save a horse (ride a farmhand)
Fandom: Degrees of Lewdity
Pairing: Male!Alex x Fem!Reader
Celebrating the newest addition to the farm and warding off Remy, you, Alex, and the other workers on the farm all hold a celebration. You learn what it means to take a cowboy's hat.
This is my first time writing smut of any kind so it felt awkward to me but uhhh hope y'all like it lol
"We should throw a party tonight."
You barely looked over at Alex as you cooked breakfast, even when he let out a confused hum at the sudden suggestion.
"A party?"
Cracking an egg in the pan, you looked back. He had been watching you intently as you cooked, and when your eyes met his he could only give you a grin. You turned back to the stove.
"Yeah." Your back was turned to him, so you hadn't been expecting him to approach you so quietly. You didn't realize he was right behind you until his arms wrapped around your midsection, causing you to startle and almost drop the spatula as he rested his chin on your shoulder. You cleared your throat, focusing your gaze on the eggs you were cooking. "To celebrate finishing the farm," you elaborated. "The workers have been working hard to get everything done, and I think we deserve a break after successfully defending against Remy's last assault."
You both really did deserve the break. It had been months since you first met Alex and had been helping him take care of the animals and clear fields. What started as an overgrown mess and a few animals had turned into nine fields of produce, protected by fortified walls and a watch tower, with a fully working laboratory as well. It had been hard work—especially with the other farmer, Remy, encroaching upon the farm once he saw Alex as a threat. Still, Remy was sorely mistaken if he had thought that you and Alex could be easily cowed. After the last assault where the two of you (along with your trusty security guard, Lisa) had managed to thwart all of his goons without taking a single hit to any of the fields... It was safe to say, Remy probably wouldn't be back for a little bit. Good riddance.
With that said... Was there any better reason to hold a party? The farm was finished, Remy was out of the picture, and all just in time before fall gave way to winter. You had worked so hard over the summer, so a break was in order, wasn't it?
"I dunno." Alex lingered there, and you could feel his breath wash over your neck. "What if Remy comes back?"
"Let him," you responded coolly, leaning back against him slightly. "Next time I'm seeing him, I'm decking him in the face anyhow."
Alex laughed, finally pulling back. "I'd like to see that." He stepped away, letting you finish up the food. "Let the workers know, then. But alcohol's on you."
"Yeah, yeah." Breakfast was simple; hashbrowns and eggs with a couple strips of bacon. You served it up on two different plates, placing them both on the table as Alex poured coffee for the both of you. "I'll let the workers know. I think they're packing everything up today."
Life on the farm was... nice, even if it wasn't something you had ever expected when you first approached Alex, looking for work so you could move out of the shitty apartment you shared with your father and three brothers. You had been desperate when you first met Alex, practically begging for the job after you had dealt with one-too-many weirdos at Sam's cafe. The pay wasn't anything to write home about at first, but it was fulfilling work, gave you great exercise, and in terms of employers, Alex was by far the best. It helped the two of you were so close in age—and had a shared disdain for Remy even before his own attacks on the farm.
The farm had come a long way—you just wished that you could say the same for your relationship with Alex.
Alex was nice. Months of working alongside him all day had brought you two closer. Between working together and goofing off and even just taking breaks together in the shade while sharing a bottle of whiskey, it was only natural that you two would have grown close. It had gotten to the point where, after all the fields had been cleared, Alex had offered up the spare room in the cottage (while also offering half of the farm to you). You jumped on that chance; the room was small, but it was your own, and finally you were free from living with your father and siblings. It wasn't completely your own place... But it was a start.
The only issue was, where did that leave you and Alex? The two of you were living together. You'd swap chores around, make each other meals... But you two weren't together. There had been a couple instances where you felt you were close to something, but at the last minute something would always keep anything from progressing. You wanted to make a move, but something always stopped you, fear of fucking up the relationship you currently had with him. He was friendly with most people—the last thing you needed was to misread that and ruin your friendship by trying to kiss him (or worse).
