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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Comfort
Fandom: White Pine Original Fiction
Pairing: Ethan McDowell/Travis Murphy
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,972
Summary: Ethan talks to Travis after his first day on the job in Garret, ending his day with a surprise.
Author’s Note: Written for the A to Z challenge at 1_million_words – C is for Comfort. Oh, and lack of at the end. Ethan might just cut a bitch before this fic is done.
Continued from here.
“So,” that warm and affectionate voice purred over the phone line to tickle Ethan’s ears, “how was your first day back in the saddle?”
Ethan smiled into the phone, wishing he could see Travis’ face right then. It had only been a day and a half and he already missed the boy. “Better than I expected.” It was mostly true, even if he was leaving out one giant annoyance in the form of his ex-husband. “The detective I’m working with, his name is Alex Jordan, has been very welcoming. Everyone he’s introduced me to so far have been as well.”
“I’m happy to hear it,” Travis said. “Makes the time go by faster when you like the people you’re surrounded by.”
Ethan could hear meowing in the background and wondered if Murphy had remembered to feed the cats. He had a hard enough time remembering to feed himself sometimes, so forgetting the cats wouldn’t be much of a stretch. “Travis, did you feed Brennan and Ryan?”
“What?” There was some paper shuffling and a sigh. “Yes, of course I did. Little monsters won’t leave me alone until I do.”
“You created those monsters,” Ethan reminded him. But it was good to know the cats would take things into their own hands – er, paws – if Travis forgot. “How about you? Have you eaten today?”
“Yeah,” he replied.
“That doesn’t sound very convincing, Travis.” Ethan moved through the small hotel room he’d been put up in and wondered what he was going to do for his own dinner.
“Sorry, I’m a little distracted. Trying to go through the mail and do the stuff you usually do for me.” There was more shuffling and Ethan took that moment to switch the phone to his other ear. “Mama knows you’re out of town and called me this morning to come get some leftovers.”
“Good for her,” Ethan said. “I don’t have to worry about you not eating if you have your mother’s food in the house.”
He passed by the tiny table he’d spread the two case files Jordan had given him on and paused. It’d been a long time since he’d had a case file to study, he worried he might be out of practice. But that was for later. Right now he needed to focus on his husband and their so-called fur babies, the case could wait.
“Yeah,” Murphy breathed into the phone. “She’s good like that and she knows I can’t resist her cooking. Pops sent me home with a six-pack when she wasn’t looking.”
“Only your father,” Ethan chuckled, thankful that Liam Murphy hadn’t seen fit to send Travis home with a bottle of Jameson in lieu of the beer. That certainly would have resulted in two hungry cats and one hung over mystery novelist.
“Yeah, my parents are an odd couple,” Travis agreed. “But it works for them. Speaking of work… when are you coming home? I ran into the sheriff at the post office this morning and he said that you might be up there for a bit.”
Damn. “Honestly Travis, I’m not sure. Detective Jordan gave me a couple of cases to look at, said we’d go from there. I guess a few of his detectives are out of commission for the next month or so and he really needs my help.”
“Month?” Travis’ voice had reached that insane pitch it only managed when he was hopped up on sugar and missing his deadline. “You can’t be gone for a month, Ethan. We only just got married.”
Ethan sighed. “I know, baby, and so does Jordan.” He’d made a point of telling the detective that he couldn’t be holed up in Garret continuously for the next four weeks. Jordan had understood, amazingly enough, and had cut him a deal. An early out on Friday afternoon so that Ethan could make the drive home to White Pine for the weekend. “I’ll be home this Friday, no matter what.”
“But you’ll have to go back Monday morning,” Travis finished.
“Yeah, unfortunately,” he said. “But McCallum asked me to do this as a favor, I couldn’t tell him no.”
“I know, I know,” Travis said, sounding sad as he moved about the house. “The sheriff wouldn’t have asked if there was another option. But I miss you.”
“I miss you, too,” Ethan admitted. “I’ll be home by the time you get up on Friday, I promise.”
“I’m going to hold you to that, buster,” Travis laughed. “And I probably ought to get to work. I don’t have you here to keep me on task so the sooner I start…”
“The sooner you can procrastinate,” Ethan joked. “Good luck, you’ll do fine without me for a few days.”
