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]

There's something warm and wet on her face, something thick that has pointy bits in it. Her ears ring with the sounds of guns going off, and she's on all fours, and then Raylan has her arm and he's dragging her inside and the door is closed, and there's a guy with a hole in his head on the other side.

Athena hasn't recovered by the time they're in the kitchen. She looks at him for a moment, uncomprehending, before her brain cycles up enough to realize what Raylan is going to do.

"No--there's too many, Raylan, I know you're good, I'm sure you could take any of them alone, but there's at least a half-dozen waiting for you and you just... just killed one of theirs."

She grabs a fistful of his shirt tight enough to make her knuckles hurt. "Don't you fucking dare go out there and get killed."

[tinstar]

Her grab at him was the only thing that stopped him from continuing to walk away and he lowers the gun for a second to settle a hand over the wrist of the hand gripping his shirt. He knew she loved him. She knew she only wanted to keep him safe and that it didn't matter what else happened.

Except not being safe was the only way to keep them both safe.

"Athena. I need you get under that table because I am comin' back and I need to know that you're in a safe spot. Ava will keep you safe." Ava would keep her safe to keep herself safe, if nothing else. "But I need you to go now and I need you to be quiet. Go," he says, pulling her hand off him. "Go."

He knew it was scary. She had to hold on until he could calm her down without keeping an eye out for the bullet coming for both of them.

[citharede]

She wants to argue. She wants to ignore his instructions. But her limbs are locked up with a feral kind of terror and then he’s out of reach and Ava is dragging Athena down under the table as shots and cries ring out outside.

It feels like it goes on forever. Forever.

The voice that calls out makes Athena’s stomach drop through the floor and into the molten center of the earth.

It’s Boyd.

“Olly olly oxenfree, Athena. I would say I’ve got something that belongs to you, but I’m pretty sure he belonged to me first.”