cargo pants pocket
summary: your relationship with scott is one of your best kept secrets, but when he gets injured during a storm, all that effort goes out the window
warning: fluff and angst (heavy on the angst but the fluff is filtered throughout and it ends real sweet), secret but established relationship, mentions of drinking and reader being tipsy, reader being kinda mean but it’s to hide her and scott, heavy petting/making out, scott being anxious, lil bit of swearing, small detail of a cut, mention of blood and minor injury, brief mention of nudity
note: the people wanted scott, so i present thee with scott. also, i absolutely love this gif and i imagine that it’s scott being enamoured by reader in this
word count: 12.0k (buckle up, i clearly had a lot to say)
the stingy motel room had a lingering scent of musk, scott’s cologne and your shampoo. it was still early, far too early for you to think about getting out of bed, especially since the sun hadn’t even shown itself yet. but scott was up and dressed, just doing up the final buttons on his shirt before making the short trip back to his motel room that’s been unoccupied for the last two nights.
it’s a sight to see: he’s yet to put on his grey hat, his cargo pants high on his hips with his favourite belt holding them up; you can just see the sliver of his black undershirt from the collar of his white one and he tucks it into his waistband. his broad shoulders fill out the two shirts perfectly, the sleeves straining over his biceps as he adjusts the top buttons. you can only see the back of him, but your view from the bed of him facing the mirror is enough. enough to see his little freckles from the sun, enough to see his tongue peek out slightly from his lips as he sorts his shirt.
you smile at the sight, knowing he’s leaving in a few minutes, but you absolutely love watching him get ready to go.
when he’s happy, he turns around to face you, grabs his hat, phone and wallet off the opposite bedside table and makes his way around to your unofficial side of the bed. he stands tall beside you, waiting for you to lean up slightly before bending down and pressing a short kiss on your lips. you both smiled, faces only centimetres away from each other before kissing him again.
and, as always, you slip something into his cargo pants pocket. today, a new stick of gum; he was starting to run out of his cinnamon flavour.
“i’ll see you in a bit, okay?” he whispers, not moving away from you at all.
“okay. i’ll see you in a bit.” you smiled, pressing one last kiss on his lips before pushing his chest away and laughing at his laugh.
“menace,” came one last whisper, “breakfast at 7:30, yeh?”
“7:30, got it.” you threw him an exaggerated thumbs up as he opened the door slowly, watching left and right for anyone there and leaving without a trace.
you fell backwards onto the bed, a smile never leaving your face as you turned and pushed your head back into the pillows. the sheets still smelt like him. hell, the whole room still smelt like him. and you really couldn’t complain because those moments that you have at night and the moments you have in the morning are all you have to get you through the day.
it’s not that you didn’t want to let people know you were with scott, you weren’t worried about what they’d say. but it was still early. it’d only been a few months and you were completely enamoured with each other. the only worry was your jobs, and what it would mean if people knew. his uncle was the main investor, so scott was kind of like the leader of the group. you weren’t. and that could cause issues.
so you kept it quiet, taking any and every moment you could get with each other in the quiet of your motel room, stealing glances at each other across parking lots and watching as he drove head first into some of the worst tornadoes you’ve ever seen. but if that’s how it had to be, that’s how it was.
you staked your claim on him last night under the cover of darkness and this morning with a new pack of gum.
just as scott asked, you were down for breakfast on time. there were a few little groups of the team chatting away with each other and you said morning to each of them as you passed. it didn’t take long to spot javi, kate and scott by the lion truck, both of the guys leaning against the bed as they went over the plans for the day. as much as you wanted to join him, you left them with just a good morning and headed over to the small group of girls of the team, missing only kate, but she was busy doing her job.
scott couldn’t describe how difficult it was to just nod at you each morning, watching as you walked past him like he was just another colleague and joined your friends. he had to stop himself from reaching out to you, wanting nothing more than to pull you into his arms and show everyone exactly how he felt about you. but he didn’t. he couldn’t. not yet, anyway.
after everyone had eaten, you had the normal debrief from javi and scott went over the plans for the day. it was the same as usual: storms coming from the west and the east, moving to and from different places to wait for when a tornado formed and actually looked like it would stay instead of suffocating itself. the group dispersed, heading to their designated vehicles and it wasn’t long after that you got your usual text from scott. a short ‘be safe’ was all you got, just in case anyone saw, and you text back the exact same with a little heart after it.
it's a slow day of chasing tornadoes, a lot of standing around parking lots and waiting for the weather to turn bad. you don't mind days like this, it was a nice difference compared to constantly being on the move and driving into storms. it gave the whole team a chance for some down time, even javi and scott who always seemed to be on edge when working, and also allowed you a chance to actually see scott, instead of hearing his voice over the ear pieces everyone wore.
you could situate yourself to face him, still talking in whatever group you joined whilst having a perfect view of him leaning against the truck, either talking to javi and kate or typing away on his laptop. some days you felt like you could stare at him for hours, watching as the little vein in his neck popped out when he was stressed or thinking hard about something, watching as he shifted from one foot to another after standing up for too long. seeing the outline of whatever gift you'd slipped into his cargo pants pocket that morning appear and disappear as he moved.
and those moments when he looked over and caught you staring? they were the best moments, because he always gave you a knowing smile, letting his own eyes cast up and your body before looking away and focusing back on his work. it's like he knows when you're staring, like he has a sixth sense that's honed directly on you. but he also knows when you're not looking at him, when you're so focused on your conversation with someone that he has the freedom to study you, take all of you in and hold himself back from closing the gap and taking you in his arms.
by the time the evening came around, everyone was still wired from the day. having few tornadoes to chase meant everyone still had some energy, and it was decided that the team would head to the bar across from the motel to have a few drinks, get some food and relax before heading back to their rooms. javi and scott stayed behind with the trucks, having the excuse of needing to talk to riggs about the day and adjust the plan for tomorrow. a few heads nodded as others had already turned towards the bar, naturally falling into similar groups from earlier in the day and strolling towards the welcoming lights spelling out HENRY'S TAVERN.
you were in that small group that nodded at the guys, scott's gaze meeting yours for a second as he raised his eyebrows, tilted his head slightly and patted the side of his leg. it had become your little sign of him saying 'save me a seat', so you just smiled and walked off with the others, catching up with kate, samantha and tilly as they had begun chatting away about something.
it wasn't long until javi and scott joined you all. the group occupied a few tables in the far corner of the bar, further away from the other noisy patrons with the hope of being able to hear each other more clearly without shouting over the noise. you and the girls were engrossed in conversation, back to the door and not realising that kate was moving her chair over to make space for javi and scott to sit in between you two. as soon as you felt scott's presence next to you, you shifted your seat and welcomed him into your space, smiling up at him as he tipped his cap towards you. as he pulled his seat forward, you shifted again, the few drinks you've had before him getting there giving you the confidence to move a little too close than what could be considered co-worker behaviour.
but no one noticed. no one says anything or calls you out on it. so you stay where you are, feeling immediately more at ease now that scott was beside you.
only then do you remember what you were wanting to say to kate before being interrupted, so you lean over the table and invade more of scott's space, calling out kate's name and getting her attention.
