beau arlen Ă @pieandflannel aestethicâĄ
sheriffâs office was quiet that evening. files were piled high, the coffee maker hissed one last time before going still. julia sat at her desk, staring at her notes, though her mind was somewhere else entirely.
beau leaned against the doorway, badge belt slung over his arm, shirt rumpled, hair a mess â the look of a man after a long day. still⊠that familiar crooked smile played at the corner of his lips, the one julia was starting to know too well.
âjul,â he said, voice low and rough, somehow familiar. âthat look on your face⊠youâre either thinking about cuffing somebody⊠or me. hope itâs the latter.â
julia glanced up, rolled her eyes, but couldnât hide the smile.
âiâm tired, beau. not everyoneâs got your end-of-the-day wisecrack energy.â
beau walked over, placing a cold beer in front of her.
âthen take a break. wonât log it in the report, sheriffâs honor,â he grinned.
julia picked up the beer, took a sip, and sighed softly.
âyou know, when you came here, i thought you were just some cocky city cop. then i realized youâre just a big kid who loves good food and trouble.â
âwell, jul, if anyone knows trouble, itâs you. but gotta admit⊠you wear it well. and that red hairâŠâ he leaned in closer, his voice dropping, âit messes me up every damn time.â
julia flushed, but held her ground.
âand you with your badge, playing the tough guy.â
âmaybe,â beau shrugged. âbut this town⊠and you⊠the only way to survive it is not taking yourself too seriously.â
the silence settled between them for a moment, then beau leaned down and murmured into her ear:
âwhen weâre done here⊠come with me. got a place⊠just you and me. no reports, no office, no past.â
julia nodded, quietly but sure.
beau watched her for a beat longer, then smiled.
julia shook her head, standing up, coffee cup in hand.
âcome on,â she called over her shoulder. âthe porch has better air.â
the warm, soft breeze lifted juliaâs red hair as she stepped outside. the sun was down, but the heat still clung to the air, crickets chirping in the distance. the porch smelled of the sweet brownies sheâd baked that afternoon, more for beau than herself.
beau dropped into the rocking chair, set his beer down, and just watched her standing by the railing.
âyou know,â he said quietly, âwhen i first came here, i thought i was the one carrying the most scars. then you showed up⊠and i realized itâs not about whatâs behind us, itâs about still standing.â
julia looked down, a fragile, old kind of smile on her lips.
âthere are things iâve never told anyone, beau. probably never will⊠just⊠maybe you. someday.â
beau didnât say anything. just reached out, gently squeezed her hand.
âyou donât have to say a thing, jul. i know. i see it."
the sudden burst of fireworks cracked the quiet night. colors split the dark sky, bright streaks and fading sparks. beau stood up, laughing as he grabbed julia by the waist, lifting her off the ground, spinning her around the porch. her floral dress whirled around them.
âlove that laugh, jul,â beau murmured as he set her down. their foreheads touched, his voice a rough whisper. âyouâre my little sunshine redhead.â
julia laughed, shaking her head.
âthought i was just jul.â
âyouâll always be jul. but sometimes i gotta remind you how damn good that red hair looks. and how good you are at messing with my head. you know this dress drives me crazy, donât you?â
julia bit her lip but didnât turn.
âand yet, i wear it anyway⊠funny, huh?â
beau smiled, feeling her breath quicken. his thumb brushed her wrist, slow, deliberate, then he turned her to face him.
âyou do this on purpose,â he murmured, his hands settling on her waist, pulling her in.
âmaybe,â julia answered, her gaze steady, though something fragile flickered beneath it, something beau knew too well.
he didnât ask anything else. didnât need to. he bent down and kissed her. not careful, not slow â the way a man does when heâs been waiting a long damn time. she tasted sweet, a little like coffee, a little like brownies, and entirely like jul. the kiss deepened, his hands sliding down her back, to her thigh.
julia sighed, her arms wrapping around his neck, melting into him. the air grew thick, the world outside the porch faded to nothing.
beauâs lips found her neck, breath hot against her skin.
âyou drive me insane, jul⊠and i fucking love it.â
her heart hammered, but she smiled. because no matter how broken she used to be, here, in beauâs arms â she didnât have to pretend.
she didnât have to play a part. just⊠be.
the rocking chair creaked in the breeze, the candlelight flickered, but neither of them moved. because in that moment, there was no one else.
tags: @soldiersgirl @bittersweetfig @briiverse @bejeweledinterludes @littlesoulshine @soldierboysdoll @cowboysandcigarettes @soangelbaby @sugardean @angelblqde @sunsbaby @thekhloediary @hischrrypie @pieandflannel @jays-bonnie-on-the-side @velvourne @fuckedupfate @rositaslabyrinth @mahi-wayy @jollyhunter @h8aaz @daylighted @lunarvera
