Sexiest Old Man Tournament: Round 1
Who is hotter?
Ben Mendelsohn vs Eric Bogosian
Ben Mendelsohn
Eric Bogosian

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Sexiest Old Man Tournament: Round 1
Who is hotter?
Ben Mendelsohn vs Eric Bogosian
Ben Mendelsohn
Eric Bogosian

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Living Proof - Captain Emmett Dutton x Reader (Australia)
When She Says Baby / Starlight
GIF CREDIT: XÂ
@mandy23bâ @wltz-bbyâ @happyskywhaleâ #MendoTagSquad
Authorâs Note: A little reimagining of When She Says Baby but also a sequel! At this point just thank @crawlingmistââs gif sets; the amount of inspiration is unreal And also the fact that Iâm listening to a bunch of new music I havenât had chance to...
Original idea based on a discussion I had with @mandy23bâ and therefore heavily inspired by the bathtub makeout scene in âHunt Angelsâ - and also why I threw a Kathner reference in at the end đđ This is another one I started ages ago (December!) but took me so long to finish, and then itâs been kicking around waiting to post-!
Disclaimer: Gif not mine / lyrics not mine / Australia characters not mine oh my god look at the baby!
Premise: When you accidentally injure yourself, Emmett Dutton has the perfect remedy. Youâve got some plans to remedy some things for him, too...Â
Words: 3527
Warnings: sexual connotations
_________
Tell me something, but say it with your hands slow When you touch me, paint me like a Van Gogh I wanna study every inch of you 'Til you trust me to make the angels come through
Like a choir singing, "Hallelujah" When my body's crashin' right into ya When we align, ooh yeah Do you feel me? Can you feel me? 'Cause I can't breathe
Where did you come from, baby? And were you sent to save me? Ooh There's God in every move, ooh And you're the living proof The way your hands can't shake me Soft to the touch like baby, ooh There's God in every move, ooh And you're the living proofÂ
Countin' freckles, as they run down your spine Show your demons, and I might show you mine One at a time, yeah, yeah What are you hidin'? What a design, yeah, yeah I wanna dive in, what a divine moment Can you feel me? Can you feel me? 'Cause I can't breathe
---
Emmett had to carry you home. You refused to look at him, grumbling nearly all the way back, which made him sigh; âI did warn you.â âThis is embarrassing-!â You werenât exactly sure how youâd done it either, but youâd certainly done something to all the muscles up your right hand side over your ribs. It felt like cramps and knots rather than a strain... but you couldnât tell yet. And you thought you were okay, until it started audibly popping. Which you knew wasnât normal, and it hurt to move - so there was no way you were walking all the way home. Besides as soon as Emmett heard it and started showing concern you knew you were done for.
Okay, you probably would have. But this was Emmett Dutton you were talking about so, of course he had to be the gentleman and carry you back. And you were making sure he knew that you were none too happy about that. âA bath will probably fix you right up.â You folded your arms with a pout - âThatâs the best you can come up with? All that army training and bath is the best you can do-!?â âFunny, usually youâre not one for complaining about things like thatâŚâ He opened the door and you gasped; âWhy-! Emmett--! What are you suggesting!?â But the look on his face only made you laugh as he closed the door with his foot, and then you winced. âOkay, Iâll behave. If you think the bath is the best place for me⌠ please, do take me to the bath, good Sir!â He shook his head, with a grin, âOh stop!â Emmett took the stairs gently, making sure your body was still well supported. He entered the bathroom and paused with a small frown of his own, âWhat?â âWell I canât actually put you in a bath still dressed, can I?â He swivelled, eyes searching the room for somewhere he could sit you, Emmett held you that little bit tighter too conscious of dropping you. âAH!â In the corner of the bathroom was a spare chair you usually placed towels and clothing on whilst you bathed â Emmett pulled this to the side of the bath sat you delicately on it, âPerfect.â You shook your head at him, with a small smile as he began to run the water, âI donât think you know the meaning of the word.â That tone in your voice had him raising his head to you slowly, and that look on your face had blush dusting his. âD-Donât you start.â You batted your eyes innocently, âBut you are.â He pointed at you, backing up to find your favourite soap; âYou were complaining at me less than 15 minutes ago!â You sighed gently, tipping your head and placing your arm across it for dramatic effect, âOh but, Emmett, Iâve seen the error of my ways.â He very nearly stuttered through his next sentence, pouring a little more than necessary; âS-Stop it-! Iâm n-not undressing you!â You tsked, âOh, youâre no fun.â His laugh was strained as he left the room to collect you fresh towels and clothing, âI think the word you just used was perfect.â You shook your head, watching the bubbles begin to form in the hot water, and the steam rise in gentle clouds. As the bath continued to fill you decided not to waste time waiting for him to return and stood gingerly, slipping your clothes from your body yourself. You had to be careful at how delicate your side was behaving, but there was no visible bruise â so hopefully it would just be a cramp that needed heat to unwind. You didnât even want to help him by throwing them on the back of the chair, instead leaving them strewn around the bathtub, before you shut the water off and stepped in. Emmett had the temperature just right, you would certainly give him that. You slipped beneath the water and let out a sigh of content, resting your head against the tub with a soft smile. He was perfect â and you werenât about to let him forget it, especially when his blushes were always so damn cute. You heard his footfalls coming back towards you moments later, and as they reached the bathroom floor, even when you werenât watching you heard his stumble. Then Emmettâs slight cough as he regained composure, but hesitated in walking across the bathroom to you. Sure heâd collected good soft towels for you, and fresh comfortable clothing, but he knew what was bound to happen if he got anywhere near you. The last thing you were going to do was stay in that water⌠beneath the bubbles at least. What you knew, of course, was that Emmett also wasnât about to leave the contents of his arms anywhere but the chair next to you. To make him a little more comfortable you didnât open your eyes, and kept taking relaxed breaths. A silent promise that you werenât going to move like he thought you would. Emmett skirted the room, getting as close as he dared before placing the towels on the chair, eyeline everywhere but the bath, and yet he could still feel himself getting hot under the collar. And for a moment he hated that you knew all his ticks so well; because he also wasnât about to leave the bathroom floor a mess. Gathering your skirt and shirt, he sighed gently at the way your underwear was just strewn nonchalantly at the foot of the bathtub; collecting these too Emmett couldnât help but look up to the sound of movement through the water. A fateful mistake, as he came face to face with you, your head resting on your folded arms â inches from his face. His pretty blue eyes were suddenly wide, and they begged you not to move. Your slow blink was just as innocent before, your voice full of sugar; âOh, Emmett, youâre such a sweetie. What would I do without you?â âUh, IâŚâ His eyes couldnât help but trace the lines of your face, the sweet little smile you were giving him, your soft skin and the water droplets now running from it, the way the ends of your hair were now darkened, having already been soaked, giving them a gentle curl, the colour rising on your own cheeks at the temperature of the water. You reached out with a hand, knowing he was already immobilized; your touch was so warm and yet he couldnât help but almost shake as you pulled him in for a gentle kiss. âThank you.â âY-Youâre welcome.â His eyes still held yours, but Emmett was bashful â and suddenly in the silence he backed up, âWait! NO!â He stood, face flushing again, âYou-!â You sunk back into the water, âAw, come on Captain⌠I could do worse.â âIâm leaving you here in peace! Youâll be the death of me at this rate-!â But your eyes and the pout on your lips worked like a charm and you patted the chair again; âAnd leave me alone? Oh⌠But Emmett! You wouldnât, would you?â He swallowed hard, looking to the clothing in his arms, âJust⌠let me put these in the wash.â But he pointed at you, âNo tricks.â âI promise.â Although you could only promise him anything but.
*** Emmett sat gingerly when he returned, as far from you on the chair as he could get, still wary of you and your feminine whiles. He knew what you were capable of, and wasnât the least bit fooled by the innocent look on your face â and as if to prove he would be ignoring you, he set a folded newpaper across his lap, but he did spend a little longer than he thought necessary surveying the water. Steam was still rising, and he hoped that would help you. You drew your hand from the water and held it out for his; Emmettâs sigh was gentle, but he took it, running his thumb affectionately over the back of yours; âHow are you feeling?â You nodded, with a soft smile, âBetter. Thank you⌠You always do know best.â âWell,â His smile held all his adoration as he looked to your face, âAnything for my best girl.â That made you blush at least a little; he was honestly such a gentleman, whatever you did to get him, you were only ever intent on keeping him. There was silence for a moment, before he chuckled; âThis seems awfully familiar!â Your mind flicked back to his return from Darwin, and your heart caught for a moment; âHardly as seriousâŚâ But you gripped his hand a little tighter; talking about it still scared you, âIâm so glad itâs all overâŚâ âMhmâŚâ Emmettâs hand slipped from yours and he stroked your hair, âMe too⌠At least life has a little more normality now.â There was some truth in that, he was stationed back here with you, where he belonged â currently. Although youâd already vowed to him that any movement he made from now on would take you with him. You nodded, closing your eyes and sliding your body further into the hot soapy water â lying still for a moment. Emmett kept his hand on the side of the tub for a moment, pausing to watch you â you were calm and serene, and he couldnât help but stare at you in complete adoration for a minute. The colour that flushed your cheeks now was gorgeous, and you looked so content and happy. âHowâs the side?â âBetterâŚâ He watched the water stir as you pressed your hand over your ribcage; ââŚYeah. It doesnât hurt as much.â âAs long as itâs workingâŚâ You nodded once more, and even though your eyes were closed you continued to smile, bringing your hands back up to run them through your hair. He wanted to tear his eyes away from you, to sit here and keep you company whilst you relaxed; that was the right thing to do, thatâs what Emmett would normally do. But it was the way that you had been staring at him from over the rim of the bath that got his eyes sweeping the water and him swallowing hard. You caught him at it; eyes cracked open â that smile turned quickly to a smirk, and his hand was in perfect grabbing distance.
âWOAH!â He had to steady himself on the other side of the bath with his right hand, left pulling from yours, but now resting against your shoulder. Emmett mere inches from touching the water himself; you tsked with a pout â surely his army training had been the thing to save him. Water sloshed from side to side and spilled to the bathroom floor with the force of his weight against the tub, you were sure heâd love that just as much. You were a little annoyed but it didnât stop you from looping your arms around his neck; âIf youâre going to spend so much time staring, Captain, you might as well join meâŚâ âY-Y/N!â Once again Emmett was flushed and stammering, but he hadnât pulled away from you, âStop!â Your hand ran from around his neck to over his chest, and his breathing became shallow as you continued to pull him closer. âJust kiss me, CaptainâŚâ He moved his hand from your shoulder to the tub, resting just to the side of your head, but Emmett knew better than fighting back, and lowered himself another inch to brush his lips to yours. Another mistake on his part, because you pulled him to you tighter, and when he pulled back he found himself lifting you from the water â body pressed against his. His sigh against your lips was soft at how warm your body felt against him; you were still kissing on him, and clinging to his shoulders to let him know you werenât about to let him go. You released his lips and Emmett was breathless, so off guard that he was basically speechless, and you knew you had him right where you wanted him â tugging him back into the bath with you by his shirt collar. The front of his shirt was soaking and now plastered to his skin, and youâd assume that the back was the same at this point. You curiously glanced down the rest of his body, noticed his spattered trousers from the force of the water pouring over the side. Your eyebrow raised and you looked back to him; âOh, OoopsâŚâ âY-You-!â He attempted to protest, and you pushed a finger to his lips, âHush-! Join meâŚâ âY/N!â His eyes were wide and voice shocked by the notion. âDarling, you might as wellâŚâ You looked back to his clothing, hands sliding to the first few buttons, the first one was undone but as you travelled to the second his hand caught both of yours â but that only brought him closer to you as his right hand struggled to support his weight against the wet surface of the tub. âY/N! This isnât proper--!!â But you could still move your hands under his to undo that second button, and you leant up to kiss him again; âThis is my house, and you are my partnerâŚâ third button, your next kiss was to his jaw ââŚweâre not in Darwin, weâre not at a party, weâre not in publicâŚâ then his neck, and Emmett slipped again, this time with a quiet moan, suddenly his shirt was even more soaking, and his body was pressed back against yours, ââŚAnd I love you.â But you hardly thought you needed to say that. His eyes met yours, clearly embarrassed as he stood straight, water cascading from him and to the floor. Emmett wiped the droplets from his face and ran his hands through his hair with a soft sigh; âYou are⌠you know exactly what youâŚâ He panted again, unable to finish, âIâŚâ You waited for him to make a sentence, to say anything even coherent, but his fingers were already on his own buttons. His hands were shaking, you sat straight, and beckoned him back to you; âBaby let me help you with thoseâŚâ Emmettâs resistance was gone, and he took your offered hand to allow you to pull him back to undo his shirt. It fell to the floor with no resistance â and it wasnât long until the rest of his clothes joined. You bit your lip gently and huddled your body to let his join yours in the other end of the bath. Yet you didnât leave him to get relaxed. Pushing forward through the water you wrapped your arms around him again, lips back on his, he embraced your body close to his; and with the temperature you couldnât tell if the red in his cheeks was embarrassment or the heat â but you thought you knew the answer. He tangled his legs with yours as you ran your fingers through his hair; and the harder you kissed him, the further you pressed your body into his, the more delicious his stifled little moans became â Emmett always tried to keep them to himself. You always thought that odd; like he thought the whole damn street would automatically know you were having sex. (Though, had to admit to yourself that sometimes you wanted them to know what he was capable of doing to you). That only made you even more delighted when you managed to pull a real one from him; lips to his neck and grinding your body into his. He sighed your name, and then again, his grip on your body tightening as you smirked into his skin. Emmett gasped, and his fingernails dug into you, nudging your head he pleaded to capture your lips with his once more and you allowed him as much of you as he wanted â gasping as he gained the confidence to explore you. You were a marvel to him, every single inch of you beautiful, heaven sent. And yet even you knew that he was the real Angel here. The pain in your side was quite forgotten by now as other feelings stirred within both of you. You continued to grind against him until Emmett could barely breathe, he couldnât kiss you, his head tipped back and his breaths became short and sharp pants; âY/N-! Y/N! P-Please S-stop! Stop!â You did as he asked and stilled, waiting for him to calm down, which he did â slowly, and as his head raised you placed your forehead to his; both your eyes lust rimmed, and both of you gently panting. âSorry, baby, IâŚâ need you⌠I donât just want you I need you⌠It was his turn to hush you, âI knowâŚâ His laugh was nervous, âI knowâŚâ but he kissed you gently once more, embracing you tighter, running his hands over your bare shoulders he placed a kiss to your forehead, before turning your body in the water. It was still at a moderate temperature, and you could spend some quality time together like this; your back pulled into his chest. Emmett looped his arms around your waist, and relaxed you both against the side of the tub, kissing your ear, back of your neck and finally your shoulder. You smiled gently; âDo we get to finish this later?â There wasnât bashful silence this time, and you were met with a chuckle; âPerhaps.â You looked back at him; ââŚYouâre really something else, Emmett Dutton.â His gentle blue eyes were inquisitive, maybe even confused, âI am?â âYes.â You breathed, reaching back to pull his lips to yours once more, before resting your head against the side of his; âA real gentleman.â Then you giggled, âIâm not sure I am deserving.â He didnât like that youâd say that, and shook his head, âNo. No. I wonât hear a word of it.â His hands massaged you comfortingly under the water, âYou deserve no less. I am humbled by your presence.â It was your turn to blush horribly at that, âOh⌠EmmettâŚâ
 *** The rest of the bath didnât end without a few good old-fashioned hand wandering and teasing shenanigans, but as you dried and dressed each other between gentle kisses you both knew that in the end, bath time cuddles were the best medicine. Emmett still insisted on checking your side, but was happy that you looked absolutely fine â you insisted you also felt it, but dressed in more comfortable clothing, Emmett also insisted that you sit quietly with him whilst he read the paper; because, pulling him into the bath meant he hadnât quite got around to doing that.