"hey, i forgot to mention earlier, the special they have here is great, you should try it!" you smiled, watching kate nod her head enthusiastically and agree with your idea. beside you, scott is frozen, shocked at how close you are to him after being so careful around everyone as to not reveal your relationship. he tries to school his face and keep it neutral, but he can smell your perfume and your hand is so close to his and if he just moved the tiniest bit then he could-
but you pulled back, happy with what you'd said to kate, so much so that javi had now joined in and livened up the conversation. you're back to being by his side instead of in front of him now, taking another sip of your drink as javi asks what the special is and if it's any good. you're nodding fast in agreement, explaining the liquor inside of it and how they make it, and scott can't help but use this time while his friend is distracted to look over you properly.
he's seen you a lot today, but there's still moments when you're not near each other and they're the most dangerous times; being out in the open with tornadoes. he took the chance to look over you, starting with the curves of your face, your lips moving fast and hands flying animatedly in front of you. it gave him the perfect opportunity to look over your bare arms, checking for any cuts and bruises he may have missed that he'll want to take care of later. you seem fine, and he has to remind himself of that (he also needs to stop checking you out before someone realises, but he can never tear his eyes away from you).
it isn't until he feels your hand on the outside of his right thigh, your delicate fingers tracing the seams of his cargo pants pocket, dancing across his thigh in a rehearsed move, that he comes out of his trance. you always did this whenever he sat next to you and your hand was hidden, he just didn’t realise you would do it tonight in such close quarters with others and whilst staring kate and javi straight in the eyes. almost like you were teasing, like you were saying ‘come get me’, to whom, scott didn’t know. but if no one else did, he’d take you out of this place and straight back to his room.
your hand shifted towards the outline of the now-opened gum packet; it was strawberry flavour, and if there wasn’t so many people around you, you’d be begging scott for a taste. it takes all his strength to keep listening to your conversation, adding a nod or a uh huh here and there to show he was listening. javi asked him something and he was almost sure he was going to need it repeating if it wasn’t for your attention being pulled away, your hand off scott’s thigh and his mind free.
samantha had grabbed your arm, taking you out of your conversation and pulling you close to her. you giggled, hand leaving scott and picking up your drink to take a sip before hearing what she had to say.
“girl, scott was totally just checking you out as you leaned over him!” her voice was quiet against the sounds of the bar, like she only wanted you to hear the secret that clearly wasn’t a secret if people had noticed scott looking at you.
you just rolled your eyes and blew out a puff of air, a hand lifting to waft through the air in a dismissive way, “no way would scott miller ever check me out!” you scoffed, completely ignoring the fact that scott could hear you. “have you seen him? mr big arms with his grumpy attitude and scowl and freckles and sunglasses that he never takes off.”
samantha’s jaw dropped, clearly not believing what you were saying and adamant that scott was most definitely looking at you. “i swear on my life, he was looking you up and down like a sheet of data, you know how he gets hot over sciencey things like that!”
“a sheet of data? way to make me feel good about myself.” you laughed, thinking the comparison was hilarious in your inebriated state. “out of the entire team, i’m sure scott would be the last person checking me out, he’s like so married to his work. also, he’s like hot and mean? and he gets away with it? how could i get past his rudeness even for just one night?”
you might have been going over board to convince samantha that there was nothing going on between you two. you could believe that scott had looked at you when you leaned over him, he always did in the privacy of your rooms, swearing up and down that he was checking you for cuts, but also using it as an excuse to kiss you all over.
he made you giggle when he did that, his big, warm hands so gentle as they ran over your skin, pushing your - his - shirt up your stomach to kiss as much of you as possible. he’d have you spread out on your sheets, lips grazing your skin inbetween kissing old scars, new cuts and all your beauty marks. your face was always the last place he explored, kissing along your jaw first before kissing both your cheeks, your temple, then forehead, then nose and finally your lips. first it would be a chaste kiss, then he’d linger longer on the next kiss, and longer on the next one and the next one until you were sharing breaths, panting slightly as you both became hungry for more.
his hands would be all over your body, sharing their time between your hips, thighs and cheeks as your own stayed on his face. your fingers ran through his messy waves that were usually hidden from everyone else, pulling at the strands to get him to groan and bite your lips in retaliation. you’d always giggle at that, something scott would swallow down as he kissed you again, pinching your skin to get you to thrust upwards into him, this time pulling a groan from you.
you felt like a teenager with him, sneaking around to not be found out, sloppily making out on top of and under covers as you lost sleep for each other. both of you could not get enough of the other. which made it so difficult to lie to samantha and make out like you could never want scott.
“…and the gum thing? so not attractive.” you finished, your hand coming up once again to brush off one of his quirks (which you so adored), pulling a face to make it more believable.
“oh, my god, tell me about it! i’ve been waiting for someone to agree with that, but everyone just shrugs it off like he’ll fire them if he ever heard it.” samantha giggled as you took another drink, not wanting to agree or disagree with her. sure scott could be mean and a bit harsh, but he wouldn’t do anything like that.
scott was still listening to everything you said, eyes stuck on kate and javi as he chuckled under his breath at your words. he knew you loved his grumpiness, his scowl, his freckles and his sunglasses. he knew you loved that he was ‘hot and mean’ and that he liked his gum; you’d been giving him at least three new packs a week since you’d gotten together.
honestly, he’s surprised that no one’s ever realised that he never buys gum, but is always chewing it, and that you always buy it, but never chew it.
even after what felt like hours, samantha is still adamant that scott was checking you out, all your rebuttals being tossed out for her plans to seemingly get you together. and scott can only try to hide his laugh, not wanting to give away that he’s totally engrossed in your conversation and not the one he’s meant to be involved in.
it isn’t until your final comment that he zones out, finishing off the rest of his drink and fully returning to kate and javi.
