Faraday screamed as he started awake in his room, only to find Goodnight sitting in the only chair and reading a book.
#firstsentacefic
“Jeez-sus, the hell you think you you’re doing lurkin’ in the corner like that—you’re lucky I didn’t shoot you between the got’damn eyes,” he cursed.
Goodnight licked his finger and turned the page, unbothered. This wasn’t the first time he’d been on the receiving end of Faraday’s empty threats.
“An idiot drunk I know dragged me up here at gunpoint, demandin’ I read him a bedtime story. The book wasn’t half bad so I figured I might as well see how it ends.”
[Send me an opening line of a fic and I’ll write the next five.]
Sentence Prompt #92: “Those things you said yesterday...did you mean them?”
Joshua Faraday x Female Reader, Fluff, some angst
AO3 Link/ Support Me on Ko-fi
Author’s Note: So this took longer than expected. Sorry for the wait. Faraday is a deceptively hard character to write for.
REQUEST ARE OPEN!!! Send me Asks here and Sentence Prompts here
Word Count: 2.5K
“Pick a card.”
You eyed Faraday with a knowing look. “You’re drunk.”
Faraday waved you off. “I’m sober enough, just pick a card.”
You covered your smile with an exasperated huff. You pulled a card out of the middle of the deck, careful not to show it to him.
It was the Jack of Hearts.
“Got it?” he asked.
You nodded and placed the card back in the deck.
He shuffled the cards with clumsy showmanship, making sure you were watching the whole time.
“Right, and now…”
He pulled out a card, showing it to you.
“Your card.”
It was the three of hearts.
You shook your head. “Nope.”
He gave an exaggerated frowned and looked at the card.
“Really?”
You couldn’t help, but roll your eyes at this. He was a big fan of the false lead before the big reveal.
Suddenly, his eyes shifted to something over your shoulder.
“What’s that?”
You played along, and glanced behind you as he moved forward. He reached out and with a flick of his wrist, pulled a card from behind your ear.
“Your card miss.”
You held back a laugh, and shook your head. “No luck today Faraday.”
He actually frowned this time and looked at the card. It was the Jack of Spades.
“What was your card?”
“Jack of Hearts.”
He shuffled through the deck until he finally came across your card. “Okay, I might be a little drunk.”
“I’ll try not to hold that against yah.”
He gave a good natured laugh and leaned back against his saddle.
The pair of you were camped out, about a day’s ride from the next town. You had been traveling together for about four months after you helped Faraday out of some trouble.
You had been living in a small town, working as a cashier in a local supply shop. It was the only way you could support yourself while keeping a semblance of respectability short of getting married. It wasn’t what you pictured when you had come to the west. Stories of cowboys and adventure had filled your head with romantic notions of freedom, only for them to be dashed the moment you stepped off the train.
It wasn’t a bad life. You did have more freedom than you did back East, but you would be lying if you said you weren’t going a little stir crazy.
Then, Joshua Faraday came into your life.
You were making a delivery to the local saloon; just flour, eggs and other essentials for those who wanted a morning hangover cure. You entered through the back to find no one to greet you. Surprised, you dropped the flour and eggs, and made your way through the back room, opening the door just behind the bar.
To your shock, you saw two men facing each other. The one with his back to you was a tall, red haired man with a tan hat. The one facing the bar was slightly shorter, with black hair and thick mustache. They were standing just a few paces from each other, their hands sitting lightly over their guns.
The saloon owner, stood behind the counter watching the scene. His hand went for his pistol behind the counter and he began to rise it to the red-haired man’s back.
On instinct, you grabbed one of the bottles and knocked him over the head before he could get a shot off. The man facing you saw this and reached for his gun. Before he could even clear leather, the red head shot him straight through the chest.
It was utter chaos after that.
Men came running down the stairs and started shooting at you and the stranger. You grabbed the saloon owner’s dropped pistol and fired back. You managed to get one in the leg and another in the shoulder as the stranger jumped behind the counter for cover.
Somewhere between the gun shots, yelling and cursing you got the stranger to follow you through the back and out of the saloon. You ran immediately to your horse, jumping on with ease before riding as fast as you could out of town. The stranger was just behind you the entire way, giving you cover fire as you both rode off and out of sight.
Once the town as all but a memory, the stranger introduced himself as Joshua Faraday. The man who he was standing off against believed Faraday had cheated him out of a card game, and they were having a “gentlemen’s negotiation” when you had stumbled onto the scene.