Breakfast was short. There was a lot of work to do on the farm even with the main projects being finished, and so the both of you were quick to eat and clean up before heading on your own ways. Alex immediately went to go start letting all the animals out. Instead of following him, you went over to where a majority of the workers were loading up their trucks with supplies.
"Y'all heading out soon?" you asked to confirm. One of the lead guys on the project—you thought his name was Jodi—tilted his hat back, leaning against the side of a large, beat-up truck.
"Yeah. Figured we'd head out 'round eleven. Why?"
His eyes seemed to stare straight through you. In the past few weeks of him helping build the newly fortified walls around the farm, you had noticed he was always a big fan of eye contact when speaking, his eyes never seeming to leave your face. It had been unsettling at first, but you were used to it by now.
"Alex and I wanted to throw a party tonight to celebrate the completion of all the renovations for you all. Booze included."
Jodi smiled toothily. "Aw, we'll never say no to a party, doll. 'Specially with free booze. I'll let the others know." He gave you one more easy-going grin before turning to some of the other workers that were nearby, loading up. "Y'all hear that?"
With the guests properly invited, you made your way back to the cottage to grab funds and make a quick list of items to buy. On your way out, you swung by the security tower to let your security guard know as well—Lisa had been working hard ever since you hired her, and had deserved a break as well, especially after the last time Remy attacked.
It didn't take long to do everything that was on your list. Buy a bunch of beers, snacks, and then finish out your farm duties... Before you knew it, the sun was setting and you were setting up a roaring bonfire for everybody to chill and chat around. It wasn't anything fancy, but you all didn't need anything fancy. Just a moment to be able to relax after a long project.
Music carried over the area from an old stereo you were surprised still worked, playing a country song you probably had heard once or twice on the radio. You had seen Alex briefly; he had been talking with somebody else, but he seemed to disappear before you could track him down and talk to him. It was fine; you'd see Alex around eventually. It's not like you had to be attached to his hip. Instead, you stood by the fire, nursing your beer and soaking in the warmth from the flames that helped fight the slight autumn chill that had begun to set in.
"Now what're ya doin' all by yourself over here, darlin'?" You looked away from the fire to see Jodi standing by you, giving you one of his charismatic grins. He really was nice-looking—maybe not as attractive as Alex, but you'd be blind to say Jodi wasn't handsome himself. Unfortunately for him, you were too head-over-heals for your employer (technically business partner now?) to ever give Jodi the time of day.
"Just chilling," you responded, taking another sip of your beer. "Enjoying the moment."
You really were. You may not have been socializing the most, but seeing everybody else happy made the party worth it.
Jodi hummed, finishing off his own beer. "Why don't ya come over where some of us are? We'd love to have ya join us."
You glanced at your beer, then the fire in front of you; right after you glanced around, but Alex was still nowhere in sight. You had no clue where he had gone to.
You know what? Fuck it.
"Sure," you agreed, slamming back the rest of your own beer as well. You tossed the bottle into a bin, swinging by the cooler to grab two more—one for you, one for Jodi—and then hang out with the rest of Jodi's workers. Who knew when you'd be able to party like this again; you might as well make the most of it.
Jodi and his workers were all really chill. A few beers in deep, and they were the funniest people on the planet, it seemed. It didn't help that you rarely socialized outside of Alex and Lisa nowadays. Maybe you'd occasionally see Wren to try and convince him to fuck Remy's shit up, but that wasn't a person you could relax around (no, relaxing around Wren was just asking for trouble). It was nice to actually joke around with others, to not have to worry about saying the wrong thing or putting your foot where your mouth was. Countryfolk were always more tolerable than those who lived in the shitty town you grew up in, that was for sure.
"Why d'ya wear that hat?" you asked Jodi. "Figured it'd get in the way of working." It made no sense to wear a cowboy hat while working on farm construction, but you don't think you've seen him without the cowboy hat.
