![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
May. 22nd, 2023 at 8:56 PM
[So this is how he gets away with it, then. Cruz, a skeleton, with a skeleton horse, lives in a skeleton of a house with a skeletal barn attached - and he remains unseen, his home apparently abandoned, all the way on the outskirts of this thing that's barely a town.
Well, you do what you gotta do, and Johnnie won't turn down a kind offer of a safe place to stay the night. He can't help but grin at Chrissy having such a good time riding that bony horse as he pulls the bike in through the barn door and parks it to the side, then hops off.]
Hey man, we owe ya for this. Here.
[See, this is yet another reason it's good to stock up on alcohol. He finds their most recent stolen bottle of tequila and pulls it out as he saunters over to their host and offers it in an outstretched hand.]
On us. Uh, if you drink, that is. You do drink, right?
[Normally that would be a dumb question to ask but the guy appears to be actual bones. But, bones that can smoke, without lungs, so he can probably drink without a mouth, right?
That earns a laugh from Cruz.]
I sure do, fella. You don't have to, though. I'm not looking for any kind of repayment, just helping out a couple folks in need.
[Johnnie shakes his head and waves that attempt off.]
Nah, it's all yours. Or if you really insist, we can all split it tomorrow, the three of us an' the rest of your crew. Can't wait to meet 'em. They all skeletons too?
Well, you do what you gotta do, and Johnnie won't turn down a kind offer of a safe place to stay the night. He can't help but grin at Chrissy having such a good time riding that bony horse as he pulls the bike in through the barn door and parks it to the side, then hops off.]
Hey man, we owe ya for this. Here.
[See, this is yet another reason it's good to stock up on alcohol. He finds their most recent stolen bottle of tequila and pulls it out as he saunters over to their host and offers it in an outstretched hand.]
On us. Uh, if you drink, that is. You do drink, right?
[Normally that would be a dumb question to ask but the guy appears to be actual bones. But, bones that can smoke, without lungs, so he can probably drink without a mouth, right?
That earns a laugh from Cruz.]
I sure do, fella. You don't have to, though. I'm not looking for any kind of repayment, just helping out a couple folks in need.
[Johnnie shakes his head and waves that attempt off.]
Nah, it's all yours. Or if you really insist, we can all split it tomorrow, the three of us an' the rest of your crew. Can't wait to meet 'em. They all skeletons too?
Comments
[She really is too good for him, and he knows it. He laughs and lets go of her hair so he can instead grab at her shoulders and pull her forward, or at least mime doing so - he'll let her actually move, but goddamn he wants her right on top of him right now.]
It's better than fucking okay, you don't know how bad I want you, babe.
[Well, no, she does, with his dick right there throbbing for her, but damn. Cute of her to ask, but it's always okay.]
She's already trembling right out of the gate, and she hasn't even started to move yet. She saves that for when her fingertips are pressed against his cheek and she's deeply kissing him. It's only then that her hips start to slowly rock and move.]
Fast or slow?
[She'll be nice and let him choose. But she's having a hard time deciding which she's craving right now.]
Fast.
[He says it with a smirk as he bucks his hips up against her, like he's challenging her to it rather than just answering.
Both are good options, and if she chose either one he'd be happy, but slow is better with a certain mood he's not entirely in right now. Fast, well, he's always here for fast, for rough, for moving guided only by the internal fire of passion and want.
Besides, at some point apparently a bunch of dead people are going to be here and if they're too slow and lingering, and if those folks are early, well. That would be awkward.]
Well, lucky for them both, she's gotten good at fast. She's more than athletic enough to handle fast with ease. And since he's just bucked up against her like that and challenged her, she doesn't see much of a choice here.
She can't back down from a fun challenge.
Both of her eyebrows arch, and she admires him for a few seconds. Her lips curling upward is the only warning he gets before she really starts to move in earnest, hard and fast. Her hands start out pressed against his chest, though one slips to grip at his shoulder and press down against it. As she sets a hard and punishing pace though, every time he tries to touch her, she bats his hand away.
If he wants fast, she can't be distracted by him touching her. She's in control right now.]
[He gasps the words as she gets moving, and tries reaching for her only to have his hands swatted aside. His eyebrows arch in surprise, but there's a smile on his lips. It's a game, and he's into it.
But the pace and friction makes it hard to think or tease or anything, as it all builds. His eyelids flutter and he lets out a groan, tipping his chin back as she fucks him like it's the only thing in the world.]
