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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Evasive
Fandom: White Pine original fiction
Pairing: Travis Murphy/Ethan McDowell
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,325
Summary: Week one is over and Ethan is home. But his plans for full discloser go to hell in a handbasket.
Author’s Note: Written for the A to Z challenge at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
1_million_words – E is for Evasive.
Continued from here.
The feel of Travis’ chest rising and falling beneath his cheek was pure bliss. It had only been a week, but those five days he’d been away had been the longest of his life to date. Never did he think he’d miss someone as much as he’d missed his husband. Ethan trailed his fingers up the ripples of Travis’ midsection, taking note of each dip and crest along the way. He was so damn happy to be home, it hurt.
“Mmm,” Travis murmured, fingers curling around the back of Ethan’s neck. “You’re home.”
“I am,” he said, giving Murphy’s shoulder a kiss. “And I have been for nearly an hour. You, my love, sleep like the dead.”
“You’d think you would already know that,” Travis teased. “Why didn’t you wake me?”
“Because you need your sleep or you get weird,” Ethan said, rolling onto his side. “Or weirder, I should say.”
“You’ve missed me,” Travis said, a broad grin spreading across his face.
“I have,” Ethan agreed, leaning in for another kiss, this one on the writer’s mouth. “Did you miss me?”
“Of course,” Travis said, pushing Ethan onto his back. He threw one leg over his husband’s body, straddling Ethan’s hips. “Want me to show you how much?”
“Desperately,” Ethan breathed.
“So, how was Garret?” Travis was standing at the stove, scrambling some eggs in a skillet. A plate of bacon sat to the side, bread loaded in the toaster. “I haven’t been up there in years. Last time was when a cousin of mine got married.”
“I’m guessing that not much has changed,” Ethan said, avoiding the question.
“I wouldn’t laugh if I were you,” Travis said, bringing a plate of eggs, bacon and toast to Ethan. “It’s a hell of a lot bigger than this place. Garret even makes Minden Lake look small.”
He wasn’t wrong there. But Ethan didn’t want to talk about Garret, Jordan or anything else he’d encountered there. Things like Reid Farrow, for instance. Despite every intention and many rehearsed conversations with himself, by the time Ethan had arrived at the White Pine City Limits, he’d changed his mind in regards to his ex-husband. After all, they hadn’t been legally married, it had all been for show. It was a lie he kept telling himself in hopes that he could convince Travis of that very thing, should it ever come up.
Sometimes, Ethan really hated how much of a McDowell he could be.
“There’s a great little taco shop within walking distance of the hotel,” he said instead of all the things he should be saying. “It’s called Maria’s and the woman’s cooking is nearly as amazing as your mother’s.”
“No one’s cooking is as good as my mother’s,” Travis said, filling a plate and setting it in its usual place beside Ethan’s. “It’s against the laws of nature.”
“That’s why I said ‘almost’, Murphy.” Ethan squeezed Travis’ wrist briefly before digging back into his food. “I have to admit, I’ve even missed your sad attempts at cooking. These are the best eggs ever.”
Travis grinned and they both knew Ethan was full of it. “My cooking sucks,” he said. “But thank you.”
“It’s better than I can do for myself,” he admitted.
“How did you survive before we met?”
Ethan didn’t often think back to the days before he and Murphy had moved in together, but sometimes it was a reminder of all he had now. No more studio apartment, no more lonely nights. It also meant no more hamster, but his neighbor’s kid had been thrilled with the gift, so that had worked out for both the kid and the rodent in the end. “I ate at the diner a lot,” he confessed.
“Three meals a day?” Travis’ blue eyes shone with amusement.
“Just two,” Ethan said. “I was able to make myself a bowl of Cheerios or toast a bagel.” Not that he’d done that much, the call of pancakes and eggs was much stronger than any boast of cholesterol lowering oats.
“Are we still on for dinner with my parents tomorrow night?”
It was a Murphy family tradition, coming straight from the Hernandez side. Every Sunday afternoon was dinner at Travis’ parents’ house, something that had started long before Ethan had been in the picture and would carry on for eternity. There wasn’t any way he could say no and still remain a part of this particular branch of the family. “Of course,” he said, knowing even as he said it that it wasn’t a lie. He’d missed Aracely and Liam almost as much as he’d missed Travis. “We’ll have to skip out a bit early since I’ll have to be on the road by five-thirty Monday morning.”
“I already warned mama about that and she suggested we move dinner up an hour,” he laughed. “Gotta love my mama, she’s always thinking.”
“You’ve got that right,” Ethan agreed. “And tell her we’ll be there whenever she wants us.”
“McDowell,” Sheriff McCallum said, surprised at Ethan’s arrival. “I hadn’t expected to see you back so soon.”
Ethan clasped the hand that the sheriff had stuck out towards him and gave it a hearty shake. “I was given leave to come home on the weekends,” he said, smiling. “Thought I’d come check in with you while I was home. Detective Jordan thinks they’ll need me for three to four weeks.”