It was very clear to the both of you that neither of you could go back. The men after Faraday would certainly shoot him on the spot and woman or not, there was no way you were getting out of it scot free. You couldn’t help, but think God was somehow having a laugh at your expense. You were the one who wanted adventure.
You didn’t know if it was out of pity or opportunity, but Faraday offered for you to join him. It would be a simple arrangement. You would be able to travel with someone watching your back while he had someone who could diffuse a situation should the occasion arise. Men were less likely to shoot at him if he had someone around they preserved as a lady. You agreed to his terms and to the pleasant surprise of both of you, you made a good team.
A cold wind ran up your spine, bringing you back to the present.
“You sure we can’t make it tonight?” you asked, pulling your coat a little tighter.
“Sensitive, aren’t we?”
“I can rough it just as well as you can,” you defended. “Doesn’t mean I’ll turn down a warm bed if I’m offered it.”
Faraday shook his head. “We wouldn’t get there until sunrise. Best wait it out here and give Jack and Josie time to rest.”
“Alright, fine,” you said, resting your back against your own saddle as you looked up at the stars. There was a comfortable silence between you as the small fire crackled. You looked over to Faraday to see him looking at you intently.
“What?”
Faraday looked away, running a hand through his hair.
“Nothing,” he said easily. “You should try and get some sleep. We still got a while to go in the morning.”
“What about you?”
He shrugged.
“I’m just gonna keep watch for a while.”
“You sure?”
He nodded, and you knew there was not arguing with him.
You laid yourself down, using your saddle as a pillow and turned your back against the fire in an attempt to keep warm. You closed your eyes and drifted into a dreamless sleep.
Your ears picked up a small rustling, waking you up slowly, but before you could even open your eyes, you felt something warm being placed on top of you. It was a large jacket that smelled oddly like Faraday.
Your cheeks warmed, mentally putting together what was happening.
Instead of hearing his footsteps walk away, he sat himself right beside you.
“What the hell are you doing Faraday,” he mumbled to himself. “She’s got no business being out here.”
You frowned at that, but made sure to keep your breaths steady so not to interrupt him.
“You can’t always be having to look after her,” he continued. There was a paused as you hear the small rustle of his hand running through his hair, followed by a small sigh.
“Next town. Next town, you gotta leave her.”
You didn’t move. Even after he got up and walked away, you could barely breath.
You didn’t know when exactly you started to like Faraday. He wasn’t an easy man to like by any means and often said things that would get him slapped or at worst, shot at, but you found yourself liking him all the same. Somewhere along the way his boyish charm, quick wit and odd sense of humor, got to you and wouldn’t let go. You liked him. And thought of him wanting you gone after everything hurt you deeper than you though possible.
His words ran through your mind over and over until once again, sleep took you.
You woke up early the next morning, and started breakfast, careful not to wake Faraday. It wasn’t until you had the bacon crackling did he open his eyes.
It was apparent immediately, he wanted to avoid you. He didn’t so much as say good morning as he drank his coffee. His usual jokes were absent as he ate. The only time he spoke to you was when he said you had to pack up camp.
You picked up your things in silence, tucking away everything into your saddle bag as he packed his own the other side of the camp. You wanted to say something, but the longer the silence persisted, the more you realized Faraday had already come to his decision. You picked up your saddle, struggling slightly under its weight. and walked it over to your horse.
Faraday seemed to notice and walked over to you, silently reaching out to take it himself. You pulled it out of his reach.
“I got it,” you said sharply, throwing the saddle onto Josie’s back with ease.
Faraday shot you a brief looked of surprise before going back to his grim neutrality he had been wearing all morning.
You didn’t look at him as you secured the saddle. There was no sarcastic remark, or even an apology, just more silence as he turned to walk away. You couldn’t take it anymore.
“Did you mean it?” you asked.
Faraday barely made it a few paces before turning to look at you.
“What?”
You crossed your arms, fully facing him now.
“Those things you said yesterday…did you mean them?”
It didn’t take long for him to put two and two together. He looked down at his boots as if ashamed before nodding.
“I’ve been considering it.”
You kept your face as neutral as you could. You would not allow this man to see you hurt. Not if you could help it.
“Well you might as well leave me right here,” you said stiffly. “No use waiting on ceremony.”
“I wasn’t going to ditch you without making sure you were settled first,” he said, calmly.
You glared at him, scoffing.
“Look, if you want to ditch me because I’m slowing your down or you’re getting tired of me, just say so. Don’t try to sugar coat it.”
