bingo fills: cowgirls
summary: Minseok loves a good drive, but it's always nice to come home. cowgirls au minseok/jongdae.
word count: 3,700 words
a/n: for the femmexo bingo challenge. I love this one, but it's too long. despite the initial plan to write 29 fics (I was going to hit the free space 5 times and fill it each of those times), these are all the fills I've finished -- but I'll try to wrap up and edit as many of the numerous prompts I've got outlines and half-finished drafts for as I can even after the Dec 31 deadline. also I tried a new format which might become a regular thing around here, but I'm not sure yet.
“Look,” Minseok says a few miles out from the town. Her blood is thrumming, because the buildings on the near horizon mean a lot of good things: a bath, a bed, and better company. The best company, honestly. “I don't want to say it, but apparently if I don't you act up: no trouble.”
Baekhyun looks over with an expression that’s something similar to taking offense, except Minseok knows for a fact that Baekhyun rarely takes offense to anything. “What? When have I - ”
Minseok sends her a look. “Seriously?”
Baekhyun laughs but she cowers a little, even though Baekhyun's not close enough for Minseok to try and kick her off her horse like she usually does when Baekhyun’s being ridiculous in the highest order. “Okay okay, no bounty chasing, and no bar fights. I promise to lay low, mom.”
Minseok nods and ignores the barb. “We're here to rest, okay? When we pick up another contract and hit the trail again, you've got months to be a hoodlum. But for now we are resting.”
Baekhyun laughs again, and Minseok can tell it's her ‘I'm rolling my eyes except I don't roll my eyes at you Minseok but if I did I would be doing it right now’ laugh. Minseok just rolls her eyes - because she has no qualms about doing that at Baekhyun - and pats her horse on the neck. Her horse, Baozi, gently whickers, and Minseok can tell she recognizes the town too. Minseok smiles a little wider to herself.
+++
Without Jongdae, Minseok would have never gotten in on the cattle drive business. In an industry full of connections and built primarily on trusting that you can get from one end of the trail to another with as many cattle as possible still intact, it's hard to shoehorn in as a newbie.
When Minseok was still struggling and picking up crappy jobs for crappy pay, she happened to bump into Jongdae and then accidentally charmed her into a free hot meal without meaning to. Sitting on a stool in the back of a toasty kitchen, Minseok had told Jongdae her story of trying to make a name for herself and how it just wasn't working out like she hoped. Still accidentally charming Jongdae, apparently, Jongdae then decided to introduce her to Baekhyun - who she's known since childhood - and wrangle the two of them a mediocre contract to get some backing to their name. The rest just fell into place, and now Minseok's reputation out on the trail is as one of the best and most reliable cowhands you can hire.
Baekhyun calls Jongdae ‘just a barmaid’, but Jongdae’s the daughter of a hotel mogul, and he owns half the rest stops out on trail. Baekhyun herself is from a family of both herders and drivers - hilariously enough her mother, from a long line of legendary of cattle drivers, switched over to raising cattle; her father is from a family with a legacy of raising quality cattle to send to market, and he switched to driving. The two of them met on some exchange of livestock and some things led to another.
What that all means, though, is that Baekhyun's one of the most qualified cowgirls out there. She’s been trained from near birth how to raise, nurture, lead, and appraise cattle. Her skill combined with both her family names means picking up contracts and haggling for good market prices for their cattle is easier than it is for most. The hardest part is the reason Baekhyun was running the trail solo, and the reason she wasn't cashing in on her connections before Minseok came along and Jongdae paired them together: Baekhyun's a wild child.
“ - and then she cracked the bottle over the guy’s head,” Minseok tells Jongdae from where she's leaning against the wall, watching Jongdae pet her horse while Baozi leisurely eats. Baozi is loving the attention - and the fresh hay after months on the trail working.
Baekhyun's horse, Beef (named as such because Baekhyun thinks it's hilarious - “we're cowgirls, come on - ”), is already watered, fed, and asleep in the corner of her stall, completely at ease. Jongdae's place is second home for the girls - is a second home for Minseok and Baekhyun as well. Is really almost a first and only home for Minseok by this point.
Jongdae is laughing brightly. “Does she at least share the bounty prizes she just randomly picks up? I swear, she’s been doing that since the second she hit of age to legally do it - ”
Minseok shrugs. “No, I let her keep it for herself - she likes to use it to hit the casinos sometimes.” Minseok stretches her neck, rolling it slowly to pop out the kinks. The first day on leisure is always weird, unfamiliar to the point of being just short of unsettling.
“But,” Minseok says, an amused smile slowly overtaking her face - because Baekhyun’s weird and ridiculous but Minseok likes that about her most days. “Baekhyun also uses the money on inn fees and to refill our supplies sometimes without saying anything, so I guess she tries to give me a cut without me asking for it. I mean, it’s her business endeavor, so to speak, so she can do whatever she wants with the money. I rarely help out - besides her using me as a decoy or as bait without telling me that she’s doing that.”
