Leather & Lace

“If ya ever open your ugly trap in front of me again… I swear I’ll make you one more hole, right in your fuckin’ crotch. Got it?”

“Idiots who breaks the laws of this city, and scumbags that treat women badly, are folks that we love. Terribly so. To death.” 

“Keep talking.” 

“My current job has been good to me, and I enjoy the comforts it affords.” 

“If you can’t act because the master is fettered, then it’s up to the master to act.” 

“Apparently, you don’t know, so let me fill you in.”

“I was just thinking about what a nice caboose you have.” 

“It’s called give and take.”  

“You’ve forgotten me!” 

“Screw you!” 

“What’s the matter? You’re spacing out.” 

“You’re hale and heartier then I thought, aren’t you?” 

“So, you’ve done it again! How come you got yourself jacked up so quickly?” 

“I remember seeing your face before.” 

“Ah, geez. *insert name here”, you’re too fast! Could you not run so fast?” 

“I don’t have anywhere else to go.” 

“If I were to answer, it would all be over, right?” 

“I’m gonna crush that head into mincemeat.” 

“I will ALWAYS fullfill my own responsibilities, no matter the circumstances.” 

“Should I kill him?” 

“You’re the worst, *insert name here*.”

“You can stay, but your clothes must go.”

“Please, use the ball gag.”

“Spread your cheeks.”

“Take your clothes off.”

“I wouldn’t misbehave half as much if I didn’t like the punishment.”

“Let me blindfold you.”

“Is that all your mouth is good for?”

“Do you like when I touch you there?”

“Quiet down or they’ll hear us.”

“I liked that sound you made.  I’ll have to make you make that sound again.”

“That’s sexy.”

“How do you feel about hot wax?”

“It’s just an ice cube.”

“Which dildo would you prefer?”

“Want to try a new position?”

“I want you to lick the cum off the floor.”

“Call me mommy/daddy.”

“I’m going to spank you.”

“You are so cute all tied up like that.”

“Beg me to let you cum.”

“I’m your master/mistress and will be addressed as such.”

“Dominate me.”

“I’d rather dom.”

“I like your ass.”

“Pull my hair.”

“Please, have me.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Harder!”

“I hope your nipples aren’t too sore.”

“We should do it somewhere else other than a bed tonight.”

“I want you to count as I spank you.”

“I want you to cum in my face.”

“How about I give you a massage?”

“Oh fuck yes!”

“I want you to bend over the bed.”

“Please, not the nipple clamps!”

“You’ve been good, so I’m going to let you cum.”

“Bend over”

“Which vibrator would you prefer?”

“Use your mouth.”

“Get on your knees.”

“How about some whipped cream?”

“I love it when you moan like that.”

“Rougher!”

“Public sex turns me on.”

“Fuck me.”

“Play with my pussy.”

“I want you to ride me.”

“I’ve been naughty.”

“You’ve been naughty.”

“Spank me.”

“I love it when you play with my nipples.”

“Please, tie me up and have your way with me.”

“I’d rather sub”

“Home is too far away. No one’s going to see us here.”

“I know how to make you relax.”

“I want you to tie me up and blindfold me so I don’t know what’s coming while you use me.”

“We are going to watch a porn together for ideas.”

“I’m gonna tie you up and have my way with you.”

“I want you to beg.”

“It’s really not that kinky.”

“That’s kind of kinky.”

“Put your ass in the air.”

“I’ve been waiting here on the bed naked for a while now.”

“Just sit back and let me give you a show.”

“Why don’t we count the hickeys?”

“Submit to me.”

“I don’t care if people are around or not, take off your clothes.”

“I’m going to record this so we can watch it together later.”

“I’m going to go get the nipple clamps.”

“Yes Mistress.”

“If you wouldn’t make so many noises when I pull your hair, I wouldn’t have to do this”

I want you to go down on me

Fuck me harder!

I’m gonna cum!

“Bite me!”

“Do you like when I play with your nipples like this?”

“Spread your legs.”

“I’m gonna ride you.”

“I love this collar.”

“Play with my cock/pussy.”

“I’m going to sit on your lap and play with your cock/pussy.”

“Don’t cum until I say it’s okay.”

“You are all mine pet.”

“They’ll never notice.”

“I love looking at your ass after I’ve spanked it so much.”

“Let me put this ball gag on you.”

“I’ve got your collar ready for you.”

“Keep it down or I’ll have to use a gag.”

