Slingin' from the hip, never the heart. | Open Post

[tinstar]

Raylan's job took him everywhere, from Harlan to Los Angeles to Paris. The Marshals service was demanding but Raylan leaned into the work, traveling as needed to get to get his man.

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[citharede]

"Beer's better up there though." The not sorry about it is heavily implied. "Tequila's better here."

She grins at him, the perpetual kid needling authority. She's barely 21, close enough for Raylan to argue her into submission over the throwing of a birthday party when she got home.

Oh. Speaking of which.

"So um, I know you said you've got Willa while I'm here, but does that mean we're also going to have Winona?"

[tinstar]

Raylan scoffs at the assertion and shakes his head. "Tequila is better in Mexico," he corrects. "Miami gets all the cocktail awards though and I don't know that Boston has got shit that holds up to some of the things they're throwin' together."

And it wasn't like Raylan was going to be going to bars with her. If she wanted to drink, he'd much rather she do it at home.

He glances over. "I scheduled it durin' a day where the court docket is full. She won't be comin', I promise. Willa's stayin' over for the weekend though, so we won't be seein' Winona until Monday. Hopefully."

Athena had heard actual proper yelling matches between Raylan and Winona before, about Willa, about Athena, about him leaving or coming back. They managed to make it work for Willa's sake but now that Willa was well into being a teenager herself, some of the façade had started to peel away.

"She's excited to see you, you know. Willa is." Athena was the big sister she'd always wanted, and she hung the moon in Willa's eyes.

[citharede]

Athena's pretty sure Winona still hasn't and will never forgive that she accidentally taught a much younger Willa the word cunt, and that it was an accident only because Athena had been calling Winona one at the time.

"Oh good, maybe when I force life updates out of Willa she'll tell me something I can talk to Winona civilly about before then." Athena grins, just as excited to see her little sister. She bounces in her seat again.

"I've got a surprise for you too. By the way. I thought I'd give it to you when we did presents."

[tinstar]

She hadn't. Cunt was the strongest word to Southern Culture, the worst thing you could call a person. Willa knowing it much less using it had all of Winona's family shuddering in their graves or their kitchens.

"I doubt it, but you'll let me know if that changes." He was well aware how little wiggle room Athena gave Winona after seeing how his ex-wife really treated him. It made his heart swell, this protective urge from her.

"Oh really? Should I be scared?" He was so happy to see her again. His apartment didn't feel right if it didn't have the girls in it, giggling about something, sweetly plotting something that was surely going to be his demise in one way or another.

[citharede]

She starts to say no, then contemplates that for a moment longer. "Well, you might be. But I don't think you'll be upset."

It takes about two more seconds before she's rolling her eyes at herself and grinning at him and digging an unmarked white envelope out of the side pocket of her backpack. She holds it up.

"It's in here, and before you even say it, no, it's not a winning lottery ticket, or a trip to Aruba, or anything like that, dork."