![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asphaltcowgrrlTitle: A to Z Challenge Chapter 18 – Rage
Fandom: White Pine Original Fiction
Pairing: Travis Murphy/Ethan McDowell
Rating: PG-13 for some language
Word Count: 1,154
Summary: Ethan does not need this baloney. Not a summary, I know, but at this point, ya’ll will agree with me.
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. And yes, I am way far behind but maybe – just maybe – I’ll finish this one of these days.
Continued from here.
Forcing his anger down so that he didn’t explode and do something stupid, Ethan glared at Reid. “Sorry to say it, Reid, but I don’t really like you at all these days.”
Farrow put on a hurt look and batted his eyes at Ethan. “Aw, but ducky, we were always so good together.”
“Right,” Ethan said, fists balling at his sides. “Were we better when you were cheating on me or was it when you were beating on me? Please do tell because I’m dying to know when we were at our best because, from my point of view, that ended long before our marriage did.”
“You always were a selfish, spoiled little prick,” Reid snarled, launching himself at Ethan and into the office. His fingers twisted the material of Ethan’s dress shirt, nails scraping against Ethan’s chest.
“Not so fast, asshole,” Jordan’s voice rang out over Reid’s assertion. He grabbed hold of the back of Farrow’s jacket, jerking him off Ethan. “If you even think about getting physically violent with one of my detectives, I’ll haul your ass off to a cell personally. Understand me?”
Jerking out of Jordan’s grip, Reid straightened his suit jacket. “I believe you misunderstood my intention, Jordan.” He dragged his gaze off Ethan and leveled an unfriendly look on Jordan. “I’d never intentionally harm my little ducky.”
“If you’re done then…?” Jordan lifted his eyebrows and stared at the district attorney.
“Excuse me,” Farrow said, voice all honey. “Ethan, we will talk later.”
“Not if I can help it,” Ethan muttered under his breath.
“Don’t let the door hit you in the ass, Farrow,” Jordan called after his retreating back. As soon as the Garret district attorney was out of earshot, Jordan focused his attention back on Ethan. “Are you okay?”
Swallowing down his nerves, Ethan nodded. “A little shaken, yes, but otherwise okay,” he admitted. “Thank you for having such excellent timing, Alex. Another minute and I don’t know what might have happened.”
“I’m only sorry I wasn’t here sooner, Ethan.” He set the cardboard drink carrier on the desk and frowned at his own suit jacket. “I think I spilled coffee on myself.”
Ethan laughed, he couldn’t help it. “If you only think you spilled some after all that, you’re even better than I thought. I’d have been wearing both cups after pulling something like you did.”
Jordan wiggled a paper cup out of the container and handed it to Ethan. “Wish I had a shot of whisky to put in there for you, but sadly, I only have coffee.”
“Coffee is enough,” he said, happily taking the cup he was offered. “I can wait until I’m back at the hotel for a drink. It’s safer that way.”
“Considering the way Gloria the mail girl looks at you when you’re not paying attention, I think you might be right.” Alex lifted his cup and took a long sip. “I’d hate for your first heterosexual experience to be in your own office.”
“That,” Ethan spluttered, nearly choking on the hot liquid, “was not funny.”
“But it was true, wasn’t it?” Jordan winked at Ethan and gave his arm a pat. “Doesn’t matter, because you’re at least smiling again.”
“I’m sorry,” Ethan said for what felt like the millionth time. “I shouldn’t let him get to me like that, Jordan.”
“He shouldn’t have come for you,” Alex reminded him. “And I meant what I said. I’ll take his ass down if he ever lays a hand on anyone in this town.”
Ethan smoothed his hair back and settled into his chair. Taking a much needed sip of his coffee, he looked up at Jordan. “Still, I appreciate you showing up when you did.”
“Just doing my job, McDowell,” he teased. “I’ll be in my office for the rest of the afternoon. If that prick shows up again and starts stirring the pot again, text me, call me, shout down the damn hallway, whatever works. I’ll be here in a hot minute.”
Jordan’s adamant defense of him was beginning to embarrass Ethan, no matter how welcome the support was.
**
“That slimy son of a bitch,” Travis seethed into the phone. “You want me to get my dad, a couple of his buddies, and make a drive up to see you? We could have dinner, they could take care of this little problem of yours.”
Suddenly, Ethan began regretting telling Travis what had happened at the station earlier. “No, Murphy, call off the Irish mob, please. Oh,” he said, laughing for the first time in hours. “You might not want to tell your husband – a man who is an officer of the law, by the way – that you are recruiting a gang of old Irish men to whack said husband’s ex.”