Jongdae laughs again and leaves the horses to inch up next to Minseok. “Well, if you want to talk business, Lu Han's in town and she's got some jobs lined up for you.” Jongdae’s grinning. “And you know the second she heard last month that you’d be back soon, she started hoarding the good contracts just for you.”
Minseok laughs, and lifts her arm as Jongdae tries to fit herself up against Minseok in that old, familiar way. “Good old Lu Han. I'll check with her in the morning or maybe the next couple of days. Wanted to give the horses at least a week to recuperate.”
Jongdae hums. “Give yourself enough time to recuperate too, please.”
Minseok pauses for a moment, then looks over at Jongdae with a raised eyebrow. “Is that code for something?”
Jongdae grins up at her. “Not unless you want it to be. I wouldn't say no to - ” she pauses to flutter her eyelashes. “Having your company tonight.”
Minseok laughingly groans. “Well, that's certainly a line.”
Jongdae laughs too. “It certainly is.”
+++
Baekhyun indirectly gets them woken up in the middle of the night by breaking the front window of a supplies shop while fighting with some guy.
Later Jongdae will get the whole story unsnarled and explain it to Minseok (“There was banker cheating people out of their money and he pissed off our lovely schoolmarm Junmyeon into calling a hit on the guy to get him forcibly hauled in to the sheriff’s.” And all Minseok can think to reply with is, “Junmyeon's going to be angry when she finds out you keep calling her a schoolmarm behind her back.”). But at the three am of right now, Minseok is grumbling as Jongdae rolls away from up against her with a groan, taking her warmth with her.
“What was that, Sehun?” Jongdae's asking, words slurring with sleep. Minseok slips out of bed and stretches, easily waking up because this is her life: being woken up at absurd hours because of Baekhyun.
Sehun, a sullen-looking girl - who is a part-time barmaid, most-time student and lives in one of the vacant rooms because her family sent her out here for an education (and Jongdae's got a soft spot for the entire world basically and shows it by trying to house and feed everyone she can manage) - shrugs. “There was some scuffle, and I overheard Baekhyun was involved? Someone from law enforcement is at the door.”
Jongdae groans. “Ugh, forget this, you two need to leave town immediately. I can’t believe I didn’t remember that I get no sleep when Baekhyun's around.”
“Do you really even get sleep anyway with all the sex you're having once Minseok's in town?” Sehun mutters not at all quietly.
Jongdae sighs and shoos Sehun away with her hands. “Tiny children with school in the morning should be in bed.”
Sehun makes an even more scowl-y face than usual, but obediently leaves. Minseok thinks she’s actually mostly a sweetheart beneath her pinched default expression.
But right: Baekhyun. Minseok sighs and tosses Jongdae a shawl from the wardrobe in the corner of the room. “Okay, come on. Let's go bail Baekhyun out of trouble in our nightgowns.”
+++
“I just don't get why you're fussing at me,” Baekhyun whines. “If I was with Kyungsoo - ”
Minseok scoffs. “Then you would have been choked to death before we even got to the jailhouse. Also, I know where you're going with that and yes: if you were with Kyungsoo she would have actually murdered the guy, not just roughed him up and scared him into giving the money back.”
Baekhyun makes a noise of triumph. “Exactly! Crisis averted, am I right?”
Minseok sends her another one of those no-nonsense looks. “But you're not with Kyungsoo, and your inability to control the people you get into hunts with out on the trail has no bearing on you breaking a window and causing general unrest when you promised me to lay low.”
Minseok pauses and, upon seeing how Baekhyun is actually wilting under the weight of Minseok's words, decides to throw her a bone - because she’s not really angry, it’s just important that Baekhyun gets regularly reminded that she can’t charm her way out of everything. “...I heard you used Kyungsoo's reputation to threaten him, though. Losing your touch?”
Jongdae chokes on her spit laughing at the 'not quite a glare because you just posted my bail but I'm thinking about being an ungrateful little shit anyway' look Baekhyun sends Minseok.
“Sorry that I'm not the one with a ‘frigid bitch from the badlands’ rep like Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says pointedly. “Since I’m not from the badlands and I don't murder people left and right like Kyungsoo does.”
Minseok snickers and Baekhyun scrunches up her nose. “It was an effective scare tactic, shut up.”
Honestly, in a sense Minseok can't wait till they're out on a job again, because usually they bump into and run a good stretch of the trail with familiar faces, like Kyungsoo - and like Chanyeol. Minseok likes running jobs alongside Chanyeol especially, because not only is she laidback but she gets along right as rain with Baekhyun. This is good for Minseok because the two of them have absurd adventures together that burn out and run their course by the time it all gets back to her, just a story on the wind, a tale of horror that Minseok can shake her head at and tell the two of them that she's glad they survived it.