“I’m not getting tired of you,” he said exasperatedly. “I’m just trying to do something right for once.”
“How is leaving me behind the right thing to do?”
“Because you’re a lady.”
You rolled your eyes at that.
“Yes, I’ve been aware of that for quite some time now.”
“No I mean you’re a proper lady,” he emphasized. It was clear he was trying to have a semblance of a reasonable conversation. “You have no business hanging around with the likes of me.”
“Last I checked it’s a free country, I can affiliate myself with whomever I want,” you said easily.
Faraday ignored your comment.
“I can’t always be looking out for you.”
“I never asked you to,” you shot back bitterly. “ I was looking after myself well before you came along.”
He let out a frustrated groan. “That’s not the point.”
“Then what is?”
“You deserve better!”
“Better than what?!” you snapped. “Having someone tell me what to do every second of the day? Working in some shop until some man picks me up expecting me to have five kids? Live and die in the same spot with nothing to show for it? I tried that already, I can’t do it.”
He just shook his head.
“God, you are a stupid woman.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Do you think this is some kind of game?” There was something different in his tone now, desperate, pleading even.
“You stay with me it means spending more time on a horse then you do on the ground. It’s knowing every bar tender by their first name. It’s not knowing where your next meal is coming from. It’s running until we can’t run any longer just waiting for that bullet we won’t come back from. I wouldn’t wish this life on anyone else, least of all someone I care about.”
You stood in complete shock, processing exactly what he had just said. The entire conversation coming rapidly into focus.
“You what?” you asked quietly.
Faraday faltered, looking away from you. He obviously didn’t mean to say it, but it was out there now.
“You heard me,” he said roughly.
He cared about you.
The thought rang around in your mind as you stared at him.
“I happen to like you too you know,” you said, softly.
He looked at you, not fully believing his ears.
“And as chivalrous as your intentions may be,” you continued, “the simple fact is, it isn’t about what you think I deserve, it’s about what I want. And I want to be here. I decided that long before you came along.”
“Y/N…”
You stopped him before he could protest further.
“I know what it means,” you said plainly. “I know what I’m giving up and I know what I’m getting. You’re just going to have my own judgement on this.”
Faraday looked at you intently, trying to catch any hint of doubt.
“The moment I can’t handle it anymore, I’ll tell you,” you promised. “But until then I’d rather us stick together if it’s all the same.”
He still looked like he wanted to protest, but slowly a new understanding came across his features.
“Well, I could never deny a lady anything,” he said, some humor finally entering his voice. “I guess that settles it then.”
You nodded, suppressing a small smile.
“I reckon it does.”
You continued to stare at each other, as you both came to a new appreciation of the other.
Slowly, Faraday crossed the small space between you until you were partially toe to toe. He looked down at you, his eyes shifting between your eyes and your lips in a silent question. You smiled lightly, tilting your head up answering his question with a challenge. He grinned at that. With surprising tenderness, he took hold of your waist, and pulled you into a gentle kiss. You smiled into the kiss, closing your eyes and savoring the feeling and you wrapped your arms around his neck. His lips were naturally rough, but his touch remained light and playful as he shifted between smiling, kissing and nipping your lips.
You gently pulled at his lips as your hands curled into his hair pulling him down into a deeper kiss, which he obliged. He bent down, shifting his hands so his arms were wrapped around your thighs. Before you could even react, he picked you up into the air breaking the kiss.
You let out a small yelp of surprise, keeping your hands on his shoulders for balance.
“Faraday!”
He just laughed, placing you on your horse, and looking all the round a little too pleased with himself. You got your balance quickly, unable to hold back your own laughter.
“You’re an idiot Joshua Faraday,” you said.
He gave a shrug and cocky smirk.
“Yeah, well, too bad you’re stuck with me now.”
You smiled at that. You were stuck with him and for the life of you, you couldn’t find any problem with that.
Summary: Imagine impressing Faraday with your shooting.
Faraday x Reader (if you squint), Female Reader
AO3 Link/ Support Me on Ko-fi
Word Count: 1.3K
You hadn’t been in town long, just passing through, much like everyone else in the small outpost. The only permanent residents seemed to be the sheriff, the store owners and their families. It had the same feel and every other outpost you had ever been too. It also gave you the same looks.
Being a woman traveling on your own brought the same round of reactions whenever you entered a town like this; shock, excitement, trepidation, lust and all manner of things which reminded you to keep your gun close and your head down.