You got to be cuddled up with him, and closed your eyes to inhale his warm inviting scent, and because of the bathing products â he also smelt faintly of you. That gave you a little bit of an ego boost, and you desperately tried to think of something to send him down the road to do, any small errand â just to say Yes, he smells like me, because heâs MINE. But you couldnât think of a good excuse, and so in your arms he stayed, which in all honestly you probably preferred, you could keep him all to yourself here. âNow I might actually get to read this!â He flipped over another page, surprised you were staying remarkably still. That raised a smirk from you, head on his chest; âOH! Donât be so sure-!â Emmett tsked, almost knowing he shouldnât have said anything and continued reading, until he noticed that something interesting was going on in your little town; âAre we engaged tonight?â You peered at him from underneath your lashes; âI believed we were finishing off from the bathtubâŚâ His nervous chuckle was back, âCould⌠Could we go out instead?â âInstead-!?â You pretended to protest, but knew that considering what youâd just been thinking, you would love to have the Captain on your arm. âWell, alright, as well as-!â You pretended to think hard, âThat depends. Where are you taking me tonight?" Emmett nodded to the paper; "Oh, they're showing that new Kathner film at the picture house..." You immediately brightened; "Kathner!? Now there's a good-looking man!" It was an obvious tease, but Captain Dutton fell for it anyway; "Y/N!" You grinned; "Nearly as good looking as you!" "Y/N!!" You pressed a finger to your lips in thought; âI wonder if heâs ever filmed any steamy bath scenesâŚâ Emmett covered his face, in potential embarrassment for you as well as himself; âStop it or weâre not going.â Your grin was however triumphant; âYou donât really want me to stop, do you Emmett? Baby⌠Me?â You batted your eyelashes and then took his hand, âI would love to go to the pictures to see a Kathner film with you...â You looked to the clock, âI think we can finish before the film starts-!â He sighed, with a gentle roll of his eyes; âRemind me what Iâm going to do with youâŚ?â You threw his paper to one side, looping your arms around his neck and straddling him suddenly â certainly a bold move â âWhat you always do incredibly well, Captain. Love me.âÂ
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Thank you for reading!! đđđ
So, I just watched Australia for obvious reasons and let me just say that Captain Dutton is super hot. Whenever he was on screen I couldnât focus on anything else.
DJ Got Us Fallinâ In Love - Captain Emmett Dutton x Reader (Australia) Modern!AU
@mandy23b - I really wanted to surprise you with this one đđ
Authorâs Note: SO. Basically, this is a combination of two things. THIS POST and the Modern!Dutton vibes it gives off, and Amandaâs tags on âStarlightâ (Which also inspired the song, dontcha know?) *Note: Outfit based loosely on above pictures. Trust you, Amandađ . Disclaimer: Lyrics / Characters not mine, as usual. Idea was a discussion with @3134045126â so Iâma give her credit here too! ... And the song, as previous, is all Ms.Mandy23bÂ
Premise: Harbouring a crush on a superior officer is the last thing youâre worried about when heâs as sweet as Emmett Dutton is. If you can get him out this evening, who knows what else you can do... Words: 2483 Warnings: Drinking / AU
__________ So we back in the club With our bodies rockin' from side to side Thank God the week is done... No control of my body Ain't I seen you before? I think I remember those eyes, Keep downing drinks like there's No tomorrow there's just right Now, now, now, now, now, now Hands up, when the music drops Put your hands on my body Swear I seen you before I think I remember those eyes 'Cause baby tonight, D-J got us fallin' in love again Yeah, baby tonight, D-J got us fallin' in love again So dance, dance, Like it's the last, Last night of your life, life Gonna get you right Cause baby tonight, D-J got us fallin' in love again ---  All it was meant to be was a night out with your girls at the karaoke bar. Sure that bar also gave everyone a break from horrendous (increasingly drunk) singing, because it also had a dance floor, but you werenât here for that. Whether you would end up on it or not... was another matter... Being with your girls was only one of two reasons you were out here. Because you were hoping to catch the eye of someone else. You could tell just by looking at him that he wasnât usually the type to come to something like this. But itâd been a couple of months since the far beyond cute Captain Dutton had caught your eye across the mess hall, and whilst passing him today youâd inquired as to if he was coming out tonight; âOh I-â âI just know a lot of the barracks are going, so I thought you might...â âNo itâs, just that I- itâs not really my scene...â âOh... not even for one night?â Your look did your pleading for you, and he gave a soft sigh and a smile âOkay, one night... now go on, before your drill sergeant catches you.â âYes, Sir!â You responded with a grin, back straight - before you jogged off to your next drill exercise. You were a tough girl by all accounts and had got into the army through no small feat. Your aim to always add a little feminine charm, and beat all the boys while you were at it. Youâd already outpaced a few of them on both running, and obstacle drills - and stood at the end, arms folded behind your back with a little smirk; âWhat, too hard for you guys?â Sometimes that landed you a little in trouble, but, you mostly stuck to the rules. You did know what was good for you, sort of. And the Captain... He could definitely be good for you. Emmett Dutton was the quiet type. And if he wasnât where he was, and at the rank he was at, you would almost say he was the shy type. Maybe he was, maybe he was just good at this. He seemed to make friends with all his peers and you figured, once you started crushing on him, that it wouldnât be too hard to make friends with him yourself. Of course, your own friends figured out pretty easily (because you kept staring at him whenever he was in the same room... even when you were supposed to be listening to someone else brief you) that you had a crush. And the teasing became relentless. Luckily it hadnât spread around the entire barracks yet but, every time you saw Emmett pass by and you gave each other a smile they would sigh dreamily, pretend to swoon and say âOh captain! My Captain!â. Which only led to them getting punched in the arm - but it wouldnât be long until people caught on. Especially since youâd started keeping Emmett up to date with your schedule, and he would come around if he had free time to watch you. You had figured out by now that it happened often enough for it to be more than just âpassing byâ as you often heard him announce to the officer in charge that day. Which only made the girls wiggle their eyebrows and nudge you. âShut up!â you hissed, âHeâs clearly here forâ!â Except, when youâd finished up, he might also decide to catch you and say something akin to âgreat workâ. And you had to listen to your friends try to hold their laughter and screeching in whilst still being respectful of his title. Of course, once he was out of ear shot you couldnât help but laugh with them laughing at you. Emmett was going to get you in all kinds of trouble, and to be honest, you didnât mind the prospect all that much. *** So half your night tonight had been incredibly fun - singing along to every song in the three of youâs repertoire. With the singing becoming screaming and both it, and the song choices, becoming increasingly cheesy & bad as the night progressed and you consumed a little more alcohol. In the end, half of the words were lost to giggling. To the point where, inevitably, they shut down the entire thing for the night and the DJ began pumping out hit after hit. Leaving you all to huddle onto a bench table and chat away. But it must have been at least an hour and he still hadnât turned up yet... and you werenât about to sit here and wallow in self-pity (even though you were). But then in he walked. Looking about as shy and hesitant as you expected. And also better perhaps than you had even seen him in uniform. His shades were tucked into the front of his shirt, even though it was late evening. You wondered if he had managed to take some of the day off since youâd invited him out, then. As today even you had found time to lay on the grass and bask in the sunâs warm rays. It had been a good one by all accounts. It was about to get even better. You hoped. Emmett was wearing a black shirt over white, sleeves rolled up to give further effect to that contrast, dark jeans that looked almost stone washed, and black lace ups - you thought that was likely about as casual as he got. And yet you were almost surprised, with his hair still near perfect, that he looked that casual. Your mood instantly picked up, suddenly alert, you leant forward with a smile. Heâd come, youâd asked him to come and he had! He looked around for a moment and to your annoyance, spotted his friends first. â...Ahhhâ!!â Both your friends suddenly leant on you as they also noticed him. âIf it isnât your Captain!!â âShut up!!â You pushed them to no avail but kept your eyes on him, still smiling. He smiled too, and then he laughed.  And your heart fluttered softly; damn this crush... damn him for making you feel this way, and want to fall so deeply into this. Emmett ordered his drink with his friends, still laughing with them - before he turned to admire the rest of the bar. And as his eyes scanned around you realised that he was looking for someone. And then he saw you, and the smile he gave was unlike one you had ever seen from him. He offered a wave âHi!â âHey-!â You mouthed back; knowing you were smiling in a similar fashion. âYouâre blushing.â You turned back to your girls, both of them staring at you bluntly âWhat-!?â âBlushingâ!â The problem was you knew you were, and now they had mentioned it you could feel your face heating up, but you swivelled back to the bar intent on ignoring their jibes at you... By this time he was sipping beer smoothly, and edging away from his friends. They were pushing his arm and laughing as much at him as your friends were at you. You noticed that he laughed back, and held his hands up like it was hardly his fault. Emmett took a few steps away, then laughed and turned back as they all began cat-calling to him. âShut up!â You saw him say before he turned back to them and got a little animated as they all started laughing again. From over here you couldnât hear them but you could imagine the banter. If Emmett was even half as proper in his down time as he was dressed in uniform, then this was likely to cause quite the stir with people who werenât his friends. So he walked, all the way across the bar, to you. âHey...â His voice was just as soft as his demeanour âEmmett...â it almost felt strange to call him by his first name, but, he wasnât the captain when he wasnât in uniform. âYou came.â âWell...â he gave a gentle shrug, âYou asked me to, didnât you? Would you... like a drink?â âI...â you indicated to your own âThink Iâve maybe had... a few too many...â âOh...â he looked a little disappointed, and took another sip of his own, â...Well then...â he held his hand out â... Dance with me.â âWh-!?â You probably couldnât have sounded more surprised as your friends stared at each other in disbelief. âWell, the music is up, if you donât want another drink and you invited me here, I believe that I should at least offer you a dance...â You took a deep breath, hardly daring to believe this was real, and took his hand; â...And I will accept your dance, Captain...â As he pulled you from your seat, both yours and his friends whistled - ear piercing enough to cut through the music and have you both laughing; âYou must forgive my friends...!â Emmett took your other hand in his as he smiled, âBut, um, things like this are a rare occurrence for me...â You giggled, âMaybe I should change that.â A slight blush crossed his cheeks as he bit his lip through his smile; âI - haha - wouldnât be adverse to that...â You gave a sweet smile, and accompanying wink; âMe either.â âBe careful, you havenât seen me dance yet!â You both laughed at that; âOh, Y/N, you must forgive me my lateness... There were a few things I needed to attend to back at barracks, and I was waylaid a little longer than I ought to have been...â You shook your head, âI... Iâm just glad youâre here... and I understand...!â It was his job after all, and you knew Emmett would have put anything he had to do for his men first. You gave a grin, âDonât worry! You didnât miss much!! Just karaoke!â He laughed, âOh goodness! How could I?!â You returned a cheeky wink; âExactly! It was the best bit!â âWell, hopefully you dance as well as you sing.â âOh no!â You laughed harder âThen youâd be in trouble Emmett!â âWhy!?â His smile was still sweet, âBecause you would show me up?â âThe complete opposite Captain I assure you!â He raised an eyebrow, âNonsense!â The beat to the next song started and he grinned, âTime to put your money where your dance moves are!!â You had to raise an eyebrow yourself at that, because this man did not appear to you to be a dancer. But, here you were â in civvies â on a dancefloor in a tiny bar having the time of your life.  He took your hands and led you, through jam after jam, after jam. Sometimes he was your dance partner, and sometimes it was nothing short of a dance off. But then the DJ decided to turn it up a notch, and you noticed even his friends and yours, who had been watching you all night, clamour to get out on the floor with you. Emmett and yourself paused, looking around, you recognised the hit another club classic from 2010; âIs this DJ got us falling in love?!â ââŚThatâs subtly ironicâŚâ He mused, with a gentle chuckle. And his eyes fell back to you â your face read curious, even though you picked up on his meaning right away. But the smile on your face transformed into a grin; ââŚOnly⌠subtlyâŚâ And so both of you sang along to every word â and became the literal embodiment of the phrase dance like no one is watching, even though you were both aware,that everyone in this little bar â even those also dancing â were watching you. He moved with you like youâd been doing this for more than just a few hours â but maybe youâd both somehow been able to commit each otherâs movements to memory. You werenât sure youâd enjoyed yourself this much in ages. Hands up, no cares or worries. Only him. Only each other. And this music. *** Top that! You would have said, as everyone stayed on the floor for the next few songs. But you knew it wouldnât happen. You were having fun out here and although you realised the night was going to end, and likely soon, it was the last thing you wanted to happen. You were both seeing things in each other youâd never seen before. And tomorrow it would be back to formalities and calling him Captain â standing that little bit straighter when he walked by, and keeping everything as respectful as was commanded. No â apparently the evening could be topped. Because the DJ decided to end the night not on another incredible classic that would keep everyone out here. But a ridiculous slow dance. To which the majority of people groaned and evacuated the dancefloor â there were couples here though, that stayed â and friends that decided they hardly cared the type of song, they were determined to be the last ones out on the floor. You thought Emmett would be as likely to pull away too; but he didnât. Instead he kept a firm grasp on your hand, and as you turned to leave, drew you to him. âNo, no⌠Y/N? Youâd leave me at the last song?â âThis song?â ââŚYes, this song!â âBut⌠Captain IâŚâ ââŚEmmett.â He held you closer as he corrected you, hand in yours to begin an faultless sway, you guessed this did seem like more of his kind of music, ââŚYou need not be so formal with me.â âIn a few minutes thatâs exactly what I will have to be.â âWhy?â âBecause thatâs who you areâŚâ âBut to you I donât have to be. Not outsideâŚâ Your lips parted as your eyes flicked between his, âSubtly ironicâŚâ âMmm HmmâŚâ Emmett was serious. He was talking about dating. He was talking about real relationships. You & him. Not just a crush⌠âMM hmmmâŚâ You looked away from his gently blue eyes, biting your lip, and could feel the blush raising on your cheeks instead. The song finished and he stepped away from you with a gentle bow. âThank you.â âFor dancing with you?â Your returned his bow with a beautiful beaming smile ââŚNo, Emmett, thank you for coming...!â âIt was nothingâŚâ âTo me, it was everythingâŚâ you let your hand slip from his, but the smile remained. âWe should do this again.â âYesâŚâ He ran a hand through his hair; âAnd more than once.â âYou asking me on a date?â He laughed, bashfully, âI think soâŚâ âMultiple dates!?â you clarified. That laugh turned to a grin, aimed more at the floor than you; ââŚYes. I guessâŚâ You nodded in acceptance; âI suppose I should say I canât wait to see you on the dance floor again?â You got to hear that gorgeous laugh from him again; â...My sentiments exactly!â
---
@dennismitchell @happyskywhale @wltz-bby #MendoTagSquad.Â
Baby Itâs Cold Outside - Captain Emmett Dutton x Reader (Australia)
đ¨â !This marks my final Holiday Fic for 2019! âđ¨
GIF Credit: XÂ
Authorâs Note: And the Christmas Classics keep rolling in. Although this is definitely more on the âWinterâ theme.