Although Ethan wasn’t sure he believed his own words, he told Travis he loved him and hung up. Suddenly craving some of Aracely’s tamales, he found himself dialing the tiny taco shop down the street hoping for something that would remind him of home. He hadn’t ever understood the concept of comfort food until he’d met Travis’ parents. Everything Mama Murphy made was a comfort to both your belly and your soul.
He had fifteen minutes until his dinner was ready for pickup and Ethan used that time to change his clothes. Picking his phone up so that he could return it to his pocket, he noticed a text message from Travis. Half worried about what it might say, he clicked and waited as it opened. Instead of the pleading and/or angry message he’d expected, he instead found himself staring at Murphy’s handsome face, bookended on either side by their cats. The message underneath the photo read: don’t you forget about me (us)!
Shaking his head, Ethan texted back: I couldn’t ever. Although I wish I could now that you’ve got that inane 80’s song stuck in my head. Love you.
The response came within seconds and had Ethan laughing as he walked out of his hotel room.
Dude, Simple Minds were the best. And I looooove you too. Hurry home.
The files were still waiting for him when he’d returned with his dinner. Not wanting to get enchilada sauce all over his work, he did the unheard of and waited until after he ate to crack them open. Jordan had said that they were important, but not emergencies. Although Jordan was technically a homicide detective, murders were few and far between in Garret. So, what he’d dumped on Ethan were two simple assault cases – one a domestic dispute and the other a supposed random attack. Because both victims had ended up hospitalized, they’d landed on Jordan’s desk. Not quite homicides, but the closest it came in Garret, apparently.
He was shoving the last bite of enchilada into his mouth – the little taco shop had run out of tamales earlier in the day – when a knock on his hotel room door caught his attention. Making a mental note to get dinner earlier tomorrow, he wiped his mouth and fingers on a napkin before grabbing his gun. Ethan knew that the likelihood of actually needing his sidearm was slim, but some habits die hard. Tucking it into the waistband of his pants at the small of his back, Ethan gave a peek through the peep hole.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” he muttered, throwing the lock and opening the door to Reid’s smiling face. “Why on earth are you standing on my doorstep?”
Reid pushed past Ethan and let himself into the hotel room. Looking around he scrunched his nose up in distaste. “Is this the best you can afford? Your parents would be horrified.”
As true as that statement was, Ethan didn’t give a damn what his parents thought. “This is where the department put me up, Reid. Could I have upgraded to something better? Yes. But, why bother? I’m not going to be here for more than a few weeks and during that time, I doubt I’ll be in this room much.”
Snorting, Reid shook his head. “Suit yourself,” he said. “Speaking of your parents…”
“Can we not?” Ethan ran his fingers through his hair, panic rising in his chest. Reid was one of the few people in his life that had ever had a chance to get to know his family. He wouldn’t be surprised to know that the asshole still kept in touch with his parents, despite the fact neither had ever confessed to being in a relationship with the other. That wasn’t something he ever needed his parents to know. They’d worshipped Reid’s superior intellect and drive to become something great. To be someone – something Ethan hadn’t ever wanted. While he’d been the disgrace, Reid had been the son they’d always wanted in Ethan. It was probably the only reason no one had ever been suspicious of their overly close friendship.
“What,” Farrow chuckled. “Still sore your parents liked me better than they did you?”
“Not in the least,” he said, honestly. “Their dislike of me was the only reason I was able to get the hell away from them and do what I wanted to do, not what they wanted from me.”
“I still can’t believe that you chose to be a cop, Ethan.” Reid came closer, laying a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “You could have been so much more. We could have been so much more.” He sighed.
“Don’t say it, Reid,” Ethan said, knowing where this was leading. Shrugging Reid’s hand off his shoulder, he glared at the other man, wary of his reasons for coming around in the first place.
“I’m not allowed to suggest that we might still be together if you’d taken a different path?”
“No,” Ethan growled, irritated at being blamed for the demise of their relationship all over again. “Because we didn’t split up because I was a cop. We split up because you’re incapable of being faithful.”