“What would you think about adding a third party?”

“I like it when you bite me.”

“Open up your ass for me.”

“Yes Master.”

Lick it all up.“

“You are my little bitch.”

“Fuck me until I can’t walk.”

“Touch yourself for me.”

Too smooth.

Those were the first words that entered Branch’s mind when he contemplated all the information Bern had gladly offered him. He offered excellent explanations for all of Branch’s immediate questions with no hesitance or indigence. The friendly nature of the taller man should have put him at ease, that’s what it was meant to do. All it did was make Branch’s throat dry as he swallowed, a sense of cold settling on his neck and running down his spine. The more Bern talked, the more uneasy Branch felt. Branch was used to people being ill at ease with a law enforcement officer around. He used his friendly nature to settle their nerves, build a rapport to get more information. He wasn’t used to having the tables turned on him. But he had a job to do. 

This small desert town and the oddities of how it had a Mayor, no police force, and this….what was he really? Some kind of enforcer? Vigilante? 

Branch barely stopped his eyes from widening as the realization hit him. 

Hector. 

This guy was this town’s version of Hector. Back home, on the reservation, there had been a corrupt police chief for years. There hadn’t been a real form of justice. Hector would right the wrongs for the members of the Cheyenne tribe in violent ways, bringing back teeth as proof, and receiving payment. Branch had no idea how this guy operated, but the role he played in this town suddenly made sense to Branch. It only partially put him at ease. 

He cleared his throat, and pulled out a picture from his jacket.

“It concerns both your home and mine,” he said, relieved that his nerves weren’t affecting his voice, “I’m tracking this man.” He showed Bern the picture. “He’s wanted for multiple murders. He’s considered armed and dangerous. His only living family is meant to live around these parts. You seen him at all? Guys name is Reynolds.”

The deputy wasn’t a fool, Tuunbaq could practically feel the electrical impulses clicking between his synapses. He could become a problem, but killing him was not an option at all, the sheriff of that place he came from couldn’t be unaware of his trip to South. This visit should be solved quietly, but the tupilaq also knew that the police didn’t really like to be shown the door before getting any answers. Another problem was that answers usually brought more questions in the inquiring minds like this one.

“Looks like a bad boy,“ he drawled looking down at the picture, “How did you lose him? And why are you so sure that he will even show up around here, people like him have little family values.“ Nothing in his voice gave him away, and his facial expression didn’t change when he rested the back of his head against the wooden pole of his porch. “No, officer, doesn’t ring any bells right now. The picture doesn’t look recent, and Reynolds is a quite common name. We can ask people, check the books in the motel…“

@peritxetxinvenit​

The question of how they had lost Reynolds stung Branch more than he was prepared for. Durant and a neighboring county had decided to work as a joint team in order to apprehend Reynolds. He was hiding out in territory that had a murky state line. So rather than stepping on each other’s toes, the two Sheriff departments had decided to bring him in together. They had all expected a stand-off, but they hadn’t expected such a shootout. Two deputies from the neighboring county had been shot. One died and the other was barely clinging to life. Branch hadn’t known the other deputies, but that didn’t matter. It hurt his heart all the same. The situation now involved the Feds and the U.S. Marshalls. But both Branch and Walt believed they were looking in the wrong direction. For once, he and the Sheriff were in agreement, so Branch had slipped down to Serenity to have a quiet look around. 

Branch did his best to remain calm, not let the question that meant no offense rile him up. “People like Reynolds have no values at all. But he can use his mother to hide out for a while. After all, what parent tells their kid ‘no’ if they’re in trouble?”

Branch readjusted his hat on his head, needing to do something--anything--to distract himself from how...nervous this man made him. He clenched his jaw when Bern said ‘we’. Based on the gut feeling screaming at Branch to get away from this man, he didn’t want Bern accompanying him to talk to the locals. But he also knew that since he was dealing with the town’s only form of authority, he didn’t have much of a choice. “Appreciate you taking the time to come with me,” he said politely, attempting to hide the reluctance in his voice, “I’m sure everyone will be happier to see a familiar face when I ask a few questions.”

Branch glanced at the door when Bern offered him a drink inside. A pebble of dread dropped in his stomach. He couldn’t explain why, but he had the irrational fear that he was being invited into some kind of den or lair. He knew it made no sense. There wasn’t a monster lurking beyond those doors, nothing waiting for him in the darkness. He wasn’t going to give in to any childish fear, but he also knew better than to ignore his gut feeling. His lips quirked up in something akin to a smile.