Itâs also reversed from the version that we all know and love đđ
But Iâm not averse from giving you two versions of it! Reversed Brett Eldredge & Meghan Trainor
đ @mandy23bâ @mfolcoreâ đ
Disclaimer: Australia characters not mine / lyrics not mine / The usual!
Premise: Itâs a cold snap in your area, the coldest winter ever recorded - and you think that the last thing Emmett should do is return home. Far from it! Heâll be much safer inside with you, but how to persuade him...?
Words: 1486
Warnings: Drinking
______ I really can't stay (Baby it's cold outside) I gotta go away (Baby it's cold outside) This evening has been (Been hoping that you'd drop in) So very nice (I'll hold your hands they're just like ice) So really I'd better scurry (Beautiful please don't hurry) Well maybe just a half a drink more (Put some records on while I pour)
The neighbors might think (Baby it's bad out there) Say what's in this drink? (No cabs to be had out there) I wish I knew how (Your eyes are like starlight now) To break this spell (I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell) I ought to say no, no, no sir (Mind if move in closer?) At least I'm gonna say that I tried (What's the sense of hurtin' my pride?) I really can't stay (Baby don't hold out) Baby it's cold outside I simply must go (Baby it's cold outside) The answer is no, no, no (But baby it's cold outside) The welcome has been (How lucky that you dropped in) So nice and warm (Look out the window at that storm) You've really been grand, (I feel when I touch your hand) But don't you see? (How can you do this thing to me?) There's bound to be talk tomorrow (Think of my life long sorrow!) At least there will be plenty implied (If you caught pneumonia and died!) I really can't stay (Get over that old out) Baby it's cold outside ---
Emmett Dutton had been trying to get you to desist for goodness knows how long, and he thought this time you might actually let him make it to the door; âY/N! Itâs not like itâs snowing!â âYes, but look at it!! Itâs bitter-!â âI have to get back-!â âYou donât have to do anything-! Stay-!â He sighed gently, âY/N! I should go...â This little persuasion of yours had been going on for about an hour - and so far had worked like a charm. Because if there was one thing you knew, it was this: Captain Emmett Dutton couldnât resist you. Proper though he may have been, which is exactly why he wanted to leave now, there was something about you that made bending that strong will of his worth it. On occasion.
Clearly he didnât think the coldest temperatures on record in your area were a valid reason to stay with you and not head back to barracks. You thought that was stupid - what if something happened to him in the cold and dark-!? And anything could; who would know!? Who would be around?!
In your opinion, it was much safer for him here. And that wasnât just a tease, or you being selfish with his time, it was a genuine fear. God forbid you let him go and never see him again. âI have a coat and jacket, Iâll be fine!â You pinned yourself to the door in front of him, and he hesitated with shrugging it on; âY/N...â âOne more drink...â âIâve already had one more one more drink. I think that I should-â Emmett stopped short, looking into your big round innocent eyes, and sighed. Hanging it back up; âFine... one more drink...â Truth is he didnât want to leave you alone on a cold dark night either. But he knew the correct thing to do was depart; he didnât want more people talking than necessary. And Emmett knew your little town. They may not be as bad as Darwin, but they were still bad. And they would certainly talk back at base if he didnât check back in tonight. He had the advantage of rank to stop the chatter though, you did not. âPut a record on, darling...â You kissed his cheek gently, and swept through into the kitchen. He sighed gently, eyes following you. âAny preference?â âNo - Baby â Captainâs choice.â He chuckled at that and drew his finger carefully along your collection, muttering titles until he found one you would both enjoy.
âGood choice!â Your approval was called from where you were standing as you waltzed back over to him, glasses in hand. The dress you were wearing moved gracefully with you, and he couldnât help beaming. You always dressed up for him, even though you didnât need to. He knew you would look perfect in anything... but he sure appreciated it when you did. Emmett took one from you, with a smile of appreciation. âThank you...â âYouâre very welcome...â You glanced back at the window, âEmmett... you canât really want to go out when itâs so cold?â He shook his head, watching you, were you really about to do this all night?; âItâs not that far-!â âBy truck or car maybe! But youâll be walking! Thatâs so dangerous! Anything could happen.â He laughed âLet me clarify that this will be for my safety, rather than you just wanting me to stay.â You couldnât keep your face straight; âOf course!â âY/N... Iâm serious this time. When I finish this drink, I must go.â âIs my company so bad?â Emmett looked hurt that you would pretend to be hurt; âNo. I adore your company darling, and you know that... but this is not proper of either of us.â You sighed âWhat if you get lost?â He almost choked on his sip that you would entertain that; âI know my way back!â âIn the dark-!? Alone-!?â âDo you have such little faith!?â âNo I must simply try everythingâ!â He allowed you to wind your arms around him, âWhat about frostbite-!? Hypothermia-!?â âY/N... Darling... I donât think itâs quite cold enough for anything that bad to set in...â âIâd still feel terrible if you got sick!â âIt shouldnât be too bad.â âOh no... Emmett...â You shook your head, as he wound an arm gently around you also; âYou simply must stay, I will not allow you out in such weather!â
 *** But he stayed through another two or three drinks, and by then it was (very) early morning. And Emmett decided to sip them slow if for no other reason than making sure he wasnât too tipsy when he would need to walk home. God forbid any of your fears be realised. But then he was once again taking you gently but firmly by the shoulders and telling you he had to go; âYour neighbours will talk!â âYes, and when have you been averse to talk!?â âWhat would your family say!? Y/N... My dearest, I will not allow your reputation to be tarnished by my staying with you...â âI donât care!â You protested, taking his hands in yours again âWell I do. And that should matter just as much.â âIt does... Emmett, but... I care just as much about your wellbeing...â âI know...â the Captain hushed you with a soft trail of kisses; your forehead, your nose, your lips. â...But I really must get on. I will be in just as much trouble - and thatâs no good for either of us...â You sighed gently, knowing exactly what that meant â probably that he wouldnât be allowed out to see you again for a little while; âYou think they would make the exception! And surly as a Captain.â âYou do not think Iâve thought of every plausible scenario? My darling, it simply will not work...â
He removed his hands from yours, but you tipped your head getting ideas of your own. That means somewhere in his head heâd considered it - and Emmett had already stayed this long that you felt there would be no one around to even know he hadnât left. Save, possibly having to sneak out in the morning... but then you werenât sure you wanted that for him either. But you wanted your Captain to stay, you were too lonely without him as it was. What was one night? He was the absolute shining example of good behaviour; you didnât see how this could even be a black mark for him. But he was a good man. A gentleman. And he wouldnât want it to be a threat as much as you didnât want him to have them. And Emmett had made up his mind about how this was also good for you, so, it was now completely out of the question.
âDarling. I love you... I do... truly...â He kissed you again, hoping that perhaps he could kiss away the disappointment on your face; âbut I must be off... and you must try to get some rest too...â he headed back to the front door. You very slowly in tow, trying and failing to show some mercy on him for needing to leave. Whilst also desperately clinging to the hope that something could make him stay.
Jacket on and smoothing his hair back to also replace his officersâ hat - he still took his sweet time. Emmett was fighting with himself enough for you to realise that both halves of him were fighting for you. And then it clicked. He reached for the door, and you took a few steps forward, the voice you used perhaps a little louder than you anticipated in the urgency to spill the idea from your lips; âWell if you wonât stay for any of those reasons... stay for me!â He stopped and turned back to you. That was your very last-ditch effort. Standing there looking more than just a little upset. Eyes pleading with him.
Emmett turned around, and your heart sank for just a minute, you thought he would say âNoâ, try to explain himself again, and leave before he could think on it any longer. But something else happened. Instead he relaxed his hands, bowing his head to the door as if asking it to forgive him and exhaled, pulling his jacket back down his arms. He twisted slowly back to you - replacing his things on the coat stand, his eyes didnât quite find yours at first, a little guilty. Then he gave a shrug, and a tender smile - raising his eyes back to you; âWell... They canât tell me I didnât try...â You laughed - and if tears did indeed spill they were of joy - and you surged forward, sprinting the short corridor to run into his arms. You caught Emmett in a tight embrace.
Good. At least you could make sure he was safe and warm here...
--- Thank you for reading!!!
@mandy23bâ @mfolcoreâ đđđ
@dennismitchell @happyskywhale @wltz-bby #MendoTagSquad.

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Starlight - Captain Emmett Dutton x Reader (Australia)
Authorâs Note: So, it took me waaaay too many watches of Australia to even think of this scenario. Or even think of him in this scenario - which is crazy and I am clearly blind. Anyways, I wrote it - here we are đđ
Disclaimer: I basically ripped this entire fic from the film itself and pushed the timeline on a bit, as you will see. So, I donât want to take too much credit here at all! I wrote it thatâs all!
Premise: Surprising Emmett was supposed to be the highlight of your evening, but with a little help from the weather, itâs about to get even better...
Words:Â 4617
Warnings:Â Sexual Pre-Amble (Yes, for Emmett, really!)