Shit. Oh, fuck, you're incredible.
[And to think that just weeks ago she'd barely ever touched a dude. Fuck.]
Yeah, maybe she hadn't ever done much a few weeks ago. But he's been good to her, and loves pulling out this side of her. They've had plenty of practice to get to this point, where her own hands work along her breasts and her body, putting on a show for him as she fucks him to the point where she's close in no time at all.]
Touch me.
[Finally, she demands something of him, grabbing hold of his hand to guide it to her breast. He's free to touch her as much as he wants now, and she probably won't bat his hand away.]
At her command, he lets out a breath and squeezes his hand around her breast, then pinches at the nipple. His other hand reaches for her back, but brushes her bandaged tattoo. Right. Move lower, then - and when he's found skin, he drags his nails down her back.
His touches build, seeking out sensitive areas or broadly stroking at her, until his lips curl into a smirk and the hand that was a moment ago settled on her hip lifts and smacks. He hasn't forgotten how she liked that, even if it's been a little while since he tried it.]
His smack is encouragement for her to gather up her strength and move even faster and harder. Her entire body is covered in sweat at that point, the level of exertion it takes to keep going even as the pleasure mounts to the point of sensitivity almost more than she can keep up with.
But he's challenged her, of course she's going to push herself to keep the pace. In response to that smack, she whispers for him to do it again.]
Please, baby. Again. I want you do that again.
[Just once more and it'll probably be enough to make her come. She's pretty sure of it.]
But he holds it together and laughs a little through his panting breaths as he slaps his palm hard against her rear again, and fuck that's it, he can't hold out any longer. He digs nails into her right where he'd just smacked her as his fingers clench and his hips drive upward, and that last drag of friction is all he gets before he comes hard. He must look a mess, his hair is in his eyes somehow, and yet through it he's focused on her.]
She doesn't, of course, and is left panting and smiling contently. Her nails dig into his chest before her touch turns soft and soothing, and she curls down over him to sweetly kiss him.]
I really like these wake up calls you keep giving me.
[He murmurs his agreement as he claims another kiss, then breathes a slow sigh out through his nose as his hands slowly traces patterns up and down her back.
Man. He wasn't tired last night, but now? After this, he could almost go for a nap.
But then again, on second thought, nah. That feeling evaporates, leaving him warm and content and feeling like he's ready to take on the day with her at his side. He reaches up to tuck a few strands of hair behind her ear, then lets both hands trail down her thighs.]
Guess we get what we deserve after bein' all patient last night, huh? I feel like you earned that wake-up call fair an' square.
Along the way, she notices the little bandage that was put over her belly button piercing has come loose, and she just shrugs and pulls it off the rest of the way. It's too bad he wasn't able to really see it just a minute ago, she thinks, and fiddles with the stud a little. It's tender and sore, but nothing too bad.
Feeling that makes her briefly touch behind her ear and her back.]
Do you think it's okay if I take off these bandages now?
[The one over his coyote came off at some point when taking off his pants in the last day or so, and it's fine. He runs a hand over the inked lines, then shrugs and gets up to go find clean clothes for himself.]
At least, the tattoo ones. I don't really know about the piercing but I bet it's fine too. Gotta be, right? Fresh air's good for healing, or something.
[Maybe he's making that up, actually. Hm. Sounds right, though.]
Supposed to put lotion or whatever on the tattoo. You got lotion? 'Cause I don't. Shoulda picked some up. Maybe Cruz has olive oil, that shit works too.
[And also it's not something he carries around with him. And out here, the chances of anyone having real olive oil seem pretty low. What do cowboys cook with? Bacon grease? Lard? Probably not things that should go on healing skin.
Well, he'll just go with a t-shirt and underwear for a second until he knows what their options are.]
[It's finally her time to shine. Her silly little beauty products will come in useful. She quickly gets dressed again, but makes a note that she'll need to wash this outfit soon. She'll probably start smelling if she doesn't. For now it passes the sniff test, and she shrugs as she crouches down at their bags and starts going through them.
A bottle of lotion is pulled out, surprisingly not strawberry scented. It's just a basic, unscented kind. But it makes her skin nice and soft and that's what counts. The tube is tossed over to him, before she pulls out some of those jars of food she had bought back at the gas station in New Orleans.]
This stuff will come in handy right now too. I'm starving.