You entered the local shop to pick up some supplies before you headed on your way. You glanced through making a mental list; flour, bullets, bacon, salted beef and so on. You pulled your money bag out of your pocket. A quick count of its contents told you to skip the meat and to get a job sooner rather than later. You were about to ask the shop keeper if he needed any help around the place when you over heard a conversation between a costumer and the cashier.
“How much does it pay?” the cashier asked.
“Not enough to get killed over,” the other replied. “Going up against Bartholomew Bough himself from what I heard.”
“Excuse me,” you interrupted, with all the manner of practice politeness. “But what’s this about gettin’ paid.”
“Ain’t nothin’ you want to hear about miss,” the cashier said sweetly.
You hid a grimace. “I’m new to town,” you said. “I’m looking for a job.”
“Trust me, you don’t want this one,” the costumer said. “Some lady has been running around town trying to get men to join her fight against Bough. Apparently, he all but burned down the town or something like that, killed her husband, and everything.”
Your stomach twisted at that.
“Poor woman probably just wants some peace for her husband,” the cashier said, echoing your thoughts. “Can’t blame her for that.”
“Well you can blame her for wanting to get other people killed in the process,” the customer countered.
By then you weren’t really listening and walked straight out the door.
It took you a while of asking around, but soon enough you found the woman and her associates; one young looking man, one black man in a black get up, and scruffy red haired man, all riding out of town.
“Hey!” you shouted riding up to them. “Miss! Hey!”
That caught their attention as they all stopped and turned to you, allowing you to trot your horse close to theirs.
“I hear you’re looking for hired guns.”
“I am,” the woman said. “My name’s Mrs. Emma Cullen, this is my associate Teddy Q., as well as Mr. Chisolm, and Mr. Faraday.”
She indicated to each of them as she spoke their name, and you gave the proper nod in greeting.
Teddy Q. went so far as to take off his hat when you nodded. Mr. Chisolm’s face remained neutral while Faraday looked you up and down like he was admiring a horse. You had gotten that look plenty of times before, you fought the urge to comment every time.
“And you are?” she asked.
“Y/F/N Y/L/N, and I’d like to offer my services,” you said.
Faraday didn’t even try to hide his laugh.
“Something funny Mr. Faraday,” you asked, rolling your eyes a little.
“No offense miss,” he said, getting over his outburst, “but I’m not sure what services you’d be able to offer in this particular instance.”
You raised your eyebrow. “Are you asking me for my resume?”
“I just want to know if you’re going to be more hindrance then help,” Faraday said with that smug superiority you figured was more a side effect to his personality rather than your gender.
“Well I don’t think that’s up to you, so much as your boss.”
You turned your head to Mrs. Cullen expectantly.
“You wish to help,” she asked.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
She nodded and turned to Chisolm for a silent opinion. He looked you up and down, but not in the same way Faraday did a moment ago. He was sizing you up for the task. After a moment, he looked back to Mrs. Cullen and gave her a nod. Mrs. Cullen then turned to you.
“Show us what you can do.”
You looked at Faraday and nodded to his shirt pocket. “That your deck?”
Faraday looked down at the card in his pocket and then back to you.
“Yeah.”
“Pull the Aces out,” you ordered, slipping off your saddle.
You landed on the ground as Faraday pulled out the Aces from his deck. You pulled your rifle out from under the saddle flap and load four bullets into chamber. You cocked your gun, and moved into position a few paces away from the horses.
Faraday looked back to you, cards in hand.
“Now toss ‘em,” you said evenly.
“What?”
“Toss ‘em,” you repeated, “high as you can.”
Faraday furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, inspecting you to see if you were joking. You returned his gaze with stern resolve.
After a moment, he seemed to understand you were perfectly serious. With a shrug, he tossed the cards and high as he could.
In a blink of an eye, four shots were fired and four cards came fluttering back to earth.
You didn’t move from your spot and looked back at Faraday. He looked away from you back to Chisolm, and Mrs. Cullen beside him. The pair of them, along with Teddy Q. had slightly confused, but interested expression. All three of them looked at Faraday expectantly.
Faraday got the message. He hulled himself off his horse and walked to where the cards had landed. He picked them off the ground and held them to the sky. Four perfect holes were placed in the center of each of the cards.
“This was my favorite deck,” Faraday grumbled to himself.
“I’ll buy you a new one,” you responded. You turned your attention back to Mrs. Cullen. “That sufficient ma’am?”
“Shooting cards is different than shooting people,” Chisolm commented staring you down.
You shrugged. “It ain’t if you don’t think about it much.”