“sam, girl, nothing’s happened between us and nothing will. we’re so different, and as hot as he is, i can’t get over his attitude.”
he knows it’s not true, he’s repeating that mantra over and over in his head until it sticks like glue, but hearing those words come from you hurt more than he’d care to admit. without knowing how, his heart hurts, a hundred little needles having worked their way through his skin and made a home in his chest. he can feel his body physically slouch, anxiously wanting to grab a piece of gum from his cargo pants pocket.
but your hand’s there again, tracing the seams and the gum packet, your conversation having changed from all the reasons you can’t be with scott to something about a new film out next week. you were soothing yourself with your own touch on him, but his skin underneath the material was burning. it was only adding to his big feelings that he didn’t know what to do with.
usually when he’s alone with you, it’s easy to let them out with you, it’s easy to talk to you and kiss you and feel you and tell you how he’s feeling. but with your hand on his thigh and the bar loud and crowded, everything feels warm and suffocating and, fuck, he needed to get out.
javi offered to grab another round, picking up any empty glasses before heading across the room to the bar, leaving scott with you and the other girls. you were all engrossed in some conversation about a couple of the other guys; scott didn't know who or what about, he'd zoned out a while ago and hoped that javi would soon save him with a distraction.
you glanced over towards kate as you spoke, seeing scott in the corner of your eye looking disinterested and seemingly deflated. you just assumed it was because javi had left, so you rubbed his thigh a bit harder, hoping to get his attention before tracing the outline of the pocket again. he either didn't want to seem too obvious that he was staring at you again, or his mind was elsewhere because he didn't even respond to your touch, his gaze not meeting yours for even a second. you brushed it off, your brain reminding you that he was fine and he was next to you and that’s all that mattered.
scott wasn't fine, but he wasn't about to tell anyone that.
the team stayed in the bar for a couple more hours, getting rowdier and louder the more drinks everyone bought and downed. your little table had ended up playing drinking games, kate and javi desperately trying to get scott involved, who ended up doing the bare minimum as to not be called boring by the others. you just laughed at him and the comments people were saying, knowing it was completely untrue and scott could genuinely be so fun, he just saved it for the right people.
it was about an hour before the bar closed that everyone made the short journey back to their rooms, almost as if a few people remembered they had work tomorrow and dragged the crowd back across the road. you walked alongside kate, samantha and tilly again, still gossiping and giggling as scott and javi brought up the rear. goodnights were called across the lot, some people stumbling up the stairs to their room and others tripping up the curb to get to the lower floor. you waved to the girls as you opened your door, subconsciously watching for scott to enter his, but finding his door already shut and no sign of him. you knew he'd seek you out, he always did. you just needed to wait a little bit and you’d have your man in your arms once again.
half an hour later, your door slowly opened, revealing scott in his white sleep shirt, sweatpants and a pair of socks. if you were any sober, you'd be all over him, dragging him to your bed and forgetting about the others next door to you. but scott looked softer tonight, a little more subdued than normal, so you took the opportunity to be gentle with him.
he shut and locked the door, making his way the few feet to where you were sat on your side of the bed waiting for him. his touch was gentle against your cheek as he leaned down to press a kiss to your forehead, whispering a quiet 'hey' as he did so. you smiled at his touch, looking up at him properly as he pulled away from you. as one of his hands reached around to hold the back of your neck, both of yours found his hips and traced the waistband of his sweatpants.
"hey," your voice quiet and mind running a hundred miles an hour as you looked at him. no hat, no sunglasses, no gum, just scott in his purest, softest form and you couldn't be more grateful to have him. "did you have a good time tonight?" you asked, hands shifting from his hips to run up and down his stomach and chest.
"yeh, it was okay, you seemed to have fun." he replied, his touch shifting from your face to your shoulders as he pulled away from you.
"yeh, it's always nice to have a chill night and just talk to everyone." you seemed to miss the emptiness of his words, following behind him as he grabbed your sleepwear (which consisted of an old pair of shorts and scott's grey MIT t-shirt) and walked towards your bathroom.
"i'll be out here if you need anything." it came out in more of a mumble than he expected, but you didn't realise as you pressed a kiss to his cheek and just closed the bathroom door.
as you got changed and brushed your teeth, you thought back to your conversation with samantha, realising that scott wasn't the same as he is other nights and feeling as if you'd cracked the code that is scott miller. you felt bad about what you'd said, of course, but you also agreed to keep things quiet and not let everyone know about the two of you, so why would he be like this?
regardless, you finished in the bathroom, opened the door and flicked the lights off before finding scott sat at the end of the bed waiting for you. he's usually under the sheets, shirt off (depending on the weather) with open arms ready to settle down with you. so, you took in his hunched form, his gaze turned down to his hands in his lap as you stepped towards him.
"you know i like you, right?" you said plainly, two fingers hooking under his chin to lift his head up towards your gaze. "like, really like you, scott. and everything i said to samantha was to throw her off us because you decided to check me out." you giggled, trying to get him to smile, but your own smile dropped when scott didn't even react to your comment.
only then did you realise you'd have to try something else, so you held onto his shoulders, pressed one knee into the space next to his thigh and sat on his lap, hands moving to his cheeks to hold his gaze with your own. you looked over his face, his expression not changing, but his hands came to rest on your hips, so you knew he was comfortable. the blue in his eyes was unwavering, still shining brightly as they looked at you, regardless of how he may have been feeling earlier.
"scott," you whispered, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his nose. "we both agreed to keep this quiet, and i'm sorry if what i said upset you earlier, but surely you know how i feel about you by now, no? huh?" you smirked slightly, knowing that you often tell him how he makes you feel and you try to show it as much as possible; maybe he just needs a reminder.
"i love your big arms," your hands moved down his neck to his shoulders and then over his biceps which were half covered by his sleeves. "i love your attitude," you lightly nipped at his skin, tracing a couple of marks on his skin. "i love your scowl and your freckles," your hands moved back up to his face, one hand staying on the side of neck as your other danced across his cheeks and his nose. "and i love your little obsession with your sunglasses." you giggled, shifting on his lap to press your body closer to his (if that was even possible) and started to run a hand through his hair.