_________
And I said, "Oh my, what a marvelous tune" It was the best night, never would forget how we moved. The whole place was dressed to the nines, And we were dancing, dancing Like we're made of starlight, starlight Like we're made of starlight, starlight He said, "Look at you, worrying so much about things you can't change You'll spend your whole life singing the blues if you keep thinking that way" He was trying to skip rocks on the ocean, saying to me, "Don't you see the starlight, starlight? Don't you dream impossible things?" Ooh ooh he's talking crazy Ooh ooh dancing with me Ooh ooh we could get married Have ten kids and teach them how to dream --- Darwin was always a gorgeous little city; and you always loved being invited out here by Emmett. Only, this particular trip youâd told him you couldnât be in town. âWhat-!? Why?!â âBaby, I have work to do⌠You knowâŚâ âWell. Why not bring your friends..? Your friends have partners stationed here too⌠do they not?â âYou think thatâs the reason I wonât come? Iâm not employed by my friends Emmett⌠You will simply have to wait for a more convenient timeâŚâ Of course, any time was convenient. And so was this; but, for once you wanted to surprise him. The reason he had asked you here was the party being held. He wanted you to dance with him. To introduce you to people⌠A different kind of class. At least, they acted like it up there in Darwin. Here where you lived was so different, but it was also a small town, not a big city. You guessed that was supposed to give them some kind of excuse to act the way they did. There was something about a close-knit community here that kept class together, not separate. That was beside the point. You had arrived and stayed with friends. But, tonight was the party. And they all wanted to help you get ready. âAre you sure he has no clue?!â âWell, you work down at the communications center, youâd know! Unless youâve been telling him anything?â âMe?!â You eyed her; âWell?â âNo!â she laughed âI would never! Him being surprised would be one thing. But the Captain seeing you in that dress!?â You looked down at yourself âOh, well. That is the point.â They fared you well and you walked yourself across to the city hall building.  Of course you likely werenât meant to be doing this alone, but you didnât care. Let them talk - let this be a scandal; for five minutes. Youâd be in his arms soon enough. It was probably the dress, people certainly wouldnât miss it; bright red, buttons and ribbons detailing the bodices left hand side, the skirt was voluminous â and that was before you started on the fact the back was cut deep and it was strapless.  However, it made you feel like a princess, and all you needed was your prince. âMsâŚMissâŚâ The administrator himself was speechless ââŚDoes⌠Does the Captain know you are here-!? He proclaimed that he would be here alone!â âAdministratorâŚâ You gave a gentle smile, âEmmett would think that he was here alone⌠He is not even aware I am Darwin.â âThis is a well executed plan.â âOh! Only if it worksâŚâ You turned to the party, half nervous half excited to see him, and bit your painted lips together; âIs he⌠here?â âHe is⌠my dear⌠I shall escort you to him myself!â You held your hand up to politely decline, with a laugh; âNo, No⌠You must see to your other guests⌠That will be unnecessary⌠but⌠I thank you.â He looked a little disappointed, but, you were sure that would draw further attention you didnât need. You continued to walk through the house slowly in your attempts to find your partner, and found yourself outside on the back lawns by the time you were accosted by someone else. âAh-! Stanley!â âHold on. He left you alone looking like this!?!â He placed his hand to his head and frantically looked around for Captain Dutton. âNot exactly!â You giggled. He was tall, over 6ft, dark hair, blue eyes, cool Australian tan, brilliant smile. âHe has no idea does he?â âYet none of you seem to think it at all surprising that Iâm here.â âYou think I think you would miss this?â He smiled and held out his arm for you to help you down the steps; âNow do you know me better than he, or does he not expect surprises?â âSorry, you have met the man youâre courting, yes?â somehow that explained everything. âA little too serious for his own good?â âAh. You have! I was worried!â There was a grin on his face at your remark as he looked up to the party. Now, as expected all looking at you, and all of them talking. Apart from Emmett; frozen in place. You followed Stanleyâs eyes but only caught his. You werenât sure heâd ever looked at you like that. Not even when heâd first met you. Though it wasnât easy for him to make his way through the crowd to you. Stan let your arm go as you continued to walk forward. âEnjoy your evening!â You turned back to him, with a raised eyebrow; âAnd youâŚâ Then he called out to his friend âTake care of her, Captain! I leave her in your more than capable hands!â It was a little too loud on purpose, and Emmett shook his head after Stan as the other officer departed. That left all his attention turned back on you, and he fixed you with that same look; âY/NâŚâ He stopped himself short, you could see it. Everything he wanted to say that would simply be inappropriate in public; âCaptainâŚâ It was his turn to hold out his arm for you to take; âI was not aware that we were expecting such company tonightâŚâ âWell. I would be nothing, if not for surprisesâŚâ You wrapped yourself around him, unable to resist your smile. âNothing?!â He raised an eyebrow as you took his arm; ââŚNow who put that idea in your head, my darling?â As he walked you through the crowd you could already see the women staring at your dress; low cut, nearly backless, strapless, bright red... not completely figure hugging - especially from the waist down due to the flowing nature of the skirt but still... you realised it was enough of a stir. And almost smirked at the way some of the older generation gasped and whispered behind their hands to each other. Either Emmett didnât notice or pretended he didnât. To him you looked gorgeous. And the dress had you and your personality written all over it. He clearly wouldnât have that any other way.  Still, he was very proper and versed in etiquette and you felt the need to point out the behaviour of his social class; âThey are all talking...â âAbout you?â You noticed the subtle way he pulled you closer to him âYes.â âDoes it bother you..? I believe you like the phrase let them talk...â âI do. Itâs you Iâm worried about.â âOh believe me, the women arenât the only ones talking, it plays to my advantage also...â oh, you supposed women also wouldnât like menâs eyes - specifically their own menâs eyes - all over you either. But that gave Emmett a little something of his own to smile about, apparently. You looked across to him âmaybe I should have worn something more fitting of your status, Captain?â He shook his head, looking back to you with a gentle smile; âDonât you dare. I would not have you any other way. Perish the thought I would...â * He'd purposefully placed you on the edge of the dancefloor for a reason. You knew that, and it was made more obvious by the way he watched those couples already embracing each other to the romantic music that filled the night air. You waited for him to voice the question thatâd he probably thought he wouldnât even get to ask of anyone this evening. And eventually he looked to you and took a nervous deep breath; âDo I get the pleasure of dancing with you?â You tipped your head, wondering if he would think youâd reject him â and decided you wouldnât even tease him with the prospect; âWhat do you think I came here for?â He chuckled, touching the palm of his hand to yours; âYou never want to dance with me...â You gave a delicate shrug, and looked away from him, blushing â...Iâm wearing this dress... arenât I...?â Keeping one hand in yours he freed his other gently from under your arm and caressed your face, tilting your chin with his fingertips so that you looked at him; âIs that the only reason you wore a dress like that...?â There was a smile there, like he knew but would say nothing more on it. You bashfully tucked your hair behind your ear; âNo... but I figured if they were going to talk I would give them something to talk about...â âWhy would they talk? Darling?â He meant besides the obvious â considering they had been talking all night. Your eyebrow raised âBecause you are who you are... and I know the kind of people who frequent events like this.â âMmm... as do I, and we shall pay them no mind...â  his eyes flicked to the dancefloor and then back to you âMy lady, I would be so honoured if you could join me for this dance?â You giggled â...I would love to...â He pulled you with him, gently, allowing you to position yourself as you thought wise; and he worked around you. âWould you like to lead?â âOh-! No; I am in your hands Captain!â Now you had turned the smile on his face into one of simple embarrassment and admiration; â...If she does so insist...â You gave a wink âOh believe me, she does...â Now playing the leader on the dancefloor there wasnât much difference to captaining his troupe. Only they were a group of men, and you were a one-woman army from just out of county. No less fierce, but matched with a sweetness and purity that let you hold your own with the people here AND those in your home town. Sophistication and street smarts - he liked that. You and Sarah had that in common which is also why he liked her so much. And you liked him leading you, that confidence in his hands and his embrace - because he knew exactly what he was doing - but that gentleness you expected from your captain. And he swept you across that dancefloor like you were the only two on it (...well, you were the only two people were talking about). It was good to be back in his arms; with him far enough away the majority of the time now the only time you could hold him this close (and got to be held this close) was in memories and dreams. And that was good, it was fine, but sometimes all you wanted was to revel in the sensation of human touch. His lead was gentle, and gave the illusion that maybe he wasnât leading at all; he was asking you where you wanted to go, rather than pulling you there. Emmett was always so sweet and gentle; sometimes you wondered how he ended up where he was. The army wasnât known for that after all, but, you supposed that didnât stop them all from being gentleman... in fact, from the insight you had into the world, you had yet to meet a man who wasnât. You let him have two or three dances before you decided you would be allowed to lead him off the floor. âWhat?â âI can only take so much staring before even I need a break!â You laughed âI promise, Captain, thatâs not the end...â âI would hope not, the way you look tonight, it is an honour to hold you...â You shook your head gently, taking his other hand in yours - as heâd not let your hand go yet; âBaby, the honour is all mine...â There was another sensational buzz through the crowd - not unlike the one you were apparently causing, and you both turned to see what the commotion was about. And probably broke into a smile at the same time. Sarah and Drover. You turned to him, with a slight smirk; âDid you know they were coming?â He chuckled and nudged you; âI didnât expect you to come from a few towns away... why would I think they were coming from Faraway Downs?â âI would think they would radio!!â âAh! You got me there!â Emmett raised his hand to greet them, and upon spotting you both they approached you. Ah, the four of you were clearly content to create quite the Stir then. As soon as youâd all embraced in greeting, you were quick to point out this fact; âAh-! Iâm sure theyâre lovinâ the dress!!â Drover winked âCoulda done without being dragged here, but we can be the two misfits, right?â You nearly snorted; âSpeak for yourself!!!â Drover looked from Sarah to Emmett and back; âWhat, with these two?â âI sâpose youâre right!â You accented yourself a little more to better make his point. âHush! Both of you...â Sarah clearly wouldnât hear a word of it. Which made you feel slightly guilty by the look on Emmettâs face - your dress not your stature. So, youâd maybe worn it to get people to talk. You gave him an apologetic look, which only made him shake his head and pull you closer. Drover noticed this movement, and decided it was best to get the conversation back on a different track; âAnyone for drinks?! Letâs make this a party!â You thought that was a good call, it would help you unwind a little... Emmett offered to come with him but Drover waved away his help. âI got this, and Iâm not about to drag the Captain away from his lady..â he gave you a wink, âbesiddddes, I know you two get to see each other way less than we do... enjoy it!â He clapped Emmett on the back and off he went. ** âSo how are you doing, out in the middle of nowhere?!â You took your drink from Drover gratefully and laughed; âThat best be sarcasm! Me in the middle of nowhere?!â âOh come on, no one knows anything about where you live-! Isnât it like a two-street town?! Everyoneâs at least heard of Faraway Downs!â Emmett came in to defend you; âOnly since it was put back on the map!â âYou gonna take credit for signing the contract? You ought to be promoting your girlsâ town and all Emmett!â Your Captain laughed; âNo, fairs fair... Sarah and yourself and everyone else involved drove those cattle to Darwin on your own terms. And I donât need to promote it - the army is well aware of it considering how many women live there that are waiting on men like myself.â âSo itâs an army town?â Drover squinted at you âItâs pretty quiet with the majority stationed up here, yeah.â âI see - you train down there?â âMmm.â Emmett gave a nod; âPersonally I didnât start there but I did end up there.â âAnd no doubt found reason to stay!â Sarah gave you a smile âAy to that!â Drover too tipped his beer, making you blush. To which Sarah laughed and put an arm around you. Sarah was sweet, you liked her a lot. Emmett had alleged more than once that the two of you could be sisters. Which made sense, she had that sweet but feisty nature that often came out in you. But, he had a point on the sister thing too; any time you wanted advice or needed someone to talk to whilst you were here, or indeed when you werenât but had access to a radio with enough signal - you called her. You liked that she wasnât afraid to speak her mind, you could have trouble with that on occasion - especially if you didnât know people, so you were in awe of her spirit. And you learned a lot from her. âNow stop, leave the poor girl alone!â Drover gaped at her âYou started it!!!â *** âYou know what, Iâm sick of all this talking with people staring! Why donât we give them something to stare at?!â Drover put his empty bottle down. âI second that..!â Well if there was one thing you knew by the way Emmett took your hand in agreement, it was that he still wanted to show you off in the dance floor. Sarah shook her head at her other half, turning from her conversation with you â you liked knowing how they were getting on, although the adoption wasnât official it was like they were all little family of their own. They surely seemed to get up to so many adventures together too, you liked hearing them â you liked thinking that maybe one day youâd want something similar for yourself. She pushed Drover gently; âDo you even remember how to dance?â He shrugged with a grumble that had you all laughing again; âIâm sure it wonât take too long to get back into itâŚâ Now the four of you were on the dancefloor and the music had softened you wrapped your arms around Emmettâs shoulders and let him sway you, with the perfect gentleness to the turns. Still graceful, but much slower and he could really appreciate how beautiful you were - and you appreciate how handsome he looked in dress uniform, when you could stand in one place. â...Iâve been thinking...â It was as much out of the blue as it was quiet... And you tilted your head, to match the inquisitiveness in your eyes beholding his. âAbout what...?â âSarah and Drover... adopting Nullah...â Your smile was playful, âWhat of it?â âWell... maybe we could get married...â You laughed, half in disbelief âThat better not have been your proposal, Captain...â He shook his head â...No... but what if we didnât adopt... what if we did... But what if we had children of our own? One day?â There was a few seconds pause as you tried to understand what he was really saying in the middle of a dancefloor in Darwin; heâs talking crazy, heâs too caught up in this moments and loving me and heâs talking crazy, but the more you looked into his eyes the more you realise how serious he was. âIs that what you want?â âDo you not...?â There wasnât any disappointment there, even if you thought heâd be disappointed if the answer was no. Heâs not talking crazy, heâs talking about a future he sees... a future he sees with me, no less... âMaybe Iâve just never thought about it...â you looked away from him for a moment, he needed more than that â he deserved more than that. Your eyes caught in his, waiting patiently for you; âI like it as a future with you... I see it... just not...â âNow...?â He shook his head, and pulled you closer to him âNo...â his arms wound respectfully around your waist and he watched Sarah and Drover dance together over your shoulder â...But... maybe not in the too distant future either...â You pulled his eyes back to you, like something had come over you just thinking on this. About what you were doing here. What he was saying⌠âKiss me...â âWhat?â âRight here, on the dance floor, kiss me...â He was hesitant, and his eyes flicked around at the other couples. Here you went again; Emmett was fighting with his nature. That the proper way to do this was without public displays of affection, but you felt that youâd already broken nearly every other etiquette rule in this societies very long and boring book. So you wanted this one. âWhy would you want that...?â He made you giggle at what appeared to be genuine confusion â...Look at you, why wouldnât I?â Now that was an awkward blush, and also incredibly cute. âOh, you really want to give them something to talk about.â You gave a shrug âEmmett, theyâre already talking...