But as Jongdae slips her hand into Minseok and rests her chin on Minseok's shoulder, she also kind of dreads leaving this sort of intimate touch behind. She misses Jongdae out on the trail, and that emotion wells up so suddenly and intensely within her at this moment that Minseok ducks down to carefully kiss Jongdae with all the tenderness in the world.
(“I did manage to fuck up my favorite knife though,” Baekhyun laments as they sit in the kitchen and watch Jongdae boil milk on the stove to make cocoa. Baekhyun's curled up in Sehun's lap because Sehun, for all that she looks standoffish, is actually a cuddly, gangly child who basks in affection. “And we're not gonna get back to Yifan's until like two months from now at the soonest - I mean, if we even pick up a job within the week.”
She eyes the way Jongdae has Minseok trapped between herself and the stove, arms reaching around Minseok in a loose hug slung along her hips as Jongdae stirs the saucepan of milk. “And I doubt we're doing that.”
Minseok shrugs, and melds herself into the warmth of Jongdae against her back. “Should have thought about that before using your ‘favorite knife’ to pick locks. Go to a blacksmith here in town to get a replacement that'll hold you over until we get back on that end of the trail.”
Baekhyun groans, but from the years of experience and exposure, Minseok can tell that she’s mostly just doing it for show.)
+++
Lu Han's got a lot of nice jobs lined up for them when Minseok checks with her, and couple of them overlap in ways that means they can take on maybe two or three and multi-task without it being too out of the way for them.
“You outdid yourself this time,” Minseok tells her bright-eyed, cheery friend. “Seriously Lu Han, thank you.”
Lu Han grins and reaches over to pat Minseok on the cheek. “You know I only love you in this whole wide world.”
Minseok snorts. “Uh-huh. That's why you've got me passing love telegrams on to Yixing at the halfway point, sure.”
Lu Han shrugs. “Love telegrams, all the juicy gossip on this side of the wastelands in code, it's all the same.” Lu Han looks suddenly and ridiculously affronted. “Do you want Yixing's saloon to languish? Being an informant is an important part of the trade and - ”
Minseok puts her hand over the entirety of Lu Han's ridiculous face. “Be quiet, you're making me regret talking to you.”
Lu Han laughs and pushes Minseok's hand off her face. “You love me, I know your true feelings.” And Minseok makes a huge show of rolling her eyes at Lu Han.
Lu Han waves a dismissive hand, though she noticeably sobers a little. “Hey, but I tried to get you stuff that didn't have to be started immediately. That really nice stint with the railroad baroness? She shouldn’t get here with her cattle until a week and a half from now at the earliest. Everything else is mostly do it as you go.”
The way Lu Han's looking at her, all sincere and gentle, makes Minseok's heart thump traitorously. Makes Minseok think of Jongdae and the long months ahead that she won't get to wake up to Jongdae's drooling face and cold feet pressed to her legs. How she won't get to hear Jongdae's voice and the numerous random shrieking noises she makes throughout the day, or that Minseok won't even get to know what Jongdae's been up to until she gets to their final destination and can pick up all the letters Jongdae's sent ahead of time. Those letters are really the only thing that'll tide Minseok over when they start the ride back towards their neck of the woods, miles and miles (and miles and miles and miles) away.
“You're making me miss her when I'm still here,” Minseok says quietly, more honest about how she feels about it all with Lu Han than with anyone (even Jongdae, when it means making Jongdae smile and forget the hard part of their being in love). “Geez, I'm going soft.”
Lu Han smiles carefully and pats Minseok on the cheek once more, fingers lingering this time. “I think you were always this soft, when it comes to the people you care about.”
Minseok lets out a small laugh that means nothing but acquiescence, and she playfully puts her hand over Lu Han's face again.
+++
Tao the railroad baroness gets into town later than expected at two and a half weeks later, which is lovely because Minseok and Jongdae have plenty of time to catch up. They go on dates and hold hands and kiss and Minseok just unwinds the whole time. Eats lots of fresh and homemade food that's not dried and not preserved and not salted to high heavens, reads books, sleeps in.
Baekhyun keeps true to her word and lays low for the most part, though this is less because of any promises to Minseok and more because her family catches wind of her being in town and makes her stay at their family ranch. She actually can't act out as much as she pretends she can under the supervision of her parents and older sister - and plus Baekhyun enjoys being babied by her family, despite any initial protests she lodges beforehand.
Unfortunately, Tao’s late arrival and the long vacation also means getting ready to leave is that much harder. Minseok finds herself dragging her feet when she goes shopping for supplies, is only half-heartedly paying attention when meeting with Tao to mark off on the map acceptable routes for the herd to take.
