looked good in his uniform.
"Ma'am?" I jumped when I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned to find him staring down at me with the same pained expression on his face.
"Uh-"
"Buck?" Steve looked at the man, both of their lips curling into a dorky smile when they saw each other. "You work here?" He leaned in to give him a friendly hug.
"Started a few months ago. My new flat is pretty close. You should swing by sometime." He looked back down at me. "I'll call you later, for now I gotta settle this before I have a lawsuit up my ass. Need you to come with me." He nodded down to me, clearing the mess of people and leading me out of the main floor and into the back office. I could still feel the vibrations of the music, but I now heard my thoughts running a mile a minute. He walked over to the other end of the desk, sitting across from me. His eyes glazed over my face, his eyebrows furrowed tightly.
"Is it bad?" I whispered, wincing as I grazed my fingers delicately across my cheek. The burn felt stronger as my face warmed under his gaze. I knew there were probably a few tears running down my face, but I was past the point of caring. He realized he was staring, jumping, and clearing his throat.
"No! Uh, no." He winced at his gruff words. "Just making sure you're okay."
Not the best lie I've heard.
I sighed. "You're names Buck?" I looked at his shirt, pulled tight over his thick, rippling muscles. The top didn't leave much to the imagination.
"Uh, James. Bucky's my nickname. Middle name, technically." He whispered the last part, pursing his lips and squinting when I pulled my hands into my lap. "You?"
"Sabine." I let out a shaky breath.
"I'm sorry." He looked down, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.
"For what?"
"I should've been there before he touched you. Kind of my job to prevent all this." He shook his head slightly, looking back up with an intense expression. "Let me give you a ride home. Least I can do."
"You don't have to do that!" I winced at the facial movement, a jolt of pain rising in my skin. "I'm sure Nat can take me."
He sighed. "Please, Sabine, let me do this." I let out a sigh of defeat. He looked so pitiful, biting his lip nervously.
"What did you say about a lawsuit?"
"In case he tries to press charges on me. You need to file a report, but I want to make sure you're safe before we do that." He stood up, muscles tensing as he stretched. He extended a hand out to me, helping me stand up without moving my hand. I could feel the heartbeat under my skin. I was suddenly very aware of the tiny black dress I was wearing. I could feel it ride up as I stood, and I struggled to pull it back down without exposing my chest. He paused, leaning back and grabbing his leather jacket off a coat rack, and passing it to me. I gave him a small smile and whispered thanks before pulling it over my shoulders. It hung low, a few sizes too big on my body, but it smelled like his cologne. Mature. Deep. Masculine. He walked with a quiet confidence, cool yet dominating. He scanned the perimeter for Brock, leading me with a reassuring hand on the small of my back.
His car was sexy. Blacked out Bentley with wooden interior. I raised my eyebrows slightly. "Fancy car for a security guard." He chuckled at that, steering us smoothly out of the parking lot and towards our apartment building.
"Wasn't always one." He mumbled, fiddling with the radio before he settled on soft rock. "Where are you from? Your accents not what I'm used to in the city."
"Georgia. Born and raised." I smiled softly, looking over at him as he cruised smoothly.
"Never been. I like it, though. Your voice, I mean." He paused, coughing awkwardly. His neck grew hot. "Sounds pretty." He whispered the last part.
I giggled at his nervous demeanor. "Thank you. You know, I was pretty surprised to find out my neighbor was the guy that Steve kept trying to set me up with for months."
"He did?" Bucky looked mortified. His features stayed gravely still.
"Mhm." I decided to tease him a little. "Told me he was a little awkward and quite the introvert. Not too slick with the ladies." I winked playfully. Bucky blinked slowly.
"He did?" He whispered, running a nervous hand through his hair, the other tapping against the wheel.
"Damn right he did. When he told me of all his lady troubles, I was picturing you about a foot shorter and whole lot less cute." I smirked.
He blew out a large breath, but bit down on his lip when I added the last detail. He looked at me through the corner of his eye. "Less? So you think I'm cute?"
"You heard me." I looked at the window as we pulled into the parking garage, the conversation dying as we made our way home. We sat comfortably in the elevator, the occasional ding filling the space.
"How did you know Brock?" He looked down at me, his hands stuffed in his pockets.
"Um, we dated in college. Met him when I started my clinicals. His dad was my professor." I licked my chapped lips.
"You went to NYU with Steve?" Suddenly curious, he pursed his lips.
"Yeah. How... did you know?" I faltered. He realized how it sounded and stuttered slightly.
"Uh, not in a creepy way. Just, Brock and I..." he paused. "We go back." His features stiffened.
"Oh." The door opened in front of us, and we walked slowly. I secretly wished we lived farther from the club.
"So, when did you meet Steve?" He paused in front of my door.
I smiled. "Senior year of undergrad. He was my lab partner."
"That makes sense."
"What does?"
"I would always go out with Steve and Sam, but I was deployed before you all met." I furrowed my eyebrows, still confused. "I would've remembered seeing a girl like you." He whispered. I smiled, suddenly aware of how tall he was, looking down at me with an unreadable expression.
"You're military?"
"Was. Marines." He winced, pausing before speaking again. "How I got this bad boy." He held up his left hand. I squinted, suddenly noticing the glint of grey metal through the long sleeve.
"I didn't notice." I whispered. "How far's it go?" I ghosted my fingers over the metallic palm, his body shuddering.
"Uh, all the way." He coughed, pulling back slightly, suddenly uncomfortable. "Well, you should get some sleep. I'm here if you need me." He gave me a tense smile before turning around. I sighed nervously, hesitating to go inside. I looked at my door dreadfully.
"...James?" He turned around, looking at me expectantly. My lips pouted lightly, my body nervous. "M'scared." I looked down at my heels.
"Scared of what?" He turned to me fully, speaking with a soft tone. I looked back up at him, and the tender look he held made the tears welling finally fall down my face.
"He knows where I live." I bit the side of my cheek harshly, wiping my face before he could focus on the tears. He said nothing, turning away and unlocking his door. I frowned until he faced me again and held an arm out to motion me inside. I gave him a weak smile and walked into the darkness.
He followed behind, switching the light on and illuminating the neat apartment. The layout was similar to mine, except for the large window in the living area. The place was minimal and tidy, but it felt cozy all the same. Bucky tossed his keys on the counter, walking straight for the kitchen.
"Can I get you anything? Water, tea, whiskey. All I really got." He rummaged through the fridge. "You hungry?"
"Water's good. Thanks." I pulled the leather jacket off my shoulders and kicked my shoes off in the corner. His walls were covered with books, shelves dipping under the weight. "Quite the reader, huh?" I bent down and glanced over the titles. I smiled when I saw Charlotte's Web. He walked up behind me, glass in hand.
"Yeah. Steve didn't lie about me being quite the introvert. Books are better than people." He passed the glass to me, and I took it with a smile, sipping it slowly.
"Whatcha readin' now?" He smiled widely, excited to talk about his interests.
"A Gentleman in Moscow. A man on house arrest in a hotel, watching the russian revolution happen from a window. Just started it." He looked out the window, watching cars filter through the street.
"Sounds intriguing. I'm more of a movie girl myself. I love film." I looked up at his face, focused on the moon. He looked down at me with a relaxed face.
"What's you're favorite movie?"
I blushed, embarrassed to answer. "Almost Famous. I know, boring."
"It's not boring. I don't think I've ever seen it." We faced each other, dangerously close.
"You'd like it. Best soundtrack. Rock music, drugs, groupies, mental illness. Pretty much sums up the 70's." He snorted at that, giving me a dorky smile.
"And how would you know?" He whispered, squinting at me. I set my water glass down on the table next to me, eyes not looking away from his. I smirked, shrugging teasingly.
"Lucky guess," I whispered. We stood there, mere inches apart. I could feel his warm breath on my face. His eyes searched my face for any hesitation, but found none. Before I knew it, his lips were crashing into mine, his right arm wrapping against my waist and pulling me close. I gasped, but pulled him down toward my face with my arms wrapped around his neck. His tongue grazed my bottom lip, and I happily granted him access. I felt him run his tongue across my top teeth, moaning as he did. He smiled into me at that.
I pulled away, his face confused but quickly shocked as I grabbed his metal arm and wrapped it around my waist. "You sure?" I nodded before kissing him again. "Don't. Wanna. Hurt. You." He spoke in between breaths.
"I trust you." I pulled away and looked him in the eyes. "Now you gon fuck me or no?" I stared at him with a bold expression. He chuckled, shocked at my blunt words.
"What fool would say no to that?" He mumbled before pushing me back against the wall, hands gliding down to my ass, giving it a nice squeeze. I sighed, and his lips pressed up against my neck. I felt him ghost my earlobe pausing slightly.
"Been holding myself back, y'know? Been hard to keep my eyes off you every morning, walking out of here on those jeans that fit you so well." I yelped as his hands yanked my thighs into his grip, holding me in the air.
"That so?" I smiled cockily, kissing him roughly and pulling his bottom lip back with my teeth. He sucked in a deep breath, suddenly walking swiftly to the hallway. He held me with one hand as though I weighed nothing, the other opening the door. He turned the light on, facing me and backing me up against the bed. I felt my knees hit the mattress, and I fell down to a sitting position in front of him. He towered over me, ripping off his long sleeve to expose his muscled torso, tight six pack on full display. I sighed in content, watching the way his muscles flexed as he moved. He chuckled at my response, reaching his flesh hand out and holding my cheek. I winked at him, and he wiped his thumb against my bottom lip. His face was stiff, jaw clenched.
"When Steve told me about his little friend, the pretty blonde with bambi eyes, I'll admit I was intrigued." He squinted his eyes. "But I knew she wouldn't amount to the doll living next door." His metal arm twitched. I watched in awe, the prosthetic having full mobility just like his other arm.
"You think I'm a doll?" I teased, watching him undo his jeans with a blank expression. His ability to go unreadable excited me. I glanced at the dog tags around his neck curiously.
"You're perfect." He threw his belt to the side, pausing to look at me. "Most beautiful woman I've ever seen." He spoke so sincerely that I felt myself stutter over the honesty.
He held out both hands for me to grab, helping me to my feet. "Now this," he reached behind me and found my dress zipper. "Needs to go." He pulled me into his chest, slowly dragging the zipper down. I reached back, pulling his hands away and grabbing the bunched-up dress, pulling it down my body without breaking eye contact. He licked his lips at the sight of my breasts falling free, the only thing left being my black underwear. He blew a piece of hair out of his eyes, taking in my curves with a smile.
"Beautiful." All he mumbled before leaning down to kiss me, tangling his large hands in my hair. His metal hand felt cold on my burning scalp. I slid my hands across his abs, up across his chest, and around his neck. He groaned when I tugged softly at the hair close to his neck, pulling away to toss me onto the bed. I giggled, leaning on my elbows as he kicked off his jeans, standing in nothing but a pair of navy boxers. His imprint was huge, and I could already tell it was going to be a tight fit. I licked my lips wickedly, smiling as he climbed over me.
He leaned up on his knees, straddling me with an intense look in his eyes. "You sure you want this?" His hand ran through his hair.
"Without a doubt." I batted my eyes at him.
"Fuck me." He whispered before kissing me roughly. His tags grazed my neck lightly. He pulled away, moving his lips against my neck until I let out a whiny moan. He smirked, focusing on that one spot and biting down. I groaned, hand running across his firm bicep and squeezing. He pulled away with a smug look. "You like 'em?" He flexed his arm in front of me. I rolled my eyes at his cockiness, but the sight made my panties soak even more. I rubbed my legs together. He noticed, laughing breathlessly. "Take that as a yes."
"Oh-" I was cut off when he pulled one of my nipples in his mouth, twirling the other one with his hand. I moaned needily, arching my back against the mattress. My skin felt as if it were on fire, my core throbbing painfully. "Please, Bucky."
"Yes, baby?" He looked up at me, and I almost died at the sight before me. His hair was messy, face flushed as he let go of my nipple, still kneading my other breast. "Tell me, what do you want?" He kissed my sternum.
"Touch me. Please." I whispered, breathing shakily.
"As you wish, darlin'." He winked with a smile before dragging his hand down, pulling the elastic of my underwear back, and letting it slap against my skin. I gasped, jumping in surprise. He chuckled, body traveling down until I felt his breath on my thigh. "Soaked through." He pressed his cheek into my inner thigh, dangerously close to my pussy. I sucked in a sharp breath. "This all for me?"
I nodded, grabbing the blanket under me with my nails. He pulled back. "I asked you a question. Use your words."
"Yes." I huffed, biting my lip in anticipation.
"Good girl." I moaned at the nickname. Bucky pushed my legs up, gliding from the outer sides and up, slowly pulling down my underwear. I exhaled loudly when the cold air hit my pulsing heat. "Beautiful." He mumbled before diving in.
His tongue was wicked, and he knew just how to use it. I let out a string of curses when he wrapped his lips around my swollen clit, sucking lightly before pulling away and moving his attention elsewhere. I groaned when I felt the roughness of his fingertips graze across my clit, moving down and teasing my entrance.
He slowly inserted one finger, his other hand holding my thigh still. His pace was slow and torturous. I wanted to say something, but all I could do was gasp when he inserted a second finger. His fingers were thick and long, and felt much better than my own. His hand fucked into me at a steady pace, mouth focused on my clit, drawing figures across and applying the perfect pressure.
"Oh my god," I moaned, biting into my bottom lip harshly. I tangled my hands into his hair, tugging roughly. He let out a feral groan at the feeling, and I gasped as he vibrated into me. I yanked his head back, looking down at his soaked stubble. It turned me on even more. "Need you. In me. Now." He smiled, pulling his fingers out and licking them clean.
He watched me the entire time. "So sweet." He whispered, pulling my knees apart and breathing heavily. "Been dreaming of this. Of you." He pulled his boxers down, freeing his large, bobbing cock. I gasped at the size, angry and red with anticipation. He chuckled at my reaction. He leaned forward, pressing a slow, tender kiss to my lips. I smiled lazily as he pulled away, wrapping my hand around his tip. His entire body shook, breath gravely still. "Fuck."
I giggled, gliding my hand up and down a few times, watching his jaw clench tightly. "Now you gon fuck me or no?" I whispered, repeating my words from earlier.
"Better than you've ever been before." I rolled my eyes at his confidence.
"That's bold. I have high expectations." I winked at him, whimpering when his tip grazed my entrance.
"Make them higher." He said sternly before pushing his hard length into me, drawing out a choked moan. He blew out a large breath, grabbing my thighs and pulling my legs to wrap around his body. He held still for a moment, letting me get used to his size. "You okay?" His eyes looked into mine intensely.
"Mhm. I trust you." I whispered.
"I need a yes or no, sweetheart." He furrowed his brows.
"God, yes." He smiled, pulling his hips back slowly and pushing back into me deep. I was breathless, the sheer size of him and the feeling of him on top of me making my thoughts fuzzy. I wrapped my arms around his large back, hands grasping at his shoulders. He maintained eye contact with me, both of our eyes closing occasionally. His rhythm was slow and deep, stretching me in a way I've never felt before. My breath was gone, sucking in a deep breath when he moved faster. His hips snapped against mine, surely leaving a mark in the morning.
"Feel good, baby?" He whispered in my ear, sending goosebumps down my back, and I arched into him. One hand held the small of my back, positioning me so he could go deeper. The other propped on his elbow over my head, his head falling next to mine as he rocked into me. I moaned loudly, nails digging into his shoulder harshly as I felt my orgasm building. He groaned, pulling his hand away from my back and grabbing my thigh, lifting one leg up to rest on his shoulder. I screamed at the new angle, my senses overloaded.
"Better than I could ever imagine." He mumbled, lips brushing against my jaw. I felt tears gather in the corner of my eyes, biting down on my bottom lip as he pounded into me. He opened his eyes, immediately slowing down and pulling my face towards his concerned one. "Hey, what's wrong? Did I hurt you?" His face went white at the thought.
"No, God. Feels s'good." I tapped his arm. "Keep going. Please, Buck." I whined, letting out a choked sob when he rammed into me, quickening up to the same intensity as before. His calloused thumb wiped my tears away, holding my face gently.
"Doin' so good for me, aren't you?" He whispered with a smile, kissing a few straw tears away. "Fuck baby, I'm close." He tried his best to keep up, but his movements grew slightly more frantic. I dug my nails into his back even harder, surely drawing blood but he couldn't be bothered to care.
"Oh god," I breathed, screaming as I came, white hot pleasure surging through my veins. I bit down on his shoulder, eyebrows tight as I clenched around him. He continued to fuck hard, dragging my orgasm out longer until I was quivering. I threw my head back, gasping heavily when he pulled out of me, jerking off roughly to get his own release. I replaced his hands with my own, twisting my wrist and pumping him until he moaned and came all over my stomach, some hitting my breasts. I slowed my movements when I felt him come down, hand dropping to my side.
We both were breathing heavily, sweat coating our bodies. He threw his head back, taking a large breath before looking down at me. I gave him a lazy smile, too exhausted to care that his cum was dripping between my breasts. He groaned at the sight, closing his eyes and relishing in the moment.
After catching our breath, he slowly pulled himself off of me, climbing out of the bed and walking to the bathroom. I admired his bare ass and smirked when I noticed the deep red lines on his back. I could hear him shuffling around, coming back with a baby wipe. He gave me a gentle smile as he cleaned my thighs, his touch featherlight. He then cleaned my chest, getting up once more to toss the wipe and pull his boxers back on.
In all honesty, his lack of words scared me. "I can leave if you want," I mumbled, looking down at my bare thighs. He whipped his head around, looking right at me.
"What? No." He walked over to me, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I didn't mean this as just sex." He played with my hair as I looked up at him.
"Oh." I whispered, embarrassed for bringing it up in the first place.
"Is... that what you want? Just sex?" He whispered, pursing his lips.
"No! I just... I'm not used to guys wanting me to stay after it's over." I stared at him, waiting for him to lash out and decide he hates me and wants me out.
"I will always want you to stay over." He stated firmly, grabbing my hand and squeezing it. I smiled brightly, squeezing his hand. "I'm gonna go get some water. If you want clothes, feel free to help yourself. Although god knows I prefer you without them." He winked, pressing a kiss to my cheek before standing up and walking out of the room. I giggled at him, admiring his room. Only now I notice the smell of his clean sheets, and the way all his clothes were organized by color in the open closet. Clothes. I shuddered, goosebumps rising on my bare skin.
I heard the tap running in the kitchen. I stood up, legs like jelly, carrying me weakly to the closet. I grazed my hands along the fabrics until I paused on a soft blue Henley. Smiling, I pulled it off the hanger and over my body, sighing at the feeling.
I used the restroom, running my hands through my hair in the mirror and detangling all the knots. I looked like a mess. My makeup was smudged, and I had a small trail of mascara dragging down my cheeks. I washed it off the best I could, looking up when I saw him walk back into the room. He smiled when he saw what I chose.
"Don't you look good?" He mumbled, passing me the glass I had earlier, only now it was full. "Drink. You need it."
I obliged, finishing the glass and earning a kiss on the cheek. He groaned, wrapping his strong arms around me and pulling me into his warmth. I accepted happily, letting him engulf me.
"Steve lied to me," I mumbled against his collarbone. He chuckled, and I could feel the vibration.
"How's that?" He pulled away, grabbing my hand and heading me to the bed. He sat down, pulling me to stand between his legs. I held the sides of his face, feeling the prickle of his stubble on my palms. He looked up at me with adoring eyes.