“I wasn’t going to have them whack him,” Travis lied. “Maybe whack him in the head with a brick, but not kill him.”
“Thanks for the clarification, Travis,” Ethan grinned. God, it was so good to hear his husband’s voice. It’d be a thousand times better if he could hold him, but not quite yet. Although, the number of days they’d be apart were getting smaller and smaller all the time. “I miss you.”
“I miss you, too, you asshole. When the hell are you coming home?”
“Soon,” he promised. “I don’t know exactly when yet but…”
“But you’re still kicking that kid’s case around, aren’t you?” Travis’ voice was smooth and sweet and no trace of accusation tainted his genuine curiosity.
“Yeah,” Ethan sighed. “Did I tell you that the officer Reid got into that altercation with works for Jordan?”
“What?” He could almost hear Travis begin to pace the length of their living room at the news. The boy always thought better when he was in motion. “Have you had a chance to talk to him? Grill him about his involvement with that asshole?”
“No,” Ethan said, unable to deny Travis his enthusiasm. “But I’m hoping to before long. Right now, all I want is a beer, some food, and my bed.”
“Your bed is ready and waiting, baby,” Travis teased. “But do what you need to do first. As long as I know you’re still planning to come home, I can wait until you solve this.”
“Thank you,” he said, understating everything that he was feeling. “I love that you understand me as well as you do.”
“I knew I was getting involved with a man who used to be a detective,” Travis said fondly. “And I have come to understand that nothing matters more to you than the truth and finding justice through that truth. I’m proud of the work you’re doing. Even here, in White Pine, where nothing serious ever happens, what you do makes a difference.”
“Travis Murphy,” Ethan said, an emotional lump forming in his throat. “You are amazing.”
“I know,” he replied. “And you aren’t half bad yourself, Detective McDowell.”
Will continue here.
Fandom: White Pine Original Fiction
Pairing: Travis Murphy/Ethan McDowell
Rating: PG-13 for some language
Word Count: 1,154
Summary: Ethan does not need this baloney. Not a summary, I know, but at this point, ya’ll will agree with me.
Author’s Note: Written for the A to Z Challenge at
1_million_words. And yes, I am way far behind but maybe – just maybe – I’ll finish this one of these days.Continued from here.
Forcing his anger down so that he didn’t explode and do something stupid, Ethan glared at Reid. “Sorry to say it, Reid, but I don’t really like you at all these days.”
Farrow put on a hurt look and batted his eyes at Ethan. “Aw, but ducky, we were always so good together.”
“Right,” Ethan said, fists balling at his sides. “Were we better when you were cheating on me or was it when you were beating on me? Please do tell because I’m dying to know when we were at our best because, from my point of view, that ended long before our marriage did.”
“You always were a selfish, spoiled little prick,” Reid snarled, launching himself at Ethan and into the office. His fingers twisted the material of Ethan’s dress shirt, nails scraping against Ethan’s chest.
“Not so fast, asshole,” Jordan’s voice rang out over Reid’s assertion. He grabbed hold of the back of Farrow’s jacket, jerking him off Ethan. “If you even think about getting physically violent with one of my detectives, I’ll haul your ass off to a cell personally. Understand me?”
Jerking out of Jordan’s grip, Reid straightened his suit jacket. “I believe you misunderstood my intention, Jordan.” He dragged his gaze off Ethan and leveled an unfriendly look on Jordan. “I’d never intentionally harm my little ducky.”
“If you’re done then…?” Jordan lifted his eyebrows and stared at the district attorney.
“Excuse me,” Farrow said, voice all honey. “Ethan, we will talk later.”
“Not if I can help it,” Ethan muttered under his breath.
“Don’t let the door hit you in the ass, Farrow,” Jordan called after his retreating back. As soon as the Garret district attorney was out of earshot, Jordan focused his attention back on Ethan. “Are you okay?”
Swallowing down his nerves, Ethan nodded. “A little shaken, yes, but otherwise okay,” he admitted. “Thank you for having such excellent timing, Alex. Another minute and I don’t know what might have happened.”
“I’m only sorry I wasn’t here sooner, Ethan.” He set the cardboard drink carrier on the desk and frowned at his own suit jacket. “I think I spilled coffee on myself.”
Ethan laughed, he couldn’t help it. “If you only think you spilled some after all that, you’re even better than I thought. I’d have been wearing both cups after pulling something like you did.”