“I was told,” Tao says. “That you and your partner are some of the best in the business, and since my cows usually only travel by train car I wanted this first time to go smoothly…”
Minseok senses a contradiction coming up, and Baekhyun clearly does too. She perks up and says, “But what? You having doubts?”
Tao taps her gloved fingers against the table, the black lace muffling the sharp staccato against the wood, and she purses her lips thoughtfully. “I don't want to have doubts. You just seem…reluctant. And I'm told only newbies have their own doubts about the safety of the job.”
Baekhyun looks ready to say something they'll both probably regret, so Minseok cuts in. “It's not related to the job. The job will go fine, I promise you.”
Minseok's got her game and business face on now, so Tao seems to reconsider after watching her carefully for a long moment. “Alright,” Tao says primly, fingers stilling. “It’d better.”
Minseok's got to get it together, because this is the job and this is the life.
+++
As their day of departure gets closer, Minseok gets oddly calmer. The inevitability of it must be the reason why, she thinks. Jongdae smiles more and lets Minseok out of her sight less, but other than that seems to be coming to terms with the inevitable as well.
“I'm going to miss this,” Jongdae does whisper to her on their last night together, as she kisses her way along the insides of Minseok's thighs.
Minseok laughs - then gasps when Jongdae reaches her destination. “What,” she manages to say in between panting. “Eating me out?”
Jongdae makes a noise of disbelief, but then she's licking deftly into Minseok and Minseok's gone.
It's not until after she comes, shuddering against Jongdae's mouth, that Jongdae resurfaces and says, “Stupid, I'm going to miss all of you - and all the ways I get to remind you that you’re mine.”
Minseok's heart twists on itself, and she's already counting the days until she can come back.
“Shush,” Minseok murmurs. “And get up here so I can finger you until you scream.”
Jongdae beams at the prospect.
+++
They hit the trail again with Tao's cattle - and personal frontier doctor - in tow.
Baekhyun is not happy about this sleepy-eyed Jongin, who Tao pushed on them with the utmost concern for her herd as a stipulation for them taking the job. “I know full well how to treat sick cattle, her distrust is a fucking insult.”
But Minseok doesn't mind her. Jongin mentioned during their initial introductions to one another that she's got a pretty good foundation in human doctoring as well, and Minseok foresees that as being pretty helpful somewhere down the line.
“Tao just wants to make sure things go well,” Minseok reminds her. “She was talking about newbies being doubtful - you know how first time patrons get scared to death about the risks.” Minseok jerks her head subtly back at Jongin, following them at a few paces behind the herd on her horse, named Kai apparently, and bringing up the rear pretty nicely for a non-cattle driver. “Jongin's a familiar correspondence and knows the herd's health tendencies. She'll keep Tao calm, and take some of the work off your hands.”
Baekhyun grumbles but falls mostly quiet, eyes roaming over the lumbering cattle.
Minseok reaches out with her foot and nudges Baekhyun's horse in the side gently, and Beef snorts quietly in response. “But stop whining and get back to your post to steer the herd. And anyway, bet money you'll love Jongin before we even hit Yifan's to fix up your knife.”
Baekhyun shoots Minseok a shifty-eyed glance, like she's trying to see if there's a catch. Minseok only raises her eyebrows and widens her eyes disarmingly.
“Bet money, then,” Baekhyun replies swiftly as she pulls on Beef's reins to return to the other side of the herd. “We'll talk specifics over dinner,” she calls over her shoulder.
Minseok notices that Jongin's watching them with quiet and subdued interest, and it makes her smile. The girl is young, but mature and seems amiable. She'll make good company once she opens up to them, more than likely.
The open sky before them, familiar smells and sounds of the cattle, and the promise of a good hard drive have all got Minseok excited. She remembers the last kiss she shared with Jongdae, their bed warm and Jongdae's lips pliant beneath hers as they whispered their goodbyes to one another, and it all makes the journey somehow seem even more worth it. She's got someone to come back to, after all.
(Minseok wins that bet with Baekhyun, when Jongin turns out to have a pretty decent rapport with Kyungsoo from way back: apparently Jongin's a badlands kid too, but got a lucky break and then got out to study medicine.
Jongin calls in a favor when Baekhyun and Chanyeol try to take on an escaped convict and it all somehow goes horribly wrong until Kyungsoo shows up and saves the day. Minseok isn't entirely sure of the whats and wheres and hows and whys - because this all happened in the dark of night while Minseok was sleeping, as per usual - but she gets the details while Jongin silently fixes Baekhyun up with some pretty quality stitches and Chanyeol invites herself to the breakfast that Kyungsoo graciously cooks for them over the campfire. Baekhyun warms up to Jongin pretty much immediately after that, and Minseok can only roll her eyes and collect her money.