"Said you weren't good with the ladies. Seems to me like you're pretty smooth." I winked, and he scoffed loudly.
"Leave it to Steve." He kissed my palm, grabbed my waist, and flipped me to lie on the bed. I squealed happily, laughing when I landed. He pulled the covers back, climbing under and holding out his arms for me to climb into. I nuzzled happily into him, wrapping my arm around his beefy chest and burying my head in his side. My leg pulled up and wrapped around his thigh. "Light on or off?" He whispered, motioning to the lamp next to him.
"Off," I mumbled. He flipped the switch, and the room grew dark, only I felt everything but dark.
"Is this a bad idea?" Belle bit her lip nervously, Tyler guiding them through the moonlit rooftop. They were completely alone, as the rooftop patio was closed at 11:00 pm. It was 2:00 am.
"This is a fuckin' amazing idea." He stopped in front of the jacuzzi, the bubbles rolling softly. He turned to her, kissing her softly. His hands ran up her thighs, scooping the hem of her dress in her hands. The air was crisp and cool, unlike the blazing daylight heat. She shivered lightly as the sweat on her body suddenly chilled her even more. His hands pulled her dress up slowly, exposing her bright cherry-red lacy bra and panty set. He whistled lowly.
She smirked, tying her hair up into a ponytail without breaking eye contact. Only when she was finished did she look away to climb into the steaming water below them. He yanked off his button-up, jeans following suit. Once he was in nothing but his boxers, he followed her in and sat down beside her.
Both sat in a comfortable silence, leaning back and watching the stars. His arm rested behind her head, and she settled into the crook of his neck, body leaning back against him. "I'm really proud of you." Tyler whispered, looking at her with a soft smile. She looked up at him with raised eyebrows.
"For what?"
"Tonight. You looked magical." He traced her jawline with his fingers. "You were a true natural."
She smiled widely, completely genuine. "Thank you, Ty." He had a strange look on his face. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah I just.." he sighed. "Come here baby." He reached over, gently guiding her body on top of his, sitting in his lap facing him. Her hands clasped around the nape of his nexk, the hairs slightly damp.
"Hey handsome." She smiled, pushing her hands through his hair, messing with it. He didn't mind one bit.
"Hi beautiful." He stared at her, eyes squinted in focus.
"What're you thinkin' about?"
"You." He spoke so casually, not missing a beat. She bit down on her lip giddily.
"Well aren't you quite the charmer. How'd it go with your manager?" He bit down on his lip, hesitating before speaking.
"Goin' good." He wasn't sure how well Marlene's conversation would go over with her, anf that is a can of worms he wasn't quite ready to open up. "All smooth sailing." He dragged his hand across her collarbone, outlining her faint, jagged scar. For the first time, she wasn't nervous about someone seeing it. She caught him looking at it many times, and he always had a distant look in his eyes when he did.
"What was your mom like?" He looked up at her with a soft expression. The question caught he roff guard, slightly breathless.
"Um, she uh," Belle licked her lips. "She was a lot. I think... she was my dad's karma for all the bad things he had done. Settling with the woman version of himself."
"...How'd she die?" He whispered, hoping he hadn't crossed some type of morally grey line.
"He threw her down the stairs." She sucked in a breath. "Broke her neck." He hummed, watching her intently.
"Seriously Ty, is everything okay? You're bein' real weird." Her hands rested on his cheeks, eyes staring into his. His palms pressed into her back, kneading the skin softly.
"I love you."
"What?" Her eyes widened, and suddenly her throat felt completely dry. Her stomach pooled with angst, the feeling of her skin bubbling suddenly much more noticeable.
"I love you. God, I've waited so long to say that, you know? I love you!" He smiled widely, trailing off in his own bliss too far to notice her panic.
"No, you don't." She curled into herself, pulling her arms away from him and wrapping them around herself. His eyes widened, finally processing her withdrawal.
"Hey!" His hands held her in place, even as she tried to scoot off of him. "I'm, God I'm sorry. Shit! That was too fast. Fuck me." He blew out a shaky breath. All the confidence he had built up had crumbled away, leaving him completely vulnerable and visibly hurt.
"You, you don't love me. You can't." She gasped for air, breathing speeding up.
"W-what do you mean I can't?" He furrowed his brows, eyes wide. "I do. I love you. I. Love. You." He now put his hands on her cheeks, mirroring her acrtion before. Here eyes were wide, growing red and worried.
"You just can't! I'm damaged goods Tyler!" She yelled, frustrated at his attempts to soothe her. Her hands kept him pushed away.
"You really think that?" He felt his heart fall down to the ground, weighing him down with an overwhelming sense of dread. "You are not damaged." He spoke softly, words clear and slow.
"Yes I am." Tears fell down her cheeks, and she looked to the side shamefully.
"You, Annabelle, are not damaged. You may not be perfect, God knows I ain't. But you are perfect for me, I'm sure of it. I love every part of you. The good, the bad, and the ugly."
She bit down harshly on her lip, wincing when she drew blood. His hands forced her head up, and she looked into his eyes, They were full of emotion. "My ugly can be really hard to love." She whispered, voice so faint he could barely hear her.
"Good thing I like a challenge." He wiped her tears gently.
"You.. you really love me?" Dhe questioned his suspiciously, lips puffy. He laughed breathlessly.
"More than you could ever know. Was the five different confessions of my feelings not enough to convince you?" He poked playfully, earning a small giggle. He smirked victoriously. He always knew how to change her mood.
"I love you too." She whispered softly, looking at him nervously.
"Thank god. Really left me there hangin' honey." She snorted, leaning forward to kiss him. It felt so different, glorious to kiss him knowing how he felt about her. It was like their souls were now tied together, and nothing could break them apart. She pulled away, wrapping him in a relaxed hug. His hand cradled her head, rubbing her temples softly. She listened to his steady heartbeat, inhaling his fresh manly scent before pulling herself up again.
"You know.. this isn't how I imagined tonight going. At all." She pulled her hair out of the ponytail, shaking it out. the ends soaked up the chlorine water, roots messy.
"How did you imagine tonight to go, my love?" He gave her a smug grin.
"Well, I did buy a new set, if that says anything." She smirked, looking down at her red bra and panties. He blew out a sharp breath.
"I'd say there's still time for us to attend to this plan, you know?" He smiled wider, hands travelling from her face down to the straps on her shoulders. He hooked his finger under, gliding down until he found the small bow where the cup connected. "How cute."
He played with the nimble bow before dropping it and pulling her waist closer to him. She giggled, leaning forward to catch his lips in a steamy kiss. She moved against him smoothly, his mouth leaving hers to trail across her jawline. She shuddered when they ghosted past the shell of her ear.
"You look incredibly sexy in red." He whispered in her ear, kissing doftly down her throat. She gasped, his hands reaching behind her and popping her bra open effortlessly. Her eyes widened quickly.
"What if someone sees us?" She whipped her head around frantically. He laughed to himself.
"Roof is closed, member?" He tapped lighly on her head. She rolled her eyes, scanning one last time before turning back to him and letting him peel her bra off and fling it over the side of the railing. Her nipples grew hard instantly, the cold air hitting the sensitive skin. They stoof proudly, desperate for his touch. "God, I love your boobs."
He leaned down and pressed a trail of kisses down the valley of her breasts, catching of of her nipples in her mouth, rolling his tongue around the bud. She gasped, groaning lightly. He pinched the other one between his fingers. He continued to knead her breasts and assault her nipples until he felt her hips unconsciously grinding down onto his clothed cock. He was rock hard under his boxers. He pulled his lips away from her body, looking her in the eye as he slid his hand down into her panties. She whimpered when he slid a gentle finger against her throbbing clit, puffy folds soaking wet and ready for him.
She yanked his hand away, grinning mischeviously as she pressed it back into his chest and reaching down to pull his pulsing length out of his boxers. He gasped breathlessly as she pumped him slowly, delicately circling his tip with her thumb. "O-Oh fuck." He whispered, eyebrows furrowed in focus. His hands grabbed at her breasts once again as she pumped his cock antagonizingly slow. "Baby, please."
She smiled, pulling her hand away and propping herself up over him, Pulling her panties to the side, she sunk down on him with a low moan. Her walls sucked him in effortlessly, the pressure almost being too much on her tight cunt. He let out a quiet moan, giving her a starstuck look when she pulled herself up, sinking down gently once again. She took a few thrusts to adjust, but she quickly found a rhythm, rocking steadily in his lap. She pressed her forehead against his, lips parted with pleasure.
"God, you feel so good. So good." He mumbled, grabbing her ass cheeks and guiding her softly. She sped up the pace, moaning as she felt his dick twitch inside of her. He grumbled softly under her. His hands pawed at her soft breasts, playing softly with her delicate nipples. The bounced lightly with her body.
"You're so big, Ty." She gasped, whispering in his ear as she rested her head on his shoulder. Her body bounced relentlessly against him, her hands gripping his shoulders for support. He moaned loudly, pulling her against his skin and helping her move even faster. One hand was tangled in her hair, the other on the small of her back. The feeling of her breasts dragging against his chest drove his absolutely mad. He pulled away slightly from her only to bury his face in between her breasts, leaving bruises on her delicate skin.
Belle let out a string of curses, face flushed as she fucked him fast, both of them close. Her stomach was wound tightly, hands wrapped around his neck as she held onto his body. "God. Tyler! I'm so close. You feel that?" She laughed lightly, referring the the feeling of her clenching desperately around his cock. She moaned shakily, feeling the tightness pull her body so close the edge.
"Cum for me baby. I want to feel you cum on me. Takin' me so good." He bit down on her nipple, making her cry out loudly. "You gonna come on my dick? Your pretty pussy fucking me so well."
He dipped his hand down, rubbing harshly on her throbbing clit. Belle sobbed lightly, eyes tearing up from the pleasure. That was all it took for her mind to go blank, the coil inside her snapping so harshly that her entire body went stiff as she cried out loudly. Tyler used his hands to bounce her hips, groaning before cumming inside of her, filling her the the brim. He fucked her hard, hips ramming up into her. Her legs shook violently, lips quivering but she didnt dare ask him to stop. Only when they both had worked through their orgasm did he slow down, holding her still on his warm cock for a moment before pulling out. She winced lightly at the feeling, and she could tell she was going to be sore for the next day or two. Tyler smiled blissfully, wiping the spashed water off of her red cheeks.
"Annabelle?" Tyler brushed the loose hairs from Belle's face. Her eyes blinked open slowly, squinting from the golden sun glaring through the windshield. She smiled softly when she spotted his sweet grin in front of her. "Wake up baby, we're here." He kissed her on the cheek before exiting the car. He jogged around to help her tired body out of the passenger seat that had turned into her bed for the last six hours.
"What time is it?" She wiped her eyes, yawning loudly. Her joints were stiff and they cracked as she stretched. They stood in a gloomy parking garage, the sun bursting through the side.
"Almost seven." Tyler loaded their bags out of the backseat of the truck, carrying them easily by himself, Belle only carrying her pillow, blanket, and water bottle. "Gotta hurry and check in." She nodded lazily, following him to the elevator. her eyes were hazy and dry from her long sleep. When Tyler had proposed the weekend trip to her, she almost laughed in his face. It took him at least a week to convince her, only persuading her with the promise of Emmalee taking her shifts and Wade practically shoving her out the door. Knowing that he had to come anyway to meet with their PR manager helped push her over the edge.
She followed him absentmindedly, watching silently as he interacted with the hotel staff and collecting the keys to their room. The lobby was small and dim, but classy. There was a cocktail bar attached to the side, and the breakfast bar was on the floor above them. Her brain seemed to check out, only following the flexing of his back muscles as he carried her uneccessarily heavy bags without one complaint.
Her body practically collapsed into the ginormous bed. She sighed happily, fully intending on falling back asleep. "Hot damn. Would you look at that." Tyler whistled loudly, whisking the curtains open to let the warm sun in.
"Your melting me!" She groaned, ducking under the blanket to hide from the harsh glow.
"C'mere babydoll. Look at this view." He turned to her with a smile, and she sighed before pulling the blanket around her and joining him in front of the window. She winced from the bright sky, but she gasped lightly. Her hands immediately wrapped around him, head tucked into his side.
The cityscape was like nothing she had ever seen before. She had barely ever left the countryside of Oklahoma, and now they were nestled in the heart of downtown Austin. "It's beautiful."
"We're goin' out." Ty turned to face her, a mischevious smile on his face. "I'm gonna go find some drinks for us, take your time and get ready. We're having fun tonight." He winked before kissing her cheek and searching for his wallet. "You want anything specific?"
"Surprise me." He smiled before leaving to find the nearest liquor store. She sighed happily, enjoying the peace and quiet to get ready by herself. As much as she appreciated Tyler's attention and curiosity when she is using different products, she enjoys doing her makeup without him asking what everything is for.
She was sitting on the bathroom counter working on her eyeliner when Tyler arrived with a six pack of corona and some candies he saw that he knew she liked. "Well aren't you lookin' good?" He leaned against the counter, watching her draw a careful line away from her eye.
"You're one to talk." She turned to give him a quick kiss.
"What do you got left to do?" He played with her hair.
"Gotta finish my makeup and curl my hair. Heatin' my iron up now." They both looked down at the wand plugged in by her side.
"Let me help." He had a giddy look in his eyes, and she knew she couldn't turn him down. He was like a sweet little kid.
"Alright. You wanna do my hair for me?" She turned to him with her eyebrows raised.
"Okay," he picked up the wand but quickly paused. "How do I do it?"
She giggled under her breath, guiding him to hold the tool correctly. "First off, your gonna hold it up like this." Her arm held his hand steady. "And this hand," she took his other hand, "wraps a piece of hair around."
Tyler carefully wrapped a piece of hair, following her instructions. His grip was so gentle, she could barely feel him. After a few seconds, he it go just like he had seen her do many times before.
"Perfect."
🌪️
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Belle bit nervously at the side of her lip, staring up at Tyler with big eyes.
"It's an amazin' idea!" He spoke animatedly, waving his arms around.
Both were tipsy, hopping around downtown after pregaming in the hotel room. The city was in full swing, loud music pounding everywhere you go.
"If you say so." She blew a piece of hair out of her face, tapping her boots nervously on the sticky wooden floor of the bar. Her jitters growing stronger as the woman performing seemed to be neaing the end of her performance, meaning that it was almost Belle's turn to go up. She had drunkenly, stupidly decided to sign up for a kareoke on a moment of poor judgement, but now she sat stone cold sober and dreaded what was coming for her.
The lanky brunette finished her song with a laugh, stumbling slightly under the influence. The audience clapped loudly, most of them lost in the bottom of their own glass and dancing around without a care in the world. She looked back nervously at Tyler, who stood with a shit eatingg rin on his face and a shot in each hand. "Liquid courage." He passed the drink to her. She hesitated lightly, but when the host called her name to come up, she downed it without a second thought before bouncing up the stairs with warmth pooling in her stomach.
"What're you singin' darlin'?" He turned to her with a grin, the audience now off in their own conversation.
"Fake ID." She grinned. She didn't know if it was the nerves or the fake confidence making her so toothy.
"Ain't that a fun one?" He winked at her before turning to the sound station and dialing up the lyrics for the tv across the room in her view. He turned back to face her. "You ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
The music pumped loudly through the speakers, catching the attention of the audience who now turned to face her. She swallowed the lump in her throat, swaying her hips lightly and holding the mic with one hand. Following along with the lyrics, her voice was cautious and quiet at first, but she eventually gained confidence as she found her harmoney and sang loudly. People cheered loudly as she stomped and twilred around, her hair flying wild around her head. Tyler admired her, the girl who was completely in her element on the stage, a crazed, lively smile on her face.
What both of them failed to notice was the man in the corner recording her on his laptop.
🌪️
"Views are tanking, Ty. You need to switch your content up way more." Marlene sat across from him, scrolling through his channel's analytics on her screen. He winced as the world left her mouth, damp hand wiping nervously against his jeans. While he expected her to point out the obvious, he was hoping for a little more mercy. She had already torn him a new one over the phone. "What is goin' on with you?"
She clasped her perfectly manicure dhands together, facing him with a frown. Her firy red hair was tucked into a french pin, and her glasses seemed to slip down thr bridge of her nose was too often. "Nothin's going on. Just been a little... preoccupied." He scratched the back of his neck with a grimace.
Marlene groaned loudly. "Ty. Your channel is built off of you moving around and following these storms. You gotta actually move to get views. The last handful of posts have all been in the same town followin' the same storms. Your live streams are just you answering questions and doing stupid shit with a drunk Boone."
"I'm wrapped up, Mar. You understand where I'm coming from? I just," he bit down on his lip, struggling to find the words. "I feel at home there. I ain't ready to leave."
"You got a girl." She smirked wickedly. He didn't answer.
"I'm happy for you, really. But think of the your future." She hesitated to say what was really on her mind. "You have no degree. If the channel tanks, you will be jobless. What I am suggesting is that you get back on the road again and make a damn video. A real one. With humor, excitement, and thrill." He winced as she spoke, the reminder of his failures cutting deeper into him even more.
"I know it's not what you want, but if you keep going at this rate, you will have nothing left. What is more important to you? Your life and future, or a girl?"
a/n:
long time no see :( i know it's been a minute, but i am not joking when i say uni is kicking my ass. silver lining is i am back and a stronger writer than ever! hope to see you soon 😈
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Tyler coughed nervously, looking down at the boots he had yet to take off. Belle sighed, reaching out to touch his lip but decided against it. He still looked like he didn't want to see her. Tyler couldn't deny the dejected feeling that grew in his stomach when her hand dropped in front of him.
"Ty, I'm so sorry." She whispered watching him close his eyes and sigh softly. "I swear to God, I don't want anything to do with Scott."
"I saw him tonight." Tyler sucked in a shaky breath pinching his eyebrows together. "Said you were talkin'." He stepped to the side, letting her walk into the room. He dragged his hand through his hair, watching her sit down on the edge of the bed, still wearing his shirt. He could tell she was crying, her cheeks puffy and red. She still looked so beautiful.
"I promise you, I never texted Scott a day in my life. He makes me uncomfortable and I would never ever," she sighed, "ever get with him."
"Maybe you should." Tyler wiped his hand over his face.
"What?"
"He's the full package. A degree, a job," he hesitated to say what he was truly thinking. "A future." They sat in stunned silence, Tyler focusing on the back of his eyelids.
"What are you saying? I don't want Scott." She stood up, shaking her head incredulously.
"Why not?" He started to grow angry, huffing to himself. He truly didn't believe what he was saying, but he knew that Scott had a much more promising path ahead of him than Tyler did.
"Why not? Scott is an ass! Why are you saying this?" She raised her voice subtly, matching his tone.
"I can't give you anything, Annabelle!" Tyler yelled loudly, face growing red with his anger and insecurity showing. She sat there, shocked by his tone. He was breathing heavily, eyes watering as his lip began to bleed.
"And what do I give to you?" Her eyes blurred with tears, growing frustrated at his lack of understanding. "I have absolutely nothing to offer to you and you still manage to love me the same way I love you!" Her voice cracked, tears breaking her down into soft sniffles.
"That's not true," Tyler whispered, looking down and wiping his eyes. If there was even a single tear, there was no way he would let her see him cry.
"Yes, it is!" She walked up to him, holding his cheeks in her hands and forcing him to look at her. His face was crestfallen and his eyes were dark and angry, the purple ring around it growing stronger by the minute. "Don't you see? We give what we get." He dropped down to sit on the edge of the bed, Belle standing between his legs with her hands still on her cheeks.