McCallum frowned as he mulled things over. “I suppose that’s okay. Not like there’s a whole heck of a lot of crime in these parts. Do what needs to be done, help out as much as you can.”
Nodding, Ethan shoved his hands into his pockets. “Thank you, I was worried you’d be upset.”
“Not at all,” he reassured him. “We’re such a small community, half the time anything goes wrong, I get a call at home anyway. So not much change since you’ve been gone.”
The sheriff’s smile set Ethan’s mind at ease. “Hopefully it won’t be any longer than that.”
“Don’t worry one minute about it,” McCallum said. “Jordan’s a good kid, easy to work with.”
“I agree,” Ethan said, remembering the companionable way they’d said goodbye on Friday afternoon. “He’s been very welcoming. Everyone has, actually.”
McCallum laughed. “You must not have met the dickhead that passes for a D. A. in those parts then.”
Taken aback by the sheriff’s uncharacteristic profanity, Ethan stared at his boss. “I’m sorry?”
“Reid Farrow,” McCallum clarified. “The Garret County District Attorney and general pain in everyone’s ass. I’m not generally one to gossip, but he’s been known to chase a cop or two and well, you’re a good looking kid. I’d be wary of anything he says to you.”
Ethan didn’t think he could be more shocked. “Yes, well, I’m well acquainted with said dickhead,” he muttered. “And you’re very right, you cannot trust a damn thing to come out of that man’s mouth.”
An odd look crossed the sheriff’s face. “I see,” he said, scratching at his unshaven chin. “There’s a story there, I think, but it can wait. Be on your toes, I’d hate for anything to go south while you’re up there. I can’t help you in Garret, son. Take care and hurry home.”
The sheriff clasped a hand on Ethan’s shoulder before letting himself out of the station, leaving Ethan to stare after him. What did McCallum know about Reid that Ethan didn’t? Better question was, why did he think Ethan would need his help? He didn’t have time to find out. If he didn’t get himself home in the next ten minutes, they’d be late for dinner with the Murphys and that wouldn’t be a good thing. Aracely had been waiting for him all week, if she had to wait any longer, he’d get the scolding of a lifetime. Checking his watch, he headed for where he’d left his car, in a hurry for the first time in a long time.
Story continues here.
Fandom: White Pine original fiction
Pairing: Travis Murphy/Ethan McDowell
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,325
Summary: Week one is over and Ethan is home. But his plans for full discloser go to hell in a handbasket.
Author’s Note: Written for the A to Z challenge at
1_million_words – E is for Evasive.Continued from here.
The feel of Travis’ chest rising and falling beneath his cheek was pure bliss. It had only been a week, but those five days he’d been away had been the longest of his life to date. Never did he think he’d miss someone as much as he’d missed his husband. Ethan trailed his fingers up the ripples of Travis’ midsection, taking note of each dip and crest along the way. He was so damn happy to be home, it hurt.
“Mmm,” Travis murmured, fingers curling around the back of Ethan’s neck. “You’re home.”
“I am,” he said, giving Murphy’s shoulder a kiss. “And I have been for nearly an hour. You, my love, sleep like the dead.”
“You’d think you would already know that,” Travis teased. “Why didn’t you wake me?”
“Because you need your sleep or you get weird,” Ethan said, rolling onto his side. “Or weirder, I should say.”
“You’ve missed me,” Travis said, a broad grin spreading across his face.
“I have,” Ethan agreed, leaning in for another kiss, this one on the writer’s mouth. “Did you miss me?”
“Of course,” Travis said, pushing Ethan onto his back. He threw one leg over his husband’s body, straddling Ethan’s hips. “Want me to show you how much?”
“Desperately,” Ethan breathed.
“So, how was Garret?” Travis was standing at the stove, scrambling some eggs in a skillet. A plate of bacon sat to the side, bread loaded in the toaster. “I haven’t been up there in years. Last time was when a cousin of mine got married.”
“I’m guessing that not much has changed,” Ethan said, avoiding the question.
“I wouldn’t laugh if I were you,” Travis said, bringing a plate of eggs, bacon and toast to Ethan. “It’s a hell of a lot bigger than this place. Garret even makes Minden Lake look small.”
He wasn’t wrong there. But Ethan didn’t want to talk about Garret, Jordan or anything else he’d encountered there. Things like Reid Farrow, for instance. Despite every intention and many rehearsed conversations with himself, by the time Ethan had arrived at the White Pine City Limits, he’d changed his mind in regards to his ex-husband. After all, they hadn’t been legally married, it had all been for show. It was a lie he kept telling himself in hopes that he could convince Travis of that very thing, should it ever come up.
Sometimes, Ethan really hated how much of a McDowell he could be.
“There’s a great little taco shop within walking distance of the hotel,” he said instead of all the things he should be saying. “It’s called Maria’s and the woman’s cooking is nearly as amazing as your mother’s.”
“No one’s cooking is as good as my mother’s,” Travis said, filling a plate and setting it in its usual place beside Ethan’s. “It’s against the laws of nature.”
