almightythirst | Deerington Inbox

[ She smiles softly, thinking about it, but again nods.

The other part though catches her attention. That was just like the Jesse that had been a part of Deadlock. She could have sworn she remembered holding a driver at gunpoint and demanding a ride over state lines at some point. Wild, young, and free. And crazy. Would he have grown up to be like this if he hadn't been taken. ]

I remember enough to know you've at least done somethin' similar. Glad to hear you have a little more common sense these days. If you know the right people, it don't matter if you are a criminal, you'll walk free every time.

[ It's yet another moment when pure happiness floods her system and she feels safe despite the chaos of Deerington. Her eyes close at he leans his forehead against hers and she moves closer to him. ]

Merry Christmas Jesse.

[ She lingers for a moment longer before pulling back and smiling brightly at him. ] So, you wanna play with the guns or what?

[ He’d been hoping she wouldn’t ask, but of course she would, given this could very well be their future… and it’s a big conversation they’d have to have anyway. Maybe not now, not this soon, but one day.

He looks away, hunching over a little as he rests his arms on his knees. What does he think? He’s scared, that’s what, but how does he say that? ]

I think… if that were really me sittin’ there, then… it’d be the happiest moment of my whole damn life.

[ He looks anything but happy though as he stares at the snow falling outside the nearest window. ]

But there’s no way I could have that. Not the house, not the… the family, the kid. Any of it. Not with my bounty, and not with ex-Overwatch agents bein’ hunted down, and how the hell would I even know how—

[ He clenches his teeth, going suddenly quiet as the snow he still has his eyes locked on. ]

[ Jesse grins right back at her with all of the enthusiasm of—well, a kid on Christmas. ]

Sugar, wild horses couldn’t drag me out of here without givin’ at least one of ‘em a shot.

[ Some of Joel’s antics might feel familiar to Ashe like that. If they’re not something he’d done at some point, they are things he would have feasibly done as a member of Deadlock. ]

You been keepin’ up with me in the papers or somethin’? I’m mighty flattered. Never knew I had a fan.

Never been good about knowin’ the right people, but I am pretty good at makin’ a getaway. Not good enough to escape off a ship in the middle of the ocean though. So I’ll be good.

[ He tilts his head a little, regarding Ashe with a curious-yet-calculating sort of look. Trying to read her. ]

There a reason you’re so worried I’ll get into trouble?

[ You can bet that, every time Jesse wears these in the future, he's keeping the batteries in. ]

[ It’s not a reassuring response, but she hadn’t expected it to be. Ashe nearly regretted showing it to him because the last thing she wanted was to let more raw feelings out into the open. They’d been through a gamut of feelings already and this added another layer.

She doesn’t know entirely what he means by ‘happy’ because he doesn’t look happy, and it’s hard for her to not internalize it as a rejection, but the words he’d been saying soften that because he’d been meeting her with so much acceptance. The whole idea of it was enough to mess with her head as much as his.

Ashe holds out the photo again, pointing to him. ] That is you. Whatever comes to it, there is no if, that’s you.

[ She could guess what he meant though. They’d been playing house for the last month but that didn’t mean they were meant for it with their own, in their own world. She felt defensive all the same, almost needing to protect the vision she’d seen. Leave it to Deerington to let only one of them feel the power of it. But she didn’t want to be in that alone. ]

You can’t think of one possible way that we might not be doomed to spend our lives alone, runnin’ from the bounties, and our past in order to build a future? We may never be wholesome, but babies don’t exactly choose the situations they’re born into. And a one night stand in a hotel room is all it’d take.

[ She trailed off for a moment, following where he was looking, before glancing at him. There was more to this than just concerns about being chased and bounties. She could pick up on his fear. ]

I’m...happy. This time, with you and Chloe… it’s...I’ve been happy more than angry. I didn’t know that was possible. And we’ve been doin’ right by her, because she’s happy more than she’s angry too. [ Her words were careful and she reached out to touch his cheek and bring him back to her. ] If the only future you see is runnin’ away from your bounty and whoever has a bone to pick with you, I’ll never be able to catch up to you. Tell me what you are afraid of, Jesse? Because I ain’t lookin’ to rush this and pick out china patterns and nursery colors because of a photo. I’m just tired of losin’ what makes me happy.

[ Jesse isn’t any happier about this conversation than she is. He would spare her it if he could, but it’s all out there already. And she’d asked. Even so, he sees an opportunity in her anger. He could deflect this. Push those buttons, make her angry enough to back off and push him away. It wouldn’t even really be that hard. He’d already had a knack for manipulation with Deadlock. Blackwatch had made him a damn expert.