It's all absurd, Minseok thinks, but this is the life.)
word count: 3,700 words
a/n: for the femmexo bingo challenge. I love this one, but it's too long. despite the initial plan to write 29 fics (I was going to hit the free space 5 times and fill it each of those times), these are all the fills I've finished -- but I'll try to wrap up and edit as many of the numerous prompts I've got outlines and half-finished drafts for as I can even after the Dec 31 deadline. also I tried a new format which might become a regular thing around here, but I'm not sure yet.
“Look,” Minseok says a few miles out from the town. Her blood is thrumming, because the buildings on the near horizon mean a lot of good things: a bath, a bed, and better company. The best company, honestly. “I don't want to say it, but apparently if I don't you act up: no trouble.”
Baekhyun looks over with an expression that’s something similar to taking offense, except Minseok knows for a fact that Baekhyun rarely takes offense to anything. “What? When have I - ”
Minseok sends her a look. “Seriously?”
Baekhyun laughs but she cowers a little, even though Baekhyun's not close enough for Minseok to try and kick her off her horse like she usually does when Baekhyun’s being ridiculous in the highest order. “Okay okay, no bounty chasing, and no bar fights. I promise to lay low, mom.”
Minseok nods and ignores the barb. “We're here to rest, okay? When we pick up another contract and hit the trail again, you've got months to be a hoodlum. But for now we are resting.”
Baekhyun laughs again, and Minseok can tell it's her ‘I'm rolling my eyes except I don't roll my eyes at you Minseok but if I did I would be doing it right now’ laugh. Minseok just rolls her eyes - because she has no qualms about doing that at Baekhyun - and pats her horse on the neck. Her horse, Baozi, gently whickers, and Minseok can tell she recognizes the town too. Minseok smiles a little wider to herself.
+++
Without Jongdae, Minseok would have never gotten in on the cattle drive business. In an industry full of connections and built primarily on trusting that you can get from one end of the trail to another with as many cattle as possible still intact, it's hard to shoehorn in as a newbie.
When Minseok was still struggling and picking up crappy jobs for crappy pay, she happened to bump into Jongdae and then accidentally charmed her into a free hot meal without meaning to. Sitting on a stool in the back of a toasty kitchen, Minseok had told Jongdae her story of trying to make a name for herself and how it just wasn't working out like she hoped. Still accidentally charming Jongdae, apparently, Jongdae then decided to introduce her to Baekhyun - who she's known since childhood - and wrangle the two of them a mediocre contract to get some backing to their name. The rest just fell into place, and now Minseok's reputation out on the trail is as one of the best and most reliable cowhands you can hire.
Baekhyun calls Jongdae ‘just a barmaid’, but Jongdae’s the daughter of a hotel mogul, and he owns half the rest stops out on trail. Baekhyun herself is from a family of both herders and drivers - hilariously enough her mother, from a long line of legendary of cattle drivers, switched over to raising cattle; her father is from a family with a legacy of raising quality cattle to send to market, and he switched to driving. The two of them met on some exchange of livestock and some things led to another.
What that all means, though, is that Baekhyun's one of the most qualified cowgirls out there. She’s been trained from near birth how to raise, nurture, lead, and appraise cattle. Her skill combined with both her family names means picking up contracts and haggling for good market prices for their cattle is easier than it is for most. The hardest part is the reason Baekhyun was running the trail solo, and the reason she wasn't cashing in on her connections before Minseok came along and Jongdae paired them together: Baekhyun's a wild child.
“ - and then she cracked the bottle over the guy’s head,” Minseok tells Jongdae from where she's leaning against the wall, watching Jongdae pet her horse while Baozi leisurely eats. Baozi is loving the attention - and the fresh hay after months on the trail working.
Baekhyun's horse, Beef (named as such because Baekhyun thinks it's hilarious - “we're cowgirls, come on - ”), is already watered, fed, and asleep in the corner of her stall, completely at ease. Jongdae's place is second home for the girls - is a second home for Minseok and Baekhyun as well. Is really almost a first and only home for Minseok by this point.
Jongdae is laughing brightly. “Does she at least share the bounty prizes she just randomly picks up? I swear, she’s been doing that since the second she hit of age to legally do it - ”
Minseok shrugs. “No, I let her keep it for herself - she likes to use it to hit the casinos sometimes.” Minseok stretches her neck, rolling it slowly to pop out the kinks. The first day on leisure is always weird, unfamiliar to the point of being just short of unsettling.
“But,” Minseok says, an amused smile slowly overtaking her face - because Baekhyun’s weird and ridiculous but Minseok likes that about her most days. “Baekhyun also uses the money on inn fees and to refill our supplies sometimes without saying anything, so I guess she tries to give me a cut without me asking for it. I mean, it’s her business endeavor, so to speak, so she can do whatever she wants with the money. I rarely help out - besides her using me as a decoy or as bait without telling me that she’s doing that.”