Started here.

Everything went great since that night when they put all the dots over i’s. There were no secrets and misunderstandings anymore. Vic was surprised how relaxed Branch became after they sorted it, how he just let the fact that his boyfriend was a hitman be. It didn’t hang in the air between them, it didn’t weight their daily routine. It just was there. They were a cop and a criminal, they said it and moved over it. At least they thought so, and everything was perfect and better.

Too perfect. Vic had to remember that he hated when things went too perfect, but with Branch, he forgot about bad omens because he never felt so happy and so alive before. He savored every moment together, even those moments when they couldn’t be completely open and should act like just friends. Back home they would be just another couple on the street, here things still were a little more conservative, and if it didn’t mean so much for Vic, for Branch it meant a reputation. So, they moved slowly in that direction, and he respected it. After all, alone they could throw away all the decency and be who they wanted to be to each other.

This late evening at the Red Pony was just like the others, perfect. They had beers, Vic was stealing stares and occasional touches that made his lover’s cheekbones turn pink. He knew what Branch was thinking about because he was thinking about the same. The next three days belonged only to them, and they had plans, the whole house of plans. This thought caused a sweet ache in his lower abdomen once again. They were going to be very productive, maybe even set some record.

Vic took another sip of his drink and noticed that Branch’s expression changed suddenly. He looked in the same direction and saw a red-haired girl, laughing a bit too loud among her girlfriends. She was drunk, probably celebrating something or just enjoying the warm night. “Go, do your job, deputy sheriff,” he chuckled when Branch said that he wanted to make sure that the girl would get home safe, “Don’t forget to help a couple of old ladies across the street and come back.”

His cheerfulness started to fade away, though, when said girl hung on Branch like a monkey on a tree. He tried to push away the thought that the words ‘I know her’ actually meant more than the other man put into them, but this thought didn’t want to go. The longer he watched them the more clingy and prickly this thought became. He read the apology on Branch’s lips before they went outside. His cigarette that lied in the ashtray burnt out, he looked down at it and back at the door.

She was probably just an old friend, right? Branch helped many people in town, she should be just one of them. There was absolutely no reason to go after. Vic lit a new cigarette with slightly trembling fingers, he got up, took his glass from the table and went outside. 

They were standing there, before him like on a movie screen just without the fitting music. He couldn’t hear what they were saying to each other but he really didn’t care. Their postures, the way they touched each other was very tale-telling. And those cuddles lingered way longer than it was necessary to make sure that she was warm, steady and capable to get a cab. And then… they kissed. Vic barely stopped himself from crushing the glass of beer in his hand. She kissed Branch, Branch kissed her back. He was maybe a little drunk himself but he wasn’t blind, at least not before he saw that kiss.

Everything else didn’t really matter, the red veil fell before his eyes, and through it, he could distinguish the two still standing together and barely noticed the taxi and the fact that his boyfriend was already beside him. He didn’t move when beer was snatched from his hand just making a mental note with a part of his mind that Branch was a really bad actor. His lips leaned instinctively into the other’s lips but he didn’t feel a taste on them, didn’t want to feel any taste on them, and met the other’s glance only after being asked a question.

@peritxetxinvenit​

It gutted Branch to see Vic spit after kissing him. To see the man he loved spit out the taste of him hurt Branch more than any slap, punch, or insult ever could. It said everything Branch needed to know without a single word being uttered. Vic must have wanted Branch to hurt. Because Branch had hurt him. 

“Oh shit,” Branch whispered, devastated after Vic had moved away. 

He had seen them. Vic had seen them, and he was taking it in the worst possible way. Then again... Branch couldn’t realistically expect him to take it any other way. They were living together, it should have angered Vic to see Branch kiss somebody else. But Branch never wanted Vic to be hurt or angry, especially because of him.

Branch ran after Vic, trying to catch him before he reached the yellow Cadillac. They had taken a big step that night and arrived at the Red Pony in the same car. It could easily be brushed off as two friends making sure there was a designated driver to take the other one home, but it had been exhilarating to arrive at a destination together. Like other couples did. But Branch had managed to fuck that all up.

Before Vic could get into the car, Branch caught up to him and slid between Vic and the driver’s side door. His boots kicked up a small amount of fine dust from practically sliding to a halt. He leaned against the door so Vic couldn’t get in and drive away. He would let Vic do it if he really wanted to. He just wanted his boyfriend to hear him out first. 

