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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Year One Chapter 4
Original Fic: White Pine Series
Pairing: Ethan McDowell/Travis Murphy
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 3,984
Warnings: None
Short Summary: A brief look into Travis and Ethan’s first year as a couple. More like a series of short vignettes than anything else. But hopefully they come together as a complete whole by the end.
Author’s Notes: I love these two and am glad that the June Bingo card I received guided me towards them again. The boys' story starts here, if you are so inclined. This installment starts here.
Bingo prompts used: Moonlight stroll, rings, song dedication
Late November, Thanksgiving
On a whim, Travis had decided that his mother worked too hard when it came to family meals and had offered to bake a pie for this special occasion. It was their first Thanksgiving as a couple and that meant something to him, even if it made Ethan roll his eyes. He’d never had much luck in keeping a guy around, so he had more than enough to be thankful for this year.
Travis figured he could start by showing his mother how much he appreciated all her efforts. Of course, Murphy already knew she’d have several pies of all makes and models hidden in the pantry on the off chance that his sucked royally, but he was okay with that. Chances were, his pie would bite the big one, but it was a risk he was willing to take.
Much to his surprise, Ethan hadn’t teased him once about his pie making plans. He’d even told him how sweet it was that he cared that much about his mother. In confidence, Ethan had admitted that none of his siblings would have even offered to purchase a pie, let alone go that extra step to make one from scratch.
“Not completely from scratch,” Travis had confessed. “I did buy the pie crust.”
“Can’t blame you there,” Ethan said, stealing a cinnamon and sugar coated apple from the plate beside him. “I’ve watched my grandmother make more than a few pies over the years and pie crust is a bitch.”
“You do know that this is going to be an unequivocal disaster, right?” He prayed that Ethan would disagree with him and tell him, no matter how much he felt to the contrary, that it’d be perfect in every way.
Instead, Ethan shrugged. “So what if it is? Your parents seem to enjoy that about you. Your adventurous nature and willingness to risk your neck, even if you don’t succeed.” He snitched another apple and crunched it between his teeth. “It’s all part of your charm, Murph.”
He was reaching for yet another apple slice when Travis shooed him out of the kitchen. There was barely enough time to finish the pie and get it cooled without having to make yet another trip to the store for apples. They’d already done that once, yesterday.
Amazingly enough, Travis’ apple pecan pie turned out looking almost like it should have. The edges on his crust were wonky and the crumb topping got a touch singed, but all in all, it was a huge success. It even tasted like it should have, despite the fact it wasn’t any match for his mother’s famous maple pumpkin. When he presented it to his mother upon arriving, she was ecstatic.
“I don’t know why you went through all this trouble, Travis, but I am thankful.” She’d kissed his cheek and he’d beamed with pleasure.
“Told you it would impress her,” he told Ethan after she’d carried the pie away.
“Of course she’s impressed, Murphy. It’s not like you ever cook anything fancier than a quesadilla,” Ethan teased, taking his boyfriend’s arm in his. “Let’s get to the table before your father accuses us of pushing him to the brink of starvation.”
Laughing, Travis pulled Ethan into the dining room. “Yeah, we can’t have a repeat of last Christmas now, can we?”
“What’s this talk of last Christmas?” Aracely had poked her head out of the kitchen at the sound of their voices. A hint of disdain colored her words and Ethan’s heart sank just a little.
“Nothing, mama. Just remembering how Pops thought he was going to starve if we didn’t kiss and get it over with.”
“Well, that’s okay then because your father thinks he’s always on the edge of starvation.” She pinched Travis’ cheek and then Ethan’s for good measure. “Call that Irishman to dinner, would you, Travis?”
“Of course,” he said. Stepping to the doorway separating the dining room from the living room. “Yo, Pops. Food’s on!”
“Travis Murphy, that is not what I asked you to do!” Aracely shook her head and slapped him lightly on the shoulder. “Such a bratty one, you are.”
Waiting until Mrs. Murphy’s skirt had disappeared back inside the kitchen, Ethan leaned over and whispered, “She doesn’t know the half of it, does she?”
“Not even close,” Travis agreed.
Finding their seats at the table, Travis and Ethan selected two next to each other. Ethan had been more nervous for tonight’s dinner than he had been last Christmas when they’d barely known each other. Part of him was reminded that, last winter, they hadn’t had anything to lose, either. But this Thanksgiving, everything was at stake. The Murphys had eventually warmed back up to him, in no small part due to their son’s abundant affection. He still worried, however, because he was the king of making bad choices.
Although Travis was the best choice he’d made in a long time. Even if he had to make that choice twice.
“Now Travis, I know you spent a lot of time on that pie, so I’m going to give you two boys a choice.” She looked from one to the other, ignoring her husband outright. “You can have apple pie, pumpkin pie, or cake.”
Travis blinked. “Mama? When did you start making cake for Thanksgiving dinner?”
“When we started having a birthday so close to it.” She smiled at Ethan, causing a blush to creep into his cheeks. “Pick, my boy. Cake or pie?”
Ethan glanced over at his boyfriend and chuckled. “I’m willing to bet he’s trying to find a polite way to ask for one of each.”
Aracely tsked. “I know you are right, Ethan.”