Reid waved a hand in the air. “You always made a bigger deal out of that then it really was.”
“It was a big deal,” Ethan seethed. “You gave me a freaking ring, promising to be mine – and only mine – for the rest of your life. And then you cheated. Repeatedly.”
“See, this is why we didn’t make it, Ethan.” Reid let his eyes drift around the room before settling back on Ethan’s face. “You’re always so argumentative. But try as I might, I can’t deny that I still find you attractive as hell.”
Ethan felt the long-buried pull between them bubble in his belly. Thinking about Travis, alone at their home in White Pine, he forced it down, feeling more than a little ashamed of himself for letting Reid get under his skin. “Is there another reason you’re here because I have work to do.” He’d do penance later, but right now, he had to get this asshole out of his room.
Shrugging, Reid traced a finger along the line of Ethan’s jaw, causing him to jerk back from the touch. “Just testing the waters,” he said, winking. “You never were able to tell me no, were you, ducky?”
“Don’t call me that!” Ethan managed to keep his voice down enough that the couple in the next room didn’t hear him, but only barely. The last thing he needed to get back to Jordan was this unexpected visit from his past. “You lost the right to any and all pet names when you slept around. Now, if there isn’t anything else?” He stomped towards the door and held it open.
Plastering an all-too familiar smirk onto his face, Reid took his time strolling through the door and out of the hotel room. “I’ll be seeing you around, ducky boy.”
“Not if I see you first,” Ethan muttered, slamming the door in his ex-husband’s face. He could not get out of this town fast enough.
Story continues here.
Fandom: White Pine Original Fiction
Pairing: Ethan McDowell/Travis Murphy
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,972
Summary: Ethan talks to Travis after his first day on the job in Garret, ending his day with a surprise.
Author’s Note: Written for the A to Z challenge at 1_million_words – C is for Comfort. Oh, and lack of at the end. Ethan might just cut a bitch before this fic is done.
Continued from here.
“So,” that warm and affectionate voice purred over the phone line to tickle Ethan’s ears, “how was your first day back in the saddle?”
Ethan smiled into the phone, wishing he could see Travis’ face right then. It had only been a day and a half and he already missed the boy. “Better than I expected.” It was mostly true, even if he was leaving out one giant annoyance in the form of his ex-husband. “The detective I’m working with, his name is Alex Jordan, has been very welcoming. Everyone he’s introduced me to so far have been as well.”
“I’m happy to hear it,” Travis said. “Makes the time go by faster when you like the people you’re surrounded by.”
Ethan could hear meowing in the background and wondered if Murphy had remembered to feed the cats. He had a hard enough time remembering to feed himself sometimes, so forgetting the cats wouldn’t be much of a stretch. “Travis, did you feed Brennan and Ryan?”
“What?” There was some paper shuffling and a sigh. “Yes, of course I did. Little monsters won’t leave me alone until I do.”
“You created those monsters,” Ethan reminded him. But it was good to know the cats would take things into their own hands – er, paws – if Travis forgot. “How about you? Have you eaten today?”
“Yeah,” he replied.
“That doesn’t sound very convincing, Travis.” Ethan moved through the small hotel room he’d been put up in and wondered what he was going to do for his own dinner.
“Sorry, I’m a little distracted. Trying to go through the mail and do the stuff you usually do for me.” There was more shuffling and Ethan took that moment to switch the phone to his other ear. “Mama knows you’re out of town and called me this morning to come get some leftovers.”
“Good for her,” Ethan said. “I don’t have to worry about you not eating if you have your mother’s food in the house.”
He passed by the tiny table he’d spread the two case files Jordan had given him on and paused. It’d been a long time since he’d had a case file to study, he worried he might be out of practice. But that was for later. Right now he needed to focus on his husband and their so-called fur babies, the case could wait.
“Yeah,” Murphy breathed into the phone. “She’s good like that and she knows I can’t resist her cooking. Pops sent me home with a six-pack when she wasn’t looking.”
“Only your father,” Ethan chuckled, thankful that Liam Murphy hadn’t seen fit to send Travis home with a bottle of Jameson in lieu of the beer. That certainly would have resulted in two hungry cats and one hung over mystery novelist.