“Vic,” he said, out of breath. It wasn’t because of the running, it was because of the panic coursing through him. He wanted to curl in on himself at the rage in Vic’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” Branch said, meaning the words so intently that it threatened to tear him apart at the seams, “I’m so sorry. I should never have done that. I know you’re pissed at me, but just listen, okay? That girl...” Branch swallowed, his throat dry and he coughed involuntarily. “She’s Cady Longmire. She’s Walt’s daughter.” He sagged against the door of the car, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “I’ve known her since high school, but about a year ago we dated for six months. And Walt has never forgiven me for that! He was the reason we broke up...and stayed broken up. Vic, look I...I told her we’re together. And...she’s okay with it.” 

A faint pink spread across Branch’s face reaching his neck. “I should never have kissed her. And I’m so sorry I hurt you. But kissing Cady isn’t the same anymore. There’s nothing there--it’s dead. I’ll always care about her as my friend, but it’s not like it is with you, Vic.” 

He pushed himself off the car door, moving a little closer to Vic. A part of him was still expecting a good punch to the jaw. He would deserve that, truth be told. He wanted to touch Vic, but he was afraid to have his attentions brushed away again. So he just remained as close to Vic as he dared, staring into blue eyes that bore daggers into him as he said what had been the truth from the very start. 

@peritxetxinvenit

Branch had many responsibilities as a deputy sheriff. More often than not, the assignments he was given tended to be passive aggressive punishments from Walt. Either tedious or undesirable, it always fell to Branch to take care of it. And so, when Ruby received a call about a welfare check on a resident, Walt sent Branch. But not before he visited one of the local bars to ease the mind of the bartender.

Branch licked his lips, nodded tersely and grabbed his hat and his keys. He hadn’t missed the smirk of Victoria’s lips as Walt gave him another punishment he didn’t speak up about. He hadn’t been given the opportunity before, so he was doing his best to learn as much as he could. He’d be much more experienced and prepared for the next Sheriff’s election. 

In the meantime, he entered the bar. His gait was casual, his body language belied how at ease he was. The patrons began to settle as well. Everybody always acted on their best behavior when law enforcement entered the room. Nobody wanted to be kicked out by the deputy. But that wasn’t why he was there. He approached the bartender to see what exactly the problem was.

“What have we got?” Branch asked.

The bar tender pointed to an older man with a grey beard beginning to turn white. His face was round and he looked….exhausted. Not so much from a long day’s work, but from a long and arduous life. Branch contemplated him for a long moment before turning to the bar tender. 

“Ain’t done nothin’ wrong,” the bar tender explained, “Just…I see all types in here. Especially depressed people. I’ve seen people who look exactly like him and wind up killin’ themselves. I don’t know if you can help, but I wanted to call anyways.”

“You did the right thing,” Branch replied. Most people went to bars to either drown their sorrows or let loose. But he respected that the man behind the counter cared for his patrons. Branch had to bite back a smile. This guy was a good bartender, but he was no Henry Standing Bear. With any luck, by the end of the conversation with the other man, Henry would have another customer headed his way. “What can you tell me about him?”

“Name on the card is….Robert Goren. He’s new. Been coming in everyday this week. Don’t talk to nobody.”

Branch’s brows shot up as he looked at the bartender from under his hat. “You sure that’s his name?”

“Yep.”

“I’ll be damned,” Branch grinned. The welfare check he had to do was for a Robert Goren. Ruby had received a call from a friend of his in New York worried about him. At least he could kill two birds with one stone now. He nodded to the bar tender before casually going over to the older man. He took off his hat and smiled. “Robert Goren? My name’s Deputy Branch Connally. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

A cowboy walked in a bar… Definitely a cop, probably a deputy sheriff. It only looked like Bobby didn’t notice anything around him, he noticed everything, couldn’t help it, but he could at least try to ignore it. A cowboy talked to the bartender, and he got curious because nothing really happened there that night, nothing out of order. Except for probably one strange guy at the counter. He watched them from his corner, tried to read lips which he wasn’t really good in, but even without this skill, it was clear that they were talking about him. That was very thoughtful of the sheriff’s office to check on him. He knew what they thought about. Maybe he was planning something bad, to kill someone or to kill himself, maybe even in front of all these customers. He has been dealing with desperate and suicidal people many times, he wasn’t sure this cowboy ever dealt with one.