[She struggles with the lid to the jar, but eventually is able to twist it off and get to the jerky inside. She sits on the floor, eating from the jar before she pulls out a piece and offers him one.]
[That's to the lotion, initially, but right as he's about to open it he glances over and sees she's got food now, too, so he grabs the piece of jerky and sticks that in his mouth while he pops the cap on the tube of lotion open and spreads some on his new tattoo.]
You got all kindsa goodies with you.
[And he's genuinely surprised the lotion is unscented. Once he's done, he tosses that back toward her and tugs his jeans and socks back on, then works at the jerky for a bit. Good to have something in his stomach, even if lunch is probably not far off. Then again, who knows. Maybe cowboy lunch is late.
And he finds himself hoping it is, in fact, as he goes back over to that locked trunk and sits down next to it as he examines the padlock.]
I probably shouldn't open this, right?
[He's totally going to try to open it, regardless, he just needs to see what he's working with here. Basic tumbler, normally opened with a key. It's possible he could pick it if he gets lucky with a bobby pin, but maybe it'll be easier to just look for where the key is stashed.]
I was wondering what's in it. Why would he keep it locked like that?
[She doubts it's weapons or anything. Most people wouldn't leave those in a secondary bedroom. It's probably not money or jewels, because he doesn't have any need for them. So she's insanely curious about what it could be.]
I've got my hairpins, if you think you could get the lock open. But he has to have the key around here somewhere. Let's try looking around.
[There's absolutely no issue in her mind with stealing the key and looking inside. They're just curious, it's not like they're going to take what's inside. It's all innocent, good fun. She grabs his hand and pulls him off the trunk, and laughs as they make their way out of the room to see if they can find a key.]
The main room does have hooks by the door, but no keys on those. Shelves with food and plates and cookware too, and even a butcher block with a drawer inserted into it, but no keys anywhere obvious.]
If I had a key an' wanted to hide it around here... Under the floor, maybe?
[Thing is, with the house in this state, most of the floorboards are already pretty loose. He kicks at one until he gets his toe underneath and pries it upward, but it's just dirt under there, so he lets it drop back into place.]
Or out in the barn? Or inside the mattress in his bedroom?
[Oh, but there's no obvious bedroom. The only other room connected to this one is a tiny bathroom with a tub that looks like it gets used more for washing clothes than anything else. Hm. No fair, why does he have to sleep and this guy doesn't? The storage room they're in must be the old bedroom.]
Maybe it's in that room we just came out of, actually.
Then again...
Maybe he knows how people are and knows hiding things in plain sight is usually the best course of action. She goes from door frame to door frame, standing up on her tiptoes to feel around. She's able to produce a key on the door frame leading into the bedroom they're staying in.]
Babe, look! [She's giddy as she runs over to the trunk and tries to stick the key into the padlock. Only...it doesn't fit. At all. She huffs and puffs as she tries a few times, but it never goes into the lock. In a fit of frustration, she throws the key across the room.]
That stupid key unlocks something else. But there's nothing else with a lock on it in the house. [As soon as the words come out of her mouth, she remembers something from earlier.]
But there's a cabinet in the barn with a lock on it! Maybe this will open that, and the key to the trunk will be in there.
[Yeah, smart call, but even if this key isn't for that, he scrambles after it to retrieve it anyway. If they don't need it, better to hang it up where it was to make it less obvious they went poking around.
He picks it up, then gives it a toss and catches it again.]
All right! To the barn.
[He trots his way on outside and blinks at how bright the sun actually is once it's not filtered through the rickety walls of that shack. He can get a better feel for where they are now, too - dirt road, old fallow field overgrown with weeds, but there's a property line just back in the direction of town and that field is full of greenery in neat rows. And people, bent over as they tend to the crops. People who, he can only assume as he watches, are there against their will.
Goddamn this place. So fucked. He gives a short frustrated huff and redirects his attention to the barn and heads inside.]
This cabinet?
[The paint is flaking, but it has several locked drawers inside. The key sticks in the first lock, but he rattles it until the tumbler gives up, only to find nothing inside.
The second lock, second drawer, now that opens smoothly. This one gets used sometimes. And in that, there's actually a ring with two keys on it - but one looks small enough to fit in a padlock.]
When the second drawer produces a keyring, she reaches in to take it out. No alarms go off, but she still looks around to make sure nothing bad will happen for taking them. After she's sure they're in the clear, she hurries back to the house, taking care to not look back out toward those fields on her way.