"It's not the same." He whispered, pulling her hands into his and looking her in the eye. "You have everything to offer. You're the best person I've ever met. I don't deserve what you have to give."
She blinked her tears away, wiping the fresh blood from his chin with her shirt. "What is it that I have that you don't? You have proven me time and time again that I can trust you to value me, to protect me, to understand me. I'm laying out my heart right now, and you need to know that there is nothing more that I have to give that you don't."
"That's not true." He spoke more firmly this time, holding her hands tightly. "The first thing think of when I wake up is you and my last thoughts before going to bed are about you. I can't go more than a minute without thinking about you and it makes me feel so goddamn happy."
"You think I don't feel the same? I may have not realized it before, but I am so in love with you that it hurts. Nobody had ever made me feel so appreciated without having to ask. I get excited being able to see you and I ache for you when we're apart. You have everything to offer, Tyler." He closed his eyes, feeling tears well up. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her torso tightly, her arms closing around his head. They stayed like this for a long time, simply enjoying the touch of one another. The steady feeling of her heartbeat thumped in his ear calming him a considerable amount.
"M'sorry." He whispered into her chest, his shirt clinging to her skin. Her fingers dragged through his hair, tussling the blonde locks.
"I'm sorry too." She mumbled, resting her chin on the top of his head. His grip was still tight around her waist, head buried into her chest.
"I don't want to share you. I can't stand the idea of you with Scott." He pulled back, resting his hands on her hips as he looked up at her. She traced her finger across the purpling skin on his face, feeling the healing scratch on his cheek starting to break open.
"You ain't sharin' me, I promise." She raised her eyebrows, smiling for the first time since she arrived.
"You're my girl." He smirked, wincing when his lip stretched a little too far. She giggled at his reaction. "I'm yours, baby." She smiled brightly, pressing a kiss to the uninjured side of his mouth.
"Your girl." She breathed the words out, pressing her lips together and smiling. "I like the sound of that." He smiled as wide as he could.
"So do I, darlin'." He tucked her stray hairs away from her face, leaning back to lie down and pulling her with him. She squealed, sitting on top of him as he looked up at her. He closed his eyes, sighing heavily and running his hands through his hair before they returned to her hips. "I hate this damn room." He huffed before looking around.
To be fair, there wasn't much to like. The carpet was yellow and grimy, matching the yellow and pink floral bedsheets. There were rings of smoke burned into the ceiling, even though there was a no-smoking sign next to the bed. The fan seemed to rattle above them, and the lamp on the nightstand refused to turn on.
"Why don't we go back to my apartment?" She raised her eyebrows, tracing his abs under his brown button-up. He pretended to be lost in thought, tapping his finger against his head while looking up with a smile.
"Tempting offer. I better bring clothes this time." He winked before gently rolling her to the side, standing up, and digging through his red duffel bag. Quickly, he pulled out a navy blue crewneck and a pair of grey sweatpants. He turned to smile at her, admiring how she curled into the bed. He walked up to her, throwing her over his shoulder effortlessly. She laughed loudly, grappling onto his torso as she hung upside down. He grabbed the room key and her purse with his other hand.
Once the door was closed, he set Belle down on her feet gently and grabbed her hand, his truck keys in the other. They walked with their hands intertwined down the hall and jogged down the staircase. It was ironic, her fully expecting to leave here in tears. Now they were leaving together, only to go back to her place.
Things had a funny way of working themselves out.
She looked up at his face as they walked. His normally tucked-back hair was floppy and hung in his face, eyebrows scrunched in the darkness. The bruising on his face was only going to get worse, as it was very dark already. What was with this man and getting himself hurt?
He unlocked the truck from his key fab, swinging the passenger door open and helping her climb in. Once she was buckled in, he slammed the door and jogged to his side, pulling himself up like he had down a million times before. The clothes in his hand and her purse found their way to the backseat, his hand finding its home on her thigh. He rolled every window down, turned the radio on low, and peeled out of the parking lot.
Walking through the front door of her apartment felt almost surreal, the sight of her barren home dark and empty. Her brain kept her from putting anything personal out, fearing it would remind her what she had to lose. The only thing that gave the apartment any life was the wilting flowers starting to droop around the edge of the vase sitting on her counter.
"Remind me to fix you up with some new ones." He gently rubbed the petal of one flower, the pink leaf easily popping off. She laughed breathily, leaning her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, digging his head into her shoulder and breathing deeply.
Belle's stomach growled fiercely in the quiet room, breaking the momentary silence. Tyler pulled back, looking down at her with furrowed brows.
"Have you ate?" He pulled her hair behind her head.
She sighed, biting her lip. "This morning." He huffed, walking to the cabinets and ruffling through her random ingredients.
"What do you got in here?" He closed the cabinets and opened the refrigerator instead. Whistling lowly, he closed the white door. "Not shit."
"It's okay I have ramen packs." She spoke, smiling and pulling them out of the cabinets.
"You need to buy real food. Tomorrow morning, we are gettin' breakfast. Big ole' plates." He gave her a toothy grin, once again forgetting about his lip. He winced lightly, pressing lightly down on the split.
"Have you cleaned that yet?" She grazed her finger over his bottom lip. He grimaced in response.
"Got a little preoccupied." He winked at Belle, her rolling her eyes with a smile.
"C'mon, cowboy." She stated, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the bathroom. She softly pressed her hands on his shoulders, guiding him to sit on the toilet. He watched her intently as she shuffled through her medicine cabinet for her first aid kit. Once she found it, she began prepping her supplies while whistling a foreign song. "Tell me if I'm hurtin' you."
Tyler nodded softly, staring into her eyes as she gently used a washcloth to clean the dried blood off of his lip, also cleaning his previous cut that had partially split open. Her hands worked carefully to cover the cut in Aquaphor, being as soft as possible so she didn't hurt him.
"You're lucky you don't need no stitches." She smiled softly, grabbing his cheeks and pressing a soft kiss on his cheek. "So how'd you get all these battle wounds?"
Tyler hesitated. He contemplated telling her how it happened or if he should keep the peace and tell her something else. He wondered if she would freak out if she knew the truth. "I got into a fight."
"What?" She pushed him back a little, looking down at him with wide eyes. "With who?"
He swallowed a wad of spit, pursing his lips for a moment. "Scott." She looked at him with furrowed brows and her bottom lip sucked between her teeth.
"..Why?" She sighed, pushing his hair back.
"He was bein' disrespectful. Needs to learn when to shut his mouth." He smirked playfully, not stretching the injured side of his lip.
Belle huffed, smiling while rolling her eyes. "Well did you win?" Both laughed loudly. Tyler stood up, dragging her to the bedroom.
"Depends on who you ask. Now get your cute ass in here."
Belle felt hot, salty tears cloud her vision, falling freely as she sat on the edge of the bed. Head in her hands, she sobbed into her palms. Her fingers were still wrinkly as a prune from the water. Her heart dropped with each passing step in the hall, Tyler disappearing into the night faster than the first night she met him.
It seemed he had a habit of running off.
Hiccuping loudly, she wiped her soaked face onto her wrist and turned her head backward to look for her phone. Climbing over the bed, she grabbed it from off of the nightstand. The mattress whined under her weight, dipping with her knees. The bright flower screensaver flashed at her, hurting her eyes. 8:26.
She quickly typed in her password, scrolling to Tyler's contact in her phone. She rang him, and the phone immediately went to voicemail. She bit down on her lip harshly, tasting the metallic tang of blood fill her mouth. Her chin quivered violently, dripping with tears. Her eyes were bloodshot and red, contrasting sharply with the bright green. The skin on her cheeks grew red and splotchy as she felt more and more dreadful. Trying her last resort, the phone only rang twice before the call went through.
"Belle?" Nash's strong voice came through her speaker, startling her slightly. She sniffled to herself, taking a deep breath. She could hear the faint sound of Floribama Shore in the background, their dog barking loudly.
"Hey, Nash." She swallowed a wad of spit. "Is Em there?" She heard rustling and the sound of footsteps.
"Baby! Belle's callin'!" He yelled through the hallway, more footsteps were heard before she answered the phone.
"Hi cutie! What're you doin'?" She exclaimed loudly, the sound of the screen door slamming behind her coming through the phone.
"I think I made a mistake." Her voice cracked, wavering as her tears continued to flow.
"What? What happened?" Her tone immediately changed, dropping along with the mood. Belle struggled to talk, instead letting her cries grow more aggressive. "Where are you? I'm on my way."
She coughed loudly, mustering up the energy to speak. "The motel off of 54."
"Give me five minutes." The call ended, and the sound of her cries was the only thing filling the air once again. She stayed in the same spot the entire time, feet crossed and hands rubbing her face, pushing her hair back. Her breathing was heavy as she stood up, hesitantly grabbing her tank top and purse, walking out onto the balcony once she heard the honk of Nash's Chevy outside. The bright headlights flashed into the parking lot, Emmalee's unmistakable blonde hair sticking out in the driver's seat.
Dragging down each step, she walked with her head down towards the girl, who was jumping out of the truck to wrap her in a hug. The force of her body smashed into Belle, both wobbling and gripping onto each other for dear life. Saying nothing, Emmalee led her to the passenger side and helped her into the truck, starting the drive towards her house.
"You gon' tell me why you're losin' it?" She smiled softly over at Belle, turning into her driveway and parking.
"I fucked it all up, Em." Her tears threatened to spill once again. "I'm such a fucking idiot!" She smacked her hand on her forehead repeatedly, groaning loudly.
"What the hell? You're gon' hurt yourself!" Emmalee's hands pulled Belle's down onto her lap once again, blue eyes staring deeply into her soul. Her face was etched with concern. "Let's go inside and talk, okay?" She nodded along, following the taller girl through the screen door and into her home.
The house was quaint but cozy at the same time. Everything from the wooden paneling to the solid cabinets was oak, the sickening wood color covering every surface. One of Nash's hunting conquests hung proudly from over the door, eyes wide and antlers long and proud. The kitchen was immediate to the left, a living area squished into the room next to it with a window over the stove into the main area. There was a small hallway connected to the right, leading to their shared bedroom and the bathroom, one empty room across the hall.
"Hi B." Nash appeared in the kitchen, making her jump in surprise. His dark hair was messy and hanging into his eyes, his normally sharply cut stubble was grown out and thick. Grey, steely eyes stared at her intensely, but he seemed much more relaxed than she was used to. The green henley he wore was wrinkled at the ends and his black sweatpants were rolled up on one side more than the other. He seemed different than every other time she saw him with perfectly trimmed stubble and a scowl etched into his features. The only expression he had now was one of confusion.
"Hey, Nash." She smiled weakly, wiping her cheeks once again.
"You alright?" He chewed on a sugar cookie, furrowing his brows at her complexion. She nodded up and down, but the tears were already building. He narrowed his eyes at her. Her head then nodded to each side, dropping to look at her scuffed-up boots.
"C'mon babe." Em grabbed her arms and led her to the couch that was currently stacked with blankets on one side and laundry that had yet to be folded on the other. Their pitbull, Molly, jumped happily onto the couch and twirled excitedly. She was older, with white fur growing around her eyes instead of the usual brindle pattern. "So what in the hell happened?"
Belle took a deep breath, wiping her eyes before speaking. "Things were going so good. We were doing so good. He told me he loved me."
"Is that why you're freakin'?" She leaned back eyes still on the strawberry blonde.
"No, god! I love him too!" She pushed her hair back nervously. The bite in her lip seemed to bleed once again as she gnawed at the sensitive skin. "This mornin' I was filling up my truck when this guy, Scott, came up to me. I don't know why, but he's keen on me. He put his number in my pocket, and Ty found it." Emmalee whistled loudly, raising her eyebrows.
"You're in a pickle. What did he say?"
"We were gon' find something to eat, but he just left and went to get drinks with one of his teammates. He was real mad, Em." She curled her knees against her chest, leaning her head down.
"That doesn't look too nice from his perspective." Both nodded silently, Belle leaning her head against Em's shoulder.
"I don't know what to do. I tried callin'." She sighed loudly, petting the dog next to her gently.
"I don't get why you're so worried." Nash walked into the living area, propping himself up on the leather recliner with a bag of gummy bears and a beer. "It ain't your fault the Scott guy is creepin'. If he can't get over that, he can go fuck himself." He shook his head dismissively, flipping the channel to South Park.
"You act like you didn't bitch at me over Ryker Durdan hittin' on me at the races!" Emmalee sassed, rolling her eyes at her boyfriend.
"You really gonna bring that up again? I already apologized to him and the charges were dropped!" He pointed a finger, huffing before focusing on the TV once again.
"Whatever. I say you wait a little bit then go and talk to him in person. Talkin' over the phone when you're upset is like talkin' to a brick wall." She narrowed her eyes at Nash, but he pretended not to see her looking.
Belle nodded absentmindedly, instead watching the characters on the TV and slowly watching the clock drain until it was 10:30. She sighed lightly. "I think I should go now. Can you give me a ride?" She turned to talk to Emmalee, but the girl was fast asleep on a pile of socks.
"C'mon, B. I'll take ya." Nash groaned, stretching his arms before climbing out of the recliner and pausing the TV. She nodded hesitantly, feeling uncomfortable knowing she was going to be in a car with Nash alone. He never made her feel unsafe, but his demeanor was very offputting and intense. He never really cracked a joke to anyone except for Emmalee. He motioned for her to follow, both walking out into the night.
Neither said a word as he drove her back to the motel. The windows were open, a soft night breeze filling the air. His hand tapped against his thigh, only one on the wheel. When he pulled into the lot, he turned to look at her with an unfamiliar look in his eye.
"Thanks, Nash." She smiled politely before grabbing her purse and climbing out.
"Wait." She held the door open, stopping herself from slamming it closed and raising her eyebrows. "I know I don't really say much, and I like to keep it that way. But, uh, I meant what I said. If he can't be a man, don't wait around for him to grow up. This ain't your fault." He smiled softly, nodding at her and putting the car in drive.
"Thanks." She whispered, closing the door softly. He sat in the car, watching intently as she walked up the stairs and towards Tyler's door. He didn't really care much about the outcome, but he knew that if things went sour, she was coming right back home with him.
Her heart pounded as she walked up the staircase, the yellow lighting glowing on the cement as she padded down the hall to room 204. The light was on. She stopped in front of the door, knocking softly. Her hands were shaking, gripping her purse so tightly that her fingers were growing sore. She could hear movement from inside before the door whipped open to a stoic Tyler.
A stoic Tyler with a black eye and a busted lip.
"Oh my god are you okay?"
🌪️
"It's gonna be okay, T." Boone patted his back as he sat on the grimy barstool, the Red Star sign looming over his head like a dreadful reminder of Annabelle. He was torn, truly. A part of him knew that she would never stoop down to Scott's level, but he couldn't help the fiery jealousy bubbling in his chest.
"I fucked it up, man." He grimaced, downing the shot placed in front of him. His throat burned as it went down, the overwhelming taste of rubbing alcohol inflaming his mouth. "What if it's not okay? What if she never talks to me again and goes running for Scott?" He spat his name out like it was venom, scowling at the idea of Belle and Scott together.
"Dude, she loves you. She ain't leavin' anytime soon." Tyler said nothing, instead scoffing partly at his own stupidity and the fact that he still was angry. He didn't even know why he was angry, he knew she wasn't to blame. A part of him felt inferior to Scott, knowing he had a degree, he had money, and he had a title. Tyler was just a man with a tripod. He wouldn't blame her if she left him for someone better, someone who has a future ahead of them.
"Don't sound so sure about that." A strong hand gripped Tyler's shoulder, his face growing sound when he saw Scott standing over him with a smirk and those goddamn sunglasses. It's nighttime, for fuck's sake. "I got the little lady hittin' me up right now." He smiled sarcastically and ordered a drink from the bartender.
"Shut the fuck up." Tyler pulled his hand off of his shoulder, rolling his eyes at the man next to him. His stomach was tied into knots at the thought of her texting Scott now that he had run away from his problems like he always did. He stood up, suddenly feeling like it was time to leave.
"You know, I wonder if she's down to ride. I know you've seen the way those hips move." Scott leaned into Tyler's ear and whispered. "Guess I'll find out tonight." His fist made contact with Scott's jaw before he could even comprehend his actions. He fell back onto the floor from the sheer force.
"Shut the fuck up!" Tyler spat onto Scott's face, his hand leaning to cup his reddening cheek. Scott blew out a breath before standing up, only leaning over Tyler by a few inches.
"You think you're the hot shit, don't ya?" Scott pulled his sunglasses off to squint down at Tyler. "You're nothin' but a boy with a camera. Trust me when I say this night is going to end with Annabelle under me thinking about nothing but how much she wished you were me."
Tyler shoved Scott back, fist making contact with his cheek once again. He pounded into his repeatedly, leaning over him and holding him by the collar of his pressed shirt. Scott reached up and grabbed Tyler's face, throwing him to the side and smashing his face into a table. Both were bleeding and people surrounded them, too scared to intervene. Loud rock music pulsed through their ears as Tyler wiped the blood from his lip, driving his elbow into Scott's nose, a small crack coming from under his arm.
Scott cried out, punching Tyler in the gut and landing a heavy blow on his face, rolling on top of the blonde. Tyler groaned, pulling Scott down by his collar and head-butting him. Both boys stood up, Tyler smashing Scott's body into a wall, his head hitting the wood and going unconscious.
He sighed heavily, wiping the blood oozing down his chin once again from his lip. He felt sore, but he would stop at nothing to shut Scott up.
"What the hell is going on?" Wade ran through the crowd, pulling Tyler by the arm and throwing him out of the bar, Boone following behind. "Get the hell out of here!"
Nothing Burns Like The Cold - Snoh Aalegra, Vince Staples
The second the lock to Tyler's motel room clicked, he pressed Belle into the back of the door, pulling her legs up effortlessly. His needy lips met hers, hands trailing under her tank top and bra to hike it up, her arms automatically raising so he could pull it off. He smiled, pressing fast kisses to her neck, one hand kneading her breast. She felt her core pulsing, finally feeling giddy and a long ass drive into town with heavy tension settling into the truck. She pulled his lips back to hers, feeling his teeth bite her bottom lip gently.
Suddenly, she was thrown onto the bed. Tyler unbuttoned his flannel and threw it to the side, pulling his hat off in the process. Both lied forgotten on the floor beside the bed. He climbed over her, pulling her legs around his waist once again before kissing her deeply. She clenched air, the jean shorts she wore feeling too constricting on her pulsing heat. She reached down to unbutton her shorts and shimmied them down her legs, knocking them off the bed.
"You in a rush?" He chuckled, mumbling against her cheek and watching her face flush. She tried to find words, but she instead nodded hesitantly before smiling. "Pretty lady." He spoke louder, both hands gliding up her stomach to grip her chest, rolling her nipples between his thumb and finger. She gasped into his lips, his mouth swallowing the noise. Her hands trace the outline of his abs, his figure molded like a god. She dragged her hand down to the bulge in his jeans, palming him gently. He groaned and rocked his hips closer to her hand.
"Fuck, baby. You're so perfect." He whispered, pulling away to stare into her glazed eyes, lips dragging into a small smile. She laughed nervously, the eye contact making her confidence falter for the first time. Her chest constricted as he looked at her longer. His intense gaze was scarred into her brain like a tattoo.