Shrugging, Travis amped his natural charm up to fifteen. “What can I say? I have a sweet tooth.”
“Yes, you do,” his mother agreed. “And you get it from your father.”
Liam narrowed his eyes at his wife. “What do you mean by that, woman?”
“That you wouldn’t worry about finding a polite way to ask, you’d simply demand a piece of each.”
“You say that like there’s something wrong with it,” he harrumphed, winking at the boys still seated at the table. Travis winked back.
“Break out the birthday cake, mama,” Travis decided for everyone. “Let’s have a party!”
By the time Ethan’s actual birthday rolled around several days later, he was as sick to death of cake as he’d ever been in his life. Aracely had insisted, despite Liam Murphy’s protests, that they should take the remainder of the cake home with them. Travis, being infested with a mouth full of sweet teeth, had giddily accepted. Even with Travis’ sugar addiction, it had taken four days to get through it all.
“What do you mean, you don’t want a cake?”
Travis stood on the kitchen side of the breakfast bar, staring. He’d tried to explain it to him several times and it just went over his head. “We’ve been eating birthday cake for days now. Buy a half gallon of ice cream and I’ll be happy.”
“It’s just not right,” Travis muttered, going back to his perusal of the kitchen cupboards. “I’ll see what the store has when I’m in town. Maybe they’ll have something interesting.”
He could live with that. What he couldn’t do was face one more square of cake, no matter how delicious. “Just get us food, Murph. The rest can wait.”
Travis winked lewdly at him. “Don’t worry about that. I’ve got everything we need to feed that beautiful body of yours on my list.”
And in your pants, too, I’m sure. But he kept that to himself for now. If he even started to mention that, Travis would never get out the door and to the store. Judging by the looks of the sky outside, he needed to get going soon. “Travis, are you about ready to go? I don’t like the look of those clouds looming overhead.”
“Nice adjective, detective,” Travis teased. “And what’s the matter? You afraid of being snowed in with me?”
Ethan waved a hand in the air dismissively. “Been there, done that, remember? It’s the empty pantry that concerns me.” He started to walk away, stopping as something hit the back of his memory. “This is just a little bit of déjà vu, don’t you think?”
Closing the cabinet behind him, Travis looked up. “How so?”
“The day we met, I was on foot patrol letting all you hermits out here in the woods know you’d better stock your shelves before the storm hit, remember?”
A slow smile crept across Travis’ face. “Yeah, I remember wondering why the hell I kept baiting you every time I opened my mouth.”
“Have to say, I wondered the same thing myself. You have a very odd way of flirting sometimes.” Leaning across the breakfast bar, Ethan grinned. “Odd, but endearing.”
“So happy you approve,” he laughed. “Okay. I’ve got the list ready. I’ll be back in an hour, barring any snow or long-winded townspeople.” Travis moved into the dining room and gave his boyfriend a loud smack on the cheek.
Wiping the spit off his face, Ethan grimaced. “Could you not. If you’re going to kiss me, then kiss me.”
Sighing, Travis leaned in and pressed his lips gently against Ethan’s, a brief touch of their mouths, before pulling away. “Better?”
“Too short, but much less messy, thank you.” Patting Travis affectionately on the chest, he reminded him, “You’d better go. It’s rapidly approaching dinnertime and you promised me a meal.”
“That I did, birthday boy.” With a last, quick kiss, Travis disappeared into the garage and into town.
Dinner was a disaster. Travis meant well, and he really did try his hardest. The trouble was that his creative nature made following directions difficult for him. Difficult being the understatement of the year as far as his lover was concerned. Ethan still wasn’t sure exactly where Travis had taken the wrong turn, but it had ended in a hail of fury and flame.
Travis looked up from the burnt dinner and frowned. “You want me to order a pizza?”
Ethan shook his head. “No, it’s not a big deal, really. But really… what happened?”
“Uh…” Travis looked away, an embarrassed blush rising to his cheeks. “I had this idea and I thought –”
Suddenly, it all made sense. “And you thought you’d get it on paper before you forgot, didn’t you?”
He still wouldn’t look at him. “Maybe.”
“You are so goddamn predictable,” Ethan chuckled, curling himself against Travis’ side. “I like that about you.”
“Even when I burn dinner because LaWanda was being demanding?” He leaned into Ethan’s embrace.
“Even when, you nut.” Tilting his head upwards for a kiss, he snagged his boyfriend’s mouth for a quick moment before letting go with a reluctant sigh. “How about a couple of your famous quesadillas and a beer?”
“And then pie,” Travis added, wistfully. “I bought it already made so there’s no chance of my burning it, too.”
He tried not to laugh and lost. “Oh, you could still drop it, you klutz. But I have faith.”
Travis gave him a playful push and picked up the pan containing the incinerated remains of the chicken he’d hoped to serve Ethan, tossing it into the trash, cooking vessel and all. “You are so lucky it’s your birthday, McDowell or I might have to hurt you.”
“Aw,” he teased. “You’re too much of a big softie to ever hurt me.” He liked it that way, too. Wouldn’t have him any other way.
“Maybe, but I’m still kicking your scrawny ass out of my kitchen until I’ve got these quesadillas made, so get.”