"i like that you're hot and mean, i like that you're so dedicated to your job and you're so smart, and, in all honesty, with me you could probably get away with murder." that pulled a chuckle from him, shaking his head as he scoffed and looked down at his lap again. his hands moved under your (his) shirt and rubbed against your bare skin, sending shivers down your spine as your own hands moved from his hair to his face yet again. you could touch scott forever; he was always so soft and warm and your hands fit perfectly on his body and in his own.
"and the gum thing?" you whispered finally, watching as his head lifted up on its own to look at you again. "so attractive."
and with your last comment, his eyebrows raised slightly, his head titling to the side as he kept his eyes on your own. you could only smile, the closed-lip kind you always seemed to wear when looking at scott (and the kind you have to stop yourself doing when others were around). the two of you just sit in silence after that, the only noise being the hum of the air conditioner as you kept close to scott, both still touching each other and eyes still locked.
without warning, scott stood up, bringing you with him as he moved around the bed and dropped you down onto the sheets. you giggled at his actions, pulling them out from underneath you and throwing them open to let him get into bed from his own side. after he got comfortable on his back, you were immediately by his side, one leg thrown over his thighs and your hand on his chest over his heart. your head fit snuggly on his shoulder, turning your face slightly to press a kiss on his neck and under his jaw.
you shuffled around a bit, getting comfortable before whispering a small 'goodnight' to him, "i wish things were different, baby," you added, moving your touch from his chest to around his stomach, holding him close. "i wish we could tell everyone and not have to lie about it. i want to show everyone how i feel about you an' show you off, but i know it's not the right time."
before he had a chance to reply, your eyes were shut and your breathing had begun to even out and fall into steady, deep breaths. he pressed a kiss to the top of your head, a hand landing on the side of your knee as he whispered the same sentiment back to you.
his heart felt a bit lighter in that moment. his anxiety was somewhat settled, especially now with you in his arms and wrapped around his body.
in that moment, the chipped paint of the ceiling seemed more interesting than closing his eyes. scott's mind was still reeling and going over everything you'd said earlier and everything you’d just said whilst next to him. he wanted the same thing; he wanted to hold your hand and kiss you and show you off to everyone and make them all see how much he cared about you. he wanted to be able to check you out without comments from other people and he wanted to be able to pull you onto his lap in dingy bars and stake his claim on you like you did with your gifts in his cargo pants pocket.
but you were right, it wasn't the right time. and maybe while you were still in this line of work and still in business with his uncle, maybe he couldn't do all those things. but it didn't mean he'd stop thinking about it, or you, when he should be focused on chasing tornadoes.
the sun was starting to rise outside your motel room, waking up scott as a reminder that he needs to leave you before anyone sees him walking out of your door at this hour. somehow, he manages to slide out from underneath your body, feeling guilty as he looks over your sleeping form now hugging a pillow as a poor replacement for his warmth.
as much as he wants to, scott doesn't linger long. he grabbed his phone from the table next to the bed, briefly forgetting that he's forgone shoes in his haste to get to your room last night and stopped searching for them after a moment or so. the shitty bed frame creaked slightly as you adjusted your position, rolling over to face the door and releasing a sigh before settling into the sheets again.
as he walked to the door, scott looked over at you one last time, mourning the loss of your usual routine together, already missing your smile and the soft kisses you'd usually press all over his face before even giving him a chance to get out of bed. but it was already late, and there was bound to be someone awake by now, so he needed to leave before he jeopardised your relationship more than he already may have done last night.
he ignores the heaviness of his heart, pained by the usual feeling of leaving you behind. god, what he wouldn't give to wake up with you every morning, getting ready together after the sun was up and walking down to meet the group together instead of separately. luck must have been on his side that morning as he didn't see anyone else, making the short walk three doors down to his own assigned room unnoticed and slipped through the door.
the room was almost completely untouched, the bed having never been slept in and the sheets only disturbed by his suitcase which he threw on it haphazardly about three days ago. the ironing board was still out by the window, his clothes from yesterday folded neatly on the flat surface and his shirt for the day hung above it. the cargo pants thrown over the chair next to the door mocked him, a harsh reminder that today would be different because he didn't have you the way he wanted this morning, he didn't get his kiss and he'd be missing one of your little gifts he loved so.
somehow, everyone made it down to breakfast on time. albeit some looked worse for wear and would have probably appreciated a little longer in bed, storms don't wait for anyone, and after the lack of bad weather yesterday (and to ignore his feelings), scott was itching to get out on the road and chase some tornadoes.
the sky was dark already, so breakfast and the debrief was hastened along, javi calling for people to get ready to leave as soon as possible whilst scott was already typing away on his laptop in the front of the scarecrow truck. you barely managed to catch his eye this morning, having already missed him when you woke up, you felt backwards and apprehensive about the day ahead. unbeknownst to you, you were feeling the exact same way as scott; your heart was heavy and your normal routine had been disturbed, a bad start to any day. he'd been up and gone by the time your alarm went off, and you knew that he hadn't even attempted to wake you before he snuck out.
as you headed to join your group, you managed to look over at scott, hunched forward in his seat as he was glued to his laptop. his glasses were hung over his shirt pocket, hat sat straight on his head. you loved watching him work, watching him concentrate so hard and use his brain to work out the storms and the best course of action. it was one of the things you'd forgotten to mention last night as you reminded him of why you were with him, not just then in the moment, but why you wanted to be with him.
sure, you'd mentioned about his smarts, but there was so much more to it with him. it was how easily he calculated things, how quickly he was to make or change plans at a moment's notice. how he could choose the right tornado from the wrong one and be so confident in it before the storm had even formed. you were constantly in awe of him and his brain and every time he said something smart or smart-ass (which was very often), you just wanted to grab his face in your hands and kiss him all over.
but all you could do was stare at him, watch as he typed away, his eyebrows creasing slightly as he figured something out. he was so handsome in times like this, and you couldn't do anything about it.
your name being called dragged you away from scott, missing him looking over in your direction as you headed to your truck and hopped in the front with samantha. it wasn't long before pete joined scott and got into the driver's seat, both pulling on their seatbelts before heading out of the parking lot. javi and kate followed behind in lion, whilst you, samantha and tim pulled out in tin man.