"I ain't perfect." She sucked in a shaky breath, kissing his jaw in an attempt to drop the subject, but he pulled away from her with furrowed eyebrows.
"The closest thing to perfect I've ever seen. Honest to God, darlin'." She felt her cheeks burn even brighter when he spoke softly to her, treating her like a flower. She let out a nervous giggle, his lips connecting to hers. He ground his hips onto her thigh, his chest rumbling. He pulled away, sitting up on his knees to unbutton his jeans and pull them down, pulling his boxers off along with his jeans. His cock sprung up, the tip red and desperate. He pumped himself a few times, watching her bare chest heaving and getting even harder at the sight of her with nothing but a pair of pink panties, a wet patch soaking through.
Belle pulled her legs up, hooking her fingers into the band of her underwear and pulling them down dreadfully slowly, watching his eyes lower to her bare pussy. One of her hands drifted toward her folds, dragging her middle finger in slow circles across her clit. He clenched his jaw, watching her lips part lightly, eyes blinking a few times. Leaning over to the side, he dug through a grocery bag and pulled out a box of condoms. She laughed breathlessly.
"Gotta be safe this time." He smirked and winked at her before breaking the seal and pulling out a small gold square. She grabbed it from his hands, ripping the foil with her teeth and reaching down to push to condom down his rock hard dick. He watched her hands intently, pursing her lips when her thin fingers made contact with his tip. He looked up to see her eyes looking up at him widely. "Turn around, baby."
She furrowed her eyebrows but still obeyed, turning to lie on her stomach, ass in the air. She leaned up on her elbows and looked back at him. "Can you get on your knees for me?" He leaned into her ear and whispered gently. Belle nodded, pulling herself up to rest her knees on the bed, face pressed into the pillow. Her hands rested on either side of her head. She watched as he positioned himself over her drenched core, the air feeling cool on her exposed sensitive skin. His palms gripped her ass, squeezing her skin and dragging his hands up and down. She wiggled her hips excitedly, hearing his whistle lowly.
"You ready hon?" He propped both of his hands on either side of her body, leaning down to whisper in her ear. Goosebumps prickled down her back, nodding quickly in response. He wasted no time easing into her, stretching her out. He filled her to the brim, immediately pulling out and not giving her any time to adjust, movements hard and slow. She let out a shaky moan, feeling his tip hitting the edge of her cervix. He moved steadily, absorbing every sound that fell from her lips.
He gradually increased his speed, her fingers digging into the sheets when she felt the pressure building in her stomach by the way he thrust into her relentlessly. Her ass bounced with the force, her nails gripping the sheets for dear life as she moaned. Tyler continued to pound into her, digging a hand into her hair and turning her head to face him the best she could. Her eyes were half shut, but she saw the way his face was all hot and flustered, eyebrows furrowed in focus. Small groans fell from his lips, his thighs smacking against her ass.
"Ty, I'm gonna cum!" She struggled to breathe, her senses so overwhelmed by her intense orgasm on the verge of collapsing on her. Her hands were shaking, knuckles turning white from gripping the poor bed so tight. Reaching up, she used one hand to hold onto the edge of the bed so her body was shaking less, right on the cusp of finishing. "I'm so," her voice trailed off into a moan, vision going white as approached her high.
"Good girl, takin' me like a champ." He smacked her ass, going fast and hard. All it took was one more thrust for her to completely fall apart, collapsing into his hands as she came hard, moaning into the pillow. He held her up by the hips, riding her through her high as he chased his own. He grew shaky and rushed, groaning loudly.
"So fuckin' beautiful." He mumbled brushing the hair out of her eyes as she started to fall from her high, gasping when thrusted into her for the last time with a shaky moan. Both of their movements stilled, taking a moment to calm down their heavy breathing. The ceiling fan pushed cool air onto their hot, sweaty bodies. Belle could feel her cum starting to drip down her thigh slightly, the air immediately making her feel cold. Tyler heaved, pulling out slowly and getting up to walk to the bathroom. She paid no attention to him, closing her eyes and falling down into a curled position, almost asleep by the time he approached her with a wet rag, cleaning her up gently.
She barely registered when the bed dipped under his weight, smiling when he pulled her on top of him like he always did. She settled her legs on either side of him, wrapping her arms around his head. Her thighs trembled as she moved, her body feeling weak and faint. "I'm sorry, baby. Was it too much?" He whispered, rubbing one hand on her back and the other on her thigh. She nodded against his chest.
"Just tired now." She mumbled into his skin, taking a deep breath and relaxing completely. She could feel the slowing of Tyler's heartbeat in his chest, focusing on thee sound until she was fully asleep.
🌪️
"Annabelle?" She blinked her eyes open slowly, finding Tyler standing over her with messy hair and a pair of boxers on. His hand rubbed her arm softly, smiling when her eyes drifted open. "Hi sugar. You hungry?" She sucked in a heavy breath, nodded while smiling lazily.
"I need t'shower." She babbled quietly, still half asleep when she pulled herself up to walk to the bathroom, tripping slightly when her legs failed to catch her.
"Easy there." He chuckled, grabbing her arm and walking her to the bathroom. "So do I. You wanna go together or alone?" His arms circled her waist, pressing her body against his as he looked at her for an answer. She happily welcomed the warmth, wrapping her arms around his body, and burying her head in his chest. He pulled her even tighter.
"Together?" She leaned her chin against his shoulder, looking up at him.
"All good with me." He kissed her forehead before letting her go to start the shower. She pulled herself up to sit on the counter, feeling cold with her bare skin pressed on the tile. The soft patter of water hitting the tub filled her ears, Tyler turned back to her and leaned his arms on either side of the counter. The smile on his face was not smug, but happy. Soft. His lips pressed against her cheek, then her lips gently. The look on his face was unreadable.
"What?" She giggled, messing with his wild hair. He just laughed and shook his head, pushing off of the bathroom counter to test the water.
"Nothin. C'mon cutie." He held a hand out for her, one she gladly accepted. Sighing happily the second the water hit her skin, she thought she was going to fall asleep again. Tyler quickly ditched his boxers and climbed in after her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and resting his head in the crook of her neck. She let out a content sigh, turning around to face him.
"I think I'm in love with you." Suddenly, she wasn't sleepy at all. She was very alert, especially when her eyes widened and she dropped her arms.
"What?" She took a deep breath, watching Tyler's face fall and immediately go into panic mode.
"I'm sorry. Shit. Did that make you uncomfortable?" He held her arms, heart hammering with fear at the thought of her running away. But the more she thought about it, the more she wasn't so sure she was scared anymore. Tyler was possibly the best man she had ever met, and a small inkling of desire flowed through her blood in a way she had never felt before. It grew more and more as she stared at him, and now that she realized it, she was sure that she was in love with him too.
"I love you too." She spat her words out, both staring until their smiles grew, laughing at each other and leaning in to kiss one another. When she pulled away, he was smiling widely at her. She laughed lightly, pushing the wet hair out of his eyes.
"I love you." He cheesed even more, leaning down and kissing both of her cheeks. She giggled loudly, catching his lips in a real kiss.
And with that, their words drifted to small, intimate kisses and shampooing each other's hair with his travel-size products that were most definitely from the gas station. Each one smelled so much like him that she didn't mind using any of them. Once they were done, he grabbed a towel for each of them, brushing their teeth side by side. Tyler took the time to brush her hair, gentle and focused so he didn't snag her beautiful hair.
When they walked out, the sun was just starting to set outside the window. It was gorgeous, blood orange melting into a deep magnolia fuschia. Everything felt so perfect. She couldn't help but smile widely, staring out the window as he got dressed.
"You want to borrow a shirt?" He rubbed his hair aggressively with his towel, wearing a pair of jeans and a navy blue T shirt. She nodded softly. He dug through his duffel bag for a clean shirt, pulling out a black Guns and Roses T shirt for her to wear. When she pulled it over her head, the hem fell halfway to her knees.
"Can you pass me my shorts?" She wrung her hair with her towel shaking it to the side. He hummed lightly, but her shorts never came. When she turned around, she saw Tyler standing there with her shorts in one hand and a slip of paper in the other.
"Why do you have Scott's number in your shorts?" He asked quietly, his face falling into a gutted expression.
"What?" She furrowed her brows, not fully processing what he said.
"Why do you have Scott's phone in your shorts?" He spoke a little bit louder, dropping his hands. His jaw was tight and he looked down at his feet.
"It's not like that I promise, Ty." She tried to take a step towards him, but he shuffled back a step. She couldn't ignore the sting she felt in her chest when he moved away from her. "I ran into him at the gas station. He just gave it to me randomly, I swear."
"And you took it?" Tyler looked up at her with pursed lips and furrowed eyebrows, frustration evident on his face.
"No, Ty." She sighed, running a hand through her wet hair. "I didn't ask for it. I was pumping gas. He just followed me out and gave it to me without warning."
The silence was deafening, both standing there staring at each other with a newfound awkward tension hanging over the room.
"You know," he sighed softly, dropping her shorts. His other hand crumbled the paper but didn't let go. "I think I'm gonna go catch Boone for a few drinks. I'll call you later." He swallowed a lump in his throat before walking to the door. Belle felt tears rise to her eyes, dread pooling in her gut.
"Tyler, wait." She held a hand out, but he walked straight to the door.
"Please, Annabelle." He blew out a hard breath before looking up at her one last time. She felt her heart crumble at the stoic expression on his face. He pursed his lips tightly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll talk to you later."
And with that, he was gone.
a/n:
Hi sexies! I know My updates have been slow, but uni has officially started! It will probably be around once a week unless I get extra time but with school on top of work I'm just so so busy. Thank you for understanding!
"Can I put twenty on pump four?" Belle said, handing the cashier in front of her a crumpled-up bill. She smiled softly before nodding and opening up the register. The blonde went to leave, but when she turned around, she was met with Scott standing before her—a small, unusually normal smile on his face. She gasped lightly, spooked by the tall man looking down at her.
"Annabelle." She felt her stomach turn with dismay at how her name sounded falling off his lips, the feeling growing stronger when he smiled.
"Hi, Scott." She gave him a small, forced smile before attempting to maneuver around him, but he took up the entire walkway. "Scuse me."
"Hey." He held a hand out to block her even more. She grimaced at his mannerisms. His face stayed eerily still when he talked, returning to his stony expression. "How are you?"
"Busy." She attempted to duck under his arm again, but he continued to block the path.
"I know you don't like me. I'm not stupid."
She stood under him, staring up with a blank expression. "Good observation."
"You're a real spitfire, you know that?" He grumbled, but he couldn't help the attraction he felt towards her. Her sexy southern drawl, the way her long, strawberry blonde hair cascaded down her back, reaching her ass. Her ass. He coughed to himself, already feeling his pants straining against him.
"Can I help you with something or are you just gon' stand there staring at my tits?" She gave him a knowing smirk, watching the way his thick brows furrowed over his sunglasses.
"Would prefer the latter." She scoffed, smacking him on the chest and barreling through his arm.
"Annabelle!" He followed after her, the bell above the glass doors jingling as they walked outside. She stuck her middle finger in the air, showing off the golden band wrapping around the base. He trailed her footsteps, watching her as she went to pump her truck.
"Jesus. Can you get the fucking hint?" She spat, shaking her head incredulously.
"I'm not done talking."
"I seriously have no interest in anything you have to say." She rolled her eyes. Belle hated admitting that she thought he was attractive when she first saw him at that bonfire. Until he opened his mouth.
"I know you don't like me." He paused to pig in his pocket, pulling out a small piece of paper. "But I'm in town for a few more days. Call me if you need some company." He winked and stuck the card in her back pocket, her hips jerking away from his touch.
"I can promise you, I won't."
"Why won't you do a whole night's show?" Emmalee exclaimed as she wiped the last few glasses clean, throwing the rag over her shoulder.
"Be realistic, Em. People come to watch Matt." She mumbled, wiping the nasty counter clean. The entire morning shift crew was exhausted, a particularly bad day wiping them out. Normally, they were nearly empty from ten to four. The few that came in were either day drinkers or came with their kids to watch a recording of some game while eating pancakes. The key word being normal.
Today wasn't normal. Today was very much not normal. People filtered in and out in large clumps, the everyday breakfast diner down the road closed for kitchen repairs. The whole kitchen was slammed, and people were ordering food at the bar when all the tables were filled. Emmalee and Belle were both doubling as waitresses and handling the bar, as there were no waitresses until three.
"Take the damned plate, B!" Wade rolled his eyes and passed her a hot plate stacked with waffles and eggs, grits on the side. She was now juggling the bar, the floor, and food running. Wade was practically pulling his hair out. The only thing keeping them going was the promise of emergency help coming in the next thirty minutes. She cursed herself under her breath, eyes prickling with tears as she burst through the revolving metal doors and brought the plate the the waiting table. When she walked back to the bar, three new people were waiting.
"Hi baby." Tyler smirked before resting against the counter, his sexy southern accent evident in his voice. His face immediately dropped when he saw her watery eyes and the scowl on her face. "You okay?"
Instead of speaking, she simply shook her head to either side. She averted eye contact, walked up to a new customer, and took their order. Her shift was supposed to be over in five minutes, but she knew she had to stay and help until the other girls arrived. Wade would probably burst into flames if she left them all alone.
Once she took their order, she finally walked to a worried Tyler. Sucking in a deep breath, she leaned against the counter and put her head in her hands. His large hands covered hers, pulling them away from her red face. "Talk to me, darlin'."
"I won't be off for a minute. Too busy." She whispered, holding his hands in hers and looking down at their intertwined fingers.
"That's alright. I'll wait for ya." She felt truly horrible. He was supposed to pick her up and take her to the movies, and he was perfectly on time. She nodded at him before retracting her hands, wiping her sweat on her jean shorts, and walking to the kitchen to put in the order before they complained.
She could tell there was something off about Tyler. His feet tapped nervously against the barstool, leg jumping with his actions every few seconds. The corner of his mouth pulled in, and she could tell he was biting his cheek. Something so subtle, yet she knew it wasn't typical, so she knew that he wasn't his normal self.
She decided to confront the issue when she finished her shift, and that is exactly what she did.
"What's got you in a tizzy?" She shrugged her purse over her shoulder, walking out of the bar on his left.
"What? Nothin." He brushed the question off immediately, shoving his hands in his jean pockets. She noticed the way his collar stretched from the top button being undone, and she couldn't help but admire him. He was so ruggedly handsome, towering over her with that stupid smirk always on his face.
"Tell me. I know it ain't nothin." She bumped her shoulder onto his, listening to their feet scrape against the pavement. The sun was hidden deep beneath a blanket of clouds, and an occasional sprinkle of rain dusted the roads. A deep breath was heard escaping his lips.
"There's a damn good storm brewin' up north, but it's supposed to hit when we're at the movies." He furrowed his eyebrows, popping his jaw nervously awaiting her reaction.
"Then go." Belle spoke sternly, standing in place and staring up at him.
"No, I promised to be with you." He watched her intently. If he was being honest, he was torn. As much as he wanted to spend time with her, he knew that the upcoming storm was going to be a pretty sight in his books. "What if you came?"
"What?"
"I'm serious. I'll be with you the whole time, it's completely safe, nothin' but a baby twister. Trust me, it will be unlike anything else you've ever seen." His voice got louder, eyes sparkling with excitement at the plan he had thought up.
"I- I can't. I freak out at a little thunder, what makes you think I can barrel into a tornado?" She gasped, suddenly feeling short of breath. As scared as she was, she couldn't help but feel like shit when his shoulder slumped slightly, face falling at her rejection.
"I'm sorry for askin'. I know you don't like storms, you wouldn't make it through before either killing me or passing out." Her eyebrows immediately furrowed. Sure, she hated storms for a reason unknown, but Belle was nothing if not prideful. If you told her she couldn't do something she would do it just to laugh in your face, and that is just what she is about to do.
"Let's go. I'm ready." His eyebrows raised quickly, a shocked expression crossing his face.
"What? You just said-"
"I said I'm ready. Nobody tells me what I can and cannot do. Not even you." She gave him a tight-lipped smile and turned around to walk to his truck sitting a few blocks away. He stood still, taken aback by her sudden agreeable attitude. Only when he heard the slam of his truck door closing did he snap out of it and jogged up to join her.
"Are you sure you are ready for this?" He turned to her with a smile, but he was worried for her. She sighed and nodded, but she already knew she regretted her decision when dread settled into the pit of her stomach. She watched the trees passing, only turning her head when Tyler spoke to the team on his phone, telling them to meet him on the road. Soon enough, two new vehicles were trailing behind them within ten minutes. She watched in horror as they pulled closer to the pending clouds, the sky quickly getting darker on the horizon. He laughed quietly at her expression. "Keep your head in and put your harness on, hon."
"Harness?" There was no time for an answer as Tyler sped up quickly and the truck booked it down the dirt road, Belle let out a small squeal when she went flying in her seat. Instead, she scrambled to grab the seat harness the same way Tyler did. The truck behind them pulled onto the left side, Boone hanging out and holding a camera their way. He laughed loudly, but almost fell out of the window when the truck went over a pothole.
"She's a beaut!" Tyler yelled out, speeding up even more. Boone spoke into the camera, too far away to distinguish his words. All of a sudden, two more trucks pulled up behind them, stark white with the Storm par logo. "Block em off, Lily!" He smiled widely before messing with the other team trailing them, unable to pull around the large trucks.
The clouds drew closer, a small funnel circling down closer and closer to the ground. Tyler hollered, pressing the gas even more and driving up into the grassy field that it would touch down on any minute. Belle felt her heart beat out of her chest, her lungs struggling to find the air she needed. Her eyes felt like they were bugging out of her head, knuckles turning white from gripping the seat so hard. "We're fine baby! Ain't nothin' to worry about." He closed his hand around her knee, gripping her firmly. The words helped calm her down, trusting Tyler enough to know he was telling the truth.
He suddenly stopped the truck, pressing a button to send the truck's anchors drilling into the ground, one hand holding her knee and the other holding the wheel. The force of the wind shook the truck, but they didn't budge. He laughed breathlessly, eyes glittering with wonder as he watched the funnel quickly approach them.
"Oh my god." She whispered, face white and eyes red. She swallowed a thick lump in her throat, fear clawing desperately at her senses. The twister was merely 100 feet away now, and was going to hit them any second. Surely, she was a goner. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't find it in her to rip her eyes off of the horrifying sight of the loud, blowing winds approaching them. It was impossible to hear anything over the sound of air blowing past them at an ungodly speed, debris flying past her window within a split second. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the truck to be uprooted and the twister to send them to their death until-
nothing.
It was calm. The truck stopped shaking, and the overwhelming sound of the wind turned into a distant breeze. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see Tyler smiling at her. Shock settled into her body, unable to hear anything over the now-gone tornado. His lips moved, but she had no idea what he had said, her ears ringing loudly. The thumping of her heart was all she could feel, peeling her fingers from clawing the seat desperately for safety.
"Annabelle." She looked up when she could hear Tyler's voice faintly over the sound of her own thoughts going into overdrive. "Are you alright?" He unbuttoned both of their harnesses, exiting the truck and running to her side to help her climb out. She nodded breathlessly, face growing into a wide smile, the widest he had ever seen grace her heavenly features. He mirrored her expression, a wide grin on both of their faces as they stared at each other. Boone and Lily ran up from behind them Boone yelling into the camera.
"She was amazing, T!" He pointed the camera at the couple, but neither of them budged.