“Okay, okay, I’m getting,” Ethan said, scooting until he was on the dining room side of the breakfast bar. “Although, this time, I’m going to make sure LaWanda doesn’t lead you astray. I’m starving!”
Ignoring him, Travis gathered what he needed and set about making the kind of meal he was proficient at – the kind that didn’t take a long attention span. Within minutes, he presented his lover with a plate containing an oozing, gooey cheese-filled tortilla, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and some reheated rice and beans, courtesy of Aracely Murphy’s take out service. “There, birthday boy. Eat up.”
“Not until you have yours,” he stated. “Besides, this would be so much better if consumed on the couch, under a blanket, don’t you think?”
The smile that crossed Travis’ face in that moment said it all. “Hell yeah, baby. Lead the way.”
Late December – Christmas Eve
He’d never been known for his romantic side, although he had a great knack for creating fictional romances between his detectives and various others. However, since meeting Ethan, he’d been working on that, not that any of it actually mattered to the extremely un-romantic detective. Didn’t mean it would hurt to try, either.
First, Travis had tried a song dedication during the overnight radio program they both listened to while separated by work, Ethan at the station and Murphy stuck at home. After trying to decide on the perfect song for four hours, he’d stumbled across the one he thought fit them the best and ran with it. He wasn’t sure if Hunter Hayes would appreciate him sending a song out to his exceedingly masculine lover, but the idea that he wanted something as crazy as their relationship had been simply felt right.
It had been an epic failure as it turned out to be the busiest night ever in the history of the White Pine sheriff’s office. When Ethan stumbled through the door at nearly nine o’clock the next morning, he confessed he hadn’t even had a chance to turn the radio on before the craziness began. Travis decided not to mention the dedication, knowing it’d only make Ethan feel bad when it hadn’t been his fault.
The next attempt was a love note written on the napkin he’d stuffed into Ethan’s lunch one night. Oddly enough, it hadn’t ever occurred to him that the recipient of such a love note might not think to actually read his napkin before wiping his face with it. The smudges of ink that rubbed off onto Ethan’s face were the only clue that something other than his meal had been on the paper stuck between his chips and sandwich.
Eventually, Travis settled on a foolproof plan that he later realized could fail in a very horrible fashion. But on the other hand, at least he’d make his feelings for that boy known, no matter the outcome. And he had set his plan in motion for midnight on Christmas Eve.
Wandering out of his home office, Travis plopped down on the couch where Ethan sat reading the latest installment in the life of a dark elf in Icewind Dale. “Hey baby, you still up?”
Flipping the cover closed on his Kindle, Ethan nodded. “So used to being up all night for one reason or another,” here he gave Travis a meaningful look, “that sleep wasn’t an option. Tried to nap and it was futile.”
“So you’re reading?” They’d had many conversations since the night they met about Ethan’s reading habits. While he didn’t mind police procedurals, his heart was with epic fantasies. Travis had joked about creating a half-elf detective with a dwarf for a partner, asking Ethan if he’d read something like that. Ethan had shaken his head and walked away.
“Yeah, figured I’d get caught up while you were working on the next New York Times best seller.”
“You are such a flatterer,” he teased, silently preening at the compliment. “How about we take a walk?”
“Now?” Ethan set his e-reader on the end table by his elbow. “It’s almost midnight, Travis. And it’s cold outside. I think we got a foot of snow today.”
Travis waved a dismissive hand. “I scoped out our favorite path this afternoon, hoping to take a walk with you earlier, and it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. Passable. But before we could get out of the house, I kinda got wrapped up…”
“You could say that, but I think you fell through the rabbit hole myself.” He gave his boyfriend a playful shoulder bump to show he was kidding.
“C’mon, McDowell. Where’s your sense of adventure?”
He pointed at his Kindle. “It’s in there. It’s safer it stays in there, too.”
Travis pouted. He knew Ethan couldn’t stand it when he pouted, said he looked entirely too adorable with that lip protruding like it had a wont to. “So no walk?”
Ethan glared at him for a few minutes and Travis could almost hear the internal debate he was having with himself. “Argh! Alright, let me get my damn jacket, you pain in the ass.”
“Hey now, it’s Christmas,” he reminded him. “And get your boots, too. It’s rather wet out there.”
There wasn’t any denying it. He was a sucker for those goddamn big blue eyes of Travis’. All he had to do was push that beautiful bottom lip out and turn those eyes on him and he’d rob a bank for the jerk. It was how he often wound up having sex in precarious places, eating more junk food than a person needed, and falling party to his crazy ideas. Currently, it was also how he found himself walking in the snow at nearly midnight on Christmas Eve.
Travis had looped his arm through his, hugging it close to his body as they walked the moonlit path to the lake. If they hadn’t been forced to wear gloves – ones thick enough to make anything difficult – they might have even held hands like usual, but no dice this go round. He could see the moon’s rays glinting off the soft ripples in the lake’s surface. The bare trees surrounding them where coated in snow, creating a starkly beautiful scene before them.
“Wow,” Ethan breathed, unaware he’d even spoken.