Jongdae laughs again and leaves the horses to inch up next to Minseok. “Well, if you want to talk business, Lu Han's in town and she's got some jobs lined up for you.” Jongdae’s grinning. “And you know the second she heard last month that you’d be back soon, she started hoarding the good contracts just for you.”
Minseok laughs, and lifts her arm as Jongdae tries to fit herself up against Minseok in that old, familiar way. “Good old Lu Han. I'll check with her in the morning or maybe the next couple of days. Wanted to give the horses at least a week to recuperate.”
Jongdae hums. “Give yourself enough time to recuperate too, please.”
Minseok pauses for a moment, then looks over at Jongdae with a raised eyebrow. “Is that code for something?”
Jongdae grins up at her. “Not unless you want it to be. I wouldn't say no to - ” she pauses to flutter her eyelashes. “Having your company tonight.”
Minseok laughingly groans. “Well, that's certainly a line.”
Jongdae laughs too. “It certainly is.”
+++
Baekhyun indirectly gets them woken up in the middle of the night by breaking the front window of a supplies shop while fighting with some guy.
Later Jongdae will get the whole story unsnarled and explain it to Minseok (“There was banker cheating people out of their money and he pissed off our lovely schoolmarm Junmyeon into calling a hit on the guy to get him forcibly hauled in to the sheriff’s.” And all Minseok can think to reply with is, “Junmyeon's going to be angry when she finds out you keep calling her a schoolmarm behind her back.”). But at the three am of right now, Minseok is grumbling as Jongdae rolls away from up against her with a groan, taking her warmth with her.
“What was that, Sehun?” Jongdae's asking, words slurring with sleep. Minseok slips out of bed and stretches, easily waking up because this is her life: being woken up at absurd hours because of Baekhyun.
Sehun, a sullen-looking girl - who is a part-time barmaid, most-time student and lives in one of the vacant rooms because her family sent her out here for an education (and Jongdae's got a soft spot for the entire world basically and shows it by trying to house and feed everyone she can manage) - shrugs. “There was some scuffle, and I overheard Baekhyun was involved? Someone from law enforcement is at the door.”
Jongdae groans. “Ugh, forget this, you two need to leave town immediately. I can’t believe I didn’t remember that I get no sleep when Baekhyun's around.”
“Do you really even get sleep anyway with all the sex you're having once Minseok's in town?” Sehun mutters not at all quietly.
Jongdae sighs and shoos Sehun away with her hands. “Tiny children with school in the morning should be in bed.”
Sehun makes an even more scowl-y face than usual, but obediently leaves. Minseok thinks she’s actually mostly a sweetheart beneath her pinched default expression.
But right: Baekhyun. Minseok sighs and tosses Jongdae a shawl from the wardrobe in the corner of the room. “Okay, come on. Let's go bail Baekhyun out of trouble in our nightgowns.”
+++
“I just don't get why you're fussing at me,” Baekhyun whines. “If I was with Kyungsoo - ”
Minseok scoffs. “Then you would have been choked to death before we even got to the jailhouse. Also, I know where you're going with that and yes: if you were with Kyungsoo she would have actually murdered the guy, not just roughed him up and scared him into giving the money back.”
Baekhyun makes a noise of triumph. “Exactly! Crisis averted, am I right?”
Minseok sends her another one of those no-nonsense looks. “But you're not with Kyungsoo, and your inability to control the people you get into hunts with out on the trail has no bearing on you breaking a window and causing general unrest when you promised me to lay low.”
Minseok pauses and, upon seeing how Baekhyun is actually wilting under the weight of Minseok's words, decides to throw her a bone - because she’s not really angry, it’s just important that Baekhyun gets regularly reminded that she can’t charm her way out of everything. “...I heard you used Kyungsoo's reputation to threaten him, though. Losing your touch?”
Jongdae chokes on her spit laughing at the 'not quite a glare because you just posted my bail but I'm thinking about being an ungrateful little shit anyway' look Baekhyun sends Minseok.
“Sorry that I'm not the one with a ‘frigid bitch from the badlands’ rep like Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says pointedly. “Since I’m not from the badlands and I don't murder people left and right like Kyungsoo does.”
Minseok snickers and Baekhyun scrunches up her nose. “It was an effective scare tactic, shut up.”
Honestly, in a sense Minseok can't wait till they're out on a job again, because usually they bump into and run a good stretch of the trail with familiar faces, like Kyungsoo - and like Chanyeol. Minseok likes running jobs alongside Chanyeol especially, because not only is she laidback but she gets along right as rain with Baekhyun. This is good for Minseok because the two of them have absurd adventures together that burn out and run their course by the time it all gets back to her, just a story on the wind, a tale of horror that Minseok can shake her head at and tell the two of them that she's glad they survived it.