â He thought you had a good point, so he slowed you down, still in time to the music - to a gentle swaying turn. And then he leant in. ** The first drop of rain made you pull slightly away from him. Like you werenât sure exactly what had fallen, but before long it was joined by another, then another, then another and soon people were scrambling from the dancefloor (and in fact any part of the outside party) and up into the house. Because 5 drops became a downpour in seconds.  You and Emmett parted, but only to watch them all run, because the grip you had on each otherâs hands was firm. What is a bit of rain? Except the musicians had also scattered and there would no longer be music. He laughed, watching them and turned back to you; âWhat do you suppose the big rush is?â By now your hair was soaked and your dress was going the same way but you didnât care. Turning to answer him your voice, and then your laugh was drowned out by a clap of thunder overhead, you didnât flinch - though thunder always made you uneasy, so you tried again; âShall we dance? Captain?â He too laughed - looking relieved âI thought youâd never ask!!â With you both soaked and it hardly mattering now, Emmett could pull you closer than he had all evening. And with you wrapping him in your arms and laying your head on his chest that contented hum reverberated through you and into him. That only made him smile more as he wrapped himself in such a way to shield as much as you from the rain as possible.  You couldnât help but try to then hide your giggles as you stared up towards the house; everyone that could stand in the door or at a window staring at you both like you were insane; âDarling, we have an audience...â He just gave a gentle shrug and kissed your head; âWell, they donât know what they are missing...â Eventually you realised this was both dangerous and getting a little out of hand. The rain was turning from warm to cold fairly rapidly and you werenât sure there was a part of you that was dry at this point. That didnât stop him from shrugging himself out of his jacket and holding it over you when you decided to head from the party. âWill that help?â âAt least it makes me feel like I am...â âChivalry will get you everywhere Captain...â He chuckled âThatâs just the man I am...â âI know...â you leant up to kiss his cheek; âand I must always thank you for it!â *** When you eventually stepped inside of the room he was renting, you felt like your dress was holding at least a clouds worth of rain. And still the sky didnât let up. You stood at the open double doors for a minute and your breath caught as you watched the spectacular lighting strikes fill the sky. Emmett wandered over and wrapped his arms back around you. You noticed every heating appliance had been turned on. âI could walk you home... or you could stay...â You ran you hand behind you, to caress his cheek â...I donât want you getting wet again...â He kissed your palm gently; âThen stay... at least I know I can keep you warm, and dry and safe... that sky looks angry...â You nodded, you werenât that big on thunder, but you had to at least admit out loud; âItâs breathtaking...â He smiled; nuzzling you - â...True... forces of nature always are beautiful...â You turned to him, in agreement, but your words got lost as the next flash of lightning illuminated his face and reflected stunningly in his blue eyes. At how alive they looked. So instead you pulled him into you, with a kiss. A kiss that was sweet, but an attempt to lead into so much more. âAlright...â He whispered against your lips, â...Alright...â with one arm still around you he kissed you once more, pulling one of the doors to and latching it in place as your hands ran from his neck to his tie; unravelling the neat sturdy knot that only an army officer could perfect (and only the partner of one could expertly undo!). You moved on to his shirt buttons, more tentative than you felt. This would be slow; he always loved you slow and delicate. Rushing this would get you nowhere. You pulled his shirt as you worked your way down it, so that it untucked itself with little effort, your lips still on his. Emmett kept one hand where it was, respectfully, but his other trickled up your exposed spine. His touch was enough to send delightful trembles over your skin. Now you were done with his shirt buttons you could press kisses into his own; across his collarbone as you slid his shirt down his arms. His kisses were gentle, like his sigh, as he touched them to your forehead, and the shell of your ear. Emmett liked that, the way you whispered promises into his skin for only you to ever know⌠He succeeded in making you giggle into his skin and you nudged him playfully, gathering your hands to the middle of his chest you held his gaze for a moment. âI love youâŚâ The lightning flashed outside again, and he smiled; like you knew only he could â and only at you â Emmett placed his hands on yours, and kept you there over his heart for just a moment longer; âI love you tooâŚâ He let you claim his lips again and allowed you to slide your hands from his, down his body. You revelled in the warmth of him under your fingertips, how you could feel all those muscle groups he spent his most formative years work on, and still did needs must⌠Until you hit his belt buckle and stilled, half in hesitation. As if in answer to the question you werenât even asking, his hands moved to fastenings on your dress. Still slow, at a rate that only heâd be happy with. You reciprocated that, and the notches in his belt passed through your fingers at exactly the same pace. Until he realised he had no more to undo, and you still werenât finished with his. But Emmett was nothing if not patient; and his hands slid gently to your bare back again â letting your dress fall in a neat red puddle at your feet. You broke the kiss to let his pants join the other items of clothing. You bit your lips together to try and stop the blush rising across his cheeks happening to yours. Possibly to no avail. He pulled you from your dress and into him, arms around you he tipped your body to kiss you again. You wound your arms around him, feeling safe in his embrace as you ran your fingers into his hair. You would say to mess it up, with how neat he usually kept it, but the rain had already done most of your work for you. The crash of thunder, louder this time, was enough to make you both break from the kiss and turn back to the window. You pressed yourself a little further into him. Yes, you were safe here⌠âThis might continue for a whileâŚâ His voice was soft, and he turned to the flickering lights ââŚHmmâŚâ Emmett rested his head gently on yours; wrapping you further in his arms. ââŚItâs a nice atmosphereâŚâ That almost made you raise an eyebrow, were you not feeling the same thing â watching it roll across the horizon; bright white-blue flashes against the midnight black sky. âWellâŚâ Your voice was quiet, but edged teasing âIf itâs going to last a while⌠we may as well make the most of itâŚâ His eyes flicked back towards the bed and to the lightning, then he laced his hands with yours to pull you back; âNo doubt, I can keep you safe hereâŚâ --- @wrenx02 đđđđ He took me a little while, but Emmett is now yours! @dennismitchell @happyskywhale @wltz-bby #MendoTagSquad.
Charity: Most People Are Good - Emmett Dutton x Reader (Australia)
Authorâs Note: I HOPE YOU BROUGHT YOUR INSULIN!!! What have I done-!? This is ridiculous! I just really love writing him like this, heâs the perfect Mendo for it. Iâm really surprised that Iâve only written him once before this! So Thank You for requesting him! Because he deserves a lot of love đ And the other was your idea too... sooo...
Disclaimer: Characters from Australia not mine / Requested Plot Not Mine / If you donât have a Luke Bryan song in your playlist what kind of Mendo are you-!? AKA: Lyrics not mine
Premise: As Requested by @3134045126 đ After the bombing everyone is leaving. A whole bunch of boys have been rescued - who's going to watch after them? Cue Reader! They make it to Adelaide; cue Reader who takes on the job of watching over the rescued boys who have no family, other than Brother Frank- Reader is sweet, and kind. Basically mothers all the boys. Giving up all her time, energy and resources to make sure the boys are well taken care of. Enter the Captain who notices  her and all she's doing for the boys and decides to be as helpful as possible. Cue a gentle, sweet romance started from these two taking care of the children.
Words: 4490
Warnings: N/A... But I meant it about the insulin...Â
I believe kids oughta stay kids as long as they can ...Go climb a tree, get dirt on their hands I believe we gotta forgive and make amends 'Cause nobody gets a second chance to make new old friends I believe in working hard for what you've got Even if it don't add up to a hell of a lot I believe them streets of gold are worth the work But I still wanna go even if they were paved in dirt I believe that youth is spent well on the young 'Cause wisdom in your teens would be a lot less fun I believe if you just go by the nightly news Your faith in all mankind would be the first thing you lose I believe most people are good And most mama's oughta qualify for sainthood I believe you love who you love Ain't nothing you should ever be ashamed of I believe this world ain't half as bad as it looks I believe most people are good
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noun
an organization set up to provide help and raise money for those in need.
the voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in need.
Adelaide. Dutton didnât think heâd ever seen something so beautiful in his entire life. Having said that it could have been anything. After Darwin. But, they were due to meet the main convoy here. So⌠Adelaide was the place he decided was the most beautiful. It's been a long hard journey. 30+ hours would be had enough if he only had his troops to think about. But Emmett Dutton now had a group of Mission Children to think of also. And any time he could he would have the convoy break to let the children be children. Even if that only lasted 10 minutes at a time. He was plenty glad for Brother Frank at all times. Because Emmett couldnât look after all these kids alone. Much as he would like to try. It surprised him even more how much he found himself caring for these kids. He wasnât never a kids person. He just wasnât at all sure he was good at it. Frank was nearly 100% sure that he was. And even other members of his troop took time for the children. They didnât have much considering all that had happened in Darwin, but⌠Everyone shared everything. It was on one such break that Emmett contemplated the future of the children. Usually if he wasnât amongst the children himself he would stand watching them with a smile. There was still innocence at a time of war. Or he would just be happy⌠that there were good things. He had to continue to remind himself that there were still good things. However today Emmett Dutton looked worried. And Frank noticed this, wandering over; âPenny for your thoughts, Captain.â Emmett chewed his lip thoughtfully ââŚBrother Frank⌠tell me, when we get to Adelaide⌠what happens to the children?â Dutton already knew it was likely he would have to move his troops on. The convoy was not about to just end in Adelaide. It was likely Australia would play a bigger part in the war now. Would he have to travel to Europe to fight? To the USA? He shook that thought away as quickly as he could and turned to his companion for answers. âWell⌠Adelaide is a big place. It will have a Church.â âSurely the church cannot look after so manyâŚ?â It wasnât Emmett didnât think it possible. But the money, the people, the resource? âŚThe fact the children were Aboriginal?... Heâd seen so much injustice already done due to that. And adoption was so hard he didnât expect anything to happen there of any consequence either. Heâd explained that to Sarah many times. (And watched her fight it, though⌠He had to admit as much to himself). It certainly hadnât deterred her, hopefully they would find more such people in the city⌠What Emmett thought they needed was another woman like her. âWell. God works in mysterious waysâŚâ Emmett raised an eyebrow; âIndeed he may, but⌠Donât these boys need a mother as well?â Frankâs face suddenly beamed; âIâm sure they will get one Captain. Itâs only a shame I am not able to call ahead!â *** So now he was here in Adelaide, Emmett hoped that Brother Frankâs promise would pay off. Dutton wasnât worried. But, now it was like these children were his. And he wanted to make sure they were well looked after and taken care of. The majority of the main army convoy was already here; but he was told that those from Darwin were allowed respite. Thank God. And rightly so after what they had been through. This gave Emmett precious time. And now he was tailing Brother Frank through the streets. ââŚSo⌠Will they go here? Not the Church?â âIf she can take them all. Iâm sure she can! She has⌠the room, and the monetary resource at least.â âHow do you know all this!?â âShe does a great deal for the Church that is well documented. Iâm sure she will be up for this tooâŚâ They continued on walking, and ended up a little way out of Adelaide⌠And Emmett couldnât help but stop dead. Frank continued on; happy disposition as always, through the front gate and down the path. Emmett thought Faraway Downs was big; but it had nothing on this. In fact this was like taking Faraway Downs and planting it in the middle of a city⌠Maybe it was even bigger than the Administrators property in Darwin. âW-Wait⌠She lives here!?â âThatâs right!â âAlone!?â How could one person manage an estate like this all by herself? âYes.â Then Frank corrected himself; âWell, she probably wouldnât by choice!!! But does, by circumstance.â They werenât even all the way down the path before you were outside. And Emmett discovered the second most beautiful thing he had seen today. Your eyes flicked between them, amused. âYou gentlemen look like you could be here for completely different reasons⌠And that youâve seen better days. Should I invite you in, or are you simply too busyâŚ?â You walked down the steps to join them on the path, addressing them correctly âBrother, Captain⌠How may I be of assistance?â You looked between them again. Okay, fine. He was cute by the clergyman was off limits, but the Captain... Well, someone that easy on the eye couldnât have been single. âActually we areâŚâ There was a second pause, before the sentence was clarified âHere for the same reason, I mean!â âOh!â You smiled, what could the Church and the army have in common? If the Captain was about to ask you to host troops that would make sense. But what did the Church have to do with something like that? âWe have come from Darwin.â Your eyes widened, and you placed a hand over your mouth as you gasped; âOh my goodness! I heard-! We all did! Oh-! Wow, my goodness⌠Iâm⌠Iâm so sorry⌠Are you all, okay?â âThose of us that made it⌠But, there were some children sent to mission island. It was hit, but, the majority survived.â  Your expression instantly softened, and Emmett took instant note of this as Frank continued; âI heard you might be the person to talk toâŚâ âYou want me to fosterâŚ. Children?â You tilted your head, but you were suddenly beaming; turning back to the Captain. âBut what is the Armyâs stake in this?â âPersonal only⌠Maâm.â You smiled; âY/N. Call me Y/N⌠Please.â Then you realised âOH! I didnât ask-!â âOh!â He held out his hand instantly, manners maketh man, Emmett!! âDutton. Captain Emmett Dutton⌠And this is Brother Frank.â âEmmettâŚâ You liked that, and showed it by saying his name with a sweet smile; you took his hand âThank you, for your service.â ***
 It surprised you that he was still around, so you certainly hadn't expected to run into him in the middle of town; "Oh! Captain Dutton! I expected you to be long gone by now..." "No no, not yet at any rate. Just waiting for the next posting... And please... Call me Emmett..." "Emmett..." you agreed, "I like that, it's a nice name..." You weren't sure if you were really complimenting him or it was just inane babble, but he seemed to turn a faint shade of pink anyway. "Thank you... But I shall not be taking the credit there..." he smiled "Can I be of any assistance...? You must have a lot to do, all things considered...?" "Oh... Thatâs sweet of you, thank you..." you let him walk in step with you, smile on your face "I'm just letting them settle right now. Brother Frank is a good help too... But... You have done so much for them already Captain, bringing them here... Thatâs very heroic..." you looked to his face for a minute; his hesitation. Probably to correct you on his name again. "Emmett! Sorry!" "That's okay... And I don't know about heroic... But they certainly needed to be far from mission island and Darwin..." "Mission Island... Oh. I see." you shook your head "They should be allowed to return home, don't you think?" "Well, maybe we can do that together..." You weren't sure if he was being truthful, but by the look in his eyes you would believe anything Emmett said, and that intensity. That belief as you had that that would be the right thing to do, took your breath away. "Y-yes... When all this is over..." Dutton nodded; âWell, hopefully that wonât be too long⌠I would hope humanity would have the decency to put a stop to thisâŚâ He shook his head âMaybe I shouldnât go on believing it, butâŚâ Emmett shrugged almost helplessly âWhen thatâs all we haveâŚâ You smiled despite this; âYouâve not given up your faith in us all yet⌠Even with what you must have seen in Darwin?â âIf anything itâs only made me more defiant. The world will get through this⌠They said the last war was âthe war to end all wars.â Maybe this one will actually do it.â You tipped your head ââŚWill we win?â âIf it was all so black and whiteâŚâ but he laughed ââŚI would think, in the end, the people who are meant to prevail will⌠But our most immediate problems⌠The things we can changeâŚâ He paused his walk, and turned to you â inspired ââŚAre right here!â
Emmett and you continued to wander around town together as he helped you run errands and shop for groceries. You hated to admit how much you enjoyed his company. Not because you wanted to come off standoffish, but because you knew that one day he would have to leave. And it would be soon. He wouldn't have reason to be here, in reality if they stationed him back up north... If he was so used to Darwin, he'd be so far away from you. You didn't want to start something just to see it all end. But you couldn't help falling for him. He was charming and sweet. How could you not?