“Yeah, my parents are an odd couple,” Travis agreed. “But it works for them. Speaking of work… when are you coming home? I ran into the sheriff at the post office this morning and he said that you might be up there for a bit.”
Damn. “Honestly Travis, I’m not sure. Detective Jordan gave me a couple of cases to look at, said we’d go from there. I guess a few of his detectives are out of commission for the next month or so and he really needs my help.”
“Month?” Travis’ voice had reached that insane pitch it only managed when he was hopped up on sugar and missing his deadline. “You can’t be gone for a month, Ethan. We only just got married.”
Ethan sighed. “I know, baby, and so does Jordan.” He’d made a point of telling the detective that he couldn’t be holed up in Garret continuously for the next four weeks. Jordan had understood, amazingly enough, and had cut him a deal. An early out on Friday afternoon so that Ethan could make the drive home to White Pine for the weekend. “I’ll be home this Friday, no matter what.”
“But you’ll have to go back Monday morning,” Travis finished.
“Yeah, unfortunately,” he said. “But McCallum asked me to do this as a favor, I couldn’t tell him no.”
“I know, I know,” Travis said, sounding sad as he moved about the house. “The sheriff wouldn’t have asked if there was another option. But I miss you.”
“I miss you, too,” Ethan admitted. “I’ll be home by the time you get up on Friday, I promise.”
“I’m going to hold you to that, buster,” Travis laughed. “And I probably ought to get to work. I don’t have you here to keep me on task so the sooner I start…”
“The sooner you can procrastinate,” Ethan joked. “Good luck, you’ll do fine without me for a few days.”
Although Ethan wasn’t sure he believed his own words, he told Travis he loved him and hung up. Suddenly craving some of Aracely’s tamales, he found himself dialing the tiny taco shop down the street hoping for something that would remind him of home. He hadn’t ever understood the concept of comfort food until he’d met Travis’ parents. Everything Mama Murphy made was a comfort to both your belly and your soul.
He had fifteen minutes until his dinner was ready for pickup and Ethan used that time to change his clothes. Picking his phone up so that he could return it to his pocket, he noticed a text message from Travis. Half worried about what it might say, he clicked and waited as it opened. Instead of the pleading and/or angry message he’d expected, he instead found himself staring at Murphy’s handsome face, bookended on either side by their cats. The message underneath the photo read: don’t you forget about me (us)!
Shaking his head, Ethan texted back: I couldn’t ever. Although I wish I could now that you’ve got that inane 80’s song stuck in my head. Love you.
The response came within seconds and had Ethan laughing as he walked out of his hotel room.
Dude, Simple Minds were the best. And I looooove you too. Hurry home.
The files were still waiting for him when he’d returned with his dinner. Not wanting to get enchilada sauce all over his work, he did the unheard of and waited until after he ate to crack them open. Jordan had said that they were important, but not emergencies. Although Jordan was technically a homicide detective, murders were few and far between in Garret. So, what he’d dumped on Ethan were two simple assault cases – one a domestic dispute and the other a supposed random attack. Because both victims had ended up hospitalized, they’d landed on Jordan’s desk. Not quite homicides, but the closest it came in Garret, apparently.
He was shoving the last bite of enchilada into his mouth – the little taco shop had run out of tamales earlier in the day – when a knock on his hotel room door caught his attention. Making a mental note to get dinner earlier tomorrow, he wiped his mouth and fingers on a napkin before grabbing his gun. Ethan knew that the likelihood of actually needing his sidearm was slim, but some habits die hard. Tucking it into the waistband of his pants at the small of his back, Ethan gave a peek through the peep hole.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” he muttered, throwing the lock and opening the door to Reid’s smiling face. “Why on earth are you standing on my doorstep?”
Reid pushed past Ethan and let himself into the hotel room. Looking around he scrunched his nose up in distaste. “Is this the best you can afford? Your parents would be horrified.”
As true as that statement was, Ethan didn’t give a damn what his parents thought. “This is where the department put me up, Reid. Could I have upgraded to something better? Yes. But, why bother? I’m not going to be here for more than a few weeks and during that time, I doubt I’ll be in this room much.”