"Yeah, she really was." He spoke softly, not tearing his eyes away from her. Immediately, he pulled her into a deep kiss, Belle smiling into his lips. He pulled her thighs up, holding her in the air and spinning her around, making both of them laugh.
It was in that moment that Tyler Owens was sure that he had fallen in love with Annabelle Banks.
Belle pushed the food on her plate around with her fork, fidgeting nervously. Both her mother and father sat on each side of her, three sides of the table occupied. Her mother had made spaghetti to surprise her on the first day of school, but she could barely focus on the nice gesture. The nights always ended in a fight when the two were together, their relationship a ticking time bomb.
"Annie Jo, eat your food." Her mother spoke firmly, making her squirm under her intense gaze.
"My tummy hurts." She whispered in response, leaning back in the wooden dining chair. The older woman let out a frustrated sigh.
"I just spent an hour in that kitchen, you can eat the food I made you." Her face flushed, the stern tone making her cheeks burn from embarrassment.
"But my tummy really hurts."
"Just eat the goddamn food!" Her father yelled, smashing his fist down against the table. Belle jumped up, but her mother just scowled in annoyance.
"What the hell is your problem?" She clenched her jaw and shoved a meatball into her mouth.
"Honestly Jenny, I would rather not do this shit right now." He put a hand up in front of her face in a way to silence her, but she just grew even angrier.
"What shit Tom? Tell me!" She exclaimed, setting her fork down on the table and looking him in the eye.
"This! You just gotta turn everything into a fight! I don't have to do jack shit for you two, but I do! You don't deserve this." He yelled loudly, motioning to the small, outdated home around them. A home that was given to them by his father.
"Fuck you!" She picked up her dishes, walking to the kitchen hurriedly.
"What the fuck did you just say to me!?" He stood up, storming up to her and pushing her into the refrigerator door. Belle could feel her body shaking, curling into herself and clasping her hands over her ears.
"You heard me, asshole!" Jenny shoved him back, his large body barely moving with her force. The little girl squeezed her eyes shut and hummed to herself, but nothing could cover the sound of her father grabbing her mother and throwing her down the basement steps, her head landing just the right way to snap her spine.
All it took was one wrong move and her mother was gone.
Belle gasped, eyes snapping open to see Tyler sitting over her, shaking her shoulders gently. Her body trembled aggressively, tears already dripping down her cheeks. She struggled to catch her breath, every gasp of air feeling more shallow than the last. She grabbed at the hoodie covering her chest, feeling like her skin was crawling.
"There she is," Tyler whispered with the ghost of a smile, rubbing circles against her hand. Without hesitation, she lunged forward and leaned her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around herself. She sobbed quietly, his arms wrapping around her back and his hand moving up and down. "You're okay, you're safe." She felt one of his hands running through her hair, her body leaning further into his.
"Focus on my breathing, baby. I need you to slow down." She nodded hesitantly, struggling to catch her breath. Tyler grabbed her hand and rested it against his chest, exaggerating his movements to let her know when he inhaled. She fought to match his pace, her breath eventually returning to her. "Good job, hon. Come here."
He let go of her for a moment before his hands made contact with her legs, pulling her onto his lap, facing him. Instead of looking him in the eye, she ducked her head into the crook of his neck. His scent was soft and inviting, focusing on the stubble rubbing against her forehead.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled against his warm skin, feeling his chest rise and fall under her.
"There ain't nothin' to be sorry for." He spoke quietly, arms trapping her in a hug. She sniffled before pulling back and wiping her tears with the hoodie sleeve.
She felt like a raw nerve. Her whole life she spent trying to hide her past and bury her problems, but they always had a way of bubbling through the surface sooner or later. The way Tyler treated her was entirely different from what she was used to, and she wasn't sure whether to trust or push him away. He felt too good to be true.
"Yes, there is." She looked into his eyes, and he pursed his lips, pushing her hair away from her face, red teary eyes on display. "You don't have to do this. I'm sorry for freaking you out, for burdening you with my problems when god knows if you have any of your own, I mean it's like two in the morning and you're here comforting me because I can't get over my own issues!"
She felt her breathing pick up again, a few tears slipping out of her eyes. Her hands flew as she talked, her pace speeding up. "Don't do that. Blaming yourself for everything in the world."
"But it's my fault." Her voice cracked, and Tyler felt his heart crumble when he saw the hopeless look in her eyes. She truly believed everything was her fault.
"No, it's not. You're not burdening me if I choose to be here, you realize that? You could hit me with anything right now and I would still stay. You know why?" He put his hands on her shoulders, her head nodding faintly side to side. "Because I want to. You make me feel things I haven't felt in years, no matter what your past is or issues you deal with. I'm trying everything to prove to you that I'm telling the truth but I feel like you don't believe me."
This time, it was her who pursed her lips, silenced by his confession. He stared at her with an unwavering expression, hands dropping to rest on her thighs. "I keep waitin' for the other shoe to drop. And the longer I wait, the more nervous I get."
"With what?"
"You."
Both were now silent, staring at each other. Her words honestly hurt Tyler, but he knew that the way she felt was valid, considering their past issues. Instead of pressing the conversation, he sighed loudly and smiled softly. "You got any tea?"
"Since when did cowboys drink tea?" Belle let herself smile, flashing back to their very first conversation. He laughed lightly, rolling his eyes and throwing her over his shoulder. She let out a small squeal, giggling when he walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. He set her down on the kitchen island, choosing to rummage through the cabinets, smiling when he found a box of green tea.
"Since when did bartenders drink tea?" He winked before grabbing her teapot from the corner of the countertop. She watched as he filled it with water and placed it on the stove, the burner clicking as he turned the knob. She quickly learned that Tyler Owens was a gentle man, no matter how intimidating he looked on the outside. Looking away from his shirtless frame, her eyes locked on the oven clock.
4:30 am.
She felt truly horrible. He was wide awake at four in the morning because of her sleep troubles, and who knows if they could even fall back asleep. "I'm sorry for keeping you up."
He huffed and rolled his eyes, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Stop sayin' sorry."
"Sorry." She bit her lip, smiling awkwardly. He laughed lightly before looking at the teapot for a minute.
"You gonna tell me what you were dreaming about?" He leaned on his arms. "Or is it too early for that?" She raised her eyebrows, gnawing on the inside of her lip and picking at her chipped manicure. Emmalee really needed to paint them for her again.
"My dad. He wasn't the nicest person to live with." He hummed lightly, pulling two mugs to pour the now boiling water. Tyler placed the tea bags in the two mugs, letting them steep. "I have honey sticks in the drawer."
"Does he live in town?" He questioned, licking his lips and squeezing the honey into the ceramic mug.
"Last I heard, he was back in Mayflower. I hadn't heard from him since I moved out until last night." He passed the warm mug to her, moving his tea bag around and standing before her. "You know, I fibbed a little when you asked about my scar."
"How's that?" He traced his finger across the lagged line on her neck.
"It was from a whiskey glass. He smashed it next to my head." Tyler squinted his eyes, clenching his jaw and looking away.
"Piece of shit." He sighed, taking a sip from his glass but immediately hissing, spitting it back into the glass. "Holy fuckballs!" He brushed his tongue against his hand, walked to the sink, and stuck his head under the now running tap. She laughed loudly.
"Stoph laueen!" He whined, gargling water and spitting it out. She just laughed louder. "So not funny." He tried to stay serious, but he couldn't help the grin spreading across his face.
"Was it a little hot?" She asked sarcastically, snickering at his theatrical response.
"You're such an ass." He rolled his eyes and smiled, but he couldn't help the embarrassed blush creeping up his cheeks. "What's that movie you were talkin' about the other day?"
"Tangled?" She furrowed her brows, blowing lightly on the steaming cup.
"Yeah, that one. Let's watch it." He walked over to the couch, getting comfortable immediately and facing the TV.
"You want to watch a Disney movie? About a princess?" She raised her eyebrows, setting the mug down on the side table.
"Why not? We need something to cheer us up." He smiled, looking up at her standing frame.
She hummed with squinted eyes, but he was being earnest. "Okay. Let me go change, I'm getting hot." She walked to her room and traded the thick hoodie for a thin long sleeve, not caring enough to put a bra on or cover her panties. He had already seen her naked. When she walked back out he was typing the movie into the search bar on the TV and cuddled under her pink quilt. The sight alone made her laugh, knowing such a manly guy who chased storms for a living was cuddling into her fuzzy pink quilt and getting ready to watch a princess movie with his teacup.
She ducked into her room to grab her phone, padding and snapping a photo of him in his feminine state. He didn't notice her until she walked back towards him, hair wild and white top clinging to her skin. "Well, aren't you pretty?"
"I look a mess!" She rolled her eyes at his southern drawl, lips cocked into a smirk. He held the blanket up for her to join him, happily obliging and feeling his warm skin under her, his arms immediately pulling her on top of him. He loved having her on top of him, treating her like a weighted blanket. Belle didn't mind either.
She sprawled out against his skin, tucking her head under his chin and turning towards the screen, watching him click play. He was fairly quiet, asking occasional questions and tightening his grip on her periodically.
"Wait so her hair gives the old lady powers?" He pointed at the screen, the plot immediately getting away from him.
"No, her hair has the power to make her look young." She propped her chin up, watching the way his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.
"You think you could do that to me?" He smiled, an idea popping into his head. He wrapped a piece of her hair around his hand. "Sing it, baby!" She snorted at his childish joke, pushing his arm playfully.
'Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine!" She sang dramatically, dragging the words out. He gasped sarcastically.
"I feel like I'm a kid again." He laughed lightly, feeling her smile widely on his chest as her focus returned to the screen.
"Watch the movie, kid."
a/n: I seriously cannot believe I got to 5K reads! Thank you to my commenters, I swear you keep me going. Thank you to everyone who made it this far already. Anyways, here's a few things about me! My name is Sabrina, and I'm a psych major with a minor in writing. I have a cat named Pops, and the first fanfic I ever read was a Shawn Mendes arranged marriage fic when I was 13 lol. Now let the story go on :)
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When Belle twisted the handle to her front door, she was immediately welcomed by the sight of Tyler wearing a proper button down, even if the sleeves were rolled up and he paired it with faded blue jeans and boots. He opted to go hatless, but the one thing that drew her attention the most was the bright smile on his face. Oh and of course the giant bouquet in front of her face. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Pretty flowers for a pretty lady." He stuck his hands out, the flowers shaking lightly in front of her, a smug grin on his face. She smiled up at him before looking down at the bouquet now in her hands. They were stunning, yellow and pink lilies fully bloomed.
"I never told you my favorite flower was a lily." She raised her eyebrows up at his proud face.
"A man never shares his ways." He winked, the way in question being him following Emmalee around during her shift until she told him out of annoyance. He would never admit to it if she ever dared to tell Belle. "You ready to go?"
When Tyler called her to set up the date, he insisted on keeping it a surprise and effectively stumping her when it came to finding an outfit. It took an hour of pulling her room apart for her to settle on a frilly white sundress and strappy tan sandals. She prayed to God that it wasn't going to be fancy, but he wasn't exactly a fancy man.
"As I'll ever be. Let me put these up." She walked into the kitchen, filling a tall vase and propping up the beautiful arrangement. Her heart warmed at the idea of him putting in the effort to find her favorite flower. Once they were propped up on her island, she smiled giddily and grabbed her purse, letting him wrap his hand in hers and lead her down the stairs. He eyed her down shamelessly, licking his lips.
"How is it that every time I see you, you manage to look more and more beautiful?" He nudged her arm gently, her eyes rolling with a smirk.
"Now how many times has that line worked for you?" He chuckled and let out a small whistle, opening the door to his truck for her and helping her up. Once she was in, he leaned his arms against the open window and narrowed his eyes at her.
"Never used it before." He whispered, pushing himself off of her door and walking around the front to climb into his seat. She blushed brightly, his words silencing her and making her brain feel foggy.
"Tell me, where on God's green Earth are we goin'?" She turned to look at him, the truck rolling down the road with the sun glowing in the horizon.
"Well if I told, you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?" He winked at her, turning the radio on a comfortable volume, listening to the retro rock station. He drove away from downtown, heading down the dirt road towards the lake nearby. The open window allowed breeze to brush her skin, her hair flying. She rested her head against the door, closing her eyes and enjoying the cooling air. The summer heat was brutal, but the sun was going down, and that meant that temperatures were going to drop soon.
Tyler put the car in reverse, backing into a small clearing, sitting over a cliff that lead down to the water, the drop being at least fifty feet. The sun was bright and happy, shining from over the trees behind her. When he was set up properly, he parked and jumped out to open the door for her once again, holding her hand and leading her to the back of the truck. In the bed, there was a stack of blankets and a pile of pillows.
"I was going to make a picnic basket, but I'm not exactly the best chef," he scratched the back of his head nervously. "I ordered a pizza instead." He reached under the pile of blankets and pulled out a pizza box, smiling like a dork. She laughed to herself at his mannerisms.
"I don't care about what food there is, as long as we can enjoy ourselves." She rested her hand on his arm, winking before reaching to unlatch the door to his truck bed.
"Well I did do one thing right." He had a lopsided grin on his face, walking to the side of the truck and reaching into the backseat. "I brought sweet tea."
"Hot damn! Perfect night to me." She laughed out loud, watching him jump up into the truck easily, reaching his arm out to help her up. Once she was up, he spread the pillows out to cushion the hard metal under their bodies, Belle following behind and lying down next to him. She propped herself up on the pillows, looking out at the lake.
The view was truly breathtaking. Trees stood tall and the sun reflected off of the serene water, everything around them basking in a yellow glow. Once both were comfortable, she turned her head up to find him already watching her. He stared at her intently, gaze unwavering with nothing but complete relaxation on his face. His arms were propped behind his head, the sleeves straining against his muscles.
"Can I ask you something?" She asked quietly, watching the way he licked his lips before talking.
"Anythin'."
Her breathing got caught in her throat, trying to find the rights words to speak her mind without giving off a different meaning. "When I came to the motel the other day, who was the girl you were flirting with?" His brows furrowed, lips parting softly in thought.
"I have no idea who you are talking about." He laughed lightly, pulling his body up to open the box of pizza and part a slice from the pepperoni pie.
"The pretty blonde. With the bangs?" She sat up next to him, taking a can of sweet tea from the general store bag.
"Oh you're talkin' bout Kate." He nodded and chewed a bite from his pizza before swallowing and wiping his mouth before speaking again. "She's from a different chasing team. I was just giving her shit." He chuckled, calming her suspicions.
"Oh." Her face burned with embarrassment, suddenly feeling very stupid for worrying so much and looking jealous over a man that isn't technically hers.
"You know, I haven't dated a girl properly for probably six, seven years." He looked back up at her, gasping lightly at the confession.
"What do you mean by properly?"
"You know, wine and dine 'em." He pointed his hands around, motioning to their casual date. "I would take them home with me, sure, but I never felt the need to talk to them after. Until I met you that is."
"Is that your way of calling me a good lay?" She cocked her eyebrows expectantly, watching the way be struggled to search for words, growing flustered.
"No, god! I mean you are, you're amazing. But that's not what I mean." He coughed loudly. She laughed loudly, wheezing lightly.
"Relax, Ty. I was just giving you shit." She winked, giggling to herself.
"Hey." He pointed a finger at her with raised eyebrows. "Not cool." He tried to sound stern, but the smile on his face was evident.
"What I meant was that you intrigue me. Ever since I saw you that very first night in Red Star, I couldn't keep my eyes off of you. I kept replaying the way you called me baby in my head for days, and when I saw you up on that stage, I knew there was so much more to you than meets the eye."
Now it was Belle's turn to get flustered. She had never heard someone talk about her so highly of her with such an honest look on their face. He saw right through her in such a way that no one else had ever been able to in the past. Her stomach felt like it was on fire, the butterflies turning to dragons in the matter of seconds.
"And you still have yet to really know me."
"Then let's get to know each other." He turned to face her, lying on his side and propping his body up on his elbows. "Who was you're celebrity crush as a kid?"
She snorted loudly. "You're actually asking me that?" He nodded, his expression dead serious.
"Very much am. So who was it?" He raised his eyebrows with a smile.
"Harvey Kinkle. From Sabrina the Teenage Witch." He laughed out loud.
"He was such a dork!"
"I didn't know this was a judging contest. Who was yours?" She whacked his arm in amusement.
"Topanga from Boy Meets World. I was a man in love." Both laughed happily, the sky almost dark. Conversation flowed effortlessly, conversations of fond childhood memories making both of them nostalgic and giddy.
🌪️
Belle's head lied on Tyler's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart beat. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders and a thick blanket was spread over their bodies. They both stared up at the stars, him pointing out every constellation to her. The sound of her phone vibrating against the metal of the truck distracted both of them, a random number flashing across the screen. Furrowing her eyebrows, she answered the call with a quiet hello.
"Annie Jo? Is that you pumpkin?" Instantly, her blood ran cold and her heart stopped completely, voice falling silent. She immediately sat up, muting the speaker to gasp, sucking in a shaky breath.
"Take the phone. Pretend you're a random number." She held the phone out to a confused and startled Tyler, who was completely lost. "Please." He took the phone hesitantly, looking at her one last time for a reassuring nod before unmuting the call.
"Hello?" He spoke gruffly.
"Jesus, you scared me man. I'm lookin' for Annabelle?" She could hear the all too familiar sound of her father's voice through the speaker, charismatic and charming now that there was a man on the line. He looked up, silently asking if she wanted to talk, but she frantically shook her head to the side.
"Sorry, man. I think you got the wrong number." She heard her father mumble something before ending the call with the sound of his phone smashing against something. She was finally able to catch her breath, unaware of the tears falling down her cheeks. Tyler was extremely concerned, leaning forward and resting his a hand on her shoulder, flinching lightly with the touch. "You alright? What was that?" She took a deep breath, looking into his eyes with her teary ones,
"That was my father." They sat in silence for a long moment, his arms pulling her into a tight hug. She loved how warm he was, his arms making her feel safe and protected from the dangers in her life. Slowly, she stopped shaking and her breathing evened out. "Can you take me home?" She pressed her cheek against his chest, his chin resting on the top of her head.
"Course, hon." He smiled softly at her, kissing her on the forehead before hopping off of the truck bed and helping her down. She smiled softly before opening her own door, the drive back only slightly awkward. She once again let the wind blow through her hair, Tyler smiling over at her softly every now and then. When he pulled up in front of her building, he turned to look at her.
"You gonna be okay?" He tangled his hand in hers, squeezing her palm gently. She bit the inside of her cheek, relishing in the way his soft
touch soothed her to no end.
"Um," her face felt flushed and her eyebrows furrowed. "Can you stay?" She looked up expecting him to run away and laugh, but he instead smiled softly and held her hand up, pressing a soft kiss to the top.
"I'll never say no to you." Tyler spoke quietly, making a silent promise to himself that he would never break his word. Wordlessly, both walked up to her front door and into the dim apartment. He trailed behind her as she walked to the bedroom, hand tangled softly in his. She dropped her purse on her vanity, taking a deep breath and sitting on the edge of the bed. He took a seat next to her, both looking out of the window, the sky an inky black. Without another thought, she leaned her head against his shoulder, his arm pulling her close. She held her head up, pulling him into a gentle kiss, one unlike any other they had shared before.
This was one not born from lust or thrill, but of pure and adulterated love, even if neither knew that just yet. Their lips were slow and soft, spending more time with her forehead pressed on his cheek than their lips pressed together.