Bobby took another sip from his glass when the man moved in his direction. He wasn’t there to get drunk, he would never let himself fall so low. The fear of losing control would never let him. Alcohol just helped him to become a little numb, to look at things a little more simple. One double bourbon before the sleep that’s all he needed, an illusion of letting lose, an illusion of stepping out of his own labyrinth.

@peritxetxinvenit​

Branch realized his mistake immediately, and he certainly didn’t blame the older man for the icy demeanor. Then again, when someone was hurting terribly, a cold disposition could make a wonderful defense. Branch was chagrined, but he gave a small smile anyways. “I shouldn’t be so formal,” he conceded, “I apologize.”

The subtle drawl to his speech was emphasized with his last two words. He stood silent for a moment worrying the inside of his lower lip before gently placing his hat on the table and taking a seat. He grinned a little wider at the compliment regarding his hat. “Thanks,” he said. 

He didn’t know if the other man would consider it rude to sit down at the table with him. But judging on how he’d reacted to Branch saying his full name, he had a feeling things would be worse if Branch remained standing over him. Branch didn’t want to exude any sense of authority or intimidation in this situation. He didn’t need to. He wasn’t dealing with someone aggressive or rowdy. He hoped being at the same eye level might make the other man feel relatively less bristly. 

“Never a crime to be alone, though it’s a damn shame to feel alone,” he said honestly with a small shrug of his shoulders, “You’re not in trouble by any means Mr. Goren. In fact, the bartender is worried about you. Among others. We got a call from someone named Alex Eames back in New York. She says she’s known a long time, and she’s worried...really worried.” Branch’s tone was completely genuine. He made sure to use a tone that was not condescending or full of false sympathy. He wanted to talk to Goren man to man. A quick easy check in to give the woman back in New York some peace about her friend. Branch leaned back in his seat however. He was ready to ride this one out, to be in it for the long haul, if this man wanted to talk and get something off his chest. In the past, Branch had found sometime’s just having someone listen to them would help anyone who needed a wellfare visit. .

@peritxetxinvenit​

Every man he had ever loved in his life hated him. His father saw him as a possession to be manipulated and dictated to. His uncle saw him as untrustworthy and a brat. Walt Longmire had grown to outright despise him for having loved his daughter and planning a future with her. For being hungry for more in life like all young men. Every woman Branch had ever loved had left. His mother was never spoken and never present in his life. His stepmother Alex had stopped caring about his after his father divorced her. And Cady…well, she had chosen her father over him. Not for the first time, Branch wondered what exactly he had done so wrong that made it to be near impossible to be happy with someone else in his life. He chocked back a sob when Vic shook him lightly. His vision routinely blurred and cleared with tears he would never admit to shedding. 

Everybody he ever loved eventually turned their backs on him. He still cherished them all. He’d never had the heart to stop loving them no matter how they treated him. He had once told Cady that he never regretted a single moment with her. It was the complete truth, and it was doubly true for Vic. Every moment had been perfect with the other man. So if Vic wasn’t going to apologize for anything….why the hell should he? 

“I’m not sorry either,” he rasped slowly. He swallowed thickly, still hiding behind the brim of his hat. “I’m not sorry for any of the time I’ve spent with you. …Not sorry for the way I feel about you. Not sorry for what I want.” He clenched his fists but made no move to release himself from Vic’s grasp on his wrists. Instead, he continued, “I should arrest you. I should throw you in the back of my truck. I should haul your ass down to the station and let everybody know which murders your responsible for. But what I should do isn’t what I want!”

He looked into his lover’s gaze, his eyes red and his own gaze vulnerable. This was the last time he’d allow someone he loved to break his heart. And for once… Branch Connally wanted to be utterly selfish. Vic would still be able to do what he liked. At least this time, they could make a choice with everything on the table. 

“I want you,” Branch told Vic, shrugging his shoulders slightly. “That’s all I want right now. I want you…to be with me. I….I think I love you Vic. I know what you are and what you’ve done. And you know what I am…” He sighed deeply his gaze dropping once more and his shoulders sagging. “I’ve always tried to be a good man. My own man. Ever since I met you…I just wanted to be your man. Deputy or not…I’m not as good as anyone thinks. I put the pieces together. I told Walt some of it…but I never mentioned your name or showed him your file. So I need you to make a choice. Stay or go… Stay here and be with me if that’s what you really want. Or just go and don’t ever fucking come back to this state. Because what I should do isn’t what I want… Either way, I’m not putting you in cuffs Vic. But just know…if you leave right now and you come back here, I will arrest you then.” He shrugged his shoulders once more and gave a single heartbroken chuckle that was more of a sob. “I don’t know what else to say.”