That it’s even a thought that occurs to him proves, to him anyway, that he’s right about all of this. He’s not a good man, prone to lying, cheating, and running away. Not at all what a father should be, and it would take nothing more than one screw-up to ruin all that happiness Ashe is talking about. ]

I can’t promise you won’t lose me one day.

[ Because he’s a coward, he says it with his eyes closed, only aware of the touch of her hand on his cheek. ]

I stop runnin’, they catch up, and everything and everyone near me is going to get caught in the crossfire. You think Talon would think twice about hurtin’ a kid? So maybe there is no house. We go underground, or we stay on the move. But whatever we do, that kid is gonna grow up afraid. Same way I did.

[ He takes a breath in, shaky around the edges, and turns his head away from her. ]

… I won’t have a family just to hurt it, and I don’t think I know how to have one without doin’ that. What we have goin’ here, this… you and Chloe… it’s more than I deserve. And if you think I’m not afraid of losin’ it every single day, you’re dead wrong.

[ She doesn’t want to fight. They’d already clashed over Blackwatch that evening and now this was taking them into uncomfortable territory. He could push her buttons all he wanted, but that only made her feel that much more stubborn. Either way it was out in the open, no closing pandora’s box now.

She watches him and listens to him, feeling the knot tighten in her throat, she hated that she was always on the edge of combat, ready for a fight. It was taking all she had in that moment to remember Jesse wasn’t the enemy. ]

We’re in the middle of a war, it’s all around us. We come from a blood soaked society and it’s made orphans of thousands of children, tens of thousands. Life is fear. It’s violent and ugly and if you give it half an opportunity to destroy you it will. Children grow up afraid Jesse, that’s a consequence of bein’ born in our world. But they grow up, and they survive if they get taught to be strong. Who better to teach them strength than you.

[ When he turns his head away she leans forward and places her other hand on his face to turn him back and in an attempt to get him to look at her again. ]

Jesse, you just told a woman who has pretty much broken every one of the ten commandments that she’d be a good mama, so don’t you dare say you got nothin’ but hurt to give. Because everythin’ I touch turns bad, and if you believe in me than you ain’t givin’ yourself the credit you deserve. And I bet you don’t know how deep and far reachin’ Deadlock goes, because I’d bring a goddamn army to protect you, and any theoretical child that might be involved.

[ And it dawned on her then as she looks at his face, her eyes widen as it sinks in. This was where being the person that had known him the longest made it harder for him to hide. ]

You ain’t your daddy Jesse...

[ She picks up on that look, it's one she's well familiar with when the leaders of the gangs get together and she discusses business with them. So she does what she does during those meetings, keeps her face completely neutral. Try and read that face Mr. Morricone.]

It ain't like that, so drop the paranoia. I'm no more a fan than an enemy.

I just...I got bad feelin' on this ship and I'm offerin' a friendly suggest to be careful.

[ Jesse finally relents, allowing her to turn his face back towards hers. He wants to believe her, and to believe he’s the man she thinks he is. He’s tried to be. Making the world a better place, making amends, that was what it had all been about.

But then she gets right to the center of it, hitting him dead center like a bullseye. He shuts his eyes quick, wincing from the shock of the shot; but he blinks his eyes back open this time, fixing her with a look that’s nothing but an old sadness. ]

I can’t stop thinkin’ that I’ve got some part of him in me. All the worst of it. If I ever hurt anyone the way he did to me Ashe, I…

[ He wants to stand up. Pace. Walk to the window, to the door. Go outside. Smoke. Leave. He realizes distantly how his hands are curled into fists, nails digging into his right palm. Slowly, he loosens it and rests his hand over one of hers instead. Tilts his cheek into her touch. ]

… I know it’s not right. Makes no sense. I hated him. I’d never. But talkin’ sense to it doesn’t make the idea go anywhere.

[ They were cut from the cloth, time and distance had not been able to change that. They abuses that had drawn them together as children and made them cold and hard and aggressive, were haunting them still. She watches him and the feelings that flood his face, the rest of the conversation and excuses fall to this side. This is less about who is chasing Overwatch agents and him being on the run. This is two adults who can't shake what their parents did to them. And just like when they were children they were standing their together wondering about the future and what it held for them. ]

Parents, they follow you even when you try to escape them.