No words were exchanged when she traded her dress for the red hoodie he gave her a week ago, Tyler ditching all of his clothes except for his boxers, both climbing into the bed and leaning un to look at each other. He snaked his arm around her back, pulling her close and tucking her in the snug corner of his chest. She felt calm instantly, feeling her face pressed against his warm skin. He always smelled like spearmint gum and rain, no matter when she was with him. The soft scent calmed her in a way unlike any other, and she let the soft thump of his chest pressed against her cheek lull her to sleep, his hand tangled in her hair and drifting away himself.
Belle might not have had to words to let him in yet, but little did she know, Tyler had a knack for understanding the words left unspoken.
Belle danced around her room happily, her getting ready playlist pulsing through the walls. She sung along to the lyrics as she skimmed her closet for the perfect outfit to go out with Emmalee. When she called the blonde to tell her about the situation with Tyler, she insisted out going out and taking her mind off of the insanity surrounding her. Belle agreed, with the promise of alcohol and going somewhere other than Red Star. She smiled when she found just the top.
Her phone rang loudly, interrupting her alone time. She huffed, seeing an unknown number flash across the screen. She slid the answer button, holding it up to her ear and rolling her eyes.
"Annabelle?" She heard Tyler's voice come through the speaker, huffing angrily and scowling.
"Why are you calling me?"
"Please, just, let me explain. What are you doing right now?" She could faintly hear the sound of him driving over gravel, tapping his hand on the steering wheel.
"I'm busy. I can't, and don't really want to talk to you." She spoke matter of fact, trying to ignore the way her stomach erupted with butterflies at the thought of him telling her a better version of the story than she knew.
"Please. I know I look like an ass right now, but just hear me out. All I need is five minutes." He sighed, Belle fighting a war in her head. Everything in her body told her to say no, but her heart yearned to say yes. She ached to feel wanted the way he made her feel wanted. She bit her lip nervously.
"Goodbye, Ty." She hung up the phone. As much as she wished they didn't, her words had a sense of finality that she prayed would not be there. She didn't want to admit how much she liked Tyler, how she found something new she admired about him every time they talked, how safe she felt even in the eye of the storm. She was head over heels for a man who was, essentially, a stranger.
She only had two exes, both of them proving to her that they were not worth the love she craved to give. Alex was a cheater and Aaron was a beater. She felt better having simplified the way they wronged her, able to put it behind her and try to heal from the pain, but she felt betrayed and burned yet again.
Emmaloo
I'm here, you ready?
Smiling, she checked her reflection in the mirror. Her matching denim skirt and top made her look tan, large brown belt across her waist the exact color of her boots. She curled her hair and fluffed it around, using many pieces of jewelry to take the outfit to the next level. Letting out a small sigh, she grabbed her purse, running out of her lonely apartment to join Emmalee in the black Chevy pickup she shares with Nash.
"Hey sexy lady!" Emmalee exclaimed happily, smiling through her red lipstick. She wore a worn baseball cap and a black tank top, low rise denim shorties showing off her legs. As always, she wore her faded cowgirl boots and turquoise jewelry. "I was thinking we start at Billie Jean's and work our way to Red Star. I promised Wade I would make a pit stop."
"Sounds like a plan to me." Belle smiled for the first time that day, excited for the promise of liquor and her best friend's company. Having Emmalee in her life was like having a scary older sister. She may not always be there when you want her, but she will always be there when you need her. And no matter what, she will always take your side, even if you are wrong. "Guess what just happened?"
"Oh my god tell me." She smiled and put the truck in drive, turning the corner towards the edge of town. Billie Jean's was a newer brewery, a little farther out than Red Star. Slightly more upscale than the redneck atmosphere, it calls for a fancy night with the locals.
"I was gettin' ready to leave, and a random number calls me. It was Tyler." Emmalee gasped, smiling with amusement. "We were going back and forth and has asked me to give him to to explain. I really don't know what to do, Em."
"Fuck if I know. I've been with Nash since my freshman year of high school. Half my life already." She let out a low whistle, tapping her hand against the steering wheel as she waited at the stoplight. All Belle could think about was the way she could hear Tyler's hands faintly through the phone.
"I feel like my head and my heart are fighting against each other to overrule my decision. I might call him tomorrow." The truck came to a halt in the busy parking lot of the bar.
"I know Nash and I aren't exactly the best example of a functional relationship, and the man may piss me off more than I care to admit, but I know he's the only one for me. I think I've always known since the day I met him. I get that funky feeling in my chest that I never had for anyone else. You just need to figure out if you feel that way for Tyler." She picked nervously at her nails, because she did.
She did feel that way.
Her words stuttered and her hands grew shaky, heart pounding wildly and her stomach buzzed whenever she thought of him. She knew she was falling for Tyler Owens, and nothing terrified her more.
"Now I say we forget about him for one more night and go have fun, just the two of us." Emmalee dropped her hands on her thighs before jumping out of the car and opening Belle's door for her.
"I say, that's the best plan I've heard in a hot minute."
That plan didn't last long. before they knew it, the two of them had turned into a group of random loners, all taking shots and dancing to the loud southern music. Her stomach felt fuzzy and burned with each shot, her head getting dizzy and cloudy. The red neon sign at the bar was suddenly too bright, hurting her eyes all too much. She took a small break from dancing to sit on a stool and steady herself. Emmalee stayed on the dance floor, twirling with a forty year old woman with red curls flying around.
"Annabelle?" She turned around to find Tyler standing over her, hands in his jean pockets and looking down at her with furrowed brows and a clenched jaw.
"What are you doin' here?" She swallowed nervously, swirling the stool around to face him with crossed legs.
"I stopped by Red Star, Wade said you would probably be here." There was an awkward moment of silence, each of them exchanging worrisome glances.
"Oh." She fiddled with the gold bangle on her wrist.
"Can we talk? Please?" She looked into his eyes, the normally bright blue looking dull and grey. The gash on his cheek still scabbed over. She sighed softly, letting her arms drop to her lap.
"Alright." He let out a breath and smiled, holding a hand out for her to jump down from the stool. He lead her out to the front of the bar, a single street light looking down on them standing on the sidewalk. He took a moment to stare at her glittering green eyes, his breath getting caught in his throat.
"I'm sorry I didn't call. Really fucking sorry, I just," He sucked in a nervous breath adjusting the baseball cap on his head. "I lost my phone."
"What?"
"During the storm the day I left. We got caught up, and I dropped it in the woods. At least I think," He trailed off, furrowing his eyebrows. "I was waitin' for my new one to come in, but I know that's not an excuse." She sighed, massaging her forehead.
"Point is, I like you. I really like you, and I don't want this to be the reason you never talk to me again." He went to reach for her hands, but she backed away to take a seat on the bench behind her. All the thoughts running through her head overwhelmed her mentally and physically. He bent down on his knees, lookin her in the eye.
"Why didn't you say something before. I mean, you go radio silent for four days and then show up like nothing happened. Of course I'm hurt." Her eyes pooled, feeling frustrated that she didn't know how to articulate her feelings. Communication was not a strong suit of hers. She felt the rough pads of his thumbs brush her stray tears away. The gentle touch made her tear up more. Something so simple, yet she craved it more than anything else in the world.
"I know baby. I'm should've done anything I could to talk to you, but I didn't. And I regret it. Trust me I do," His hands dropped to hold her hands firmly. "That's why I'm here. I am sitting in front of you and asking you to give me one chance. To fix my mess."
"I don't understand what it is that you want from me. " Her voice cracked, head dropping to look at the way his thumbs rubbed circles into her palms. "You don't even live here, you know almost nothing about me, yet you're asking for a chance to fix this. What is this?" She dropped his warm hands, motioning between both of them.
"Tell me you feel it." He adjusted his position slightly, grabbing her cheek and forcing her to look him in the eye. She had never seen such a gentle expression on a man in her entire life. Her heart beat fast in her chest, the fuzziness of the alcohol being replaced by the warm feeling of intimacy. Something she had never felt so wholeheartedly before. He grabbed her other hand, pressing int against his firm chest, right where his heart was.
His was beating just as fast.
"If you don't, I will leave you alone, no harm no foul. But if you do, I need you to tell me." A drop of rain fell from the sky and right onto his nose, making him look up at the dark clouds. Another fell onto her cheek, both looking at each other again. His spoke to her slowly and clearly. "Tell me you feel it too."
She sighed nervously, emotions rising as well as her tears welling up once again. Gentle rain now fell from the sky, lightning striking behind the horizon. "I do, I feel it. But I can't shake the way you made me feel. I felt so cheap, I felt used." Her tears fell freely, his hand on her cheek, tracing the line of her jaw. She struggled to voice her feelings, her frustration threatening to take over her vulnerability.
"I'm sorry. I'm so fuckin' sorry." His other hand cupped the other side of her face, pushing her hair away from her eyes. "Please, all I ask if for one chance. Let me take you out properly, like you deserve." He took off his hat, the rain wetting his hair immediately, the water pressure slowly building.
"I'm scared." Her words were quiet and hesitant, eyes searching his for any uncertainty, but she found none.
"Scared of what?"
"Gettin' hurt." She whispered, water dripping down her face, soaking into her clothes.
"Trust me. I'm gonna treat you so good baby, you're never gonna want to let me go." He smiled, her cheeks forming her first smile since before seeing him. She giggled at his idiotic grin.
"Was that a Pretty Woman reference?" She chuckled, rain mixing with her tears.
"You tell me darlin. Now what do you say? You gonna let me prove to you that this is more than just knockin' boots?" He smiled at her once again, staring into her eyes intently. She blew out a deep breath, focusing on the way his hand on her cheek felt so incredibly right.
"I better not regret this." She smiled slowly, watching him grow into a full grin before lunging forward to kiss her firmly, welcoming her soft lips. Rain pelted from the sky and thunder clapped right above them, but they simply stayed where they were, locked together by a kiss. He nudged his head forward, pulling her even closer with one hand, the other tangling in her hair. She threw hers around his neck, letting them hand loosely.
For the first time in her life, she welcomed the scared feeling in her heart. She told herself that not all pain was bad, and maybe there is a reason for everything in her life, even if she doesn't quire know it yet. The only thing she knew in this moment is that her heart felt like it was going to explode, and she liked the way his lips felt against hers.
I Hate Myself for Loving You - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Belle barreled through the front door to her apartment, tearing up her bedroom for anything valuable. She huffed with frustration, desperately trying to stall the tears threatening to fall from her bloodshot eyes. This man had somehow managed to weasel his way into her heart in less than a week, made her feel like she was worth absolutely nothing, and yet she still owed him for his generosity.
The audacity.
She screamed, leaning her hands against her desk and looking at her messy reflection. The braid holding her hair together was falling apart, and the tight T shirt was starting to choke her out. She sucked in a breath, trying to calm her nerves as she looked around her room for anything worth any kind of money. She didn't have much, with only the bare necessities and a few plants. Her eyes flicked around nervously until an idea popped into her head. Her piggy bank. Her frog shaped piggy bank.
She smiled, running to her closet and grabbing the ceramic frog from the top shelf, smashing it across the floor and watching bills fall out along with sharp clay pieces flying across the wood. She crouched down and grabbed the pile of cash, fishing through until there was just enough to pay him back, leaving three leftover dollars on her bed and running back to her beat down truck. She peeled down the roads towards the disgusting Motel 6 she knew they were staying at across town. When she pulled up, she spotted him and his team unloading their truck, talking and laughing with another. Even worse, he was chatting it up with another girl. Anger bubbled out of her chest, watching him flirt effortlessly with a tilt of a hat before the blonde brushed him off and walked up the stairs.
Belle threw to door to her truck open, wiping her cheeks before storming up to him, who was beside the truck while Lily and Boone talked on the other side. Her feet scuffed across the dirt, both watching in silence as she approached an oblivious Tyler.
"Take it back." She shoved the wad or wrinkled cash out in front of her, his body whipping around with his eyebrows raised.
"What?" He looked back and forth between the money in her outstretched hand and the terrifying look on her face.
"Take it back." She shoved it closer to him, pushing it into his chest. "It's what I owe you. Every dollar."
"Wa," He shook his head, trying to line his thoughts up with his mouth. "No." He pushed her hands back to herself, but she refused.
"No?"
"You heard me hon. No. It's you're money." He shook his head, rubbing his temples.
"What do you think this is? I'm not a fucking charity case!" She yelled out, making the curious Lily and Boone jump from their spot peeping in the mirror. Tyler mumbled something to himself, grabbing her arm and pulling her around the building to a more secluded spot.
"I'm not taking your goddamn money!" He screwed his eyes shut. Belle felt herself grow ever more furious.
"Why the fuck not? I don't want to owe anyone anything. I never asked for your help!" She crumpled it up, reaching forward and shoving it into his jean pocket. She felt the way his breath hitched when she made contact. There was a long, jagged scratch down the side of his cheek, dried blood closing the wound.
To be honest, Tyler didn't really know why he paid her rent. He didn't think much about it, seeing it in an "I have money, you need money" kind of way. He never thought of money much regardless, even if he made a lot from his channel. He knew he grew up nice, with a family who supported him and friends who backed him up. This was something he never really had to worry about, and a part of him just wanted her to feel like someone had her back.
"I know how to keep myself afloat, and if that means working a few extra shifts and skipping a few extra meals, then so fucking be it. I'm not here to have someone else do what I can do for myself perfectly fine. And I'll be damned if I have a man paying my rent just because I slept with him!" She screamed in his face, watching the the way he grimaced at her tone. Saying nothing else, Belle huffed and stomped away to her truck, feeling his blue eyes following her movements.
🌪️
"You sleep with her yet?" Boone smirked and watched Tyler drive recklessly through the country roads, barreling straight towards the fully formed twister that was preparing to touch down on the ground.
"What do you care?" He joked, smiling playfully. He fiddled with the baseball hat on his head, feeling vulnerable without his beloved tan Stetson on his head.
"Holy shit you did! My man!" He yelled clapping his hand on Tyler's shoulder.
"It's more than that." He twisted the wheel sharply, both leaning the other way. "She's sweet. Real sweet."
"What, you're gonna date her? We're on the move constantly." Boone countered, fingers fiddling with the camera settings.
"I don't know. Not trying to think that much right now."
"Whatever man. You're whipped!" He laughed as Lily's voice came through the radio.
"About to touch down. Get ready." Just as she spoke, the funnel cloud hit the ground and was flying straight towards them.
"Shut the hell up and turn on the damn camera." Tyler smirked, shoving Boone's shoulder and hollering. The wind was picking up fast and he quickly went to drill the anchors into the ground.
"Excuse me fellas," both boys jumped when Ben spoke, completely forgetting he was in the back, sitting quietly. "You need me to do anything?"
"Don't worry 'bout a thing. Just sit back and enjoy the ride!" He hollered once again, this time facing the camera. The wind picked up, debris flying as the perfect EF2 was a mere few block away from them. They had the perfect position, and they were right in the path of the eye.
"Look at that sexy lady!" Boone yelled, turning the camera to face the windshield. "All ready man?"
"Are you ready?" He motioned the twister signal with his finger to the camera, both laughing and watching the storm grow closer. "Alrighty, hold on tight Benny Boy!" Tyler yelled, the wind growing louder and the tornado eerily close. He reached for the center console, preparing to shoot her up with his new orange and red fireworks. Ben gasped nervously, focusing his gaze on the tornado. Tyler just laughed, cranking the radio all the way up and listening to the country station fill the truck.
The wind shook the truck, the tornado finally approaching them and they couldn't see anything for a moment until it all went still. "Let's light 'er up!" Tyler screamed, pressing the eject button and sending the crackling fireworks flying. He laughed breathlessly, watching them explode beautifully, but he all he could think about was how much he wished you could see them from you apartment. You couldn't.
Everyone laughed happily when the storm passed, and Boone turned the camera off and turned back to a pale, nauseous Ben. "That was a safe one, man!" He patted him on the shoulder, Ben just nodding silently.
"Something's wrong." Lily effectively silenced everyone, the whole car looking at the radio. "Wind's picking up again. Fast." They all watched in horror as the sky darkened, a large beast of a tornado formed quickly from thin air.
"Twin twister baby!" Boone yelled , turning to a pale faced Tyler.
"Winds are too strong, we gotta get out of here. Possible EF4." He rushed to unbuckle his seatbelt and ripped open his door, the fierce winds fighting against them. They were too far from town to attempt to make it back, and there was no going the other way. "Come on, hurry man!"
It was flying straight for them.
They all three scrambled out, running as fast as they could and looking for something low to the ground to protect them. They fought against the weather threatening to pull them back, loud whirring passing by their heads. The boys ran into the wooded area, desperately trying to find something reasonably safer than nothing.
"Fuck!" Boone screamed when they found a whole lot of nothing. Tyler prayed repeatedly that this wouldn't come anywhere near Belle or the rest of the team that sat a good distance away from the twister. He could barely hear himself think, yelling out when a chunk of wood flew by his head, grazing his cheek. Hot blood pricked his skin, making him wince. They all ran even farther from the storm. "Get as close as you cam to the ground now!"
All three of them struggled to hold onto the roots of an ancient tree, but Ben tripped right before he reached them, and he disappeared completely. "Ben!" Tyler yelled out, crawling against the wind to look where he was, and low and behold, he had found a gully. Swearing to himself and smiling when he saw Ben lying in the corner, he thanked whatever god answered his prayers. "Boone, get your ass over here!"
They both climbed down, hunching as close as they could to the ground and holding tightly onto the stone. They heard the whirring of the wind growing closer, ripping grass and small trees from the ground, passing dangerously close to them. He shoved his eyes closed tightly, crouching as much as he could and protecting his neck with his hand. He swore up and down, fingertips numb with how hard his grip on the stone in the ground was. Blood dripped down from his cheek, seeping into his mouth.
The wind fought with all it's might to pull them from the ground, but it failed to retrieve the boys. They let out one long, deep breath when the wind grew distant and the storm died down, watching as the sky brightened up once again and going back to being completely normal.
"Jesus Fuck!" Boone yelled, already struggling to climb out of the dirt ditch. Tyler followed wordlessly, helping Ben pull himself out and all walking back to where the truck somehow managed to stay in the ground. He smiled widely, running to his beloved pickup, Odie. She was a real trooper he thought.
"I love you baby!" He yelled, laughing when he pulled the anchors up into the truck and starting the engine with no resistance. Once they were all safely in the truck, he drove onto the road and booked it to where Lily, Dani, and Dex were parked on the very edge. Boone ran out to make sure they were alright, but Tyle knew them well enough to know they were just fine. He had only one person to check up on. He reached into his back pocket to retrieve his phone, but it was gone. He patted it a few times for good measure, turning around desperately and checking the rest of the truck, but to no avail.
Sun flooded through Belle's bedroom window, her eyes squinting to block out the harsh rays. Her mouth felt dry, licking her lips and reaching up to push the hair out of her face, but there was an obstacle: an arm.
Tyler groaned behind her, pulling her back closer to his chest. She felt his nose bury deeper into her hair, sighing out before falling asleep once again. "Tyler." Her hand tapped his forearm gently, her voice not too loud. He mumbled something in his sleep, hiding his face in the pillow and shifting into a new position. "Ty."
"G'back to sleep." He grumbled, voice raspy and strained. His body shuffled into a new, closer position. His body heat radiated off of him, warning her naturally cool skin perfectly.
"I'm already awake." Wiggling, she found a new position facing him and she looked up at his resting face. His eyes were just barely open, eyebrows furrowed and hair messy. He let out a shallow sigh and gave her a dopey smile.