Jodi gave you another, easy-going grin, tipping the brim slightly back. "Curious? Wanna try it on?"
There seemed to be another meaning hidden in his words. You could tell that much, but what that meaning was, you weren't sure. It was just a hat. Shrugging, you reached up and took the hat straight off his head, placing it over your own. You probably wouldn't have done this normally, you had no interest in flirting with anybody that wasn't Alex, but you were tipsy, and Alex seemed to have ditched the party. At the very least, Jodi seemed into you, his grin widening as he suddenly pulled you in by your waist.
"Why don't we—"
"—and that's enough of that."
You were pulled back away from Jodi, and moments later the hat was taken off your head and thrown towards him. You swayed slightly on your feet, looking backwards and up only to see a very unamused Alex. His jaw was set—he looked frustrated.
"Where'd you come from?" you asked. You hadn't meant to sound accusatory, but he really did seem to appear out of nowhere. And to, what, foil your flirtations? It's not like you were going to do anything with Jodi—it was just nice to have some attention!
Alex didn't answer you, didn't even look down at you. His eyes were focused on Jodi, and you looked over to see Jodi fix his hat back upon his head and raise his hands in surrender.
"Didn't realize she was spoken for," Jodi said smoothly. "Don't need ta get your britches in a twist."
Alex didn't respond for a moment. He looked like he had more to say, and you could feel how tense he was behind you, as if he was ready to spring into action. You really hoped he wouldn't; you could not deal with a fist fight in your current state. Thankfully, after a moment more Alex finally backed down. He grabbed you by the bicep, his fingers firm around your arm as he began to tug you away from the group.
"C'mon."
"W-wait—"
But Alex wasn't hearing your weak protests as he drug you away from the group, away from the bonfire and party. The two of you rounded the barn, and you finally tugged yourself free of him. You stumbled slightly, immediately placing a hand flat against the barn wall to keep yourself steady. "What was that?" you asked, affronted and confused. "You're gone for the whole party, and then the moment I get friendly with another guy you—?!"
Alex cut you off as he pushed you against the barn wall, his lips immediately pressing against yours. There was a moment where you didn't move, so surprised by the sudden action, before you threw yourself into the kiss. Your beer bottle slipped from your hand and to the ground, spilling on the grass as you tugged Alex closer to you. The kiss was hot, and furious, and you could taste alcohol on his breath as well.
He pulled away after a moment, but he didn't pull back from you, keeping you against the barn as you panted. ". . . What the hell was that?"
Even sober, you thought it would take a moment for you to process what just happened. Months of pining for your former-employer and current business partner, with no clue if he even felt the same, and suddenly he's kissing you the moment you turn your attention towards somebody else?
"You drive me crazy," Alex muttered. "Ya know what it means to take a cowboy's hat?"
"No...?"
What the hell did that have to do with anything?
Alex snorted, finding your response humorous for whatever reason. You seemed to have been correct, though, in thinking there was some sort of hidden meaning to Jodi's words earlier.
"I'll show ya, then."
His lips were back on yours before you could even think on how to respond to that cryptic statement. He wasted no time in slipping his tongue into your mouth, and his hands immediately found the button of your pants, unbuttoning them before tugging them down. The autumn chill bit at your legs, your pants pooling at your ankles, your boots too clunky to slip your pants off over them. The sudden action had you startling, and you immediately pushed back on Alex's chest. He pulled back once more, but only to start tugging upwards on your shirt.
"Alex!" You chided, hearing the fabric rip slightly as your arms were forced up, the t-shirt falling somewhere on the ground. You were all too aware of how close you were still to the party, faint music and laughter reaching your ears. You were more concerned about that, about the thought of somebody rounding the corner and seeing you in a state of undress, than the fact you were actually getting intimate with Alex. "What if somebody comes around the corner?!" Your voice was hushed, as if even talking at a regular volume might alert the others.