His words were rapidly failing him, emotion squeezing his throat. So he leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to Vic’s lips, tipping his hat back in the process so it would be harder to hide behind the brim now. He looked at Vic, too afraid to get his hopes up and simply asked, “Do you wanna stay or go?”

This had to be a dream. He was going to close his eyes and woke up back home in Los Angeles with no memory of it. Or in their bed with Branch breathing peacefully next to him. But this was all real, the revealing of his actual purpose of coming to Durant, tears on his lover’s face, the weight on his chest, cold in his stomach, and the thought jumping like a mad flea in the box of his head… This had to be a dream.

He would prefer to be arrested, to be cuffed and thrown into the truck like a sack of spuds. He would prefer to be dragged into the station and hear all the same Miranda-Escobedo, and go back to the jail, and escape. Life should be simple, it was always simple even in the worst days, now it was becoming complicated. Yet he was still standing on the same spot and listening to Branch’s words. Branch already made his decision, the most emotional, the most stupid and the most beautiful decision he could make. Vic felt how the lump of ice under his solar plexus began to melt. But now it was his turn to decide. He still could run away, Branch gave him this chance. He could leave and avoid the risk to be exposed by someone else. Leave and never come back because, of course, the other man knew, if he stepped outside he would never come back. Leave and try to forget everything like a dream.

@peritxetxinvenit​

Branch was prepared to feel Vic brush past him and hear boot steps growing fainter as the other man left his home. He was ready for the silence to ring in his ears when he, once again, found himself alone. He never truly expected Vic to say the words. The deputy looked at him, eyes searching Vic’s face desperately--looking for the lie, the tease, the manipulation. His throat burned, and he could hardly breathe. He opened his mouth to speak but found no words. The elation made him dizzy, it almost made him take a step back. The only thing he wanted to ask was, ‘Really?’

Vic chose him. Despite the risk, despite the lunacy of it all, Vic wanted to stay. He flinched when Vic removed his cowboy hat, the one article of clothing that felt like his shield in any situation. But it wasn’t fear that made Branch jump ever so slightly. He’d merely been snapped out of his stunned daze and was settling into the reality that...they were were doing this. As risky and rushed as it was to settle into a life together, they were going to give it an honest try. 

He gladly clung to the back of Vic’s shirt when his lover pulled him close and held him tight. He let his shoulders drop. His weight sagged against Vic, and he just wanted to stay in that embrace for as long as he could. He wanted to remain against Vic’s warmth, feel every muscle beneath Vic’s clothing, breathe in the scent of cigarettes and aftershave. Whenever he and Vic were together, they were just Vic and Branch. No titles of deputy and thief to adhere to. And as Branch buried his face in Vic’s shoulder, he found a new resolve to keep it that way. There were no more secrets now, and he wanted what Vic was promising him. That things would stay the same. That Vic was going to stay, and they would be the same couple they had been before. No. Better than before. 

He was thankful Vic couldn’t see him silently blink more tears. Vic surely felt him shaking slightly as the adrenaline wore off, and he probably felt Branch tense up when he said those words. Words that Branch never really expected to hear anyone say to him. At least not say them and mean them. But he knew that Vic loved him, otherwise he wouldn’t still be here. He held onto Vic tighter in response, worried that Vic would slip away now that they had said their feelings aloud. He turned his head and kissed every part of Vic he could reach, his neck, his ear, his cheek. 

“Thank you,” he muttered, his throat still tight with emotion. He held Vic a few moments longer, before pulling back slightly to look his lover in the eye. He made sure not to pull away enough to give Vic a reason to let go. He let out a deep disjointed sigh, half-relieved half-exhausted. He closed his eyes, swallowed the lump that remained in his throat, and steeled his nerves as best he could. The sense of betrayal had left his gaze, and it was replaced with stern resolve. Yet it was hardly devoid of adoration.

“Baby,” he started off calmly, resting his hands on Vic’s chest, “If we do this, then I need you to let me be in charge for the next little while, okay? You mentioned going to L.A. to get your stuff. I don’t want you to go. Trust me...but I think leaving town to get your stuff for a couple of days would be a good idea.” 

