Chapter Text
Quincy was an eccentric poet, with several books already published and set in display cases around the saloon. Anytime he started to get too rowdy, and too over dramatic with his stories, someone in the bar would yell at him to calm down. It usually ended in Quincy sticking his bottom lip out and pouting for several minutes before resuming his playful banter with Tora.
Quincy had pale blonde hair and sharp silver eyes that studied Poppy when she was talking. Anytime she told stories of her ranch house and the many times she had run away for the weekend, he pulled a small notebook from the breast pocket of his vest and wrote something down. When she finally asked why he was writing things down, he told her it was a good idea for a poem and that she "would see it in a few months time". She highly doubted she would, as she didn't really ever pay attention to books other than that steamy romance novels that were stashed at the very bottom of her leather bag. But, upon reading an excerpt from his notebook, she decided to rethink her outlook on poetry.
Quincy's face was chiseled, however there was a long scar digging its way down the middle of his eye. She was surprised to see that he was not blind in that eye, as he was able to catch to fork that Tora threw his was when he made a snide remark about the pair traveling alone together.
"So, Ms. poppy, how long have you know my Tora over here?" he asked, clasping his hands and resting his chin on his knuckles. At first, Poppy had assumed that someone like him would not be into women. But when she caught hm checking out a cowgirl that walked in to the bar with a pair of tight jeans on and her shirt barely hanging onto her shoulders, she realized he just liked his girls a little more masculine than what she was used to. Which was fine with her, as she too caught herself starring at the women before she lead a cattle rustler up the stairs by the wild rag around his neck.
"About a week," Poppy cast her eyes downward, a blush rising up her neck. She had not given much thought to the fact that Tora was a complete stranger, and she abandoned her family to travel with said stranger to Narin city. Before delving too deep into her repressed feelings, she picked up her water and almost choked at the words that came out of Quincy's mouth next.
"Has he fucked you yet?" A cheerful smile added on to the end of the sentence threw her off, and she swore her face could not get any hotter. She pressed that back of her hands to her cheek to check that she was not melting, and then tried to find a savory answer for his blunt question. How someone could so outwardly talk of those activities made her flustered, and she ignored the urge to get up and leave.
Before she could answer, her guide to Narin answered for her.
"No," Tora glowered at Quincy through dark eyelashes, his lips fixed into a frown that was sure to give him wrinkles.
Poppy tried for a moment to imagine him with wrinkles, but could not conjure up an image that would justify the real life thing.
"Oh honey, you know I am just playing around!" Quincy looked a little nervous, pulling his elbows off the table and resting his hands into his lap.
"Yeah right," Tora snorted, picking up his glass of water. He gazed into her eyes as he did so, his stare burning a hole into the side of her head. She did her best to ignore it, shaky hands picking at the napkin that was placed in front of her.
"So what do you guys do?" Poppy decided that a conversation topic change would be the best for the tense air at the table, and she could use that opportunity to get to know more about her guide and his...friend?
Quincy straightened up in his chair, clearing his throat. He looked to Tora, and Tora just shook his head. The movement was small enough that Poppy had to double check that he had actually moved his head, and that Gyu hadn't slipped something in her drink to make her hallucinate.
"Well, as you know, I write poetry. And books, but you don't really hear about them as far out as Moonbright. Tora is my beta reader, and also my body guard. For those really over excited fans!" Quincy laughed at his own joke, patting Tora on the lap while he did it. Tora looked down on his lap, putting all of his rage and fire into the stare that he gave Quincy's hand. When Quincy noticed this stare, he retracted his hand, still laughing awkwardly.
"Oh, that's exciting! What else do you do Tora?" Poppy turned her attention on to him, genuinely interest in what he did before he was kidnapped by her father.
"I bounty hunt."
She choked on her water.
Quincy burst out laughing. He gripped onto Tora's shoulder, gripping it hard as a warning.