"Let 'em see," Alex huffed, pulling his own shirt off. You couldn't help but stare at his toned chest, and suddenly the prospect of getting naked with Alex right here didn't seem so bad. Maybe it was just the alcohol running through your system, but you no longer felt chilly—instead, heat seemed to course through your veins. "Know who ya belong to."
And God if that possessive tone didn't do something to you.
Your reaction time was slowed. You could barely process as Alex tugged you down to the ground, hovering over you as he worked on finishing undressing you. The grass was itchy beneath your back, but you had no time to dwell on it as your bra joined your discarded shirt moments later.
"Ah—!"
A loud gasp left you as Alex ducked down to take a nipple into his mouth. His hands left you for a moment as he fiddled with his belt buckle, pulling it off, and you took the time to hastily and clumsily kick your shoes off.
Fuck it. You'd just have to hope nobody came around the fucking corner.
Another gasp left you, tapering off into a breathy moan as Alex reached back up to pinch your other nipple. Your head fell back, and you pressed the back of your hand to your mouth in hopes you could stifle the noises that left you. Your eyes fluttered shut, feeling his tongue swirl around your nipple before his lips pursed and he sucked. Once, twice, before he gently nipped at your nipple before pulling away from you once more. You couldn't help the groan that left your mouth, feeling cold air hit you as he leaned back only to shimmy his pants and boxers off. Everything was moving so fast, and yet not fast enough. You wanted Alex inside of you. How long had you been hoping for him to make the first move on you?
This was one hell of a first move.
You had expected for Alex to get back on top of you once he was finished undressing, but instead he gripped your forearms and pulled you up into a sitting position, nearly straddling him.
"Take your panties off." There was no way you were going to ignore that demand, immediately yanking them off with zero grace. He pulled you on top of him fully, your legs bracketing his waist as his hands went to your hips and guided you up slightly. Moments later he was sliding you down on his dick. The lack of preparation had you grimace slightly, but it was only slightly uncomfortable. That discomfort was quick to fade, anyways, warmth pooling in your gut as you clenched around him. The pleased sigh that left you was completely involuntary, your eyes fluttering shut once more as you relished in the feeling of him inside you.
"Ride me."
Your lids snapped back open as you looked down at Alex. He was leaning back against the grass, his gaze boring into you with an intensity that sent shivers down your spine. You weren't usually on top in any previous encounters, and so your movements felt somewhat awkward for a moment as you began to ride him. His hands never left your hips, not allowing you to lift yourself up too high as you found a rhythm that brought you pleasure. Like this, Alex's cock felt like it was hitting deep inside you, and your legs were quick to turn to jelly as you struggled to keep riding him. Your thighs burned, your hands flat against his chest as you kept yourself going.
"Fuck." Alex cursed before his hands left your hips. His arms wrapped around your back, pulling you down into him, and suddenly he was fucking up into you at a feral pace. The intensity in his thrusts had you clinging onto him, burying your face into his neck to try and stifle the moans that were leaving you. "This," Alex punctuated his word with a particularly harsh thrust, "is what that asshole was expectin'."
His words went in one ear and out the other. You could only focus on how fucking good it felt for Alex to pound into you, his hips beginning to stutter. You couldn't remember the last time you had sex, but fuck had the last time felt so good?
You were getting close, so close, almost there—but Alex beat you to it first, letting out a strained groan as he came, shooting deep inside of you. He went still, but that burning need through you had you fidgeting. You had been right there, about to orgasm. Frustration began to bubble inside as Alex lifted your hips off his, pulling out of you—but then he was rolling the two of you over so your back was on the grass instead.
"You didn't cum yet, right?"