just as the team were hoping for, the weather kept turning from bad to worse as storm and tornado followed after each other. you all kept on moving from place to place, trucks getting dirtier at each rest stop and barely having time to dry off before the chase started again. since the day before was poor for data collection, scott and javi wanted to be on the road as much as possible, which meant fewer and shorter breaks, only stopping for as little time as possible to keep going.
usually you can sneak down an aisle of the gas station convenience store to see scott, even just for a minute or two to share a short kiss. you were wanting to give him his little gift, today a note with a few reminders on it for him, hoping the small gesture would soothe something in you and make you worry less than you already were. but you didn't get that chance. he barely left the truck, only hopping out to go to the bathroom and grab a quick drink, never being in the same place as you were at the same time. it was only then that you realised he hadn't even sent you your usual text, your phone falling silent, void of any important notifications.
little did you know, scott had been looking out for you. he had watched as you got in and out of the truck at each rest stop, he had watched as you walked through the automatic doors of the gas stations, shortly leaving with your arms full of snacks and drinks for the rest of your group. he followed after you a couple of times, keeping his distance, and headed over to the shelves of gum packets, waiting for you to turn down the aisle and properly look at him. it wasn't unknown to scott that you glanced over at him at any opportunity; he did exactly the same and would be a hypocrite if he tried to hide it. all he could think about was you, you, you. all he wanted was to see you and say hi and take in the presence that was you.
but scott has always struggled with words. he struggled to convey his feelings, preferring to be the silent and brooding type than let feelings and emotions get involved. but it was different with you. feelings were always involved with you, and he couldn't get over his pride or bruised ego to even just talk to you today. he really should. he had regretted not sending you your usually text, he had regretted not waking you up when he did, he had regretted leaving you alone, but that's what he'd done. he needed to own it or get over it. so he brooded and practically ignored you, and it pained him as much as it pained you.
it was a long day. a long day of driving and storms and getting wet and not seeing scott. you never really realised how much you saw him when you weren't busy and how much you actually missed him in the day after not seeing him first thing in the morning. the note that should be in his cargo pants pocket burnt a hole in your own and it was the only thing you could think of on the drive back to the motel.
the rain was still coming down heavily, windscreen wipers flying back and forth with such speed you thought they'd fly off any minute. tim was driving again, this time with samantha in the front and you in the back. all of you were so tired that the truck was silent, only the downpour of the rain providing a background noise to your thoughts. you loved weather like this, that's one of the reasons you took this job, so being able to stare out over the open fields and watch the rain and clouds dance together was what you needed today.
you were probably only five minutes away from the motel when the truck started to spin, sliding on the standing puddles of water on the road and causing tim to lose all control. the three of you just gasped, grabbing onto whatever you could to steady yourself as you let the truck do what it needed to do to battle the weather. after a few rotations the truck stopped suddenly, its side crashing into a fence which had ran parallel to the road for the past few miles.
the three of you looked between you all, still not saying anything as you all fought to catch your breath and give a nod of ‘i’m okay’ to each other. the others had kept driving, your truck bringing up the rear, so your only option was to keep going back to the motel, take it slow and hope that no one noticed the massive dent in the truck. easy enough, right?
by the time you got back, the parking lot was almost empty, only the storm par trucks occupying a few of the spaces and a couple of other random cars dotted around the lot. it was still pouring it down, and the first thing you all saw as you pulled up was scott stood under the cover of the second floor's walkway, stood directly in front of your truck's space with his arms cross and a scowl painting his face.
the three of you got out, grabbing your bags before quickly joining him underneath the cover and away from the rain. none of you said anything, just stood in front of scott like you were waiting for either a lecture or permission to head to your rooms. he just looked between you all, expression not changing even as he looked straight in your eyes and spoke directly to you.
"what took you so long?"
"we just got caught up in the weather, didn't want to rush getting back." tim replied, his voice wavering slightly as he noticed the intensity of scott's gaze on you.
"i wasn't asking you." he bit back, not even looking over at tim as he spoke to you. "what took you so long?"
"erm, we jus-just got caught up, scott, like tim said." your reply was quiet, knowing he would be upset with you for lying especially after he found out the real reason why you guys were late.
"then why is there a dent in the side of my truck, hum? get caught up in a tornado i didn't see?" your cheeks heated up, face scrunching as you winced at his words. of course he'd realise, truly nothing got past him. but he still didn't look away from you as he waited for a reply, even if it was another excuse. tim and samantha looked shocked at scott's behaviour, knowing he could be intense, but never having singled you out for something before, especially not for something you actually hadn't done.
you kept staring at scott, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't make him any more angry than he already was. tim was trying to think of how to explain how he damaged the truck, and samantha was trying to hard not to scream 'i told you so', still adamant in her theory that scott had a thing for you. the only thing saving you from an awkward silence was the rain, that was until javi came out from his room and saw the four of you stood together.
"hey, you guys are back- what happened to the truck?" he cut himself off with his own question, looking over the dented side with his hands in his hair before turning back to you. "is everyone alright?"
the contrast between their two approaches was like whiplash. you wanted to blurt out your apologies and throw in an 'i'm okay' to stop javi worrying, but with scott still staring you down, you were too worried to look away from him. you'd missed his presence and his face all day and thought that if you looked away, even for a minute, he'd turn around and walk away from you. and after what had just happened, it was taking everything in you not to grab him and hold him close.
"we're okay," samantha said, looking at javi with apologies in her eyes. "we're sorry about the truck, we just caught some water and spun out a little. this shitty fence broke our spin and dented the side, i'm so sorry, javi."
"it's okay, we can get that fixed, as long as you guys are ok-"
"who was driving?" scott's voice was even, asking you another question that you really didn't want to answer.
"scott, i-"
"who was driving?" he said it slower, in a tone that suggested he knew the answer already, interrupting whatever you were about to say.
"it was me." tim spoke up.
"pack your shit, you're going tomorrow."
"scott, you can't just-"
"sir, it was an accident, i really didn't-"
"well, your 'accident' could have killed three people tonight," scott finally looked away from you and you felt like you could breath again. "i'm here to do my job and keep everyone safe. you pulling shit like this doesn't help, so i want you gone by the morning. this job doesn't call for liabilities, and currently you're the only one i'm looking at."
(was it bad that this was kinda turning you on and you thought it was incredibly hot of him?)