Jordan wiggled a paper cup out of the container and handed it to Ethan. “Wish I had a shot of whisky to put in there for you, but sadly, I only have coffee.”
“Coffee is enough,” he said, happily taking the cup he was offered. “I can wait until I’m back at the hotel for a drink. It’s safer that way.”
“Considering the way Gloria the mail girl looks at you when you’re not paying attention, I think you might be right.” Alex lifted his cup and took a long sip. “I’d hate for your first heterosexual experience to be in your own office.”
“That,” Ethan spluttered, nearly choking on the hot liquid, “was not funny.”
“But it was true, wasn’t it?” Jordan winked at Ethan and gave his arm a pat. “Doesn’t matter, because you’re at least smiling again.”
“I’m sorry,” Ethan said for what felt like the millionth time. “I shouldn’t let him get to me like that, Jordan.”
“He shouldn’t have come for you,” Alex reminded him. “And I meant what I said. I’ll take his ass down if he ever lays a hand on anyone in this town.”
Ethan smoothed his hair back and settled into his chair. Taking a much needed sip of his coffee, he looked up at Jordan. “Still, I appreciate you showing up when you did.”
“Just doing my job, McDowell,” he teased. “I’ll be in my office for the rest of the afternoon. If that prick shows up again and starts stirring the pot again, text me, call me, shout down the damn hallway, whatever works. I’ll be here in a hot minute.”
Jordan’s adamant defense of him was beginning to embarrass Ethan, no matter how welcome the support was.
**
“That slimy son of a bitch,” Travis seethed into the phone. “You want me to get my dad, a couple of his buddies, and make a drive up to see you? We could have dinner, they could take care of this little problem of yours.”
Suddenly, Ethan began regretting telling Travis what had happened at the station earlier. “No, Murphy, call off the Irish mob, please. Oh,” he said, laughing for the first time in hours. “You might not want to tell your husband – a man who is an officer of the law, by the way – that you are recruiting a gang of old Irish men to whack said husband’s ex.”
“I wasn’t going to have them whack him,” Travis lied. “Maybe whack him in the head with a brick, but not kill him.”
“Thanks for the clarification, Travis,” Ethan grinned. God, it was so good to hear his husband’s voice. It’d be a thousand times better if he could hold him, but not quite yet. Although, the number of days they’d be apart were getting smaller and smaller all the time. “I miss you.”
“I miss you, too, you asshole. When the hell are you coming home?”
“Soon,” he promised. “I don’t know exactly when yet but…”
“But you’re still kicking that kid’s case around, aren’t you?” Travis’ voice was smooth and sweet and no trace of accusation tainted his genuine curiosity.
“Yeah,” Ethan sighed. “Did I tell you that the officer Reid got into that altercation with works for Jordan?”
“What?” He could almost hear Travis begin to pace the length of their living room at the news. The boy always thought better when he was in motion. “Have you had a chance to talk to him? Grill him about his involvement with that asshole?”
“No,” Ethan said, unable to deny Travis his enthusiasm. “But I’m hoping to before long. Right now, all I want is a beer, some food, and my bed.”
“Your bed is ready and waiting, baby,” Travis teased. “But do what you need to do first. As long as I know you’re still planning to come home, I can wait until you solve this.”
“Thank you,” he said, understating everything that he was feeling. “I love that you understand me as well as you do.”
“I knew I was getting involved with a man who used to be a detective,” Travis said fondly. “And I have come to understand that nothing matters more to you than the truth and finding justice through that truth. I’m proud of the work you’re doing. Even here, in White Pine, where nothing serious ever happens, what you do makes a difference.”
“Travis Murphy,” Ethan said, an emotional lump forming in his throat. “You are amazing.”
“I know,” he replied. “And you aren’t half bad yourself, Detective McDowell.”
Will continue here.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2017-01-27 05:01 am (UTC)But, yay, more words.
Next letter is S, so snake and sneaky spring to mind.
no subject
Date: 2017-01-27 07:09 pm (UTC)Those would have been good words! I wish I hadn't already finished the next chapter now. Wait until we get to U. :D
no subject
Date: 2017-01-27 08:36 pm (UTC)U is for umbrage.
no subject
Date: 2017-01-27 08:40 pm (UTC)Hah. I was thinking 'unstable' but umbrage works, too. And now I have the urge to go read a Sue Grafton novel...
no subject
Date: 2017-01-27 10:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-27 10:08 pm (UTC)