But as Jongdae slips her hand into Minseok and rests her chin on Minseok's shoulder, she also kind of dreads leaving this sort of intimate touch behind. She misses Jongdae out on the trail, and that emotion wells up so suddenly and intensely within her at this moment that Minseok ducks down to carefully kiss Jongdae with all the tenderness in the world.
(“I did manage to fuck up my favorite knife though,” Baekhyun laments as they sit in the kitchen and watch Jongdae boil milk on the stove to make cocoa. Baekhyun's curled up in Sehun's lap because Sehun, for all that she looks standoffish, is actually a cuddly, gangly child who basks in affection. “And we're not gonna get back to Yifan's until like two months from now at the soonest - I mean, if we even pick up a job within the week.”
She eyes the way Jongdae has Minseok trapped between herself and the stove, arms reaching around Minseok in a loose hug slung along her hips as Jongdae stirs the saucepan of milk. “And I doubt we're doing that.”
Minseok shrugs, and melds herself into the warmth of Jongdae against her back. “Should have thought about that before using your ‘favorite knife’ to pick locks. Go to a blacksmith here in town to get a replacement that'll hold you over until we get back on that end of the trail.”
Baekhyun groans, but from the years of experience and exposure, Minseok can tell that she’s mostly just doing it for show.)
+++
Lu Han's got a lot of nice jobs lined up for them when Minseok checks with her, and couple of them overlap in ways that means they can take on maybe two or three and multi-task without it being too out of the way for them.
“You outdid yourself this time,” Minseok tells her bright-eyed, cheery friend. “Seriously Lu Han, thank you.”
Lu Han grins and reaches over to pat Minseok on the cheek. “You know I only love you in this whole wide world.”
Minseok snorts. “Uh-huh. That's why you've got me passing love telegrams on to Yixing at the halfway point, sure.”
Lu Han shrugs. “Love telegrams, all the juicy gossip on this side of the wastelands in code, it's all the same.” Lu Han looks suddenly and ridiculously affronted. “Do you want Yixing's saloon to languish? Being an informant is an important part of the trade and - ”
Minseok puts her hand over the entirety of Lu Han's ridiculous face. “Be quiet, you're making me regret talking to you.”
Lu Han laughs and pushes Minseok's hand off her face. “You love me, I know your true feelings.” And Minseok makes a huge show of rolling her eyes at Lu Han.
Lu Han waves a dismissive hand, though she noticeably sobers a little. “Hey, but I tried to get you stuff that didn't have to be started immediately. That really nice stint with the railroad baroness? She shouldn’t get here with her cattle until a week and a half from now at the earliest. Everything else is mostly do it as you go.”
The way Lu Han's looking at her, all sincere and gentle, makes Minseok's heart thump traitorously. Makes Minseok think of Jongdae and the long months ahead that she won't get to wake up to Jongdae's drooling face and cold feet pressed to her legs. How she won't get to hear Jongdae's voice and the numerous random shrieking noises she makes throughout the day, or that Minseok won't even get to know what Jongdae's been up to until she gets to their final destination and can pick up all the letters Jongdae's sent ahead of time. Those letters are really the only thing that'll tide Minseok over when they start the ride back towards their neck of the woods, miles and miles (and miles and miles and miles) away.
“You're making me miss her when I'm still here,” Minseok says quietly, more honest about how she feels about it all with Lu Han than with anyone (even Jongdae, when it means making Jongdae smile and forget the hard part of their being in love). “Geez, I'm going soft.”
Lu Han smiles carefully and pats Minseok on the cheek once more, fingers lingering this time. “I think you were always this soft, when it comes to the people you care about.”
Minseok lets out a small laugh that means nothing but acquiescence, and she playfully puts her hand over Lu Han's face again.
+++
Tao the railroad baroness gets into town later than expected at two and a half weeks later, which is lovely because Minseok and Jongdae have plenty of time to catch up. They go on dates and hold hands and kiss and Minseok just unwinds the whole time. Eats lots of fresh and homemade food that's not dried and not preserved and not salted to high heavens, reads books, sleeps in.
Baekhyun keeps true to her word and lays low for the most part, though this is less because of any promises to Minseok and more because her family catches wind of her being in town and makes her stay at their family ranch. She actually can't act out as much as she pretends she can under the supervision of her parents and older sister - and plus Baekhyun enjoys being babied by her family, despite any initial protests she lodges beforehand.
Unfortunately, Tao’s late arrival and the long vacation also means getting ready to leave is that much harder. Minseok finds herself dragging her feet when she goes shopping for supplies, is only half-heartedly paying attention when meeting with Tao to mark off on the map acceptable routes for the herd to take.