"scott, man, let's just all get some rest, cool off and come back to this in the morning." javi tried to bargain with him, moving forward into scott's space and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"i'm cool, javi. i've made my decision and it's final." he insisted, turning back to look at you, eyes softening at the tired look on your face. god, he just wanted to pick you up, take you to bed and just be grateful that you're still with him. "you all could have died, i don't take that shit lightly."
he shrugged off javi’s hand, his hand dropped into his cargo pants pocket and pulled out a set of keys before pushing past his best friend and storming towards the scarecrow truck. it made a high-pitched beep as scott unlocked the doors, pulled open the driver’s side and got in. before he had a chance to shut the door, you’d managed to drop your bag and head out into the rain, a hand grabbing the door before scott was able to close it fully.
“what are you doing? you can’t go out in this!” you almost screamed at him, the rain drowning out your voice to the others still stood under the cover as they watched you talk to scott.
“why not, huh? nothing happened to you guys, just got caught up!” he replied, his tone dripping with sass as he replayed your own words back to you.
“come on, don’t be like that! i didn’t want you to worry, and we’re fine!”
“you could have died!” his voice dropped, eyes looking right into yours as you noticed some tears starting to well at the bottom of them. you couldn’t stop a gasp from leaving your lips, hoping that you were shielding scott’s expression from the others behind you; javi would never let him live it down.
“oh, baby,” you reached out to his face. “i’m okay, really, i’m fine. just please don’t go, not like this. i know you’re upset, but anything can happen in this weather. please, don’t go.”
your touch seemed to snap him out of his thoughts as he grabbed your wrist and brought it back down to your side.
“i’ll be back in a bit.” he said plainly, watching as you stepped back and let him slam the door, turn the engine over and drive out of the parking lot.
“what the fuck was that?!”
“i’ll tell you when you grow up.” samantha patted tim on the back, picking up your bag as you made you way back under the motel, absolute drenched and visibly panicking.
“javi, you- we have to go. we have to follow him and get him back here, now.”
"in this weather? you guys have already had an accident, with two more trucks out there, who knows what'll happen. we need to get inside and-"
"we need to go get him, javi!" you shouted over him, samantha and tim realising this isn't their fight anymore and leaving to go back to their rooms. "please, javi, you're his best friend, you know how he gets, and his temper and this weather and driving is not going to end well."
"you're real worried, huh?" he asked, no teasing, no harshness to his words. he only needed to take one look at the anxiety on your face and your heavy breathing to realise how you felt about the man in question.
"yes, i am worried." your words were plain, and said quite matter of factly. "i can go on my own-"
"no, no way, scott would definitely kill me then." javi looked back at the motel, seemingly trying to end his internal battle of either going back inside or coming with you.
it took him a moment before he looked back at you, his hand diving into his trouser pocket and pulling out the keys to the lion truck, "come on, let’s go."
javi leads you as you both step out into the rain again. you're completely drenched by now, but you couldn't care less as you wait for him to unlock the doors and hop into the passenger side. the engine rumbles and javi's quick to put it in to reverse, pulling out of the motel parking lot without looking back. the road is completely empty, windscreen wipers working overtime as they battle against the heaving downpour that hasn't let up in the past few hours. you don't even know if you're going in right direction; you definitely saw scott turn left out of the lot, but there were so many side roads coming up that he could have turned down, so many turns off of them meaning he could be anywhere.
both of you scan the road, looking left and right for any sign of headlights or the distinct white truck, anything to give you a hint as to where scott could be. you knew you should have stopped him. you should have grabbed onto his hand and pulled him out the of truck, should have dragged him towards the motel and into your room and straight in the shower, wanting nothing more than to warm up and forget about the day.
but scott was stubborn. once he set his mind to something, it was difficult to stop him. you knew he didn't verbalise things, you knew he found it difficult and would rather be rude and stand-offish to other people, but never to you. he was frustrated about today, you could see that from a mile off, but doing this was dangerous and when you got him, you didn't know whether to scold him for being so reckless or kiss him after ignoring you all day. maybe both.
probably both.
you don't know how long you've been driving for, constantly on high alert for anything that looked vaguely like a storm par truck. a fence started to run parallel to the road, and you recognised it as the one you drove into earlier. it gave you a sick feeling in your stomach, your insides twisting as if they knew something was wrong.
and something was very wrong.
"javi, stop!" you shouted, seeing the tail end of a truck a few feet above the ground, the front stuck half in a ditch and half through a fence. the truck hadn't even fully stopped by the time you were out of it, leaving the door wide open as you ran over to the drivers side and peered into the cab.
and there was scott, body slumped forward over the wheel, hat thrown to the side.
"shit." you mumbled, hand grasping at the door handle and pulling to get it open. javi joined you within seconds, both tugging at the metal to try and pry it away from the truck. the front must have been badly bent out of shape because it takes you a bit to do so, taking it in turns to pull the handle and push the inside of the door to reveal scott.
when the door was at its widest, you pushed past javi to get to him. he was breathing slowly, his body moving the tiniest bit as he groaned and tried to sit up. your hands immediately reached out to him, your right grasping onto his shoulder as your left found his chest. you helped him to slowly move, eyes darting over his face and arms to check for any bad cuts or wounds that he may have. there were a few little ones dotted across his forearms, the biggest one being a cut just above his eyebrow. it didn't look too deep, but it was enough to make you worry and want to get him out of this truck and into the other one as soon as possible.
"scott, honey, it's okay, i'm here. we're here." your voice was quiet as you called out to him and got him set back against the seat, a hand coming to rest on his cheek to turn his face to your own. "you're okay, i'm here."
one of his eyes opened, taking all of you in; your soaked hair, your drenched shirt, the loving look you had in your eyes and the relieved look on your face. seeing you now, javi just a foot behind you, he regretted running off and leaving the motel. he had regretted it about five minutes after he'd left, but it wasn't much longer after that that he crashed, wheels sliding over the surface water and spinning him into the same goddamn fence you'd crashed in to.