"Yes, but when he bounty hunts he brings them back alive. Unharmed!'" Quincy's insistence had Poppy not wanting to ask anymore questions at the moment, but she would definitely pry when she was alone with Tora next. She had to get to know him better, at least for her own comfort. But sometimes she wondered if perhaps she should keep his private life and himself an enigma. She would not be around him for much longer after she was dropped off in Narin. They would part ways, and she would never see the man with the wild black hair again.
Her heart ached for some reason, and she chalked it up to the fact that they had spent so long with one another, and she was the one to take care of him when her father's hired men would not.
Tora stood up, the legs of his chair scraping against the floor. He grabbed his and Poppy's glass, setting them on the counter before coming back tot he table. He grabbed Poppy's jacket that she had taken off a couple hours ago, and offered his hand to help her up from the table.
She looked to Quincy confused for a moment, before taking his hand and allowing him to jerk her from her seat. She squeaked when she tripped over her skirts, but Tora made no move to slow down his abrasive actions.
"Goodnight Quinceton," Tora nodded his head at the pale man, dragging Poppy behind him as he exited the back of the saloon. Poppy waved goodbye to Quincy and Gyu, wondering why this boorish man was dragging her along like a misbehaving animal. She was half tempted to yell at him for dragging her, but kept her mouth shut.
The front of the saloon/inn was empty. Everyone had cleared out. She briefly wondered why, as the night was still young and there was plenty of people out in the streets of the town. But in the back of her mind she knew it had something to do with the room in the corner of the bar that housed many people she was better off not knowing.
Tora led them up the stairs, and as her foot caught on the stair and she stumbled a little, she was grateful that he was not behind her. Otherwise, he would have got a face full of her backside, and that's not something she was desiring.
Well, in that sense.
When he had finally stopped, he was pulling out a brass key from his trousers, and he had stuck it into the lock before she could even ask why they were going to bed so early.
She was shoved into the room quickly, and he dove into the room after her, locking the door behind them. Fear struck down her spine, and she took several deep breaths to calm herself. Thus far, Tora had been gentlemanly enough to keep his distance, and he had been nice enough to give her her own space. But when she turned around, she realized that there was only one bed in this room. It was a queen sized bed, with a fluffed up comforter laying across the bed. There was three pillows, and by the bed on either side was an oak side table. The oil lamps by her head were hot, and they almost warmed her cold arms. Almost.
She hesitantly sat on the bed while Tora continued to buzz around the room, opening and closing random drawers, drawing the curtains shut. He finally locked himself in the bathroom, and that's when she decided it was time to relax. As she got settled into her new surroundings, she was sure she could hear a couple of thumps resonating through the thick oak door that blocked the inside of the bathroom from sight. But she decided to ignore them and let Tora have his moment.
~~~
Fuck
Alice just had to give him one room.
That old bitch just had to give him one bed, that was nice enough for him to sink into forever.
And he just had to be with a girl. No. A woman. A frustratingly attractive woman.
He ran his calloused hand over his face, hitting the counter with such ferocity that for a moment he thought it would break underneath his fist. But it held, and he did it once more before he deemed himself satisfied.
He gripped the edge of the counter, looking at himself in the mirror. He was a disgusting bastard. It was all he could do for the past three days to keep his eyes to himself. He knew that it was coming off as him hating her and wanting nothing to do with her. But in all reality he just wanted to get this trip over with so he wouldn't be tempted to do anything with her. He just needed to find his brother and get the hell out of her life. And if dropping her off in Narin and opening a few doors for her job wise got the job done, he would do it.
He turned around and turned on the brass facet, knowing that a cold bath would calm his hot blood, and hopefully other areas down south.
When he was done, he cursed himself to hell and back. He had forgotten his clothes out there. He was in such a hurry to get Poppy to their room so Quincy didn't spill the beans that he hadn't even thought to grab his bag from behind the bar. He was either sleeping naked (which was NOT an option) or he was using those stupid night pants that Alice supplied for her customers. He held them up to his waist, trying to size up the waist band to see if they would fit.
