As much as Neil wanted to be a smartass and wear a cowboy costume, he knew that he’d just be bothered about it. So, he went with something else that was just as simple to pull off: a lumberjack. He already owned the clothing necessary, so it was low-budget, too. Maybe dressing up would at least help get people at his bazaar booth, but he’d be damned if he was going to dance.
With the festival being on Arcadia, Neil thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get some business selling products from the ranch, even if they weren’t living back there yet. The business was still running. That was all that mattered.
“Come and buy some high quality products,” if you know what’s good for you.
(x5) Cheese set (yellow + white cheddar; goat) [1,000g]
Vaughn’s hand prints were going to be branded on Neil’s thighs. At least, that’s what it felt like as Vaughn’s touch set the other man’s skin ablaze as the grip there tightened. The pain of it was dull, enjoyable if Neil were to be honest about it, and the blond pulled himself closer, practically grinding himself against Vaughn’s lap in a shameless act of desperation for friction.
Neil pulled back from the kiss for only a moment to see Vaughn’s expression, hair disheveled and blood smeared across pale skin and thin lips, pupils blown wide. Neil could only imagine his own appearance, likely something similar. He panted slightly, nearly breathless from the encounter.
And then he dove back into the deep end.
He pressed his lips to Vaughn’s again, hands still tangled in the other’s hair. He kissed him again and again, pulled the other’s bottom lip between his teeth gently before licking it, the taste of Vaughn, alcohol, and iron intermingling in a way that Neil wanted burned into his memory forever. Again, he ground himself against Vaughn’s lap, a groan escaping the back of his throat as he did so, the action enticing it out of him.
“Tch, this hard work better be worth it...” Neil huffed as he finished up his gathering of materials. Putting in the hard work, especially after working on the ranch all day, was really killing him. He’d definitely fall asleep fast as soon as he got back to that shitty apartment they were staying in for the time being. “For the sake of the farm, I guess...”
[-64,000g] for a Mystic Axe and Mystic Hammer from @jckofallltrades
For a moment, as the last bit of rational thought was brought to the forefront of Neil’s mind, he worried that he’d be rejected, that Vaughn would recoil in disgust and push him off to send him tumbling to the floor with Neil’s own pride shattered. However, all worries of rejection were halted and dispelled as soon as Neil felt Vaughn kiss him back, and the affirmation of Vaughn’s reciprocation was cemented when the seated man pulled Neil into his lap completely.
The blond was quick to make himself comfortable, a low groan in the back of his throat escaping as he pressed himself even further into the kiss, his hands roaming back to run through Vaughn’s hair.
Fuck, he felt like electricity was coursing through his veins.
Neil used his new hand placement to pull Vaughn’s lips closer to his, as close as he could get him. Again and again, Neil kissed him, the taste of alcohol and iron coating his tongue and he sent it out to taste Vaughn’s own.
He shouldn’t have done this, and yet here he was pressing on. Fuck. Neil kisses him again, messy and needy.
Neil’s expression twisted into one of discomfort for more than one reason. The sound of Vaughn’s nose cartilage readjusting at his doing was enough to make the blond’s stomach flip, but the tight grip on his thighs as the man beneath him braced the pain of the adjustment sent goosebumps of fire across Neil’s skin.
Fuck, he hadn’t been grabbed like that in a while. Longer than he realized, since his body jolted at the initial grab.
Blood-red irises locked onto the same color beginning to drip from Vaughn’s nose. With a gentle touch, Neil’s thumb brushed it away, effectively breaking the surface tension of it and causing the blood to drip down Vaughn’s face in a more steady flow. Again, Neil’s thumb brushed against it, smearing it against Vaughn’s pale skin, a stark contrast to the dark red.
Neil wanted to kiss him.
The thought entered his mind before he could stop it. He inhaled a sharp breath at the realization before he threw caution to the wind and leaned in, inebriation taking control and ruling his mind. Neil leaned in and pressed his lips to Vaughn’s, the taste of iron on his lips and Neil’s eyes fell shut as he pressed further, hands still cradling the other’s face, diving straight into the deep end without and assurance that he wouldn’t drown.
Fuck, it was as nice as he thought it would be, if not better.
The journey home was short-lived, the goal of getting to the ranch being more than enough motivation for both of the inebriated men to move quickly and efficiently. Or, at the very least, as efficiently as two drunks hanging off of one another could be.
Vaughn abandoned Neil’s side as soon as they got home and the blond had little time to feel any type of way about it before the taller man began stripping down. Neil’s face flushed red, burning crimson from the tips of his ears to down his neck. It was only when Vaughn began to stumble away in the direction of the bathroom that Neil had caught his breath and was able to think properly once again. He reached up to rub the back of his neck in frustration, hoping that he could sweep out the inappropriate thoughts that suddenly flooded his mind. He heard the bathroom close and the water begin to run from the shower head, and Neil took the opportunity to head to his room to change out of his own slightly-muddied clothes. He caught his reflection in the mirror and sucked in a breath through his teeth when he realized that he was still wearing Vaughn’s hat. After taking a glance towards his bedroom door to ensure it was closed and blocking any possible prying eyes, Neil pulled the hat from his head and inhaled the distinct scent of the hat’s owner, a smell that Neil had unknowingly become accustomed to and, much to his annoyance, enjoyed.