"hey." he smiled at you, a wide-toothed grin directed only at you as you gave him one of your own. without even thinking, you cupped his face in both your hands and brought him towards you, placing a short kiss on his lips, then his nose and his forehead. he winced slightly, making an apology tumble from your lips as you lightly brushed over his new cut. luckily, it wasn't deep, but it was going to sting like hell and would definitely need some steri-strips to pull it back together.
javi just stood back as he watched the two of you, glad that his friend was okay, but still reeling in the new information that he'd just witnessed in front of him. before he knew it, you were pulling scott out of the cab, one of his arms falling around your shoulders as he ran to scott's other side and helped you take him over to the not-damaged truck.
you pulled open the back door, twisting around so you could sit scott backwards onto the seat. pulling away from him, you reached into the passenger seat, door still open from you rushing out, and grabbed the first aid kit that was all of the glove boxes. when you'd first joined, the guys hadn't even thought of keeping one handy in any of the trucks, so you took it upon yourself to compile some together and keep them updated. right now, you're thanking your past self for the idea, rushing back to scott's side to fix him up, throwing the box in his lap before opening it.
javi went to the ditched truck and pulled out whatever was important that was still lying in the footwells, grabbing scott's abandoned hat and sunglasses before he doesn't hear the end of it. you started cleaning up the cut on scott's face, trying to shield him and yourself from the rain that was still pouring, albeit slower now than earlier, but you really didn't want get any plasters wet before pressing them onto his skin.
the sterilised wipe turned red quickly, the blood from his cut still flowing slowly as you tried to stop it as much as possible, "hold that there." you grabbed one of scott's hands, pulling it up towards his forehead and pressing it onto the cotton above his brow.
"yes, ma'am." he teased, loving how you had practically ignored javi's presence for the past few minutes in order to take care of him. you pressed another kiss on his lips before wiping around the cuts on his arms with a clean wipe, feeling his eyes on you constantly as you did so.
"you're so reckless, you know?" you mumbled, taking care with your actions. "driving off and leaving me at the motel in a storm like this. this is so much worse than just a bump into a fence, you could have been seriously hurt, scott." you glanced up at him quickly, watching as his smile dropped and head dipped slightly.
"m'sorry, sweetheart, i didn't mean to scare you."
"i know, i'm just glad you're okay. i don't know what i would have done if anything had happened to you." you finished tending to his arms and shifted your attention back to his face. the cotton had soaked up most of the blood, now just needing a clean and something to keep it together. javi was still stood behind you, not wanting to get in the middle of whatever argument you may be having. it didn't seem like one, but javi just wanted to get back into the truck and head back to the motel; he was getting colder by the minute.
you grabbed another wipe, throwing the cotton into the growing pile of blood-soaked fabrics. "can't believe you've marked up your pretty little face, at least your hat'll hide it while it's healing." with the blood now gone, you grabbed some steri-strips. "i'll have to change these in a couple of days, we'll grab some more when we leave tomorrow to replace them in the box." you'd place one on already, pinching his skin to set the other one. "thank God i put them in the trucks, you'd be bleeding out on the backseat if i hadn't. on that note, you're so stupid for coming out here in this rain-"
"i know, i shouldn't have-"
"you don't understand how worried i was when you drove off and how scared i was to find you dead somewhere. i shouldn't have even let you get in the truck at the motel. i wish i'd pulled you out then and there and dragged you back to my room and shoved you in the shower before you even thought about leaving me. and i'm sorry for lying to you about the accident. i love you, but i knew you'd be angry and do something stupid so i was trying to stop it before anything happened, but you still went off and-"
that's when scott zoned out. you kept talking as you busied yourself with placing the last sterile-strip on his forehead, checking the rest of him for anymore cuts or blood that needed cleaning and shoving all the used wipes and rubbish in a bag and closing the first aid kit that still laid open on his lap. he caught javi's eyes from behind you, both the men staring at each other with wide eyes as they registered what you had just said. he's not thinking of anything, no rebuttal or teasing remark, the only thing on rotation in his head being 'i love you. i love you. i love you.’
scott doesn't know whether you're still talking or cleaning his blood off of your hands, he doesn't care as he grabs your chin and pulls your forward, his lips immediately finding yours as he puts all of his energy into kissing you. everything drowns out in that moment: the rain, your anxiety, scott's injuries, the wrecked truck behind you, javi behind you. the only thing you can hear is the big, bright, blaring sound that is scott and his touch and the way his hands are tugging on your hips to bring you closer to him. you stumble forward, catching yourself on his shoulders, ignoring the wet fabric of his shirt and the blood that's probably staining the pure white.
his lips are soft and the feelings he's pouring into the kiss make up for the missed moments this morning and the events of the day. his hands are still on your hips, fingers tracing the waistband of your trousers as your own hands run down his chest, resting on his thighs as you lean closer to him and press yourself further into the kiss. your fingers trace the seams of his cargo pants pocket.
"i should have known you guys were doing it." javi eventually called out over the rain, making both of you pull away from the other and giggle slightly as scott's forehead rested on your own. neither of you argued, realising the secret was well and truly out by now and it wasn't something you could, or wanted to, hide anymore.
you leaned away from him, looking over his face and feeling the hearts in your eyes as you did so. he was smiling up at you, the same gaze reflecting back at you as you looked into his baby blues that you loved so much.
"guess it's out the bag now, huh?" he commented, making you shake your head at his little joke.
"guess it's out the bag now." you agreed, pulling away from him to get into the front of the truck, making sure he'd pulled on his seatbelt before closing the door.
"how long?" javi asked, no malice in his voice.
"only a few months," you smiled, seeing the knowing look in his eyes as he stood with his arms crossed in front of you, rain still falling around you both. "thank you for coming with me."
"someone's gotta save his ass when he gets all grumpy, i'm just glad i've got a partner to do it with now." you just laughed at that, moving towards the passenger door as javi walk around to the drivers side. when you both got in, scott leaned forward from the backseat, one hand on both of your seat shoulders.
"i heard that."
"and i meant it."
you couldn't help the smile on your face, looking between javi and scott as they stared each other down. javi turned over the engine, still glaring at scott before pulling away and looking ahead at the road. it was still raining, but not as heavy as earlier. the road ahead of you was clearer than on your way out, just puddles and standing water covered the ground.
you looked behind yourself, watching the wrecked truck get further away before looking over at scott. he was still leant forward slightly, already showing a closed-lip smile as he caught your eye. your face mirrored his expression, moving forward to place a light kiss on his lips and then his cheek then shuffling around to face forward again. his right arm reached forward towards you, his hand grasping yours as he squeezed it three times. it was a comfort having him touching you, even in such a little way, and you cradled your joint hands in your lap.
the drive back was quiet, javi no longer having any jabs to make at the two of you and just wanting to go to bed after such a long day. he didn't realise that it was going to end with saving his friends life and finding out that he had a partner. but anyway, you were clearly happy with each other, so what more could javi want?
as the motel came into view, you could see that the majority of the group were stood outside, all in various states of undress as they waited anxiously for the three of you to get back. kate was the first person to run over to the truck, pulling open the passenger door and looking you over before turning her attention to javi getting out of the driver's side.