“I was told,” Tao says. “That you and your partner are some of the best in the business, and since my cows usually only travel by train car I wanted this first time to go smoothly…”
Minseok senses a contradiction coming up, and Baekhyun clearly does too. She perks up and says, “But what? You having doubts?”
Tao taps her gloved fingers against the table, the black lace muffling the sharp staccato against the wood, and she purses her lips thoughtfully. “I don't want to have doubts. You just seem…reluctant. And I'm told only newbies have their own doubts about the safety of the job.”
Baekhyun looks ready to say something they'll both probably regret, so Minseok cuts in. “It's not related to the job. The job will go fine, I promise you.”
Minseok's got her game and business face on now, so Tao seems to reconsider after watching her carefully for a long moment. “Alright,” Tao says primly, fingers stilling. “It’d better.”
Minseok's got to get it together, because this is the job and this is the life.
+++
As their day of departure gets closer, Minseok gets oddly calmer. The inevitability of it must be the reason why, she thinks. Jongdae smiles more and lets Minseok out of her sight less, but other than that seems to be coming to terms with the inevitable as well.
“I'm going to miss this,” Jongdae does whisper to her on their last night together, as she kisses her way along the insides of Minseok's thighs.
Minseok laughs - then gasps when Jongdae reaches her destination. “What,” she manages to say in between panting. “Eating me out?”
Jongdae makes a noise of disbelief, but then she's licking deftly into Minseok and Minseok's gone.
It's not until after she comes, shuddering against Jongdae's mouth, that Jongdae resurfaces and says, “Stupid, I'm going to miss all of you - and all the ways I get to remind you that you’re mine.”
Minseok's heart twists on itself, and she's already counting the days until she can come back.
“Shush,” Minseok murmurs. “And get up here so I can finger you until you scream.”
Jongdae beams at the prospect.
+++
They hit the trail again with Tao's cattle - and personal frontier doctor - in tow.
Baekhyun is not happy about this sleepy-eyed Jongin, who Tao pushed on them with the utmost concern for her herd as a stipulation for them taking the job. “I know full well how to treat sick cattle, her distrust is a fucking insult.”
But Minseok doesn't mind her. Jongin mentioned during their initial introductions to one another that she's got a pretty good foundation in human doctoring as well, and Minseok foresees that as being pretty helpful somewhere down the line.
“Tao just wants to make sure things go well,” Minseok reminds her. “She was talking about newbies being doubtful - you know how first time patrons get scared to death about the risks.” Minseok jerks her head subtly back at Jongin, following them at a few paces behind the herd on her horse, named Kai apparently, and bringing up the rear pretty nicely for a non-cattle driver. “Jongin's a familiar correspondence and knows the herd's health tendencies. She'll keep Tao calm, and take some of the work off your hands.”
Baekhyun grumbles but falls mostly quiet, eyes roaming over the lumbering cattle.
Minseok reaches out with her foot and nudges Baekhyun's horse in the side gently, and Beef snorts quietly in response. “But stop whining and get back to your post to steer the herd. And anyway, bet money you'll love Jongin before we even hit Yifan's to fix up your knife.”
Baekhyun shoots Minseok a shifty-eyed glance, like she's trying to see if there's a catch. Minseok only raises her eyebrows and widens her eyes disarmingly.
“Bet money, then,” Baekhyun replies swiftly as she pulls on Beef's reins to return to the other side of the herd. “We'll talk specifics over dinner,” she calls over her shoulder.
Minseok notices that Jongin's watching them with quiet and subdued interest, and it makes her smile. The girl is young, but mature and seems amiable. She'll make good company once she opens up to them, more than likely.
The open sky before them, familiar smells and sounds of the cattle, and the promise of a good hard drive have all got Minseok excited. She remembers the last kiss she shared with Jongdae, their bed warm and Jongdae's lips pliant beneath hers as they whispered their goodbyes to one another, and it all makes the journey somehow seem even more worth it. She's got someone to come back to, after all.
(Minseok wins that bet with Baekhyun, when Jongin turns out to have a pretty decent rapport with Kyungsoo from way back: apparently Jongin's a badlands kid too, but got a lucky break and then got out to study medicine.
Jongin calls in a favor when Baekhyun and Chanyeol try to take on an escaped convict and it all somehow goes horribly wrong until Kyungsoo shows up and saves the day. Minseok isn't entirely sure of the whats and wheres and hows and whys - because this all happened in the dark of night while Minseok was sleeping, as per usual - but she gets the details while Jongin silently fixes Baekhyun up with some pretty quality stitches and Chanyeol invites herself to the breakfast that Kyungsoo graciously cooks for them over the campfire. Baekhyun warms up to Jongin pretty much immediately after that, and Minseok can only roll her eyes and collect her money.
It's all absurd, Minseok thinks, but this is the life.)