She goes straight into the room with the trunk, and crouches down so she can work the smaller of the keys into the padlock. It clicks and unlocks, and she hurries to get the trunk open. Despite all the clues they had been given when talking to Cruz the night before, she's not really prepared for what they find inside.
There's plenty of things in there, all of them things that must be purely sentimental. They all belonged to a woman, one that she finds a picture of. There's a few other pictures she pulls out, ones that must be her with Cruz when he was alive.]
They looked so happy.
[She whispers passing the picture off to Johnnie. All of a sudden, it doesn't feel right to be looking at these things. Her frown grows as she looks at the back of the picture.]
Her name was Elizabeth. I think she was his wife. I wonder what happened to her.
But maybe before they head out of town he'll have a better answer. Cruz will know.
Soon he finds himself kneeling beside the trunk, back inside, and taking an old photo in hand as Chrissy passes it over. He'd put as much together after what Cruz told them - poor guy fell in love with a white girl and was probably hanged for it by some lynch mob. It's one thing to guess at that, though, and another entirely to see their faces, preserved side by side.]
Yeah. I wonder. Fuck.
[It's times like this he just isn't sure what to say, but he feels it all strongly - feels awful for Cruz and Elizabeth, but meanwhile, his skin prickles with anger at what these people must have done in retaliation.]
See if you can find a last name. I bet her family lives here.
[He'd bet hard money her family is responsible, in fact. He pulls out a necklace, a comb, then frowns and puts it all right back. It just feels weird to be handling her things.
But then there's one more item he can't resist - a folded piece of paper, but filled to the brim with more. It's a collection of letters.]
Oh, here. Elizabeth Auclair.
[So yeah, her family definitely lives here. She can't help but wonder what it would've been like if she had been alive and Johnnie had tried to be with her back in Hawkins. How her parents would react, what they'd do to the both of them. They'd definitely try to have him killed or arrested. They'd probably send her away - if not something worse.]
I don't think she's alive anymore either, Johnnie.
[Because it would be one thing if Elizabeth let her family tear them apart, let them hang Cruz. She isn't sure he'd be holding onto these things in quite the same way at this. This is something else, far more than simple loss and regret.]
I think maybe she died before he did. Or at the same time, maybe. It wouldn't surprise me if her family had something to do with both of them dying. But if they were both killed, why isn't she here with him?
[It's with a sigh that she puts everything back where it belongs. Poking around here just doesn't feel right at all. It makes her incredibly guilty. Once everything is in, she shuts the lid and makes sure to lock it back up. It bothers her that they don't know where Elizabeth is or what happened to her. But she thinks maybe it only bothers her as much as it does because she identifies pretty strongly with her. ]
[Awful thought, though. He scoots away from the trunk, back onto the blankets, and frowns as he mulls all of it over.]
Maybe that's why he keeps her stuff, though. Not just for him, but for her, if she finds her way back. Kinda hopeless though, right? Considering she's probably just... gone.
[That's the thing about this shitty universe, not everyone gets what they want. In fact, most people don't, and the ones who do, it's just coincidence. So on the one hand, he hopes Cruz isn't waiting too desperately, looking too hard, for someone who's just not around anymore.
But on the other, he totally gets it and hopes that fucker never fully gives up his search.]
Let's get those keys back before they all get here.
[She lowers herself down to her knees on the blankets, and then leans down so she's on her hands and knees beside him. It's easier to crawl in close, so her head is over his and she's able to comfortably kiss him.]
No matter what, I wouldn't let anyone hurt you.
[He has to know that by now, but it still feels pressing for her to say it. There's some kind of guilt she can't describe that's floating within her now. Like if he sees these things and realizes Elizabeth didn't save or try to stay with Cruz, then maybe she'd be the same. He's not the type to do that, but the itching sense of wanting to reassure him helps her feel better all the same.
Her nose brushes against his as she smiles, and just takes a few seconds to appreciate that quiet moment between them. The promise of a day of adventure stretches out before them, and she's not looking to dampen that with too many emotions.]
I know, babe. You fuckin' jumped off a moving motorcycle into shotgun range once. I'm pretty sure if you thought you could plant your feet in front of a train an' stop it for me, you'd try.
[Too damn cute, too damn devoted after just barely three weeks. Or three centuries, maybe.
He stands up and offers her a hand, but instead of leading her to the barn he pulls her into his arms and kisses her again.]