"i'm okay," you nodded at her, jumping out of the truck and closing the door. "it's scott you want to be worried about." she grunted slightly at that, moving back from you to let you head towards the motel. however, she did look over in scott's direction and see his bandaged forehead and blood over his shirt. at that, she gave him a sympathetic smile as he made his way over to you.
without warning, scott grabbed your hand, pulling you away from javi, kate and the rest of the team, up the stairs of the motel and towards your room. everyone just gawked at you as you passed, some stunned to silence and others muttering as they noticed your linked hands. kate looked over questioningly at javi, who replied with a shrug of his shoulders and a quick, "i had to watch them make out, be grateful it's just that."
scott ruffled around his pockets for the spare key card he had to your room, allowing you enough time to shout a 'goodnight!' to everyone before (literally) being dragged into your room and hearing the door lock.
at the end of the day, the only place you wanted to be was either with scott or in his arms. after the hectic day you'd just had, you ended it with your back against your room's door, scott towering over you as his hands grabbed at your hips, forehead falling onto yours. you were definitely breathing in the same air, but in that moment you didn't care; you were both alive, with only a few scratches, and you couldn't be more grateful for that in your line of work.
"thank you," voice only above a whisper as he broke the silence. "thank you for coming to save me. i should have said it earlier: i love you. i know it's only been a few months, but i felt like this before i showed up at your door that night." his hands came up to cup your cheeks, your own resting on his chest where you could feel his rapid heartbeat. "i've never felt like this for anyone, and i don't want to feel like this for anyone else but you."
"scott-" you gasped, your next sentence being cut off by his lips on yours. it was soft and gentle, something scott had been with you before, but this was different. it was a show of his love and adoration, his lips moving perfectly with yours as you tasted everything that was scott. he took over your mind and filled your senses and you wouldn't have it any other way.
"let's shower, hum?" he barely moved away from your lips as he spoke, quickly closing the gap again and kissing you once more.
"yes please." you managed to respond between his pecks, feeling scott's smile as he pulled you backwards and towards the small bathroom.
the only noise in the bathroom was the humming of the motel lights and the running water, heating up as you and scott undressed each other carefully. leaving your wet and dirty clothes in a pile together, you were cautious of his cuts and the plasters on his face, pealing his black undershirt off his body with the upmost care. before stepping under the shower, he cupped your face and kissed you again, holding his lips against yours for a few seconds. you grabbed his wrists in response, stepping towards the shower and pulled him along with you.
both of you were gentle under the water, lathering shampoo into the others' hair and trying to not get any suds in your eyes. you laughed at each other intermittently, watching as scott put on too much product and ended up with bubbles all over him. you took care in scrubbing his body clean, watching over his scratches as you kissed each new one you saw. scott could only watch, mesmerised by your kindness and love. he did the same for you until you were both clean and rinsed of the day.
after stepping out, you wrapped each other in the white towels, your hands tracing scott's chest as you stared into his gorgeous blue eyes. how lucky were you to have this man in front of you? despite his attitude sometimes, he could have been plucked straight from the angels and you'd be none the wiser. the amount of love you had for him was immeasurable, and it was only going to grow the longer you were together.
like the shower, you both got changed in the quiet, stealing glances as you dressed yourself in one of scott's t-shirts you'd stolen previously and he found some shorts he didn't realise he'd left the other day. you slipped under the covers first, settling down into the sheets as you waited patiently with open arms.
"come to bed, baby." you cooed as he started to sort the clothes in the bathroom. you could see how tired and drained he was, and you were desperate for a cuddle with him.
"the clothes, sweetheart-"
"leave them, they'll be there tomorrow."
"but-"
"scott," you pressed, sitting up to look at him. "i don't care about the clothes, i want you to come to bed and rest. please." the puppy dog eyes that you flashed him worked yet again. he dropped the clothes, turned off the lights and made his way over to you.
he laid on his back, sheets covering him as you shuffled into his side, wrapping around his body like a koala and resting your head on his shoulder. it was peaceful, safe, warm. you could lightly feel scott's heartbeat, hear him breathing, feel his warmth, all as a reminder that the was here with you and not in a ditch two miles down the road.
"i think it was your missing gift that did this." he muttered, still staring at the ceiling as you sat up slightly.
"my what?" you giggled, not realising what he was saying.
"your gifts, the little things you put in my cargo pants pocket each morning. i think they mean more to me than i realise, and the one day that i don't get one, all this shit happens."
"so, you're saying this is my fault?" you smirked, watching as his head whipped around to look at you with a worried expression.
"what? no, no! i didn't- you're messing with me." he saw your face and stopped his rant before it started, having should have realised that you'd tease him like that. "i just mean that i love your little gifts and i love that you think you're sneaking them without me realising. but i do. i have everything you've ever given me in my bag. did you want any of those lip glosses back, by the way? i think you've staked your claim on me now."
you laughed loudly at that, head falling between his neck and shoulder as your whole body shook at his words. scott just smiled, wrapped his arms around you tighter and pulled your body on top of his own.
"well, i'm glad you like them." you managed to get out between giggles, pressing a kiss onto each of his cheeks.
"i love them. i love how obsessed you are with my cargo pants pockets." his words made you blush, wanting to bury yourself back into his skin, but also not wanting to look away from his beaming smile and bright eyes. up close like this, you realised how much emotion was hidden in his eyes, something only you get to see, everyone else be damned.
you ran a hand through his damp hair, the waves and curls that he usually hid coming out in full force without the restriction of his hat. his hands traced up and down your sides, dipping under the hem of your shirt every so often to feel your soft skin there. you explored in your own way, clinging on to the back of his neck and shoulders as you confessed one last thing for the night.
"i love how obsessed i am with you."
scott oomfs: @weemswife @rhettsunshine @supremian @bbaengtan @fluvsof @urlitttlevenicebitch @bellaswanreincarnated4 @luvagirlsworld @ilsm-i-love-superman @djarinova
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