Neil let out long, frustrated sigh and set the hat on the bed before getting to work disrobing and changing into more comfortable clothing. Despite the colder night air out, it was warmer in the farm house for once. Though, the alcohol running through Neil’s blood was partially to blame for that. Neil slipped on a black tank top and donned his usual sweats that he wore at home, then walked out to the living room, bare feet padding along the wood floor audibly, his presence announced with each step.
The sight that awaited him in the living room made Neil stop in his tracks for a moment. This was likely the least amount of clothing that Neil had ever seen Vaughn in, and the realization had Neil walking over to take his own swig from the whiskey bottle, indirect kiss be damned. There was a job to do, after all, and after three probably-too-big gulps of the liquid courage searing his throat, Neil placed himself in front of Vaughn to examine the extent of the injuries.
“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered as his ruby red gaze swept over Vaughn’s facial features. If he stared too long, he’d start noticing the length of Vaughn’s eyelashes, or the slight flush in his pale cheeks from the alcohol. Neil reached a hand out to gingerly touch the slightly-bent nose, careful not to disturb it too much, fingers feather-light against the other’s skin. “This is gonna hurt like a bitch...”
After a moment, Neil huffed and eliminated what pride he had left, alcohol taking over any proper decision making skills that would have kept Neil from making poor choices, and the blond placed a leg on either side of Vaughn’s thighs, effectively straddling the other man as he sat on the wooden dining chair.. He had to act quick before he got embarrassed or Vaughn pushed him off. He placed a thumb on each side of Vaughn’s nose, his fingers and palms cradling each side of the other’s face. Had he not been about to readjust his nose, Neil would have thought he was about to— ah, those thoughts again.
“Ready; one— two—“ With a swift motion, Neil moved his thumbs to adjust Vaughn’s misplaced cartilage, a rather disturbing cracking sound taking over and sending a chill down Neil’s back. “That should do it—“
Neil scrunched up his nose as he watched Vaughn pull himself up into a seated position, the squelching sound of mud making the scene no better. Good Gods above, Vaughn looked like shit. Though, it was safe to say that they both have, unfortunately, been in worse shape, albeit at different times in their lives.
“Fine, Fine.” It seemed that the both of them would have to sacrifice their clothes for the sake of stability and making it home in one piece (mostly). Neil reaches his hand out and, once Vaughn grabbed hold, the blond made his best inebriated effort to pull up the taller male. He huffed and nearly fell over, and once Vaughn was standing, Neil stumbled for a moment before reclaiming what little balance he had left.
“Now let’s go. I’ll have to reset your nose if it’s broken.” Neil sighed, then muttered. “It’ll hurt like a bitch, probably.” Neil took Vaughn’s arm and brought it over his shoulder, his own arm going around Vaughn’s lower back to help keep him—well, more like the both of them—upright long enough to make it back to the ranch. “C’mon then, giddy up,” Neil ordered with a laugh. The cold night air made each breath of laughter float in the air like a cloud, his breath hot from the alcohol.
She had been on her commute to the shop that day, nothing particularly special… until she noticed a large, moving mushroom ahead of her on the path. Undoubtedly a monster…!
But she had read about monsters in the area, and everything would be okay, if she just… steered clear, right?
Well, she wasn’t taking any chances. The petite, skittish woman scurried away like a startled lizard, until she met a bordering fence of what seemed to be one of the local ranches. Maybe she could just… follow the path on the other side of the fence, and come back over a moment or two later…
As the seamstress was clambering over the fence, a harsh, jarring voice jolted her, causing her to tumble onto the grass in a bundle of hair and fabric. She stared up at… hooves, first, then a full horse, and an intimidating man on top of it, whose eyes were piercing and hostile. She swallowed.
Maybe she should have taken her chances with the mushroom…
“I–I–I am so, so sorry… There, um, a monster–… I wanted to–go around it… I’m sorry–…”
Through the jumble of stammers and apologies, Candace’s words were mostly unintelligible… but she really didn’t want to go back towards that monster…
As soon as the girl explained her situation, Neil turned his attention to the surrounding area, eyes scanning for any sign of the monster. Sure enough, not too far ahead, a monster mushroom was meandering about the path, obviously blocking the way. Neil groaned and rubbed his forehead in frustration, then turned his attention to the girl.
“Head to the farm house across the field.” Neil pointed to it as he mentioned it. “I’ll get the monster out of the way so you can go by. Don’t touch anything you shouldn’t when you’re over there.” He shot the girl a narrow-eyed look of warning before he flicked the reigns on the horse. They hopped over the fence and Neil nodded his head at the girl. “Go on, hurry up.”
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