[ Her thumb absently began to smooth against his cheek, and she watches him with a quiet fondness. He's been so arrogant and self assured, that she'd thought somehow he'd been successful at escaping. The truth is there before he, Blackwatch may have changed him, may have given him joy, and some of what he was looking for but it hadn't fixed the pain. ]

Chloe's afraid of men right? [ She didn't give him a chance to answer, just gently moved on. ] She told me once that you snapped at her and she drew back. She said that you are the only man in her life that's ever recognized fear in her and calmed down. She told me that you've never yelled at her since, and she felt safe enough with you to make you her daddy. That's what matters Jesse, not what we are afraid of doin', but the choices we make to not do it. I saw it in your eyes. I wish I could show you. You held that baby like it was the most precious thing in the whole world to you, like fine glass that you would protect forever in your arms. That's not a what if Jesse, that's you. Even if it never happens, that man is you.

[ She took one hand off his cheek and reached out to place it over his heart. ]

I know what it's like to be afraid of becomin' your parents, but not once Jesse have I ever seen your father in your eyes. And I've given you plenty of opportunities where I deserved a good slap across the face. And you are the man who never misses, but you always miss me. You ain't an abuser Jesse, and your daddy can't hurt you anymore, so don't let him rob you of whatever future you and I have ahead us.

[ He forgets, sometimes, how deep her understanding of him goes. It’s more than her having been there while he struggled. She’d carried her own burden, understands how heavy of a thing it can be to hold. Something tense and anxious unravels a little in him as he watches her watch him, sees the fondness in her eyes and the way she turns that anger and frustration, somehow, into just what he needs to hear.

It matters less in that moment that he can’t believe it all of himself. She believes it of him, believes he can be that man she saw. One that could hold something so precious in his arms to protect rather than do it harm. He swallows hard, nearly overwhelmed.

She’d put it just the right way. Less like his father is a presence still lingering, and more like he’s something to defy. Jesse’s hand tightens on her own, eyes shining as he glances down at the hand on his chest, then back up. ]

I’ve been tryin’ with Chloe. She deserves the best damn father there is, but I think… I haven’t done so bad, maybe.

[ He blinks rapidly, giving his head a little shake with a wobbly laugh. ]

I want us to have somethin’, you and me. Somethin’ that lasts. I want to do good by you. And by Chloe. And whoever else comes along. Just… give me some time?

[ It gives her a feeling of warmth as she sees some of that hope return. It's hard to read him in that moment, but she can feel the change in approach and the heaviness between them starts to soften again. She lets out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding as she'd waited for his response. Just hearing him recognize what he'd done for Chloe reassures her that he's starting to hear her. ]

You are. She loves you like you were her real daddy, even when you weren't, so you're doin' good by her.

[ As he starts to laugh she relaxes even more. It helps to know this isn't about the other stuff so much as being afraid of the same things she's afraid of. And she really wasn't suddenly struck with the 'let's hop into the bedroom' and make a kid right this second, mentality. The idea still scared the shit out of her as well, a picture didn't fix that. She just needed the possibility of that happiness, needed to know if it happened it would be okay with him.

She gives a small laugh herself and leans up to brush her lips against his, giving him a gentle and lingering kiss. When she breaks it she stays close to him. ]

Don't worry, I don't think it could happen here, and if it was suggested to me back home, I'd laugh in their face. We got a lot of other things to think about. All I need to know is that you want us to have somethin' that lasts, because I like bein' happy and I've missed you so goddamn much. [ Even if there was no baby, she needed to know that maybe there was more than just fighting and running in their future. ]

Take all the time you need, I'm in absolutely no rush to start pickin' out names, because honestly, the idea scares the shit out of me too. [ She laughed again as she wove her fingers around his neck and leaned her forehead to his. ]

[ Jesse hums, considering her words even as he continues to watch her. She’s got a good poker face. Means she’s used to people sizing her up, more so than any heiress he’s met before.

Interesting. ]

Paranoia is what keeps me alive. Not about to drop the habit now, but… I’ll keep that mind anyway.

A sentiment I appreciate. [ And now she really has to go deal with the discomfort of him losing his memories on top of B.O.B. being gone. It's gonna be a long month. ]

One way or another good luck.

You too, Lizzie.

[ A wink, and then he's gone, the feed cut. ]

[ Jesse rests a hand on her forearm, holding her there with a grip both firm and loose enough to for her to pull away if she wants. He really hopes she doesn’t. He’s gone so long ignoring his need for touch, for even non-intimate physical connection, that having it now… well, it’s just another one of those things she’s afraid of wanting too much. But he also can’t get enough, and just her being there close to him is incredibly comforting.

He leans his forehead back against hers, taking a deep, steadying breath in at the same time. He never thought he’d get this lucky. Especially not here of all places. ]

Yeah, well. It’s big. One of the biggest things there is. Though you’re right that we’ve gone plenty on our plate right now.