The blue and white striped pants did not fit. They were very tight around his thighs, and his waist. Which included other areas that he really wanted off his body right now. They were loose past his shins, but only barely. He cursed as he tied the drawstring around his waist, wishing he had the sense to grab his bag. But, someone in a floor length dress and long brown hair was distracting him. He briefly thought of her large brown eyes, and his rough actions softened a bit as he picked up all of his dirty laundry.
He didn't wear the shirt that usually came with the pants. First and foremost, he didn't wear matching clothes. There was something about how mundane it felt. And he was anything but mundane. Secondly, the shirt would not have fit him anyway. Although he was not excited to go out into the bedroom. She would probably ask about his tattoos, and he would not be able to give her an answer that she would like. It would probably scare her away. As much as he wanted to get out of her life, he also wanted to stay near her. He wanted to be her friend, a companion for her. Even more.
When he opened the rattly door nob, Poppy's gaze shifted to his form. He was still damp from his bath, and his hair was hanging down around his face because he took the leather strip out of his knotted tendrils. He tried not to look at her, but from the corner of his eyes, he could see that she was under the covers. Her hair was cascading down her back, light brown curls framing her round cheeks. Her eyes were wide, as if she had never seen a shirtless man before. He wouldn't put it past her to not have, but he knew that that the yellow bellied coyote son of a bitch that proposed to her had walked around without his shirt on plenty during Tora's stay there.
Her honeyed eyes followed him as he moved around the room. He tried to remain focused with her eyes on him, but he found easier said than done. His shaky hands picked up their things and moved them to the side of the room closest to the door so they would have a quick escape if there was an emergency. He got to her side of the bed, and his breath hitched in his chest when he saw a heap of her clothes sitting on the hardwood floor. He peaked over at her resting form.
Her body was covered by the large comforter, but he could see her naked shoulder peaking out from underneath the covers. His eyes wondered down her back where he saw that she was still wearing her chemise, but the material was transparent. He could see the faint freckles decorating her back as she took stuttering breaths. He could tell she was still awake, her uneven breath giving her away. His mind wandered to what it would feel like to be in bed next to her now, both a comfortable distance away from the other, but the sentiment still hanging in the air.
He shook his head, and left her dress alone. She would need that in the morning.
After another five minutes of deciding weather or not to sleep in the bed, he opted for his own safe space. The floor. While grabbing blankets from the wardrobe, he heard her rustling underneath the sheets, and an image of her waking up in the morning with tousled hair and her chemise strap slipping down her shoulder stabbed him in the chest. His grip on the wool blanket tightened before he closed the wardrobe door with more force than needed.
He threw his sleeping supplies on the ground by her side of the bed, dimming the light on the oil lantern. He had to remember to snag this wool blanket for the road tomorrow. Alice wouldn't miss it, and he could use it for himself since he had given his traveling companion his bed roll.
Tora grounded himself in the thought that this frustration would not last much longer, as he would be delivering her to Narin and parting ways, hopefully to never see her sprite face again. However, he had to admit to himself that she was indeed nice to have around. The few times he had taken the liberty to tease her, he relished in the way her face turned radish red underneath the scrutiny. He would definitely miss the way she squirmed in her saddle as she avoided his gaze. It was fun to make her squirm, much less because of him just being there.
But he knew he was no good for her, and he knew damn well that if he stayed in her life, she would get drug into a shit show that he is barely ready for on his best days.
No, it would be in the best interest for both of them to part ways when they got to Narin.
~~~
Three booming knocks on the door woke Tora up from his restless slumber. He rolled to his feet, grabbing his pistol that was laying on his heap of clothes.
Poppy was sitting up in bed, her tousled hair a sight to see. her eyes were swollen from sleep, but she was still looking around frantically. He shook his head, putting a finger to his lips to tell her to be quiet before she loudly asked any questions.
Tora held his gun to the wood of the door before announcing his presence.
"Who goes?" His voice was raspy from sleep, and he hoped it added an air of intimidation to whoever it was on the other side of the door.
