(Untitled)

[angriestman]

Between high school and finally up and leaving Harlan at twenty, Raylan Givens had mined Kentucky coal. Not sure what he wanted to do with his life, it'd been a good paycheck, even with the danger and long hours. Sometimes, years away from that time, he wakes up with the taste of coal dust and dynamite smoke in his mouth and he knows that those

Comments

[sluttylyingliar]

Rachel doesn't really question the mornings that Raylan disappears early. It's not her damn business and more times than not she's sneaking out for dance or exercise or something else disturbingly healthy and well-adjusted.

Her eyebrow raises at the cigarette but what the hell is she going to say? She rolled the damn thing. She slides in next to him, bare leg skimming his side as she reaches up to knead at his neck and blink up at the early morning sun.

[angriestman]

"Hey there," he says, smiling despite himself and turning his head to below smoke away from her. He leans in to kiss her temple; the last thing she needs is a kiss with him tasting like an ashtray.

"Dirty habit," he says.

[sluttylyingliar]

"I've seen worse," she murmurs, thumb circling down his neck. "I've had worse."

It's strangely quiet, everyone probably still sleeping off the club and God knows what else from last night.

"Missed you this morning."

[angriestman]

"I do not doubt it," he says, and he offers her the cigarette in case she wants to take a drag. The touch on his neck is incredibly good.

"Restless," he says, with a smile tugging in the corner of his mouth. "Didn't want to wake you."

[sluttylyingliar]

"Not a problem," she says, sliding behind him, legs winding around his waist as she uses both hands to work at his shoulders.

"Trust me, I get restless. I lived in New York City for a few years and even got claustrophobic there. Anything you want to talk about?"

God, Rachel is such a grown-up, lately.

[angriestman]

"Not really," he says, eyes closing as he leans back into her hands. She's a multi-talented woman. "Nothing really to tell. Just...thinkin' about when I was a kid, you know. Way back then."

[sluttylyingliar]

"Bet you were a cute fucking kid," Rachel murmurs, slowly working out a knot at the base of his neck. "Skinny little shit with the eyes and the accent and all of that. Tell me something about you as a kid. Who was your best friend?"

[angriestman]

"I was pretty solitary until High school," admits Raylan, his head rolling forward loosely on his neck. God, whatever she's doing feels good. "Used to hang out on my Aunt Helen's floor watching cowboy shows." He takes a quick drag on the cigarette.

"My best friend in high school was a kid called Riley. Raylan and Riley. We sounded like a fuckin' Saturday morning cartoon."

[sluttylyingliar]

Rachel leans in to softly kiss at the now red patch of skin on his neck. "I never had one. Moved around way too much. I wonder where Riley is today."

[angriestman]

"Harlan," says Raylan, almost weary for a moment, her mouth feeling good against his skin. He reaches back and skims his free hand along her thigh. "Way everyone reacted when I left and came back again, you'd think it was a fucking magic act."

[sluttylyingliar]

"Small towns," she answers, thumbs working underneath his shoulder blades even as she's pressed up tight against him.

"Girls were the worst when I'd go somewhere new. Granted, I didn't help, but you're going to be an 'other' no matter what you do. Or I guess in your case, you're supposed to go back to being whoever you were when you left."

[angriestman]

And there was him, who'd learned the secret of leaving and coming back again. Like nobody else ever could. He stifles a small groan, cigarlette tucked between relaxed fingers.

"I wasn't anybody before I left," he says, quietly. "I was just a kid who was dreamin' of bein' somewhere else."

[sluttylyingliar]

"So what did everyone think you were when you came back?" she asks, working out knot after knot. Raylan's back is a mess, rangy bastard.

"Your dad's still there, right?"

[angriestman]

"I was a Marshal," says Raylan, biting his lip when she hits a particularly sore spot. "So I'm pretty sure I'm the biggest fuckin' disappointment possible."

He swallow.

"Yup. He's still there. Like a bad smell."

[sluttylyingliar]

"Well there's one good thing about this place," she says. "No one here knows you as anything other than that guy with the hat. Other than that batshit friend of yours. Creepy little weirdo."

[angriestman]

"Boyd?" Raylan sighs, letting his head drop forward again. "Firstly, I think 'friend' might be too strong a word." His fingers skim along her thigh. "Second, cut him some slack. I'm pretty sure he's half unstuck."