[ Like the fact that he is completely and utterly in love with her. Even if he wouldn’t have admitted to it before, he would have to now. ]

But that’s fine. Everythin’ we’ve got, I wouldn’t trade it for a thing. I want that too for us. [ He reaches up to brush his other hand back through her hair. ] Somethin’ that lasts.

It says something about what a number arousal has done on him that he doesn’t even mention her bossing him around. Maybe later he’ll tease her about it, but now? Now he can’t scramble to get his PJs and the boxers underneath off fast enough.

Soon as they’re both undressed, he’s back on her, his lips and teeth and tongue teasing their way down the column of her throat. As for his hands, he seems unable to keep them from touching every bit of exposed skin at least once. One glance, one look at her naked, and he just hadn’t been able to hold back.

“Lay down for me?” He says with a brush of his lips against her ear, his hands stroking over her hips, her stomach, up to her breasts and shoulders and there’s still so much left, heaven help him. He could spend the whole night like this—he would, happily—but part of him knows there’s no way he’ll last that long.

[ His responses are satisfying and soothe any worry that she's had. Whatever that photo is or represents, it's the future and what they need to focus on his the present. The photo is a good reminder of what they are fighting for; safety and security together, but it needs to be a reminder and not the focus.

She suddenly finds it easier to let go of the future and the past knowing that he wants to be with her. That knowledge brings her back to the moment and the snow falling outside and the peaceful warmth of the fire.]

Same.

[ She reaches up to hold his hand as it brushes through her hair and she places a kiss to his wrist. ] But I think I've had enough of pictures and complications and stressful conversations for one evenin'. I can only confront so much at one time.

Ashe is just as eager to map out his body with her own hands and familiarize herself with where it is he likes to be touched and just how much pressure to use to draw out the best reaction. It's nearly an overwhelming experience to be touched by him. While she prided herself on control, it's the first time she's been in bed with a man and wanted to share the experience equally. To give as much as receive. To let go of control instead of lead the show. So when he asks her to lay down, she's quiet and compliant in a way she is not with more casual lovers.

Laying down she feels a sudden wave of vulnerability wash over her under his gaze and his touch. She doesn't tell him that she's usually the one on top, but it's obvious in the way she lets out a slow sigh and waits curiously to see what he'll do next. For her part, she's not completely passive. Her hands find their way back to his body where they continue their exploration as he continues his. Desire grips at her stomach and the ache is almost painful in its intensity. She rolls her hips as if searching out contact.

Elizabeth Ashe is not one to beg but she's considering it a viable option because as much as she loves the slow torture of it all, they've spent two decades stuck in some form of foreplay or another and she's feeling greedy for it's culmination. She offsets her own need by moving her hand down over his backside and up his thigh, hoping to build the the same intensity in him.

That was a ride, wasn’t it? Feelin’ pretty wiped out myself.

[ That’s the last time he’ll assume anything about Deerington’s mysterious photos, should they appear again. Maybe next time, if this happens with anyone else, he’ll exercise a bit of caution. Or at least try to brace himself.

But it’s over for now though, and the air seems clearer for it. He smiles at her, that warm, utterly infatuated expression he only ever wears around her. ]

Want to get somethin’ warm to drink? Maybe put a movie in?

[ It had been a ride, and she was ready for anything that would allow her to relax and disengage from her any negative feelings.

She moves to stand up and leans over to give him a quick kiss. ] Sounds good, and then I'm thinkin' an early bedtime.

[ Jesse nods, only letting go of her reluctantly. But he knows she'll come back. Letting go of one another no longer feels like they're in danger of it being the last time. ]

Sounds good, darlin'.

Jesse has obviously never been in bed with Ashe before, but he’s had an inkling of her preferences for a while now based on casual conversation and the tone of their flirtations. So even if he didn’t notice the way she’s watching him now, expectant and curious, he’d have suspected she’s letting him take a position she doesn’t often allow. The trust that entails, what she’s allowing him to have in this moment…

It’s meaningful. Also, it’s incredibly, mind-blowingly hot to an almost stupid degree. He follows her down to the bed with a pleased hum, gravely and deep, and straddles her waist.

“You’ve been drivin’ me crazy for over half my life,” he murmurs, sounding not one bit put out by that fact. Especially not as he slips a hand down over her impatient hips and slips it between her thighs. His palm rolls against her once, then again, his eyes never breaking contact with hers.

“I got about a dozen ways I want to take you here, Ashe. But tell me how you want it.”

Deerington Inbox

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CW: very brief allusion to past child abuse

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