"Big brother, we have a problem!" Gyu's voice sounded, his worried tone convincing Tora to pull open the door.
"What is it? I was just gettin' my beauty sleep," Tora was grumpy. He hardly ever got any rest as is.
Gyu looked as worried as he sounded, ringing his hands in front of him. Tora rolled his eyes a little, hoping that whatever problem he has can be solved on his own, and without the help of Tora.
"So, Rocko is in town again, and he's looking for you," Tora's ears perked up. His mind immediately went to when he had last seen Rocko, and how Rocko had left that interaction with nine fingers instead of ten. however, he also had Poppy to think of, and he couldn't go slinging' guns with her in tow.
"Fuckin' Christ," He softly swore, stepping back into the room to gather their things. Poppy had already slipped on her dress, and she was struggling to pull the string of her corset closed while she was in a rush.
He pulled on his own dirty clothes that he had been wearing for the last two days.
After a few moment of watching her struggling with the ribbon, he set his things down, walking over to her form. He grasped the ribbons in her fingers, prying the delicate appendages off the silk. Gyu stood impatiently in the doorway as he laced up Poppy. Tora took more time than he needed to lace up her corset, the feeling of his hands on her in this manner addictive. She sucked in a breath when he yanked on the ribbon a couple of times, and finally tying it off in a way that only he could undo it. Maybe she would have to ask for his help to get the damn thing undone again.
"How long do we have till he's in the bar," Tora asked, not looking at Gyu as he kneeled down in front of Bobby.
He ignored her protests, picking up one shoe in a large hand. He eyed it for a moment, then lifting up her skirt so he could access her feet. Her hands went to his shoulders, steadying herself on his large build. Without looking up, he could already tell she was red in the face. This was not something Tora usually did with female company, but it took too long for her to lace up her own shoes.
"About five minutes," Gyu answered his question, then rushing off somewhere else. Most likely to alert Quincy of their new friend in town.
"Who is Rocko?" Poppy asked the question Tora was waiting for. He thought about giving her the truth. he was a rival gang member, and last time Tora saw him, Tora took one of his fingers off. And now he was most likely looking for revenge.
"An old friend that I don't want to talk to at the moment. C'mon, we've got to get outta here," Tora picked up her bag, leading her out of the stuffy room and into the hallway. He grasped her hand in his free one, trying to make sure she didn't fall behind. Her hands tensed against his, and his just squeezed in response, not having the time to console her about a situation that was far from being over.
"Honey!!" A familiar voice called to Tora, and Tora nearly ripped a plank out of the wall beside him. The last thing he needed was Quincy's incessant talking to distract him from the mission at hand. Getting Poppy the hell out of this god damn saloon.
"What is it Quinceton?" Tora didn't stop walking, his pace even speeding up a little bit. Poppy stumbled behind him, but his grip on her palm just tightened and he marched on. The spurs on his boots rang with every stomp, and his hat was sliding off his head from how fast he was traveling, but he didn't care.
"I must insist that I travel with you two! I have business in Narin, and you are my safest bet!" Quincy was right on his tail. That did not surprise Tora, as the young Balthuman was just as large as Tora was. They were of similar builds, and even if Quincy was the preppier one, he still kept his manly build that intimidated his fathers customers to no end.
"Whatever, just don't go presenting your poetry to me," Tora huffed out, going behind the bar to exit the saloon through the back door.
Once all three of them were outside, Tora led them to the stables. He let Poppy go to find her horse, and he got his own as well. Quincy complained that he did not have a horse. He then set down all three bags he was carrying with him to lean against the hay stacked in the corner of the barn.
His lumbering figure leaning against the hay stack had Tora rolling his eyes, extending an arm for him to latch onto.
"But what of my luggage?" Quincy asked, looking at the expensive leather bags. Tora rolled his eyes so hard that it hurt.
"Good God Quincy, leave the fucking luggage!" Quincy squeaked a little before obliging, hoisting himself onto the back of Tora's horse before they were on their way out of small town.