 "Emmett, come in for a little while, I'm sure they'd like to see you..." "well, I suppose I have time. Are you sure you don't mind?" "i just invited you didn't I...!?" you quirked your eyebrow - "Of course, also its only polite that seen as you helped me with all of this." "Oh no! That's nothing, any time..." You folded your arms with a subtle shake of your head; "That's not nothing... Anyway, please, just accept my gratitude and come inside!?" He laughed; "okay, you won't need to tell me twice..." Of course as soon as you got him through the door and the children realised, they were all over him. "Woah-! Woah-! Okay...boys!!" Emmett was laughing again, which you loved; it made you smile. So much it started to hurt to smile for much longer. "Just let me help Y/N alright then I will come and see you..." When he finally got some of the younger children to let him go, with a little encouragement from you - you both slipped into the kitchen: "I suppose you get that a lot?" he straightened out his shirt, looking curiously back into the corridor where several of them were watching you both "Less than you would think... But you? Oh, they talk about you all the time..." "Really!?" "Mmm, oh, Captain I know all your stories second hand. Granted there's some variations on what actually happened, and I certainly wouldn't pass up the opportunity to hear them first hand, But! Yes, they certainly like you a lot. And you obviously care for them deeply..." He turned back to you, and that look on your face he hoped he might be reading correctly. But also made him bashful: admiration? Why? Hadnât he done what any decent human would do? He felt he'd done far less than you... âOh IâŚâ he struggled with what was best to say, so he opted for a simple âThank youâŚâ instead. âNo⌠Thank you.â Emmett set about helping you put things away, but you realised pretty quickly that you had gathered a small audience, laughing with him like this. That was understandable, they were equally curious on what was making you so happy (not that you werenât always) and Emmett himself. Eventually you pushed him gently towards the door âGo onâŚâ âWe arenât even finished-!â You waved away his protests âGo on, they want to listen to you⌠Iâll come through when Iâm finishedâŚâ He hesitated âY/N⌠I⌠Are you sure?â âThey want to see you! Go on, I mean, how much time may you really get with them?â âI suppose youâre right⌠But IâŚâ âEmmettâŚâ You pushed him gently again; âPlease, go!â He looked like he didnât want to leave you, so even when he walked from the room, he did it slowly â almost pleading with you to pull him back. You couldnât help your cheeky wink; âI wonât make you wait long!â He had to laugh again; and turned back to the children once again clambering all over him to pull him through into your extensive living room. âOkay! Okay! Itâs alright! Iâm hereâŚâ You tidied away and then wandered through. Each and every one of them was engrossed in every single word. And you sat yourself on the arm of one of the sofas with some of the younger children to listen too. You barely heard a word that Emmett said, and he barely registered that youâd even walked in, but the way he told it⌠The way he wasnât even that animated, but his passion, the way he spoke⌠everything had everyone in that room hanging on his every word. You werenât surprised that when you finally had the inclination to look at the clock it was late; But you still waited until the appropriate time to interrupt his story; âOH! Boys⌠DinnerâŚâ Several of them leapt up immediately to eagerly assist you.  Emmett stood âI suppose I better get goingâŚâ âNonsense, Captain⌠Would you please join us? Itâs only fair, considering all your help in town and telling us such wonderful stories⌠Also, you can finish them over dinner⌠What do you say boys?â âYes! Please! Please stayâŚ!â The clamour of voices all politely asked the same thing. And Dutton wasnât about to resist them or you; âOh⌠Then, I suppose I better stay⌠Thank youâŚâ You grinned; âI better ask now if you can cook!â âOh I---â he laughed nervously âI⌠Suppose I can⌠You do tend to pick up a few things, here and thereâŚâ You nodded, that would do, all you really needed was another pair of (firm but fair) hands to help you out. âWell, Captain, I suppose itâs time for you to put those skills to the testâŚâ âOh. If Iâd have known there was a test⌠Iâm not sure I would have accepted the invitation!â ***
Turned out that his âyou pick up a few thingsâ was neither wrong, nor exactly truthful. "Why don't you stop acting so humble?!" you giggled slightly, "At this rate its gonna turn out you cook better than me!â He laughed, but blush swept his face âNo! Oh gosh! I wouldn't want to show you up..!" "Too late captain!" but you were both laughing. You had some of the boys help you with the easier things and then sent them on their way again before returning to cooking. Emmett let himself just watch you for a minute, how you made 10 things at once look easy.
He couldn't help it; "You're amazing, you know?" it was quiet, like a thought he hadn't meant to slip out and yet he wanted to You turned to him "Me!? No... I'm... Doing what anyone would do..." "No, no... This... Is amazing. Those boys deserve a mother and... For sure you are one... They couldn't have done better than this. But you must have helped so many people... Brother Frank alluded to it but... You are nothing short of incredible." "Captain, please..." you pressed your hands to your face, feeling it heat up, you'd never been very good at taking compliments. You didn't do this to be noticed after all, but so that other people could live a better life, or pick themselves up. He crossed to you for a minute "All you're doing, people should just thank you more often." "Well, they think I'm crazy for doing it..." His voice was quiet again "Well, I don't..." You looked back into his eyes, still blushing. Well I don't was possibly the most significant thing he'd yet said. And he'd said a lot that meant something to you. He still had that ever so sweet smile of admiration on his face. And he was getting to you. You were close enough to feel the heat from his body; and something within you was pining for that closeness â for his touch⌠or his love. But it couldnât have been just you, you couldnât have just been imagining that he was leaning closer to you. That made you instinctively lean into him. And this could happen, you could kiss, and it could be like some kind of fairy tale. And all this went through your head very quickly. Of course, reality had something to say about that â as the timer in the corner of the kitchen went off. SERIOUSLY!? He pulled away from you and took a polite step back as if he was forgetting himself; âOh⌠I⌠Iâm sorryâŚâ You wanted to tell him not to apologise; you wanted to grab him and tell him to kiss me, dammit! But you couldnât. Your face was still flushed and what you did do was say âItâs okay⌠donât worryâŚâ NO! DAMMIT! Y/N! ITâS NOT OKAY! IT COULD HAVE BEEN A PERFECT KISS!!! No time to dwell on that, with dinner ready, but both of you did. Standing looking at each other, hesitant for just a few more moments⌠Until one of the older boys cleared his throat; âShould I tell everyone itâs ready, Miss Y/N?â You didnât want to tear your eyes from Emmett, but you had to; âYes! Thank you!â *** Dinner passed quickly, but Emmett continued his anecdotes to the boys. Every so often one of them would pick up on a story thread of his and begin sharing a story of their own; and Emmett liked watching how you gave it your undivided attention. You reacted appropriately, and asked relevant questions. You made every boy around that table feel special. And when you caught Emmettâs eye and smiled like that, that number included him.  He stayed long after dinner was over, and helped you both tidy away and put the boys to bed. Which he found was not an easy task. âDrink?â You couldnât help giggle at his slightly bedraggled exhausted look as he tried to neaten his appearance; âPlease⌠I donât know how you do it! Youâre a Saint.â âOh-! Sometimes I donât think theyâd think so-!â You gave a wink, âCan be the total opposite if they wonât behave!â He shook his head, mocking shock; âI donât believe a word of it!â You sat him outside and handed him a glass as a night cap. The air was still warm even though the sun had long since set, and it made for a pleasant evening. There was comfortable silence as you both admired the scene of your garden, lit every so often by the glow of fireflies, and you could think about the evening in a little detail. Eventually you broke the silence with a hesitant question; âDo you have kids?â He turned those inquisitive blue eyes back on you, âNO. No⌠SingleâŚâ You wondered why heâd added that statement, because that wasnât what you had asked. Single wasnât a qualifier for if heâd ever had kids. And unless he meant always been single which you couldnât believe for a moment, it certainly had no relevance. âYouâre good with kidsâŚâ You mused, finishing your glass and setting it down âThatâs worth something?â You smiled back at him, gently âI think it isâŚâ His next smile was significant as he fielded your compliment back; âYouâre a good mother.â You opened your mouth to respond, but it was like it suddenly all hit you, and you took a noticeable deep breath out âI learned from a good motherâŚâ âSo you arenât one?â âNo⌠I had a lot of younger siblings who moved out⌠They are all around Australia and Europe now⌠some of themâŚâ You looked back to the house ââŚI stayed to help look after my parents⌠and when they both passed on⌠I thought what better to do with their house than look after peopleâŚâ âYou really are a Saint.â You turned back to him; how he seemed to voice some kind of clarity that hit you again, full force. And your heart yearned for him. To have him here to tell you things you so desperately wanted to hear⌠âMaybeâŚâ Your voice was quiet, and when you looked away from him again he reached for your hand; âNot a maybe⌠you have compassion and generosity that you canât show gratitude for with mere words⌠And yet you do this all without shouting it from rooftops.â âI donât do it to be noticed, I do it because, like you, I want to believe there can still be good in the world â even if I have to do it all by myselfâŚâ He set his glass down; and took your other hand in his; âY/N⌠Believe me, you are not alone.â And in that moment, what you knew he meant was you have me. *** It was a few days later when Dutton found the time to wander back to your house to see you and the children again. You were out in the back garden when he arrived; still expertly keeping the attention of all the children. Engrossed in some story or other you were telling. Acting out scenes here and there with the help of some of the older boys. Emmett couldn't help but laugh to himself as he watched from your porch, relaxing himself by leaning against it. From here he was in the shade from the hot afternoon sunlight but it didn't seem to bother you or them in the slightest.
Eventually your eyes caught his, and you turned to the older boys to keep the game going whilst you took a breather; "Captain! You're still here!" The way you were beaming and the sunshine hit your hair and eyes and made you literally glow, was the reason that just this once he didn't bother correcting you; "You always sound so surprised!" He turned his full attention from the children to you as you joined him. "Well, I just don't want to get my hopes up that you'll stay..." Emmett tried and failed not to read too much into that, and his smile was gracious "Well... You never know, perhaps you should..." He nodded to the children in order to swiftly change the subject, "they all seem to be getting on well." "Yes, thanks to you." "Me!? You-!" "Emmett you rescued them!" "Not I... A good friend of mine... I simply delivered them into your care... You have saved these children... You have given them a far better life that they would have received on mission island I can tell you that..." You shook your head, placing your hand on his to turn him back to you; âBut as I say, they always ask after you... Emmett... When you're coming around next, if youâre going to spend the day here... Every time they see you... I wish you would stay..."
He watched the way that your eyes nervously left his, how you bit your lip and stared at his chest instead. From nowhere he gained a moment of courage, and instead of the nervous laugh he felt, Emmett spoke up, this time entwining your fingers properly with his. "Is that the only reason you wish I would stay?" This time you did blush; those soft blue eyes and that sweet smile became too much and you could feel the heat from his face at your almost kiss again. âMaybe not⌠But it shouldnât always be about meâŚâ He couldnât help his chuckle, you were probably the most charitable, unselfish person heâd ever known. How could anything you did ever always be about you? âThen tell meâŚâ Tell me what I want to hear; thatâs what he was pleading with you to say⌠But you werenât hearing that, because you didnât want to believe it could be true. âYou told me I was a good motherâŚâ He tilted his head, âI did. And meant itâŚâ You decided there was no time to be bolder and looked back into his eyes with confidence; âWell⌠I figure those boys need a good father figure tooâŚâ âHehâŚâ he bit his lip gently, but smiled through it âThatâd require me to stay.â âNo⌠Just be there when you can beâŚâ âWell what about you?â âWhat about meâŚ?â He tried again, this time more obvious âMaybe I would hope you werenât just saying that⌠for themâŚâ ââŚWhy are you asking me to say it?â Emmett gave a little shrug; âBecause maybe if I hear you say it I will know itâs true. What you really want.â You took a breath; âI donât know what I wantâŚâ You shook your head âI want you to stay, if you can stay⌠of course I do. But if you must leave, then I want you to come back⌠But what I know for sure, is that what I wanted the other nightâŚâ You hesitated a moment and swallowed âI just wishâŚâ You shook your head âI should have kissed you.â
For a moment he couldnât believe that you would be that forward, but he liked it. He loved it. âWell, I feel we should rectify that situation⌠If you would allow me to kiss you?â Your eyes widened slightly, you knew it! Youâd known it⌠You should have done something then⌠But he was doing something now. So your smile was confident as you looked back into his eyes âYou may.â He kept your hands respectfully in his, and leaned in slow and gentle, you closed your eyes. Hardly daring to believe that this was real; that it was really a dream that you were about to wake up from. But as his lips touched yours you held his hands a little tighter; and pulled him in closer. No dream would compare to this. The kiss was just as soft and sweet as he was, and you kept your eyes closed as he broke it and placed his forehead gently to yours. You realised that you didnât need to ask him to stay, that that kiss was a promise. No matter what the future held, he would return to you.
--- đ Was that too sweet?! Ah! Sorry babe! But thank you for requesting him! As ever đđđ Eeeeek! 4 Virtues Down!
#MendoTagSquad! @dennismitchell @krnncsbtch @happyskywhale
When She Says Baby - Captain Emmett Dutton x Reader (Australia)
GIF Credit: @benmendo X
Authorâs Note: Suggested to me subtly by @3134045126 as a side note when watching Australia that I went full on with and fic-ed... So, thank you for that! Iâll gift you with Mr.Jason Aldean for your efforts. This is a song I remembered ONE line of âShe runs her fingers through my hair and saves meâ which I thought worked for the idea... Then I re-listened to the song and was just... âOH MY GOD! THESE LYRICS!â
Disclaimer: None of the characters from Australia are mine. This feat of Musical genius isnât either! Technically the idea also isnât mine, I just wrote the thing because I was inspired to do so! So thank you Jax, I owe ya millions! đđđâ¤â¤â¤
Premise:Â After returning to you from the disaster in Darwin, Emmett Dutton looks like he could use some TLC...Â
Words: 5888. I ran... RAN with this.