"You always up this early?" His head leaned back into the pillow, grip loosening and leaning his body back and puling hers on top of him, lying across him like he was her bed.
"You always this affectionate?" Belle cocked her head to the side, smiling smugly. She leaned up to kiss his stubbly cheek and rested her head on his shoulder, focusing on his heartbeat.
"Only to you and Mollie, of course." She froze, leaning her elbows on his chest and propping herself up.
"Mollie?"
Her chest thumped as it awaited the dreaded news that she felt like would come sooner or later: that he was a pig and a cheater. A man like Tyler doesn't stay single long.
"Yup." He winked with an evil grin, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"She's a real lover. Always takes up the whole bed though," he chuckled. "Kind of annoying."
She stared at him, incredulously. What kind of man has the nerve to complain to his date about his girlfriend?
"You're a real dick, you know that?" She spat, leaning to get up but he wrapped his hands around hers, keeping her held down as he grinned.
"I'm just playin' ya. Mollie's my dog." Belle huffed, jaw dropping at his audacity.
"You asshole! Why would you freak me out like that?" She laughed breathily and sighed, smacking his chest. Tyler just laughed loudly.
"Come on, Annabelle." He looked her in the eye, brushing a hand through her hair before cupping her cheek. "You're the only girl for me." He winked, smiling widely. She sat there with a blank face, lips parting lightly and his very forward attitude. Her heart did backflips, but she couldn't help the nagging feeling in the back of her head telling her that this was going too fast.
She met this man nine days ago.
She found out his name five days ago.
The sound of Back In Black played loudly from the living room, Tyler groaning simultaneously. "Better answer that." He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek before rolling her over gently and walking to the living room butt naked. His phone rand for a few minutes before the sound stopped, his muffled voice passing through the hall faintly. Belle climbed off of the other side of the bed, throwing his hoodie on once again and walking to the hall quietly, feet padding on the cold hardwood. He had somehow found his boxers in the time he walked out, having put them on and searching for his shirt all around the living room.
"Give me ten minutes, I'll be there." He turned around, pausing when he spotted her staring at him with nothing but his hoodie on, hair messy and face bare. He hung up the phone, walking up to Belle and reaching for her hands. "I have to go, there's an EF2 the next town over and we need content." He sighed lightly, leaning down and kissing her on the lips softly. When he pulled away, he smiled before rushing to the bathroom to put his jeans on and grabbing his keys from the counter, but he paused and turned to look at her. "I'll call ya, I promise." and with that, he was gone.
🌪️
Four days passed with no call. Four days with no proof of his existence besides the Youtube video he posted that day of him riding into the twister, baseball hat on his head and vulgar language falling from his lips. Belle watched it over and over, her anger growing even stronger every time she saw the sparkle in his eyes. How could she have been so foolish?
She stormed through the kitchen doors, tossing her apron from covering the waitressing shift to the corner and kicking her feet into a chair. She loathed waiting on tables, and she was lucky enough to no longer have to deal with it since she was promoted to bar staff, but Gracie called in sick and there was no one else to cover her on a Saturday night. Tears streamed down her cheeks violently, one pissed off customer sending her already shot mood over the edge. She stood still with her head in the air, trying to prevent more tears from falling. She heard the sound of the door swinging open, Wade storming in.
"What in the hell is wrong with you? I just had to comp their whole bill because of you!" He waved his hands in the air, frustrated with her the whole night, but he was fired up over a silly meaningless argument she had with a very rude customer. "What the hell did you even say?"
She looked down, embarrassed at her own childish attitude. "He told me to stop acting like a brat, so I flipped him off and told him to sit and spin." Her voice broke off quietly, face flushed with humiliation. She never took her anger out on a customer like that.
"Listen baby," Wade walked towards her and put his hands on her shoulder, leaning down to look her in the eyes with his very own steely greys. "I love you, you know this. And I don't know whatever it is you've got goin' on up in that pretty little head of yours, but I need you to get it together. I've got complaints up the wazoo right now, and I can't afford another incident. Now you've got five minutes before you're on, and I need you to give them a show to remember." Wade nodded at her before walking out, Emmalee standing in the doorway.
"Please don't tell me you're cryin' over blondie." She pleaded, but Belle had no other excuse, looking down and letting her tears fall freely.
"Why didn't he call?" She sniffled, feeling the blonde's arms wrap around her immediately, melting into her embrace. "He told me he was going to call. He promised me." She sniffled, voice quiet and broken. Her ego was bruised, and her self esteem had taken a serious hit.
"Guys are liars. Please don't let him get into you're head, hon. You are a badass and he makes Youtube videos." She rolled her eyes, pulling back and wiping her tears. "Now you're gonna put on one hell of a closing song and then you get to go. I'll close for you, alright?" Emmalee fluffed her hair and blew on her hot cheeks. Once she no longer looked like she was just crying, Belle smiled softly before looking up at her.
"Thank you. Truly." She reached up and gave the taller girl a kiss on the cheek, skipping out on the kitchen and waiting patiently for Matt to call her up on stage. He was just finishing up the last song in his set, the bar packed to the brim with customers. She hummed, leaning against the counter and watching Wade and Emmalee pour drinks with a clear system.
"Belle?"
She turned around to find the same guy from the bonfire, groaning with disdain. "What do you want?" She rolled her eyes, already turning away from him.
"I uh, I came to apologize." He spoke hesitantly, the girl turning around to face him once again. "I was a total dick, and I'm sorry." She pursed her lips, searching his face for any sort of malice, but he just sat there with a stoic expression. It was robotic, the way he stood and the way his mouth moved.
"Thank you." She gave him a polite smile and turned away once again.
"Wait, uh," he huffed. "Let me walk to home." She turned to him for the third time that night, brows furrowed and face turned into a scowl.
"Why on Earth would I do that?"
"I know you have no reason to trust me, and I came on too strong, but I want to prove to you that I'm not that kind of guy." His brows were tight and furrowed, looking at her with shocking blue eyes.
She hummed, thinking of a good excuse to use until she saw none other than Tyler Owens himself walk in, white T shirt and backwards baseball cap on full glory. His eyes scanned the room for her, but she instead turned to Scott with a devious plan in her head.
"Okay. You can walk me home." He gave her the smallest bit of a smirk, and she assumed it was the most he ever smiled. The bar roared with applause as Matt finished the last piece in the set.
"Thank you, thank you! Y'all know I love spending my nights up here, but I think we would all love to hear the sweet serenade of Miss Belle Banks before we officially part ways!" The crowd applauded once again, Belle walked up holding her head up high, a confident smile on her face. Partially confident. Matt smiled at her brightly and passed her the mic, trading it for his guitar.
"Thank ya for the warm welcome!" She tilted her head, hearing the crowd holler and laugh. "We ready tonight?" The question was more for Matt, who nodded, but the crowd still responded with even more yelling. Instantly, he started strumming the guitar and everyone went quiet, Belle sitting on a stool.
"I cut my bangs with some rusty kitchen scissors," she emphasized her southern accent as she sang, dramatically acting along with the lyrics. "I screamed his name until the neighbors called the cops."
Her eyes locked on Tyler, who's jaw was clenched in thought and his stare intense. All he could focus on was the way she moved with such presence, effectively sucking the attention from everywhere else in the room. As she sung along, she walked around the stage and ripped her gaze away from Tyler, winking at Scott when she knew Tyler was looking. A little flirting couldn't hurt, she thought. He pointed to the door, signaling he was going to wait outside.
"Even when you fall apart," she worked the last few lines with anger. "But this ain't my Mama's Broken Heart."
She finished without another word, sending Tyler a scowl before walking off stage, completely disregarding the attention she was receiving from the crowd. Quickly she grabbed her purse, walking with strong strides to the door, not glancing at Tyler once more until he grabbed her arm.
"Since when were you and Scott a thing?" He looked at her with utter frustration, huffing angrily. He hated feeling jealous.
"I don't know. You'd be surprised with how much can change in four days." She emphasized the four, smirking and giving his a pat on the shoulder. He watched the way she had grown completely cold on him. He pursed his lips.
Shit, he thought. He didn't realize it had already been four days.
"I thought," he sighed. "I thought there was something here." He moved closer to her, whispering to her and nodding his hand between them back and forth.
"So did I. But I'm more than just a cheap fuck." She spat in his face, smacking his hand down from the air and storming out the door. Scott stood leaning against the wall, standing back up when he saw her fuming. She said nothing grabbing his arm and pulling him towards her place. They walked in an awkward silence, listening to the cicadas and crickets sing a duet. The second they made it to her apartment, she stopped and turned to him with a tight smile.
"Thank you Scott." She nodded at him before entering the convenience store. Warm yellow lights welcomed her with the scent of a strawberry cake candle burning. She knew she was going to have to grovel with the owner, Bonnie, for a week extension on her rent, and better to do it now than later. "Bonnie?"
"In the back hon!" She hollered, Belle trailing through the aisles until she saw the elderly white haired woman loading a shelf full of feminine products.
"Hi Bon." She nodded uncomfortably, holding the strap of her purse tightly. "I wanted to let you know that I won't have my rent by tomorrow. I'm so sorry, but I'm getting it together right now."
"Oh don't worry baby! Your boyfriend already paid it off! He was a real hunk." Bonnie winked smiled sweetly. Belle felt her lungs constricting, breathing getting shallow.
The second Tyler walked up to her, Belle wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his lips to hers. His hands drifted to circle her waist, pulling her even closer, desperate and feverish. The kiss was forceful and rushed, his tongue grazing her teeth lightly. She pulled away after a moment to look him in the eyes. Both were breathing heavily, staring intently. Tyler licked his lips, watching the way her cheeks flushed a soft pink.
He pushed his head forward, catching her lips once again and moving against her, powerful and hungry for more. His hands travelled down to her ass, gripping it lightly before tapping the bottom of her thighs.
"Jump."
And she did. She hopped up so he could catch her legs, easily carrying her straight to the bed. When he reached the side of the bed, he pulled his lips off of hers and set her feet on the ground, watching her chest heave. She backed into the bed, sitting down and scooting back on her elbows until she was full on the bed. He focused on her eyes, excited and alive. Her lips were red and shiny, pouting as she gulped.
Tyler climbed onto the bed, propping his arms on either side of her head, leaning down to kiss her once again. His lips followed along her jawline, pressing sloppy kisses down her neck, finding a sensitive spot behind her ear. One of his hands reached up to cup her cheek, brushing across her lips gingerly. He trailed down her throat his hand dipping to knead her hips. His touch felt so much different than any other, messy and rushed, but still managing to send throbbing pulses straight to her core. He pulled away, both hands meeting the hem of his hoodie, eyes searching hers for any sign of discomfort. When he found none, he pushed the sweatshirt up to her ribcage, waiting for her to put her arms up so he could remove it completely.
"You're beautiful." His whispered in her ear and he marveled at her bare chest, nipples hard and pointed upward, skin flushed red. All that remained between them was his boxers and her panties. His lips resumed their assault on the sensitive skin of her neck, ragged breathes leaving her mouth. His large hands cupped her breasts, rolling her nipples in between his fingers, eliciting a shaky groan from her.
He continued to trail down her body, smirking when he saw a small wet patch in her panties. He presses hips rips into her thighs, biting lightly into her skin. Her entire body was burning up, needing any kind of attention and relief from the desire she felt. "All this for me, huh?" He nudged his nose gently against her clothed cunt, Belle sucking in a sharp breath. She nodded her head rapidly, too lost in pleasure to use her words.
He chuckled, fingers nimbly pulling the fabric of her panties down, thighs closing reflexively at the cold air meeting her hot, pulsing core. He took a moment to stare at her from this angle. Her head was pushed into the pillow, breasts bouncing with her breathing. He watched her cunt drip with arousal. "Fuckin' perfect."
Tyler wasted no time, using his tongue and drawing gentle figures across her clit, her breath heavy. He felt her push against him even more. She was completely soaked, his tongue gliding effortlessly. Hands holding her thighs in place, she had to resist the urge to wrap her legs around his head. She let out a loud whimper when he connected his lips briefly to her clit, sucking gently. Her hands tangled in his hair, pulling his head back to show his lips covered in her slick. He licked his lips, smiling up at her.
Tyler climbed back up, resting his face mere inches from hers. Her hands trailed down his chest, palming him lightly through his grey boxers. His eye contact never wavered, only sucking in a shallow breath when he felt her hands make contact with his angry erection. She had a wicked smile on her face, leaning into his ear.
"Fuck me, cowboy." He smirked at her words, laughing lightly.
"Do you have a condom?"
Fuck.
"Shit, no I don't." She mentally facepalmed at her lack of preparation. She had been with different guys, but it had been a few months and she never thought to restock.
"S'alright. I'll be careful." He winked at her before pushing himself up and pushing his boxers down, leaning to rip them off and discarding them on the floor. She blew out a breath of air when she saw how big he was, how thick he was. She had never been with someone so large. She smirked, mentally accepting the challenge. When he looked back at her, he squinted and smiled at her face. "You ready?"
Belle nodded, biting her lip and resting on her elbows. She watched as his cock bobbed lightly as he climbed up her body once again. He pressed a gentle kiss on her lips, giving her a second peck on the cheek for good measure. She felt the head of his dick rest against her entrance, taking a deep breath and relaxing her muscles as much as she could. His brows furrowed, mouth falling open ever so slightly as he eased in. She moaned out lightly, both observing each other's reaction as he stretched her so deliciously.
His movements halted when he bottomed out, giving her a moment to adjust before pumping in a slow, sensual rhythm. He sighed heavily, watching her wet lips part, brows furrowed with focus. He let one hand reach up and cup her breast, squeezing her gently before brushing the hair out of her eyes. She opened her eyes wide, giving him a dopey smile before closing them once again. She wrapped her arms around his neck, his pace growing faster. He dropped his head in the crook of her neck, her head thrown back with pure and unbridled pleasure. A string of curses fell from her lips and he gradually thrusted harder, soon pounding into her.
Moans growing louder and needier, Belle felt the overwhelming sensation of butterflies in her stomach grow stronger with each passing second. Her hands travelled from his neck to his back, nails digging into his skin as he fucked her hard. The bedframe squeaked with the force, heavy moans and pants filling the air.
Tyler reached down to her leg, cupping her thigh and patting the pack of it, lifting it to lest over his shoulder. "Doctor's orders." He winked at her before pumping into her roughly, effectively fucking her brains out. She knew she was close, feeling her orgasm fast approached.
"Fuck," She whimpered. "I'm gonna," her thoughts fell blank as she moaned loudly, digging her nails into his back so hard that she surely broke skin.
"Cum for me, darlin." He kissed her jaw, lips grazing her sore skin. She let out one last jagged moan before her vision went white with fierce, hot pleasure flowing through every nerve in her body. Her head fell back, orgasm racking through her so violently that she clenched tightly, pulsing around him as he continued pounding into her. His movements grew shaky, hips snapping against hers. He was close, eyes watching her come down from her high sending his over the edge, ripping out of her and spilling his cum onto her stomach, pumping himself with a groan.
Both sat there panting heavily, staring into each other's eyes with hunger. Belle reached her hand down, moaning when her delicate finger rubbed a tight circle on her sensitive clit.
"Lie down." She whispered quietly. His brows furrowed with confusion, but he followed her orders, lying next to her on the other pillow. She smiled, slowly pulling herself up and climbing onto his lap. He smiled with amusement as he realized she was ready for round two. He caught his lips on hers, kissing her feverishly and gripping her ass. He felt his erection grow hard yet again.
Her hand glided down, pumping him softly. He sucked in a shaky breath, her thumb grazing his tip. She smiled boldly, sliding his tip against her entrance once again, wasting no time in sinking down, her warm, dripping pussy enveloping him once again. He went to grip the sheet, but accidentally smacked her ankle, making her hiss in pain.
"Fuck!" His eyes snapped open, ripping his hand away from her side and resting it on her hip instead. "I'm sorry hon. Are you okay?" She bit her lip, nodding her head with a smile. She pulled her hips up, sinking down against him slowly. Her pussy throbbed in protest, but the pain felt too good to listen. She repeated her actions, whimpering as she rested her hands on his chest for support and moved in a slow pace.
Tyler locked his eyes on her breasts bouncing in his face, looking down at where his dick slide into her tight hole, gliding up and down. He let out a shaky groan, all of his senses focused on her. Belle picked up her pace, moaning loudly when he hit her G-spot. She bounced desperately, jaw dropping open, eyebrows knit together in focus. She felt so sore and raw, but she couldn't deny that the orgasm she was chasing was the biggest she had ever felt coming. Her eyes were screwed shut, leaning her head on his chest and bouncing as fast as she could.
He dropped his hand downward, rubbing her clit. She cried out, biting his shoulder as she felt tears prick her eyes. His cock slid so perfectly into her, screaming out when her second orgasm hit her like a bus, body shaking with pleasure. Tyler had to keep her hips moving with his hands, pumping her slowly and watching her cum leak down her legs with a whine. Her legs trembled violently, lifting her body up and off of Tyler, instead leaving down and wrapping her lips around his dick to get him to his second orgasm. He sighed out when she bobbed down, her tongue pressing the back of his cock softly, cheeks hollowed. He gasped holding her hair and moving her in a fast, even pace until his eyes slammed shut and he came again, not able to focus on anything else other than her lips pumping his dick.
When his orgasm passed, she pulled her lips off of him with a hazy smile and a line of spit dragging from his dick to her mouth. She was so incredibly sore, but her legs shook from pure pleasure. Belle climbed up and leaned back against her pillow, both taking a few minutes to catch her breath before Tyler pulled himself up from the bed and disappearing. She watched him walk in the bathroom, returning with a baby wipe, delicately wiping his cum off of her stomach, wiping her thighs clean. He leaned in and kissed her gently, smiling when he pulled away.
He got up once again, throwing the baby wipe away before climbing into the bed, pulling Belle onto his chest and holding her tight. Both stared out the window, the rain now calmed down and only falling gently.
Both lied there, listening to each other's heartbeats slow until their eyelids fell closed, only dreaming of each other.
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"It ain't nothin' but a sprain." The physician spoke through a thick Texan accent. He smiled through crooked teeth, winking at her before clapping his hands together and standing up. "Keep it raised above your heart and take it easy for the next few days. Should be fine within a few weeks." He shot finger guns at her before walking out of the cramped office. Belle sighed, looking up at Tyler.
He immediately took her into town and to the closest medical practice after the weather cleared. The whole derby was in a frenzy, with smashed cars and debris covering the roads. They were lucky that the twister didn't tear into town. only teetering along the edges. He blew out a sharp breath.
"Ain't you lucky?" His hands were on his hips like an overworked mother, hat missing from the storm. She couldn't help but admit that she found him even more attractive without the hat, imagining what she would look like with it on, but it was now long gone, never to be found again. His hair was disheveled and he rubbed his stubble. The brown flannel he wore was soaked through completely, still sticking to his hard abs. Her eyes kept wandering without her permission.
"I don't know about lucky. I'll be out of work for days and I still have to pay rent." she felt her eyes watering without permission, clouding over with frustration and humiliation. Hastily, she blinked them away and hid her head in her hands. Tyler sighed and walked in front of her. He held his wrists, pulling her hands away from her face.
"No need to stress yourself out. Things like this have a way of working themselves out." She looked up to see him smiled softly. She couldn't help but scoff at his naivety. If she didn't figure it out herself, there was no one to turn to. She was utterly and completely alone.