You confirmed with a hum, not sure if you could trust your voice right now, and suddenly he was moving lower. You leaned up to see what the hell he was doing—but then, his mouth was on you, his lips circling your clit as he began to suck. Two fingers slid into you with ease as he began to pump them in and out of you. His fingers and mouth working in tandem were quick to have pleasure shooting back upwards, your body tingling as he pulled back slightly just to swirl his tongue around your clit. The heat began to build again, closer, closer—he curled his fingers slightly, the pads of his fingers dragging against your walls, and the warmth that had been coiling in you snapped. Moaning his name, your back arched slightly, your pussy clamping down tightly on his fingers. It hadn't taken long for you to come undone, and Alex helped you ride out the high, languidly continuing to pump his fingers into you.
Just as it had started to become over-sensitive, Alex pulled free. Even in the low lighting, as you looked up, you could see your juices glistening on his fingers. He kept eye contact with you as he stuck them in his mouth, slurping them clean.
It took you a moment to catch your breath. Alex had already begun to tug his clothes back on as you shakily propped yourself on your elbows. Was he seriously just going to get dressed and leave...?
But no—after he finished getting dressed, he began to gather your clothing before helping you get dressed as well. Your movements felt discombobulated and clumsy, although you weren't sure if it was from the aftermath of your orgasm or the alcohol. Probably both.
". . . Don't see how you got that from me taking his hat," you managed to mutter after a moment. Alex had been helping you pull your bra back on when you said that, stopping to give you an incredulous look.
"When ya take a cowboy's hat, it means ya wanna ride 'em. Did ya seriously not know?"
You hadn't. "He's not even a real cowboy," you tried to argue weakly as you took over from Alex. He was struggling to re-clasp your bra, and while you appreciated the thoughtfulness in him trying to help you redress... it was chilly as hell out here.
"Doesn't matter." Alex was stubborn, he always was, and was refusing to see otherwise.
"Why's it even matter?"
Another long look from Alex. He sat back, watching you pull your shirt back over your head. His gaze was intense once more; it was like he was staring right through you. "Are ya stupid?"
"Huh?"
Alex sighed in exasperation. "I invite ya to live with me, help me control the farm, and you're out here flirtin' with other men when ya should be flirtin' with me. Did ya think I'd just invite anybody to live with me?"
He... had a valid point. The friendliness you hadn't been sure was more than that apparently was more than just friendliness. In your defense, it's not like Alex ever actually said what he expected or that he wanted a relationship. It wasn't your fault!
"Why didn't you say anything?" You asked, equally as exasperated. You tugged your panties and pants back on before you went searching for your socks and boots that you previously haphazardly kicked off. Thankfully, they weren't too far, and your socks were still in your boots so you didn't have to go searching the grass in the dark.
He ran a hand through his hair. "Just figured ya'd get it."
You couldn't help it. A disbelieving laugh left you, and you shook your head. "Seems like we're both bad at communicating."
Alex leaned in, catching your chin. "I want ya to be mine. Not anybody else's. That good 'nough for ya?"
The possessive words had heat coiling in your gut once more, and you found yourself at a loss for words. You nodded, feeling your heart skip a beat in your chest. At your acquiescence, he grinned and pat your cheek once before pulling back.
"Good girl."
He stood up, before reaching down to help you stand as well. Your legs still felt somewhat wobbly, and the world around you swayed a little bit. You hated how those two simple words had that heat coiling once more.
"C'mon. Let's get back to the party. You're the one that wanted it in the first place, right?"
When the two of you rounded the corner, everything was how you had left it. People were chatting and hadn't seemed to known you and Alex had been getting frisky. His arm was wrapped around your waist as the two of you rejoined the others, everybody drinking and having a merry time. Still, you couldn't help but throw Alex a somewhat nervous glance, afraid that at any moment somebody would point at you two and announce what the two of you had been doing around the side of the barn.
Jodi threw the two of you a glance; he seemed to know, his gaze shrewd, but he said nothing if he did know. Instead, he raised his beer to the both of you before going back to his conversation with one of the other workers.
You and Alex had a lot to work on in the future, but at least you could finally say that you and Alex were together, more than just business partners on the farm.
And you knew for certain to never take a cowboy's hat again.