Warnings:Â End of Australia spoilers / War/injury/etc / I mean... I guess the context? / I gave you some slight pre-amble...!
Some nights I come home fightin' mad Feel like runnin' my fist through the wall. Is it even worth it what I'm fightin' for anymore? Feelin' torn, all to hell with it all.
But when she's says baby, No matter what comes ain't goin' nowhere She runs her fingers through my hair and saves me. Yeah that look in her eyes got me comin' alive And drivin' me a good kinda crazy When she says baby Everything gonna be alright. Just lay down by my side. Let me love you through this life. Yeah she's the perfect shot of faith. When every bit of mine is gone. Somethin' I can believe in, a best friend A heaven sent love to lean on.Â
---
You werenât sure if stressed was even the word. It was so far beyond that now that it was something else entirely. Worry?, yes you were extremely worried. But the truth was you wished the news would just stop. News spread rumour, and rumour just sank you more and more into something close to a depressive state. Itâd been the day previously when news had broken of what was occurring in Darwin. And you werenât the only girl in town with a military beau out there. But of course, to YOU, yours was the only one that mattered. Even more shocking was you were due to join him in two days. If youâd even just decided to surprise him early then... well it could have been you caught up in that disaster. But Emmett...
Well he was there. And all youâd heard was that Japanese planes had bombed the hell out of it. No news of deaths, though the toll was thought to be high, or survivors... You couldnât even race down and find out for yourself because the city had been evacuated. So rumours were allowed to fly. You couldnât face going into town because... well. He was a captain. So the first person who was apparently going to know anything was you. Which you thought laughable, because you werenât the one who got news about Darwin in the FIRST place... The problem was you couldnât stand being in the house either, because every second that you could hear tick by from the wall clock was another second where you didnât know his fate. And it was killing you. Did you hold out hope?? Was that foolish? Did you assume the worst?? Was that just as dumbâŚ?
 You sat frustrated with your head in your hands, trying to think of anything else... but how could you?! Your mind was racing with a million different scenarios. You just wanted it all to STOP!
 There was a sudden bustle outside, people yelling, people screaming, running... the sound of vehicles rolling down the road. You lifted your head and your heart began racing. You tried to calm it. No. No no no! You couldnât do this just yet. Were you prepared to find out?! What would you do if it wasnât the news you wanted..? You tentatively walked to the door and out onto your front porch. They were certainly military trucks. Men scrambling to get down before they had even stopped and running to their lovers arms.
It wasnât long before shrieks of delight were mixing with wails of anguish though. You dug your nails into the wooden structure. You didnât dare go down there. But your eyes were darting to every man and every vehicle it was not helping your heart... Time after time your heart broke a little more. Friends of yours raced passed yelling at you to get down off your porch and find out, but you couldnât. If you moved, your knees were going to give out. The last truck rolled into town and you couldnât bare it. Tears started to run, and you had to turn away for a second. Tell me you didnât try to be the hero Emmett... donât tell me you lost your life... like that... Â Of course he would have though. Emmett Dutton would go out in no other way than as a gentleman. The captain he was.
 But then you had to know. How, why, when and where. Anything you could. Did they know for sure? Did you?! You took the steps down from your porch and pushed your way through the crowds of people - you knew friends of yours seeing friends of his. So... if you could find one, maybe you would find the answers to all your questions. Too many people forced you to the edge of the throng. Why were you so bitter that so many people were being reunited? You were disappointed in yourself for that. But it wasnât fair; how could that have possibly been fair? Your head started to spin and you had to lean back against a building to stop yourself from being sick. This was SO much worse than not knowing. You realised... SO much worse.
 So wrapped up in hating yourself and cursing the world were you that you barely registered that one last truck was rolling into town, miles behind the rest and the very last to leave Darwin, with too much to do on the way it was unsurprising that it would be so far behind. There werenât too many aboard at present; but that didnât make them any less significant. Your friends had realised that you werenât amongst the celebrations and consolations, and were now trying to figure out the best way to approach you, stood against that building alone. Had he really not made it out? The truck all but rolled to a stop. But you didnât care; you barely even registered it, and those last few hopeful waiting to greet those aboard. Rushing forward as the last few disembarked, quickly joined by others just as glad that more made it out.
You took a deep breath and pushed yourself away from the wall. Okay, it was time to snap out of it and be thankful for SOMETHING; even if you could only stomach it for a few short minutes... You walked slowly forward, looking between each new happy couple or family... then you froze.
He was the very last to leave the truck. And he was the only one alone. Running a hand through his hair and looking like heâd seen far better days, to you thereâd never been a moment heâd been more beautiful.  He sighed deeply moving amongst those soldiers that had been beside him. Now they were all safe where they belonged. Yes. That was the man he was.... Slowly he looked up, and then upon spotting you, also froze. âY/N?!â You couldnât hear it, but you knew heâd called your name âEmmett!!! EMMETT!!â That was enough to have you screaming his name as you took off towards him. âWoah woahâ! Hold on, look at me as youâre wearing-!â You didnât think youâd ever held him tighter, and you were certainly back in tears, â...white...â He sighed gently, so much for warnings... He looked at his hands over your shoulder. Well, the damage was probably already done. He wound his arms around you and sighed deeply âItâs okay... Darling... Iâm here... Iâm safe...â âI thoughtâŚ! I thoughtâŚ! Darwin-!â He was lucky to get that much out of you, âShh⌠Shhhh..! Itâs okay⌠Itâs okay. The majority of us made it outâŚâ âBâŚButâŚEmmett⌠IâŚâ Tears were still running down your cheeks. He gathered your face in his hands, brushing his thumbs across to stifle your tears. Wincing as he left dirt and sweat all over your pretty face. âY/N⌠Stop.. I know⌠I know what you must have thoughts⌠But⌠We had so much to do. We had to get out to Adelaide and⌠Darling⌠Iâm so sorry it took so longâŚâ âYouâre lateâŚâ Every other truck was in before his. He knew that too. Hell, as if he hadnât put you through enough? You reciprocated; placing your hands delicately on his cheeks. And he flinched. âOh my god-! Emmett..! Iâm---!â You let him go, but then turned his face gently, with your fingertips against his jaw line. There looked to be a fair amount of bruising under all that dirt⌠You took a step back from him; wondering if that translated to under his clothing too. Meaning it was amicable of him not to complain at how hard youâd embraced him. âDarling⌠Oh my gosh⌠Where⌠Where WERE youâŚ!?!â ââŚYou mean where did I end up!?â There was at least a small smile then, âUnder half the army communications building.â âAre you alright!?â It was a silly question, you know, but a necessary one. âI certainly fared better than a lot of themâŚâ That was a brave-faced chivalrous statement if ever there was one; you should expect nothing less than that from Captain Emmett Dutton. You took his hands in yours; âEmmett⌠I think⌠you shouldâŚâ You began walking backwards, gradually pulling him with you. ââŚY/N⌠We should⌠stay andâŚâ You shook your head. He was a Captain. Sure. And maybe he should be rounding up the troops and saying something rousing. Confidence⌠or... Morale boosting. But he would have likely done similar in Adelaide. Or on the way? Wouldnât he? You had little doubt he was almost the very last person to leave Darwin âShhhâŚShhhhâŚâ You hushed him soothingly, as you continued to pull him away from the crowd. âY/N⌠We- I- ShouldâŚâ âRest.â You finished his sentence, noticing that he was really offering little resistance as he kept his hands in yours âYou need rest.â He realised you were taking him home. And you felt him grip you hand tighter. You sped up your walk. He matched you, but was still letting you pull him.  And when you reached your front porch he had never been more glad to see anything in his life. You let him walk side by side with you up the steps and amidst the cheering and celebrations of those still outside, you slipped into the quiet of indoors.
All at once he almost collapsed. Half of that was relief. The other- âWOAH! Emmett⌠EmmettâŚ!â It took a job to steady him and you were sure leaning your full body weight into his was as like to hurt him more. You sat him in a chair; âBabyâŚâ You crouched, taking his hands back in yours ââŚYou really need to learn how to take orders, not just give them!â you laughed. He shook his head at you, brushing your hair back off your face âSometimes I think you think Iâm much higher than just a captain.â You smiled, shaking your head also; ââŚJust a captain? Youâre NOT just a captainâŚâ You straightened, rounding him. âBabyâŚYouâre my captainâŚâ You brushed your fingertips over his arms and up across his shoulders. He let out a cross between a groan and a whimper as your fingers touched his skin; up his neck and into his hair⌠He leant back into your fingertips and closed his eyes. You smiled gently and leant forward to kiss his forehead. He winced again; but it was his sharp intake of breath that made you stop. âEmmettâŚâ He opened his eyes to the worry in yours. You removed your hands from him and placed them on the back of the chair âDarling⌠youâre⌠youâre hurting⌠And⌠Oh gosh⌠WhenâŚâ You thought on it ââŚWhen was the last time you slept!?â He furrowed his eyebrows, âOh⌠Darwin I suppose⌠Thereâs been so much to do. And IâŚâ You took a step back, and then another, decisively. âGet up.â âY/NâŚ!?â You turned back to him; âBaby⌠Get up⌠Head upstairs⌠Iâm gonna draw you a bath and⌠You just⌠Give me a minute!â ââŚY/N you donât need to do-â âNonsense!â You called as you ran through your house, âItâs not about what I need⌠Itâs about what YOU needâŚ!â He watched you, tipping the chair back as you emerged through the second open doorway, across the hall from the room youâd sat him in, gathering things as you went. You took the stairs two at a time. As he sat there and smiled it made his face hurt. In fact, as he remained seated a lot of aches were starting to set in. So when he stood to follow you, pain shot from his head to his feet and made him dizzy. He just about made it to the steps by the time you were back down them. ââŚEmmettâŚâ Your voice was soft as you brushed his hair gently back into place; ââŚOhâŚEmmettâŚBabyâŚâ You took his hand back in yours and turned to the steps; âCan⌠Can you take the stairs?!â He laughed âI think I might be able to manage⌠A few stairs.â You walked past him, and then forward again, pulling your arm around his waist you let him wind his own arm around your shoulders and helped him up one step at a time.
Once again he allowed you to pull him into a back room. âGo onâŚâ You coaxed him gently as you turned the taps on to let the bath run âGet undressed. Iâve got thisâŚâ It hadnât occurred to you what you had said until he didnât move. But he was flushed and blinking and- âOH-! IâŚâ Then you were doing the same thing âI just meantâŚ!â You turned away; âIâm sorryâŚ! IâŚ!â He chuckled gently and you heard the buckles on his uniform chink as he undid them; âYou know it isnât proper for a lady to think that wayâŚâ He made you bite your lip to stifle your laugh. That was a dumb thing for him to say, or get flustered about. You had loved on him more than a few times⌠More than once he gasped as various items of clothing hit the floor âDo you need help?â He protested against you doing anything else for him âNo IâŚâ He grumbled, but you heard him gasp again; âEmâŚâ You turned, to watch him trying to pull himself out of his shirt. Whilst he was concentrating on that and not you, you swept your gaze down him. There was something kinda hot about it all really. His messed-up, war-torn uniform. His shirt buttons all undone but it not untucked yet, his belt unbuckled and⌠You shook your head and crossed to him; âBaby, let me help youâŚâ You kept your eyes on his face as you pulled his shirt down his shoulders. You had to wince yourself at the purple marks flecked down from his collar bone to his chest. Darling boy⌠You really HAVE been to warâŚÂ You pulled the hem of his shirt free and it became just another discarded item. He was close enough to kiss you now. And you wanted that. More than anything. But you were afraid you wouldnât be able to control yourself if you got kissing him. That it would only serve to hurt him more as a result. So when he leant forward so did you â meaning his lips only brushed your forehead.