“Gorgeous, isn’t it?” Travis slowed and stopped near the edge of the lake, looking out across its expanse. “I’m not sure I’ve ever come out here in the middle of the winter, but I’ve made many late night excursions during the summertime. Great way to get my head clear so I can focus on work again.”
“I can only imagine. Even as cold as it is, this was worth the walk.”
Slipping his arm out of his lover’s, Travis turned to face him. Checking his watch he studied Ethan before speaking. “I’m glad to hear you say that, because I have something to ask that might just ruin the whole evening.”
“Travis? What are you babbling about?” Ethan reached out for him, concern rising every second.
“Well, let’s just say that my timing probably could have been better and really, those gloves aren’t going to help much but still – it’s officially Christmas, baby.”
Ethan grinned. “Merry Christmas, Travis.”
“Merry Christmas, Ethan,” he returned. “It is also officially the one year anniversary of our first date.”
“Our non-date,” he teased, touching Travis’ coat sleeve with a gloved hand.
“That turned into a very real night,” he added. “Which brings me to my question.”
“Fire away, Murph. Because if you wait too much longer, my lips might freeze shut and you’ll have to defrost me before I can answer.”
A nervous chuckle rattled loose. “I’d really hate for that to happen. What I want to know is if you’d ever consider marrying me.”
What did he just say? Ethan was certain he’d misheard Travis. “What was that? It sure sounded like you just proposed to me.”
“I did,” Travis said, looking away. “I even have a ring in my pocket but, well, it’s rather cold out and I think trying to get you out of your gloves would be an impossible task right now.”
“Travis, you know I love you, right?” He cringed internally as the words left his mouth. It wasn’t the best way to get it out in the open for the first time, but there it was. Too late to take it back now.
“Riiight,” he said, the wariness weighing heavily in his voice, warring with that eternal optimism of his.
“So, you do realize that this is Utah and we have less chance of actually getting married here than pretty much anywhere else in the country?”
This made Travis laugh heartily, the sound of it rattled the skeleton trees overhead. “Yeah, believe me, I’ve lived in this state all my life, I get it. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still make the commitment.”
“It sure doesn’t,” he agreed, moving closer to Travis. Placing the palms of his hands against his boyfriend’s chest, Ethan leaned in, a breath away from Murphy’s lips. “I would be honored.”
The whoop of joy that came out of Travis’ mouth next not only spoiled the beauty of the moment, but it startled a group of birds huddled together in a nearby tree. Their squawks combined with Travis’ triumphant shouts and woke half the forest life around them. He shouldn’t have expected anything less because that was Murphy for you – loud, exuberant, and easily excitable.
“Does that mean I got the question right,” Ethan asked, the words cut off halfway through by Travis’ arms squeezing him around the waist.
“Baby, I never doubted you’d get it right,” he squealed, landing a wet, sloppy kiss on Ethan’s mouth. “Thank you.”
“Thank you for wanting me to stick around,” he responded, a lump of something in his throat making the words stick. “And now, could we possibly take this inside? I want to see this ring you swore you had.”
Travis shut him up with one last, lingering kiss before pulling away. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box and waved it in the air. “I’ve got your ring right here, smartass. If you’re nice to me, I might even let you have it when we get home.”
“Oh, there’s no doubt one of us is going to get something once we get home,” Ethan muttered, taking Travis’ arm in his hand, guiding them back towards the house. “Might just be a pop in the mouth though at the rate you’re going.”
“Yanno, this might have been the most romantic proposal,” Travis started. “No matter how hard I tried, but…”
“But it’s exactly how it needed to happen for me to even believe you were serious,” Ethan finished for him.
“Amen to that.”
Ethan skimmed his hand along the length of Travis’ bare chest, the moonlight streaming through the window glinting happily off the ring on his finger. He was still in shock that Travis had proposed, but more than anything, he was floored that he managed to keep it all to himself until the appropriate moment. Resting his head against Travis’ shoulder, he sighed, content. They’d never be able to get truly married in this state, but it didn’t actually matter after the conversation they’d had.
Apparently, Travis had already spoken to his parents and they had talked to the local pastor and convinced him to hold a ceremony if Ethan said yes. This had left him utterly speechless. As much as he loved Travis, the boy wasn’t very good at planning ahead. One thing he did have going in his favor, however, was that he had a big heart and a creative soul, and both showed very clearly in what he had done tonight. Whether their union would ever be seen as legal and binding didn’t even come into the picture because he had finally figured out where he needed to be: right here.
His hand slipped down and came to a rest just below Travis’ belly button. With a murmur, Murphy’s hand clasped his with a squeeze. “Stay,” he slurred sleepily.
“Of course I will,” he said, cuddling into the warmth of his body. I never want to leave.
Original Fic: White Pine Series
Pairing: Ethan McDowell/Travis Murphy
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 3,984
Warnings: None
Short Summary: A brief look into Travis and Ethan’s first year as a couple. More like a series of short vignettes than anything else. But hopefully they come together as a complete whole by the end.
Author’s Notes: I love these two and am glad that the June Bingo card I received guided me towards them again. The boys' story starts here, if you are so inclined. This installment starts here.