"I wish it worked like that." She took a deep breath, looking back down at her filthy arms. There was dirt caked under fingernails, polish chipped at the corners. Her jeans were covered in mud, and they were going to need a good soap bath at least twice to go back to normal.
"Come on, I'll help you to the truck." Tyler stuck a hand out for her, Belle going to set a foot on the ground, but she yelped when she was yanked in the air and pulled into his arms bridal style once again.
"I can walk by myself, you know." She rolled her eyes with amusement as he walked out of the office, trailing through the hallway with a proud smile. Her arms slinked around his neck tightly.
"More fun this way, don't you think darlin?" He raised his eyebrows, laughing at the smile spreading across her face. Her arms immediately felt frozen as they stepped outside. A cold chill seemed to follow the storm, whipping through her hair. He rushed to the truck, moving the hand on her back for a moment to open the passenger door and help her in. Setting her down gently, he pulled away and ran to the other side, hopping in and turning the key in the ignition. The hefty engine howled into the quiet night, lighting up the interior of the truck.
"I think I dry clothes in here somewhere." Both shivered with their wet clothes and the chilly wind. He climbed partially into the backseat, digging until he pulled a duffel bag from under the left seat. He pulled it up front, shoveling through before he pulled out a crimson red sweatshirt and long sleeve top. "Put this on."
He passed her the thick sweatshirt, unbuttoning his own shirt to change. Belle couldn't help but watch as he yanked it off of his arms, his bulging muscles flexing as he pulled the new top over his head, hair popping out with a heaving breath. She trailed down his chest, silently staring at his waistband. Instead of staring, she forced herself to look away and slipped the sweatshirt over her head and down her body. The warmth send immediate relief washing over her body, sighing lightly at the feeling. She maneuvered the tank top off of her shoulders and pulled it through the top of the sweatshirt, throwing it on the ground. The hoodie smelled like him, with the scent of mint gum and fresh rain invading her senses.
Tyler pushed the gas, tracing the roads back to Geraldine in the dead of night. The radio played softly, both sitting in a comfortable silence. When he parked in front of her apartment, rain was falling peacefully from the sky, beating on the windshield. He crawled out of his seat without a word, walking to her side of the car to help her step down and let her lean against him. He wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her up just enough that she could walk on one foot easily.
The door remained unlocked, opening easily with the twist of a knob. She reached over to the left to turn the switch on her lamp on, the main area of her apartment glowing softly. Her flat was simple, with the living area as soon as you walk in and the kitchen just in front. To the right of the kitchen was a small hallway, with the bathroom at the end of the hall and her bedroom to the right, just behind the kitchen. She never took much time to decorate, only placing a few plants and throw blankets through the apartment. Too much clutter made her overstimulated, too much going on and keeping her distracted.
She sighed lightly, looking up to face him when she heard the rain outside pick up lightly and watching as lightning struck from the window above her couch. She flinched with the sudden flash, eye twitching when thunder boomed through the sky. She sucked in a sharp breath before looking up at the blonde.
"Thank you for tonight. I had fun," she smiled lightly. "Before almost dying, obviously." Tyler huffed, shaking his head slightly.
"Let me buy you a drink sometime. I owe it to you." He smiled, genuinely. He truly had no idea why he was so intrigued by Belle, but he felt like a magnet was pulling him towards her, and he couldn't seem to mind. The wind outside picked up, rain pelting harshly against the wind. Both turned their head to watch the rain.
"No." She bit her lip. "Let me pour you a drink. Ain't no sense of driving out in that." She nodded to the window with a soft smile.
"Alrighty then." He nodded at her with a smile.
"Let me go put dry pants on first." She pursed her lips before limping down the hall to her bedroom. Quickly, she threw on a pair of dry leggings and walked into the bathroom, washing her hands and face thoroughly. The sweatshirt hung happily from her shoulder, no intention of changing anytime soon. The hem of the bottom hit her mid thigh, but she was so incredibly cozy, and she loved the way he smelled. She ran a brush through her damp hair, pushing it to the side.
When she walked back to the main area, Tyler was sitting down at the stool against her small island, two wooden stools lined on the edge to serve as a table. He smiled when he made eye contact with her, feeling butterflies rise when he saw that she kept his sweatshirt on.
"Beer alright?" He nodded, wiping his hand over his mouth. "I don't got much else." She pulled the door to her barren fridge open, finding a six pack on her top shelf and a few leftovers from the other night next to a jar of pizza sauce and a half used stick of butter. She pulled two bottles from the shelf and passed one to him, watching as he popped the lid with his teeth. "Aren't you scared of breaking a tooth?" She grabbed her bottle opener magnet from her fridge and popped her own lid.
"Already did." He smiled widely, running his tongue along the bottom of his left eye tooth, where a jagged line broke the tip right off. "Didn't feel too great." She leaned in to look at his perfect smile, somehow even more perfect knowing that it was imperfect. Looking up, she smiled widely.
"Gives you character." She winked before drinking from her bottle.
"How'd you get that?" Tyler nodded his bottle to the jagged scar on her neck. She shivered, remembering the wat the shards from her father's whiskey glass pierced her skin. She only hand a few small cuts, but one particularly large piece dragged into her skin just enough to leave a permanent mark.
"Uh," she cleared her throat uncomfortably, backing up and looking down at her hands. "Broken glass." He hummed lightly, watching her demeanor change. His eyes glazed over her apartment, smiling like a dork when he saw a copy of The Princess Bride with a bookmark a few pages from the end.
"God, I remember this movie." He picked the book up, flipping the pages in his hands and gnawing his lip. "Watched it all the time as a kid. My aunt loved it."
"What's your favorite movie?" He blew out a hard breath and thought ti himself.
"Back to the Future three." Belle laughed loudly.
"Why three?"
"It's a sci fi western. Best crossover of all time." He spoke like it was obvious, leaning back and raising his eyebrows.
"I don't know about that." He rolled his eyes with a small smile.
"Tell me, what is your favorite movie? Since you seem to feel so strong on the topic." He bumped her shoulder lightly, sipping his drink.
"Tangled." She blushed at the confession, wishing it was something a lot more mature.
"What's that?" His eyebrows furrowed, watching her intently as cracked his knuckles.
"You know, the princess who lives in a tower with her evil stepmother and has the super long hair." His face staying the same, confusion etched in his eyes.
"Sorry hon, don't think I've seen it." He pushed his hair back, watching the way her legs moved when she pulled them to her chest. Every time the storm grew louder, he noticed the way she flinched, they way her face grimaced at the lightning. Her arms shook under the hoodie, and she was very thankful for the thick, baggy material.
She didn't notice the way Tyler's eyebrows furrowed as he watched her body language intently. The rain seemed to grow even heavier, making it practically impossible to see past the glass.
"Is the storm supposed to calm down at all?" She mumbled, watching Tyler check his phone to see the weather.
"Doesn't look like it. Supposed to get worse through the night." He pursed his lips, setting his phone down and biting the inside of his cheek.
"You can't drive in this. It's too dangerous." She propped her leg over the other, pulling the sleeves over her hands.
"Don't worry darlin, I'll be fine." He spoke smoothly, but he couldn't hide the concern on his face.
"No. Just stay the night and leave in the morning." She leaned forward and rested her cold hand on his knee, jeans still damp with rain. "Don't be stupid."
"You're okay with that? I don't want to overstay my welcome." She scoffed at his words, rolling her eyes.
"Yes, Tyler." She smiled softly. "Now, go take a shower before you catch a cold." She nudged his calf with her foot.
"You go first, it's your home." She huffed in annoyance.
"Tyler. You have wet clothes on."
"Go, wash off all that dirt." He winked before standing up and grabbing their empty glasses, tossing them in the trash bin. She simply rolled her eyes before making her way the the bathroom. She looked at her reflection, seeing the spark in her eyes that she hadn.t felt in so long. Hope.
She took a quick shower, scrubbing her skin until the dirt was washed off and her skin was red. She truly worried for Tyler, with him staying in wet jeans for so long. Rushing to brush her teeth, she rung her hair out and wrapped a pink bath towel over her body.
The first thing she saw when she walked out was Tyler reading the inside of The Princess Bride. His eyes popped up when he heard the door open, smiling when her eyes met his, but the moment was fleeting. His eyes traveled down her chest, staring at her bare body.
She coughed lightly. "Uh, bathrooms open." Smiling awkwardly, she walked into the bedroom. She felt flustered, but the raging storm quickly brought her out of her moment, sending her into a frenzy. Her breathing felt heavy, rushing to throw the warm hoodie over her shoulders once again, pulling a pair of cheeky cotton undies on under. She heard the faucet running, brushing her hair neatly before shaking it so it dries faster. She felt much cleaner, no longer having rain and mud spread all over her body.
Tyler was even faster. He only took the time he needed to wash his body and not a moment longer before shutting the water off. He hastily wiped his body off with one of her pink towels on the rack, wrapping it around his waist. His boxers were lying flat on the toilet, hopefully trying to use steam from the shower to dry them out. They were almost dry.
When he walked out, Belle was in the kitchen drinking a glass of water. "Do you have an extra pillow?" She jumped, surprised by his presence.
"Yes! Uh, sorry." She coughed at the feeling of water getting stuck in her throat. Instead of waiting around to see his reaction, she walked to her room to grab a pillow and a blanket, opting for a warm, fuzzy blue blanket. Tyler thanked her, setting up a makeshift bed on the bed.
"Night, gorgeous." He winked at her, watching her walk to her bedroom with a smile. Lying down, she faced her window, watching the rain beat down as heavily as before, her smiled quickly disappearing. Minutes passed, feeling restless and spooked by each new round of thunder. She could faintly hear him moving around on the couch, feeling just as restless.
Finally giving up, she stood up and slowly walked to the hallway, watching him tap his fingers on his chest and stare at the ceiling. The couch was entirely too small for him, feet hanging off of the armrest.
"Tyler."
He whipped his head around, eyebrows raised with surprise.
Tyler spent each morning after his trip to Red Star with lingering thoughts of a very certain strawberry blonde. Every thought that passed through his head was followed by the glint in her eyes and the sexy swing in her walk, intoxicating his brain so much that he couldn't even function normally. The rest of the team looked past his odd, dazed behavior, assuming it was due to the eerily calm few days since the last storm. It had been three long, antagonizing days, and they finally got themselves a pretty little EF2.
At this particular moment, the gorgeous funnel cloud itself was heading in the opposite direction Tyler was driving.
"Dammit, Ty!" Boone yelled out as he curved farther and farther from the twister. "Hit the fucking gas! What the actual hell are you thinking!?" He groaned and sucked in a deep breath. Tyler just huffed obnoxiously, thoughts too preoccupied by the woman in his head to focus on the task at hand. Boone immediately cut the cameras, watching the tornado drift into the distance.
"Calm your tits." Tyler hummed, pursing his lips and watching his beautiful little twister disappear into thin air.
"Jesus man. What the fuck are you doing?" Boone threw his hands and the air, shaking his head in frustration.
"It's okay, Boone. We'll get the next one." Lily's grounding voice filtered through the radio, Tyler smiling at her optimistic attitude.
Tyler stayed quiet, not wanting to admit that the thought of him asking Annabelle out scared him much more than getting caught up in an EF5. He was Tyler Owens: wild tornado wrangler and master of the ladies. His ego felt bruised knowing how much his chest felt tight when he tried to plan out what words to say to her.
He had to do something, and fast. If he waited much longer, he would be Tyler Owens: worlds shittiest (single) tornado wrangler. Instead of continuing the conversation, Tyler just put the car in drive and booked it back to the shitty Motel 6 they were staying in.
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A soft knock at the front door spooked Belle and sent her jumping in the air, flying out of her vanity chair. She quickly realized that it must be Tyler, looking at her phone. 7:30 on the dot. She huffed slightly, putting the last touches of lip gloss on before ruffling her hair and spraying her perfume. She wore her most prized possession: a pair of bootcut jeans with red star patches on the back. Her boots poked out the bottom just right and the red tank top she wore sinched right under her bust.
After a few more mirror checks and a nervous smile, she grabbed her phone and keys, walking to the door. She heard soft whistling before she pulled the door open, finding Tyler leaned against the brick wall and looking up at the sky. He immediately turned to her and smiled, pushing off of the wall and facing her.
"Damn hon." Tyler let out a low whistle and cocked his head. "You're a stunner alright." Belle twirled in a circle and smiled, both laughing and walking to the road. His fat truck sat proud on the side, standing out like a sore thumb on the antique downtown road.
"This is your truck?" She stopped in front of the pickup, gawking at the odd attachments and sheer size. Tyler laughed behind her.
"Yes ma'am." He walked forward to pull open the passenger door, smiling as he gestured for her to get in. Belle bit her lip and climbed into the truck, watching Tyler follow her movements intently, shamelessly staring at the stars on her ass. He closed the door with a smirk and walked around to them other side, jumping in effortlessly. He rested his arm on the center console, looking over at her with a lopsided smile. "You ready?"
"As I'll ever be." She smiled at him, watching as he nodded at her before revving the engine and turning the radio on high. The windows all rolled down at once and the evening breeze whipped her hair every which way.
The ride to the town over was short and bumpy. She zoned out while watching the sun slowly disappearing over the horizon, just the smallest bit of yellow still peeking out from the trees.
"Tell me Tyler," Belle turned to the man driving, responding with a hum and a glance her way. "What do you do when you are in the eye of the tornado?" He smiled widely, Belle turned to him with her hand holding her hair.
"Well we usually light her ass and watch our fireworks go out the top. Makes for a pretty nice view." He had a smug look on his face and turned onto the next road.
"What do all these buttons do?" She pondered, leaning forward and lifting the covers to look at every one.
"Everything. We have one to ground us, one to film, one to- don't touch that one!" Tyler freaked out as she hit a random button, sparks flying from the top of the car. She smacked her hands over her mouth, face burning with humiliation.
"I'm so sorry oh my god!" Belle was mortified, but she jumped when she heard explosions bursting in the sky. Tyler took a deep breath and started laughing, red and blue streaks of embers spreading in the night sky. She gasped, looking through the back window, slowly standing up in her seat to put her head through the sunroof. She started laughing as she watched the fireworks explode with wide eyes.
"Careful up there!" Tyler laughed and wrapped a strong arm around her thigh to support her body. She just watched the sky like a wonderstruck child, standing still and feeling the wind blow through her hair. Slowly, the lights dissipated into the air and returned to the dark night once again, Belle sighing lightly. Tyler watched her through the sunroof briefly, deciding to shoot off the rest of the fireworks. She jumped when she saw them fly up, but her heart thumped heavily in anticipation. Pink and orange sparks exploded all across the sky, smoke lines from the ones before becoming visible. She laughed loudly, smiling with an open mouth.
Tyler couldn't keep his eyes off of her, smiling ear to ear at her reaction.
Once the very last ones drifted into nothing, she carefully lowered herself into her seat once again, listening to the loud radio with a smile. She looked over at him, laughing quietly before bursting into loud laughter. He furrowed his eyebrows with a smile, laughing along with her. She struggled to catch her breath, wheezing shamelessly. Tyler laughed even more at the funny sound she made whenever she let herself laugh with her full body.
Both quieted down as they pulled into the dirt lot for the Rodeo, people everywhere and loud country music blasting through speakers in the air. He parked the truck close to the edge so they could pull out easily before jumping out and running around to get her door before she had the chance. She rolled her eyes at his silly antics.
"I can get my own door, y'know?" Belle smirked, bumping his shoulder lightly. Tyler then rolled his eyes.
"Now what kind of gentleman would I be if I let a lady get her own door?" He laughed, bumping back into her before steering her to the right with his hand on the small of her waist. He stayed in the same spot even after she was walking the right way. She felt his skin burn on hers, lighting her ablaze. "Why don't we get a few drinks before the line picks up?" She nodded before pulling him to the line. He felt his heart skip a beat at her gentle touch.
Both ordered a beer and corndogs before following the mass of people to the metal stands, music still playing over the speakers as they continue to get their riders ready.
"I haven't been to the rodeo since I was probably ten." Belle bit into the top of her corndog, Tyler already halfway through his. He raised his eyebrows in surprise as he chewed, swallowing before wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"I practically lived here as a kid. Spent a few years riding into them myself." He licked his lips before leaning back slightly. She gasped at his confession.
"Did you ever get hurt?" She leaned in to hear his response subconsciously, but the sheer proximity had him sucking in a sharp breath. Her mouth as a mere few inches from his, wide sage green eyes staring into his blue ones.
"Bound to happen. I once got swung off and the horse I was on stepped on my hand and crunched my wrist all up." He held his wrist out, showing the scar where he had to have reconstructive surgery. She widened her eyes even more, tracing the jagged line down his thumb to his wrist, the touch sending sparks through his nerves. Her corndog sat forgotten next to her, as well as the half drank beer.
"That must've hurt like bitch!" She bit her lip and looked back up at him. He stared into her eyes, both standing still in their own world, but then the music stopped and everything got dark. Spotlights focused on the entrance for the riders before they appeared and the crowd roared with applause. She watched intently, jumping lightly when they started yelling and riding like maniacs. Tyler set his warm hand on top of hers, settling his fingers into the crease of hers. Belle smiled, but continued watching the riders. The entire night was so perfect to her, so unexpected yet so pleasant.
Until Tyler gripped her hand tight. She looked up at him with furrowed brows, but his gaze was focused completely on the withering cloud above.
"We need to go. Now." He held his grip on her hand tight as he stood up and pulled her with him.
"Why? What's going on?" As if they heard her question, the tornado sirens sounded through the event with a deafening whine, sending everyone flying out of their seats. He started running with his hand holding hers close, but she tripped when leaving the stands over another persons shoe. She cried out as she felt a sharp pain jolt through her ankle. People trampled over her as she tried to move, but she completely trapped. Her eyes watered at the realization and she curled into herself to avoid more feet pummeling her.
Tyler pulled her up, carrying her bridal style in his arms as he ran as fast as he could away from the fast approaching winds. "Fuck, I'm so sorry. We have to get out of here before it touches ground!" Belle nodded rapidly, rain pelting down and mixing with her frightened tears. He looked around swiftly, spotting a hole in the ground where tree roots were uprooted.
He booked it with all his might and lowered her into the hole before climbing in on top of her, shielding her from the winds. Her entire body was shaking like a leaf and she was curled into a ball, gripping Tyler's arms for dear life. The hole was just barely big enough for both of them, his head popping out slightly. His hands wrapped around her waist tightly gripping onto her and holding her as far down as she could with all of his might.
The wind seemed to grow even stronger, getting louder as the tornado approached the area they were in. She couldn't hear anything except the sound of his breathing in her ear and the wind whipping violently around them. She whimpered when the tree beside them got ripped from the ground with no roots to keep it in place.
"We're ok. I won't let anything happen, I promise." Tyler spoke into her ear and pressed her down into the ground as hard as possible as the tornado passed right through their spot, barely grazing them before disappearing into another direction. When the wind seemed to grow silent, he poked his head up to see the damage. Once he saw the coast was clear, he sat up and looked down at Belle, who was sobbing violently, body trembling with fear. He wasted no time helping her turn her body around and pulled her into his side, her hands grabbing his torso and her head buried into his side.
"Hey, look. It's gone. We're safe." Tyler brushed the dirt out of her hair as her cries slowed to a sniffle and she poked her head up sheepishly to make sure he was telling the truth. Her breathing seemed to finally catch up to her as she saw the night standing perfectly still.