You respectfully turned away from him again and cleared your thoughts, walking back to the nearly full bathtub. You turned the taps off and sprinkled a generous helping of salts into the top. Leaving him to finish getting undressed. You bit your lip again and flushed as you heard the final items of clothing hit the floor. You gathered towels. You had already gathered clothes⌠fresh, clean clothes. And everything else you could think he would possibly need. You nodded to yourself as you checked again. You had everything. You pulled your hair back into a clip as you heard him enter the water. He let out another gentle groan as he sunk into it. âOh⌠GodâŚâ Only then did you turn back, watching him adjust to the temperature before taking a breath and submerging himself in it. You smiled, lining up bottles by the side of the bath you waited patiently for him to resurface. Which he did; running his hands over his face âOh. Okay⌠Wow⌠ThatâsâŚâ he rested his back against the tub with a small smile âBetter.â You smiled again, giggling as you knelt up, running your hands back across his smooth shoulders and back into his hair, scraping it back off his face. He hummed in satisfaction again as he let you continue to do this, fluttering his eyes closed to the delicate motions of your fingertips working through his hair. Until you added soap; and he shivered at the cold sensation for just a moment. He vocalised his contentment again as you worked it into his scalp. âOhâŚ! Oh-! WhâŚWhy have we neverâŚ.!?!â You hushed him âSave it! Let me take care of you⌠Thatâs what Iâm doing, Emmett, let meâŚâ He gave a sigh that let you know he was happy with that, but the very idea that he wouldnât let you!?...Honestly! You filled a cup with water and tipped it gently to rid his gorgeous thick black hair of suds. When you ran your hands through it once more it felt smooth and silky in your fingertips. Forcing you to let out your own hum of content. He almost resisted the temptation to laugh at you, but you picked up on it. âAm I amusing?â ââŚI donât know if thatâs the word I would chooseâŚâ He lifted his own hands to sift gently through his hair; ââŚYouâre doing a mighty good job.â You were sure that wasnât sarcasm. He allowed you to take his hand between yours, and you savoured how warm he felt due to the water. You pulled his hand to your cheek and kept it there for a moment, he responded by lacing his fingers with yours. Except his index finger, that he brushed tenderly across your skin. ââŚI missed you so muchâŚâ âI knowâŚâ His voice was quiet ââŚI read every letter you sent⌠Probably 500 times. Well. 499 times and the time I opened it and cried.â âCried?! No! Emmett! Donât jokeâŚâ He tipped his head back to look at you, sincerely âI wasnât joking.â He tilted his head ââŚWhat are you going to do if they station me in Europe?â âDonât!!â You shook your head vigorously âDonât talk that way!â He took his hand back gently, reaching up with his other to take your face back in his hands; blue eyes locked in yours âYou need to think about that⌠Y/N⌠They couldâŚâ You placed your hands over his âNo.â âB-â âNO. Do not do this to me. I only just got you back.â He gave a gentle shrug ââŚOkay⌠But⌠Please⌠I donât want you to get too used to thisâŚâ You slowly leant forward to place your forehead to his and your voice became a whisper; âWhatever happens, Iâm going to be waiting here for youâŚâ âItâs not like I want to goâŚâ He mused ââŚHeck⌠I donât even know if itâs all worth it.â You furrowed your eyebrows and looked back to his eyes, now staring at the ceiling. ââŚWinning the war isnât worth it?â âWinning is great. If we win. Itâs the lives lost. Think about what happened in Darwin. Itâs happening everywhere⌠Itâs senselessâŚâ You placed your arms around him lowering your head into his shoulders ââŚStop⌠I donât want to talk about itâŚâ âI realise thatâŚâ He kissed your hair ââŚAnd when you put it the way you do⌠Neither do I.â
Taking his hands back in yours one at a time, you kissed his skin lovingly as you continued to wash him. Sometimes he watched you, with those big grateful blue eyes that you adored so much, and sometimes he would close them and allow you to whisper gentle prayers into his skin. When you reached his fingertips he couldnât resist stroking them against your cheek; âYouâve got dirt on you⌠too!â You looked back to his cheeky little smile; âMy apologies!â You rubbed your cheek with the water he had just placed there; âBetter!?â âEh.â He gave a gentle shrug with a laugh. âWell if not maybe I could just get in?â âOH! N-N-No! You⌠No!â He flushed again, stammering at the look on your face as you moved your hands to the buttons on your dress. He had you laughing âIâm just teasing youâŚ!â You leant forward to kiss his forehead again; and he sank lower into the water, to give off the impression that it was the heat that was turning him bright red. He wasnât fooling you though. But you did have to say that he was gorgeous and warm. Good. Hopefully that would work wonders on the aches in his muscles⌠You did the same for his other arm and them rounded him again.
He moved himself forward in the water without you even asking. Curving his spine just enough to expose as much of his back to you as possible. You traced your fingers (lips curving into another smile) across the freckles running his shoulder blades. They were present on his face too, but not always entirely visible. It was cute - endearing â and you loved them. You continued running your hands down the dips either side of his spine. All those army drills and exercises he kept having to do were clearly working wonders. Not that Emmett Dutton was EVER built anything less than exceptional. And you hadnât known him before he was doing them, either. But every time he stepped up a rank â or HAD to step up a rank â he would be called to further bootcamps that had you waiting once more... but... his return? Nothing better! He was rather bashful about undressing in front of you still â like a true gentleman â as he had just proven. But, oh my god. Did it always have you yearning he did it more often. He was perfect for you. So strong, but, yet he was so, sensitive..? Was that not a word for describing personalities? Well, hopefully not just a word for personality. He wasnât built like half of the men youâd seen him command. Â But he was built for respect. And everyone did. Respect him. You liked that, it made you proud. And proud to be with him.
You were certainly more careful here; moving your hands in tender circular motions where you could now see clearer bruising. Reminding yourself heâd been stuck under pieces of a building⌠There was no doubt of that. You peppered his shoulders with even more gentle kisses as the droplets of water chased his spine. He hummed at that too. He was full of gratitude for every bit of love you would give him. Heâd been away long enough. And you knew he would never seek affection from anyone else. So, you guessed, youâd both been lonely. And he deserved it â you couldnât imagine what heâd seen in Darwin. But you knew it couldnât have been pretty⌠Winding your arms around him again you pulled him back to the edge of the bath; propping your head back onto his shoulder; âIâm sorry.â âNow youâre sorryâŚ?â He rested his head against yours ââŚWhy?â âI should have come to see you.â ââŚI for one am certainly glad you did not. I could never forgive myself.â âBut more often than I did.â âYou were due out again. Iâm glad you didnât make the trip any earlier.â He folded his arms across the sides of the tub and turned to you; âBut. I can make up for that instead.â âOh? How so?â He bit his lips together gently before he smiled again, his eyes lighting up; âI can take you to Faraway Downs!â You propped yourself up on the side of the bath for a second, chin in your palm ââŚOH! Sarah and Drover?! Wait â now THERE is a place I donât understand why youâve never taken me.â âSee. Exactly!? Was that a yes?â You gave a mysterious smile; âPersuade meâŚâ âI donât think I need to with what you just said.â âEmmettâŚ!â âItâs the safest place in the North. The water is about to come up. Itâs beautiful. Youâll really like it. I know you will. You like Sarah anyway, right? Itâs also the kind of place you need to stay for a few days. Which gets both of us away from this.â You shook your head with a grin, and your sigh sounded at least a little sarcastic âVery persuasive Captain. I may have to take you up on this.â He raised an eyebrow; âMay? May!? Come on Y/N we both know what you really want to sayâŚâ He had you laughing, and your laugh changed to an excited giggle under the weight of his dare ya stare; âOkay! Okay! Please! Letâs go! I canât wait!â
You sat on the edge of the bath now. He looked a lot better. Maybe not physically now you could see the bruises all over his body, but he was a lot less tense. And he was smiling. And you were proud of yourself for that. âSo⌠Tell me all about it.â He leant his elbows on the sides and tipped his head âAbout what?â âDarwin. Tell me about it.â âThereâs truthfully not much to tell you about now, is there?â You smacked his arm playfully because you knew he was teasing you now; âNo! But! Tell me what youâve been doing there since I last stayed-!? Has it changed any? Would I like it?â He smiled âOh! Uh huh. I think so⌠What with entering the war it changed a great deal. But⌠itâs a pity, you would have seen it all in full working order. A real sense of comradery. I think you would have enjoyed it.â âWas everyone nice?â âNot as nice as you.â He got you giggling again; âAw. Come now, Captain! No one?â âNo one.â He gave you a smile you couldnât help but mirror âIs that surprising? Surely you know no one will compare to you?â âDo I? Do IâŚ??â You hoped you werenât blushing at his flirting as you pretended to think hard on it. But he wasnât a fan of that; âOh! Come off it!â He splashed you with water, making you shriek, but still giggle as you splashed him back. He next splash was a little too forceful. âOH! Oh-! Y/N! Iâm SO sorry!â But he laughed through his apology. âItâs a good thing this dress was already messed up, huh?â You grinned. âDonât worry, Mr.Dutton, Iâll get you back!â you gave a wink. He groaned, leaning back and running his hands through his hair; âOf that I have no doubt!â Having said that, the water seemed to be cooling off⌠âYou sure youâre not read to leave?â He settled back in the water âHmmm⌠Not quite.â âCan I get you anything? Tea?â âTea? Tea!?â Then he smiled âSweetheart, would you?â You gave a nod âI will. This once!â leaving him with another teasing wink âDonât go anywhere captain!â He laughed and called after you âAs if there is anywhere I would rather be?â
You made his tea as carefully as if you had been making it for the King himself. He was very specific. You were used to watching the way he would measure his milk and sugar exactly; almost to the drop and grain. At first it made you laugh. But now you thought it was just a very cute habit he had. You took it back to him with your best smile. âThank youâŚâ He took a sip, satisfied in the sigh he let out âOh yes. Thatâs⌠just right.â He eyed your dress again âI do feel terrible though!â âDonât worry. I said Iâd get you back, and I will.â You sat and talked about subject that were pretty nonsensical as he sipped his tea, time passing catch up conversations that always skirted the deeper subjects that were really at hand. Still, his tales of the rescues going on in Darwin, especially of the boys from the Mission, had you smiling. No wonder it had taken him so long to get back to you... But neither of you wanted that kind of deep conversation right now. He was more than happy to keep away from it all for a while. Eventually he announced he was ready to leave and handed the empty cup back to you gratefully. You returned with towels. And this time he stood without making you turn around. But you respectfully kept your eyes on his face as you wrapped him in one carefully. You let him tie it around his waist as you retrieved another, placing it around his shoulders you gave him another kiss to the forehead and gathered a third for his hair⌠He laughed, touching his head lightly to yours as you dried his hair which only made you laugh, and finally â finally you accepted a kiss. It was as strange as it was exquisite, to have his lips back on yours. There was something so familiar, but so foreign, about it now. He reached back and let your hair tumble free of the clip so he could run his hands through it, and you pulled him closer to you. Water was dripping all over you and the bathroom floor but you hardly cared. Your heart swelled and you had to break the kiss for laughing, and crying. You were crying again but they were happy tears and he knew it, so he certainly wasnât about to ask what was wrong. He let you rub gently at his arms to dry them off, before grabbing another towel and wrapping you up, stepping down out of the bath he pulled you closer to him. âWoah-! Captain what are you doing!?â âIn case you didnât notice, or simply forgot, that I got your dress wet too?â You were sure that if you had forgotten at all it was as likely this moments fault. The warmth of his body was quickly heating yours and there was nothing you wanted to do more now than cuddle into him. âI didnât forget. I just donât think I towel is going to cover it. Do you?â He gave a shrug. âI donât knowâŚâ He laid it across your shoulders; âItâs probably a start.â You knew what he was trying to do, keep this smile on your face. Keep you in the moment. Keep you right here with him, and not where he knew your mind would start wandering if it got the chance. You guessed it worked as you leant up to kiss him again.
âAh-!â You suddenly remembered something and pulled away from him again, crossing to the other side of the bathroom, âI probably shouldnât let you stand around in wet towels now, should I? Youâll catch a cold! Or something! And you look like you need to do enough healing as it is!â You returned with clothes. He recognised instantly the soft off-white button up shirt you liked to see him in. âHm! Not blue then?â You nudged him; âNO. The blue is a little too good. Now youâre relaxed the second thing you need is bed restâŚâ âOh. Yes Mâam.â You shook your head at the roll of his eyes, but you were still smiling as you folded your arms. âIâll let you get changedâŚâ you frowned âAre you going to be okay with the shirt?â âIâll be fineâŚâ You looked to the bruises again, now an even deeper shade of purple, unconvinced. But you knew that he would want to do things for himself too. âAlright, baby, let me know if notâŚâ âI certainly willâŚâ He watched you busy yourself with tidying up as he changed. Running his hands back through his hair to neaten it up in the mirror he kept his eyes following you. Smiling at the tune you were absent mindedly humming to yourself as you worked. He recognised it from Darwin; about the only dance you had let him have. He crossed to you, quickly, all at once caught up in an urge he couldnât fight. He pulled you to him, making you gasp unawares. His arms wound around you and his embrace was tight. He was still so warm and you found yourself melting into him, you had to try to sneak your hands from between the two of you to return the favour and hold him too. âI love you.â It didnât need a prompt. Or a reason. It was simply the truth.
**
You were still smiling to yourself standing on your small balcony even hours later. You were sure that was the effect of having him back. Even just being in his presence. He probably spent more time away from you than he did with you. Especially these days. You crossed your arms and rested your head on them, continuing to sun yourself. You had sent him to bed after making sure heâd eaten something at least a little substantial, and he was still lost in dreams now. Which you were glad of. He likely needed it. The sun warmed you through as much as he had and your dress hadnât taken too long to dry. In the street below people were still celebrating the soldiers return â every so often yelling to each other. It was about the only sound the breeze carried with it. And you had to laugh at some of the things being shouted.
Youâd left the doors to the balcony opened, with the light translucent curtains catching in the wind every so often. Emmett Dutton stirred from his dreams to see you standing out there. He chuckled to himself, folding his arms. There was something about you he couldnât quite put his finger on. He never had. And it was something he was glad of; whatever that thing was kept him guessing. Kept him wondering what would happen when he left or returned to you. Made him wonder what the next letter would say; how you would react to his phone call... Anything. Really. You were the greatest mystery. It was probably the only one he wasnât sure he wanted to figure out. He stretched tentatively, stopping just short of the pain he could feel building up. He definitely felt a lot better than he had when the truck had stopped this morning.
Well. Of course he did. Now he had you back. You turned at the sound of his yawn and walked back through into the bedroom. He was looking at you with pure adoration. And you threatened to start blushing and hide your face. Sometimes when he looked at you like that you couldnât help it. You werenât sure anyone ever had looked at you like that before him. ââŚYouâre awake?â He nodded âAnd Iâm feeling a lot better. Thank you.â âNo need to thank me. You deserve it.â âBut I doâŚâ He reached for you, and you were happy to oblige, letting him take your hand; ââŚOf course I doâŚâ He pulled you down so you sat on the bed and he ran his hands back into your hair ââŚSo, thank you. Although it is barely enough.â âBabyâŚâ It was the sincere way you said it, that look on your face, beyond grateful. Heartfelt. He pulled you forwards and into another kiss. Deep, almost desperate; to keep you here, to hold you here⌠He ran his hands down to the buttons on your dress; Emmett⌠Hold onâŚ! You broke the kiss and your expression was obviously quizzical ââŚBut youâreâŚ? Hurt? I donât want toâŚâ He shook his head and kissed you again, although youâd placed your hands on his you didnât resist him undoing the first button, and then the second. You realised he needed this â and you needed this too. âIâll be fine. Fine⌠Weâll just⌠be sensible about this⌠Slow⌠gentle⌠Weâll be fineâŚâ âYou will STOP if you-â âYes. I promise youâŚâ It was your turn to kiss him, removing your hands from his you went for his shirt buttons too â no hesitation.
Sensible. Well that was Emmett all over. So you had no doubt. Slow and gentle? It had been months. You werenât so sure⌠But you would try. For him and his condition, you would surely tryâŚ