Bingo prompts used: Moonlight stroll, rings, song dedication
Late November, Thanksgiving
On a whim, Travis had decided that his mother worked too hard when it came to family meals and had offered to bake a pie for this special occasion. It was their first Thanksgiving as a couple and that meant something to him, even if it made Ethan roll his eyes. He’d never had much luck in keeping a guy around, so he had more than enough to be thankful for this year.
Travis figured he could start by showing his mother how much he appreciated all her efforts. Of course, Murphy already knew she’d have several pies of all makes and models hidden in the pantry on the off chance that his sucked royally, but he was okay with that. Chances were, his pie would bite the big one, but it was a risk he was willing to take.
Much to his surprise, Ethan hadn’t teased him once about his pie making plans. He’d even told him how sweet it was that he cared that much about his mother. In confidence, Ethan had admitted that none of his siblings would have even offered to purchase a pie, let alone go that extra step to make one from scratch.
“Not completely from scratch,” Travis had confessed. “I did buy the pie crust.”
“Can’t blame you there,” Ethan said, stealing a cinnamon and sugar coated apple from the plate beside him. “I’ve watched my grandmother make more than a few pies over the years and pie crust is a bitch.”
“You do know that this is going to be an unequivocal disaster, right?” He prayed that Ethan would disagree with him and tell him, no matter how much he felt to the contrary, that it’d be perfect in every way.
Instead, Ethan shrugged. “So what if it is? Your parents seem to enjoy that about you. Your adventurous nature and willingness to risk your neck, even if you don’t succeed.” He snitched another apple and crunched it between his teeth. “It’s all part of your charm, Murph.”
He was reaching for yet another apple slice when Travis shooed him out of the kitchen. There was barely enough time to finish the pie and get it cooled without having to make yet another trip to the store for apples. They’d already done that once, yesterday.
Amazingly enough, Travis’ apple pecan pie turned out looking almost like it should have. The edges on his crust were wonky and the crumb topping got a touch singed, but all in all, it was a huge success. It even tasted like it should have, despite the fact it wasn’t any match for his mother’s famous maple pumpkin. When he presented it to his mother upon arriving, she was ecstatic.
“I don’t know why you went through all this trouble, Travis, but I am thankful.” She’d kissed his cheek and he’d beamed with pleasure.
“Told you it would impress her,” he told Ethan after she’d carried the pie away.
“Of course she’s impressed, Murphy. It’s not like you ever cook anything fancier than a quesadilla,” Ethan teased, taking his boyfriend’s arm in his. “Let’s get to the table before your father accuses us of pushing him to the brink of starvation.”
Laughing, Travis pulled Ethan into the dining room. “Yeah, we can’t have a repeat of last Christmas now, can we?”
“What’s this talk of last Christmas?” Aracely had poked her head out of the kitchen at the sound of their voices. A hint of disdain colored her words and Ethan’s heart sank just a little.
“Nothing, mama. Just remembering how Pops thought he was going to starve if we didn’t kiss and get it over with.”
“Well, that’s okay then because your father thinks he’s always on the edge of starvation.” She pinched Travis’ cheek and then Ethan’s for good measure. “Call that Irishman to dinner, would you, Travis?”
“Of course,” he said. Stepping to the doorway separating the dining room from the living room. “Yo, Pops. Food’s on!”
“Travis Murphy, that is not what I asked you to do!” Aracely shook her head and slapped him lightly on the shoulder. “Such a bratty one, you are.”
Waiting until Mrs. Murphy’s skirt had disappeared back inside the kitchen, Ethan leaned over and whispered, “She doesn’t know the half of it, does she?”
“Not even close,” Travis agreed.
Finding their seats at the table, Travis and Ethan selected two next to each other. Ethan had been more nervous for tonight’s dinner than he had been last Christmas when they’d barely known each other. Part of him was reminded that, last winter, they hadn’t had anything to lose, either. But this Thanksgiving, everything was at stake. The Murphys had eventually warmed back up to him, in no small part due to their son’s abundant affection. He still worried, however, because he was the king of making bad choices.
Although Travis was the best choice he’d made in a long time. Even if he had to make that choice twice.
“Now Travis, I know you spent a lot of time on that pie, so I’m going to give you two boys a choice.” She looked from one to the other, ignoring her husband outright. “You can have apple pie, pumpkin pie, or cake.”
Travis blinked. “Mama? When did you start making cake for Thanksgiving dinner?”
“When we started having a birthday so close to it.” She smiled at Ethan, causing a blush to creep into his cheeks. “Pick, my boy. Cake or pie?”
Ethan glanced over at his boyfriend and chuckled. “I’m willing to bet he’s trying to find a polite way to ask for one of each.”
Aracely tsked. “I know you are right, Ethan.”
Shrugging, Travis amped his natural charm up to fifteen. “What can I say? I have a sweet tooth.”
“Yes, you do,” his mother agreed. “And you get it from your father.”
Liam narrowed his eyes at his wife. “What do you mean by that, woman?”
“That you wouldn’t worry about finding a polite way to ask, you’d simply demand a piece of each.”
“You say that like there’s something wrong with it,” he harrumphed, winking at the boys still seated at the table. Travis winked back.
“Break out the birthday cake, mama,” Travis decided for everyone. “Let’s have a party!”