Snorting, Reid shook his head. “Suit yourself,” he said. “Speaking of your parents…”
“Can we not?” Ethan ran his fingers through his hair, panic rising in his chest. Reid was one of the few people in his life that had ever had a chance to get to know his family. He wouldn’t be surprised to know that the asshole still kept in touch with his parents, despite the fact neither had ever confessed to being in a relationship with the other. That wasn’t something he ever needed his parents to know. They’d worshipped Reid’s superior intellect and drive to become something great. To be someone – something Ethan hadn’t ever wanted. While he’d been the disgrace, Reid had been the son they’d always wanted in Ethan. It was probably the only reason no one had ever been suspicious of their overly close friendship.
“What,” Farrow chuckled. “Still sore your parents liked me better than they did you?”
“Not in the least,” he said, honestly. “Their dislike of me was the only reason I was able to get the hell away from them and do what I wanted to do, not what they wanted from me.”
“I still can’t believe that you chose to be a cop, Ethan.” Reid came closer, laying a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “You could have been so much more. We could have been so much more.” He sighed.
“Don’t say it, Reid,” Ethan said, knowing where this was leading. Shrugging Reid’s hand off his shoulder, he glared at the other man, wary of his reasons for coming around in the first place.
“I’m not allowed to suggest that we might still be together if you’d taken a different path?”
“No,” Ethan growled, irritated at being blamed for the demise of their relationship all over again. “Because we didn’t split up because I was a cop. We split up because you’re incapable of being faithful.”
Reid waved a hand in the air. “You always made a bigger deal out of that then it really was.”
“It was a big deal,” Ethan seethed. “You gave me a freaking ring, promising to be mine – and only mine – for the rest of your life. And then you cheated. Repeatedly.”
“See, this is why we didn’t make it, Ethan.” Reid let his eyes drift around the room before settling back on Ethan’s face. “You’re always so argumentative. But try as I might, I can’t deny that I still find you attractive as hell.”
Ethan felt the long-buried pull between them bubble in his belly. Thinking about Travis, alone at their home in White Pine, he forced it down, feeling more than a little ashamed of himself for letting Reid get under his skin. “Is there another reason you’re here because I have work to do.” He’d do penance later, but right now, he had to get this asshole out of his room.
Shrugging, Reid traced a finger along the line of Ethan’s jaw, causing him to jerk back from the touch. “Just testing the waters,” he said, winking. “You never were able to tell me no, were you, ducky?”
“Don’t call me that!” Ethan managed to keep his voice down enough that the couple in the next room didn’t hear him, but only barely. The last thing he needed to get back to Jordan was this unexpected visit from his past. “You lost the right to any and all pet names when you slept around. Now, if there isn’t anything else?” He stomped towards the door and held it open.
Plastering an all-too familiar smirk onto his face, Reid took his time strolling through the door and out of the hotel room. “I’ll be seeing you around, ducky boy.”
“Not if I see you first,” Ethan muttered, slamming the door in his ex-husband’s face. He could not get out of this town fast enough.
Story continues here.
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no subject
Date: 2016-02-09 03:07 am (UTC)No I don't advocate violence...lol
no subject
Date: 2016-02-09 06:11 pm (UTC)Oh, but you might by the time I'm done with this. :D
no subject
Date: 2016-02-17 04:10 am (UTC)Travis and his kitties are so cute!
Nicely done, my dear; you got me wanting more!
no subject
Date: 2016-02-17 05:54 pm (UTC)ROFL - you can tell I have cats, I think. Travis' two keep popping their whiskers in as much as they can. :)
Thanks so much! I see K posted the next letter (not that I didn't know what was next - hah) so I should have a new chapter up in a few days.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-07 11:25 pm (UTC)Well, there might be certain circumstances where violence is justified ;)
(Did I not see the next chapter to this?) :)
no subject
Date: 2016-03-08 12:29 am (UTC)There's a great song by The Dixie Chicks called "Goodbye Earl" that popped into my head when you said that sometimes violence is justified... Ooops.
(Um, no you didn't... it's not written yet. I think I'm two letters behind at this point because of that darn bingo fic. Sheesh, Zayne.)