“That’s why I said ‘almost’, Murphy.” Ethan squeezed Travis’ wrist briefly before digging back into his food. “I have to admit, I’ve even missed your sad attempts at cooking. These are the best eggs ever.”
Travis grinned and they both knew Ethan was full of it. “My cooking sucks,” he said. “But thank you.”
“It’s better than I can do for myself,” he admitted.
“How did you survive before we met?”
Ethan didn’t often think back to the days before he and Murphy had moved in together, but sometimes it was a reminder of all he had now. No more studio apartment, no more lonely nights. It also meant no more hamster, but his neighbor’s kid had been thrilled with the gift, so that had worked out for both the kid and the rodent in the end. “I ate at the diner a lot,” he confessed.
“Three meals a day?” Travis’ blue eyes shone with amusement.
“Just two,” Ethan said. “I was able to make myself a bowl of Cheerios or toast a bagel.” Not that he’d done that much, the call of pancakes and eggs was much stronger than any boast of cholesterol lowering oats.
“Are we still on for dinner with my parents tomorrow night?”
It was a Murphy family tradition, coming straight from the Hernandez side. Every Sunday afternoon was dinner at Travis’ parents’ house, something that had started long before Ethan had been in the picture and would carry on for eternity. There wasn’t any way he could say no and still remain a part of this particular branch of the family. “Of course,” he said, knowing even as he said it that it wasn’t a lie. He’d missed Aracely and Liam almost as much as he’d missed Travis. “We’ll have to skip out a bit early since I’ll have to be on the road by five-thirty Monday morning.”
“I already warned mama about that and she suggested we move dinner up an hour,” he laughed. “Gotta love my mama, she’s always thinking.”
“You’ve got that right,” Ethan agreed. “And tell her we’ll be there whenever she wants us.”
“McDowell,” Sheriff McCallum said, surprised at Ethan’s arrival. “I hadn’t expected to see you back so soon.”
Ethan clasped the hand that the sheriff had stuck out towards him and gave it a hearty shake. “I was given leave to come home on the weekends,” he said, smiling. “Thought I’d come check in with you while I was home. Detective Jordan thinks they’ll need me for three to four weeks.”
McCallum frowned as he mulled things over. “I suppose that’s okay. Not like there’s a whole heck of a lot of crime in these parts. Do what needs to be done, help out as much as you can.”
Nodding, Ethan shoved his hands into his pockets. “Thank you, I was worried you’d be upset.”
“Not at all,” he reassured him. “We’re such a small community, half the time anything goes wrong, I get a call at home anyway. So not much change since you’ve been gone.”
The sheriff’s smile set Ethan’s mind at ease. “Hopefully it won’t be any longer than that.”
“Don’t worry one minute about it,” McCallum said. “Jordan’s a good kid, easy to work with.”
“I agree,” Ethan said, remembering the companionable way they’d said goodbye on Friday afternoon. “He’s been very welcoming. Everyone has, actually.”
McCallum laughed. “You must not have met the dickhead that passes for a D. A. in those parts then.”
Taken aback by the sheriff’s uncharacteristic profanity, Ethan stared at his boss. “I’m sorry?”
“Reid Farrow,” McCallum clarified. “The Garret County District Attorney and general pain in everyone’s ass. I’m not generally one to gossip, but he’s been known to chase a cop or two and well, you’re a good looking kid. I’d be wary of anything he says to you.”
Ethan didn’t think he could be more shocked. “Yes, well, I’m well acquainted with said dickhead,” he muttered. “And you’re very right, you cannot trust a damn thing to come out of that man’s mouth.”
An odd look crossed the sheriff’s face. “I see,” he said, scratching at his unshaven chin. “There’s a story there, I think, but it can wait. Be on your toes, I’d hate for anything to go south while you’re up there. I can’t help you in Garret, son. Take care and hurry home.”
The sheriff clasped a hand on Ethan’s shoulder before letting himself out of the station, leaving Ethan to stare after him. What did McCallum know about Reid that Ethan didn’t? Better question was, why did he think Ethan would need his help? He didn’t have time to find out. If he didn’t get himself home in the next ten minutes, they’d be late for dinner with the Murphys and that wouldn’t be a good thing. Aracely had been waiting for him all week, if she had to wait any longer, he’d get the scolding of a lifetime. Checking his watch, he headed for where he’d left his car, in a hurry for the first time in a long time.
Story continues here.
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no subject
Date: 2016-03-18 09:26 am (UTC)And Ethan, you neeed to tell Travis!
More, please! ;-)
no subject
Date: 2016-03-18 08:54 pm (UTC)And thank you! I am trying so hard to get to F (and that sounds funny!), but am not having much luck. SOON!
no subject
Date: 2016-06-22 12:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-22 06:28 pm (UTC)LOL - McCallum keeps surprising me. The things that come out of his mouth sometimes (plus his never-ending patience where Travis is concerned).