By the time Ethan’s actual birthday rolled around several days later, he was as sick to death of cake as he’d ever been in his life. Aracely had insisted, despite Liam Murphy’s protests, that they should take the remainder of the cake home with them. Travis, being infested with a mouth full of sweet teeth, had giddily accepted. Even with Travis’ sugar addiction, it had taken four days to get through it all.
“What do you mean, you don’t want a cake?”
Travis stood on the kitchen side of the breakfast bar, staring. He’d tried to explain it to him several times and it just went over his head. “We’ve been eating birthday cake for days now. Buy a half gallon of ice cream and I’ll be happy.”
“It’s just not right,” Travis muttered, going back to his perusal of the kitchen cupboards. “I’ll see what the store has when I’m in town. Maybe they’ll have something interesting.”
He could live with that. What he couldn’t do was face one more square of cake, no matter how delicious. “Just get us food, Murph. The rest can wait.”
Travis winked lewdly at him. “Don’t worry about that. I’ve got everything we need to feed that beautiful body of yours on my list.”
And in your pants, too, I’m sure. But he kept that to himself for now. If he even started to mention that, Travis would never get out the door and to the store. Judging by the looks of the sky outside, he needed to get going soon. “Travis, are you about ready to go? I don’t like the look of those clouds looming overhead.”
“Nice adjective, detective,” Travis teased. “And what’s the matter? You afraid of being snowed in with me?”
Ethan waved a hand in the air dismissively. “Been there, done that, remember? It’s the empty pantry that concerns me.” He started to walk away, stopping as something hit the back of his memory. “This is just a little bit of déjà vu, don’t you think?”
Closing the cabinet behind him, Travis looked up. “How so?”
“The day we met, I was on foot patrol letting all you hermits out here in the woods know you’d better stock your shelves before the storm hit, remember?”
A slow smile crept across Travis’ face. “Yeah, I remember wondering why the hell I kept baiting you every time I opened my mouth.”
“Have to say, I wondered the same thing myself. You have a very odd way of flirting sometimes.” Leaning across the breakfast bar, Ethan grinned. “Odd, but endearing.”
“So happy you approve,” he laughed. “Okay. I’ve got the list ready. I’ll be back in an hour, barring any snow or long-winded townspeople.” Travis moved into the dining room and gave his boyfriend a loud smack on the cheek.
Wiping the spit off his face, Ethan grimaced. “Could you not. If you’re going to kiss me, then kiss me.”
Sighing, Travis leaned in and pressed his lips gently against Ethan’s, a brief touch of their mouths, before pulling away. “Better?”
“Too short, but much less messy, thank you.” Patting Travis affectionately on the chest, he reminded him, “You’d better go. It’s rapidly approaching dinnertime and you promised me a meal.”
“That I did, birthday boy.” With a last, quick kiss, Travis disappeared into the garage and into town.
Dinner was a disaster. Travis meant well, and he really did try his hardest. The trouble was that his creative nature made following directions difficult for him. Difficult being the understatement of the year as far as his lover was concerned. Ethan still wasn’t sure exactly where Travis had taken the wrong turn, but it had ended in a hail of fury and flame.
Travis looked up from the burnt dinner and frowned. “You want me to order a pizza?”
Ethan shook his head. “No, it’s not a big deal, really. But really… what happened?”
“Uh…” Travis looked away, an embarrassed blush rising to his cheeks. “I had this idea and I thought –”
Suddenly, it all made sense. “And you thought you’d get it on paper before you forgot, didn’t you?”
He still wouldn’t look at him. “Maybe.”
“You are so goddamn predictable,” Ethan chuckled, curling himself against Travis’ side. “I like that about you.”
“Even when I burn dinner because LaWanda was being demanding?” He leaned into Ethan’s embrace.
“Even when, you nut.” Tilting his head upwards for a kiss, he snagged his boyfriend’s mouth for a quick moment before letting go with a reluctant sigh. “How about a couple of your famous quesadillas and a beer?”
“And then pie,” Travis added, wistfully. “I bought it already made so there’s no chance of my burning it, too.”
He tried not to laugh and lost. “Oh, you could still drop it, you klutz. But I have faith.”
Travis gave him a playful push and picked up the pan containing the incinerated remains of the chicken he’d hoped to serve Ethan, tossing it into the trash, cooking vessel and all. “You are so lucky it’s your birthday, McDowell or I might have to hurt you.”
“Aw,” he teased. “You’re too much of a big softie to ever hurt me.” He liked it that way, too. Wouldn’t have him any other way.
“Maybe, but I’m still kicking your scrawny ass out of my kitchen until I’ve got these quesadillas made, so get.”
“Okay, okay, I’m getting,” Ethan said, scooting until he was on the dining room side of the breakfast bar. “Although, this time, I’m going to make sure LaWanda doesn’t lead you astray. I’m starving!”
Ignoring him, Travis gathered what he needed and set about making the kind of meal he was proficient at – the kind that didn’t take a long attention span. Within minutes, he presented his lover with a plate containing an oozing, gooey cheese-filled tortilla, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and some reheated rice and beans, courtesy of Aracely Murphy’s take out service. “There, birthday boy. Eat up.”