Branch paused briefly, not only because he was asking Vic to do the very thing he didn’t want him to. He was asking Vic to head back to California to keep him safe and let him gather anything he’d need to start a comfortable life with Branch in Wyoming. He also realized he was giving Vic yet another perfect opportunity to escape. And perhaps worse than that...he was on his way to betraying the deputy's emblem on his shirt. If he ever became Sheriff one day, then he’d already have abuse of power under his belt. It weighed heavy on his heart, but he was determined to carry that in silence. Because he was carrying on the Connally bloodline with this, wasn’t he? He was sure his father would be proud, and it made him sick. He didn’t let it show on his face. Barlow Connally had taught him to have a good poker face from a young age. 

“We got another suspect in this investigation, and I did some research,” Branch explained as calmly as he could, “This guy had well recorded dealings with our victim, he has no alibi, and...he escaped a murder charge before. His conviction should have been a done deal, but he intimidated witnesses and no one could prove it, so he got off.” Branch couldn’t look Vic in the eye now, so he focused on staring and playing with a button on Vic’s shirt. “Let me build the case against this guy while you’re out in L.A. Maybe he didn’t commit this murder, but he did commit one. The people he hurt deserve some kind of justice. ...I should have things wrapped up by the time you get back.”

If Vic came back.

@peritxetxinvenit

Something was off. Seriously off. He’d gone to see the Mayor, who should have been the ultimate authority in this small town. He wanted to inform the Mayor of the situation they were in, knowing that politicians liked to be kept in the loop of solutions to problems. They didn’t have much interest in the problems themselves. Branch had expected to then be sent over to the Sheriff or Police Chief. But he wasn’t.

For some reason, he could not fathom….he was told to go see a man by the name of Bern Glacier. Which Branch knew in a heartbeat was not a real name. He’d asked what this ‘Bern’ did that made it so important for Branch to talk to him about this case. No one in the Mayor’s office was willing to tell him. That set off warning bells in Branch’s head. Bern had a very tight grip on this town, which meant he was both important and dangerous. Branch wondered if he was about to deal with the leader of a small town’s organized criminal element. Some kind of mob boss? Perhaps. 

But when he saw the impressive and dignified stature of the other man, the poise and power surrounding him, Branch wasn’t about to walk into their meeting underestimating him. He, of course, had his service pistol with him. He certainly hoped it wouldn’t come to that though. He just wanted to talk. He wanted to do his job and get back home to Wyoming. It was obvious that a real genuine cowboy was quite a sight in these parts. 

He carefully climbed the steps to bring himself before the man with his arms crossed. Branch would have been lying if he said he wasn’t intimidated. This guy could probably beat the shit out of him. He hid his worry well. Instead, he tipped his hat and asked, “Morning. I was told to come see someone named Bern Glacier. I could use a little help. That you?”

“That’s me.“ Tuunbaq wondered what kind of trouble could bring this policeman so far from his natural habitat, from the once wild West to the desert South, but it looked like the man was going to tell him everything himself. So he just continued to study the guest and smell the air around him. Alertness, suspiciousness, a drop of fear.

Those were the first words that entered Branch’s mind when he contemplated all the information Bern had gladly offered him. He offered excellent explanations for all of Branch’s immediate questions with no hesitance or indigence. The friendly nature of the taller man should have put him at ease, that’s what it was meant to do. All it did was make Branch’s throat dry as he swallowed, a sense of cold settling on his neck and running down his spine. The more Bern talked, the more uneasy Branch felt. Branch was used to people being ill at ease with a law enforcement officer around. He used his friendly nature to settle their nerves, build a rapport to get more information. He wasn’t used to having the tables turned on him. But he had a job to do. 

This small desert town and the oddities of how it had a Mayor, no police force, and this....what was he really? Some kind of enforcer? Vigilante? 

Branch barely stopped his eyes from widening as the realization hit him. 

Hector. 

This guy was this town’s version of Hector. Back home, on the reservation, there had been a corrupt police chief for years. There hadn’t been a real form of justice. Hector would right the wrongs for the members of the Cheyenne tribe in violent ways, bringing back teeth as proof, and receiving payment. Branch had no idea how this guy operated, but the role he played in this town suddenly made sense to Branch. It only partially put him at ease. 

He cleared his throat, and pulled out a picture from his jacket.