“Not until you have yours,” he stated. “Besides, this would be so much better if consumed on the couch, under a blanket, don’t you think?”
The smile that crossed Travis’ face in that moment said it all. “Hell yeah, baby. Lead the way.”
Late December – Christmas Eve
He’d never been known for his romantic side, although he had a great knack for creating fictional romances between his detectives and various others. However, since meeting Ethan, he’d been working on that, not that any of it actually mattered to the extremely un-romantic detective. Didn’t mean it would hurt to try, either.
First, Travis had tried a song dedication during the overnight radio program they both listened to while separated by work, Ethan at the station and Murphy stuck at home. After trying to decide on the perfect song for four hours, he’d stumbled across the one he thought fit them the best and ran with it. He wasn’t sure if Hunter Hayes would appreciate him sending a song out to his exceedingly masculine lover, but the idea that he wanted something as crazy as their relationship had been simply felt right.
It had been an epic failure as it turned out to be the busiest night ever in the history of the White Pine sheriff’s office. When Ethan stumbled through the door at nearly nine o’clock the next morning, he confessed he hadn’t even had a chance to turn the radio on before the craziness began. Travis decided not to mention the dedication, knowing it’d only make Ethan feel bad when it hadn’t been his fault.
The next attempt was a love note written on the napkin he’d stuffed into Ethan’s lunch one night. Oddly enough, it hadn’t ever occurred to him that the recipient of such a love note might not think to actually read his napkin before wiping his face with it. The smudges of ink that rubbed off onto Ethan’s face were the only clue that something other than his meal had been on the paper stuck between his chips and sandwich.
Eventually, Travis settled on a foolproof plan that he later realized could fail in a very horrible fashion. But on the other hand, at least he’d make his feelings for that boy known, no matter the outcome. And he had set his plan in motion for midnight on Christmas Eve.
Wandering out of his home office, Travis plopped down on the couch where Ethan sat reading the latest installment in the life of a dark elf in Icewind Dale. “Hey baby, you still up?”
Flipping the cover closed on his Kindle, Ethan nodded. “So used to being up all night for one reason or another,” here he gave Travis a meaningful look, “that sleep wasn’t an option. Tried to nap and it was futile.”
“So you’re reading?” They’d had many conversations since the night they met about Ethan’s reading habits. While he didn’t mind police procedurals, his heart was with epic fantasies. Travis had joked about creating a half-elf detective with a dwarf for a partner, asking Ethan if he’d read something like that. Ethan had shaken his head and walked away.
“Yeah, figured I’d get caught up while you were working on the next New York Times best seller.”
“You are such a flatterer,” he teased, silently preening at the compliment. “How about we take a walk?”
“Now?” Ethan set his e-reader on the end table by his elbow. “It’s almost midnight, Travis. And it’s cold outside. I think we got a foot of snow today.”
Travis waved a dismissive hand. “I scoped out our favorite path this afternoon, hoping to take a walk with you earlier, and it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. Passable. But before we could get out of the house, I kinda got wrapped up…”
“You could say that, but I think you fell through the rabbit hole myself.” He gave his boyfriend a playful shoulder bump to show he was kidding.
“C’mon, McDowell. Where’s your sense of adventure?”
He pointed at his Kindle. “It’s in there. It’s safer it stays in there, too.”
Travis pouted. He knew Ethan couldn’t stand it when he pouted, said he looked entirely too adorable with that lip protruding like it had a wont to. “So no walk?”
Ethan glared at him for a few minutes and Travis could almost hear the internal debate he was having with himself. “Argh! Alright, let me get my damn jacket, you pain in the ass.”
“Hey now, it’s Christmas,” he reminded him. “And get your boots, too. It’s rather wet out there.”
There wasn’t any denying it. He was a sucker for those goddamn big blue eyes of Travis’. All he had to do was push that beautiful bottom lip out and turn those eyes on him and he’d rob a bank for the jerk. It was how he often wound up having sex in precarious places, eating more junk food than a person needed, and falling party to his crazy ideas. Currently, it was also how he found himself walking in the snow at nearly midnight on Christmas Eve.
Travis had looped his arm through his, hugging it close to his body as they walked the moonlit path to the lake. If they hadn’t been forced to wear gloves – ones thick enough to make anything difficult – they might have even held hands like usual, but no dice this go round. He could see the moon’s rays glinting off the soft ripples in the lake’s surface. The bare trees surrounding them where coated in snow, creating a starkly beautiful scene before them.
“Wow,” Ethan breathed, unaware he’d even spoken.
“Gorgeous, isn’t it?” Travis slowed and stopped near the edge of the lake, looking out across its expanse. “I’m not sure I’ve ever come out here in the middle of the winter, but I’ve made many late night excursions during the summertime. Great way to get my head clear so I can focus on work again.”
“I can only imagine. Even as cold as it is, this was worth the walk.”
Slipping his arm out of his lover’s, Travis turned to face him. Checking his watch he studied Ethan before speaking. “I’m glad to hear you say that, because I have something to ask that might just ruin the whole evening.”
“Travis? What are you babbling about?” Ethan reached out for him, concern rising every second.
“Well, let’s just say that my timing probably could have been better and really, those gloves aren’t going to help much but still – it’s officially Christmas, baby.”
Ethan grinned. “Merry Christmas, Travis.”
“Merry Christmas, Ethan,” he returned. “It is also officially the one year anniversary of our first date.”
“Our non-date,” he teased, touching Travis’ coat sleeve with a gloved hand.
“That turned into a very real night,” he added. “Which brings me to my question.”
“Fire away, Murph. Because if you wait too much longer, my lips might freeze shut and you’ll have to defrost me before I can answer.”
A nervous chuckle rattled loose. “I’d really hate for that to happen. What I want to know is if you’d ever consider marrying me.”
What did he just say? Ethan was certain he’d misheard Travis. “What was that? It sure sounded like you just proposed to me.”
“I did,” Travis said, looking away. “I even have a ring in my pocket but, well, it’s rather cold out and I think trying to get you out of your gloves would be an impossible task right now.”
“Travis, you know I love you, right?” He cringed internally as the words left his mouth. It wasn’t the best way to get it out in the open for the first time, but there it was. Too late to take it back now.
“Riiight,” he said, the wariness weighing heavily in his voice, warring with that eternal optimism of his.
“So, you do realize that this is Utah and we have less chance of actually getting married here than pretty much anywhere else in the country?”
This made Travis laugh heartily, the sound of it rattled the skeleton trees overhead. “Yeah, believe me, I’ve lived in this state all my life, I get it. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still make the commitment.”
“It sure doesn’t,” he agreed, moving closer to Travis. Placing the palms of his hands against his boyfriend’s chest, Ethan leaned in, a breath away from Murphy’s lips. “I would be honored.”
The whoop of joy that came out of Travis’ mouth next not only spoiled the beauty of the moment, but it startled a group of birds huddled together in a nearby tree. Their squawks combined with Travis’ triumphant shouts and woke half the forest life around them. He shouldn’t have expected anything less because that was Murphy for you – loud, exuberant, and easily excitable.
“Does that mean I got the question right,” Ethan asked, the words cut off halfway through by Travis’ arms squeezing him around the waist.
“Baby, I never doubted you’d get it right,” he squealed, landing a wet, sloppy kiss on Ethan’s mouth. “Thank you.”
“Thank you for wanting me to stick around,” he responded, a lump of something in his throat making the words stick. “And now, could we possibly take this inside? I want to see this ring you swore you had.”
Travis shut him up with one last, lingering kiss before pulling away. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box and waved it in the air. “I’ve got your ring right here, smartass. If you’re nice to me, I might even let you have it when we get home.”
“Oh, there’s no doubt one of us is going to get something once we get home,” Ethan muttered, taking Travis’ arm in his hand, guiding them back towards the house. “Might just be a pop in the mouth though at the rate you’re going.”
“Yanno, this might have been the most romantic proposal,” Travis started. “No matter how hard I tried, but…”
“But it’s exactly how it needed to happen for me to even believe you were serious,” Ethan finished for him.
“Amen to that.”
Ethan skimmed his hand along the length of Travis’ bare chest, the moonlight streaming through the window glinting happily off the ring on his finger. He was still in shock that Travis had proposed, but more than anything, he was floored that he managed to keep it all to himself until the appropriate moment. Resting his head against Travis’ shoulder, he sighed, content. They’d never be able to get truly married in this state, but it didn’t actually matter after the conversation they’d had.
Apparently, Travis had already spoken to his parents and they had talked to the local pastor and convinced him to hold a ceremony if Ethan said yes. This had left him utterly speechless. As much as he loved Travis, the boy wasn’t very good at planning ahead. One thing he did have going in his favor, however, was that he had a big heart and a creative soul, and both showed very clearly in what he had done tonight. Whether their union would ever be seen as legal and binding didn’t even come into the picture because he had finally figured out where he needed to be: right here.
His hand slipped down and came to a rest just below Travis’ belly button. With a murmur, Murphy’s hand clasped his with a squeeze. “Stay,” he slurred sleepily.
“Of course I will,” he said, cuddling into the warmth of his body. I never want to leave.
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Date: 2014-07-15 11:02 pm (UTC)Okay, my favorite scene of course was the winter walk. Hah, and thanks to last winter - I could picture it vividly with the skeleton trees and snow clinging on every branch.
I love the dialogue that you make seem so easy between them. I know that nothing about this process is easy, however, but you make it roll out that way, which is a huge feat!
I think another reason I love this series is the underlying theme of food to satisfy the lover's soul. Hey, I can't help it. That's a huge weakness for me.
Thank you for continuing this series! (for me, heh...:)
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Date: 2014-07-16 06:12 pm (UTC)Okay - so that the walk was the best part makes me happy because, well, I have zero experience with snow! Although a few of your pics from this past winter helped inspire me.
Thank you! It's not though, is it? Some days it flows, other days it's a fight to get every last word out. Thankfully, with these two, it tends to go a bit easier.
That could possibly be because I do the majority of my writing in the late afternoon, between 2 and 4 PM, when I'm hungriest. :) But seriously, food is love and it's such a large part of our lives that it ought to be part of theirs, too. Oh, and well, I simply like to eat.
Thank you for reading and giving me a reason to continue (for you, hah!). :)