Emma and Mr. Chisolm made eye contact. After a brief moment of silent debate, Chisolm gave her a nod.
“We’re headed to Rose Creek,” Mrs. Cullen informed you. “It’s about four days’ ride from here, but first we are to pick up some associates Mr. Chisolm has recommended, who might want to help us. We won’t be able to pay you much I’m afraid.”
You waved her off. “Don’t need much ‘cept a warm bed and some food on the table.”
“That can be provided,” she assured.
You nodded in satisfaction. “Then it seems we have an agreement.”
With ease, you placed your rifle back under your saddle and mounted your horse.
“Lead the way.”
Mrs. Cullen turned her horse and soon enough her entourage followed, all except for Faraday who was still standing on the ground, looking and the holes in his cards.
“You comin’,” you asked riding up next to him.
He looked up at you with a confused expression.
“How’d you do it?” he asked.
“I shot the cards,” you answered easily.
He shook his head. “No, I mean, how’d you get it perfectly center.”
You couldn’t help but smirk a little. “By aiming for it.”
He stared at you in stunned silence.
“Come along Mr. Faraday,” you said, as a wide smile spread across your face. “We got a long ride ahead of us.”
And with that, you turned your horse up the road, following after Mrs. Cullen.
Faraday adjusted his hat as he turned back to his horse and pulled himself into the saddle. This job suddenly got a lot more interesting.
Hii!!! I'm the anon who requested faraday + ocean drabble and I loved it!!! Reading your fics and drabbles is the highlight of my day, thank you for sharing them with us!😊
Oh yay, thank you!!! I always get really happy when I hear back from people whose requests I’ve done. I’m constantly worried that I post stuff and people are like “wyd” so yes, thank you for the nice message and I’m really glad you liked it!!
For those of you who haven’t already, check out my Faraday “ocean prompt” drabble here (x)
Requested by @hookedonawolverine (90% sure I’m tagging the right person, given you changed your username XD. If not, my bad!)
Prompt: “Sorry. You’re not my type.” “What is your type?” “Respectful.”
The day was a fine one, the sky clear and blue, the breeze cool and dry, and the streets bustling with people. You hummed a snippet of a tune, the wind carrying away the notes as it picked up again. You were almost to the general store when a sharp wolf-whistle sliced through the air. You frowned, your head turning toward the source of the sound. Sitting on the porch of the boarding house was a single man, slouched in his chair, a cigarette between his lips and his hat tilted back slightly on his head. “Can I help you?” you said, your tone firm and uninviting.
“I’d like to buy you a drink,” he said simply.
“Sorry, you’re not my type.”
“Oh, really?” he said chuckling. “What is your type?”
“Respectful.” You smirked at the affronted expression on his face.
“Well, I can be respectful,” he said, quickly regaining his cool. “Just didn’t know if you were the type-”
“The type of woman who likes to be respected?” you finished for him. “That would be all women.”
He shrugged. “The point still stands.”
“You say you can be respectful,” you said. “Not that you are. Anyway, have a good afternoon,” you finished curtly, and continued on your way.
You’d been browsing through the shelves of the general store for a few minutes when the bells on the door jingled and the store-owner said, “Hello, Mr. Faraday; can I help you with anything?”
“Well,” a familiar voice said, seeming strangely deliberately loud, and the continued high volume of his voice combined with the following words made it clear he knew you were there. “I’m looking for something for a pretty little lady. Did something I shouldn’t’ve; and I wanna make it up to her.”
“Quite gallant of you, Mr. Faraday,” the owner said. “I think I have just the thing.”
You listened, intrigued and confused, until a customer said, “Excuse me,” snapping you out of your thoughts in order to move aside to let him past you in the narrow aisle. This Mr. Faraday seemed quite intent on you, and you weren’t sure whether to be worried or flattered. You waited to buy the bread and meat you’d selected until you heard him complete the transaction and leave and then departed yourself.
When you passed the boarding house, he was sitting on the porch in the same spot. “Hey there again,” he called and you stopped, turning to face the porch.
“That’s an improvement,” you commented and he nodded, smiling.
“Thought you might like that sort of greeting better. Hey, I got something else you might like.”
“What’s that?” you asked.
“Come up here and I’ll give it to you,” he said, nodding his head toward the seat next to him.
You frowned, considering. “Who are you?” you asked finally.
“Name’s Joshua Faraday,” he said.
“Well, that doesn’t tell me much,” you said.
“I could tell you a lot more over a meal,” he said, giving you a disarming smile.
“What a charmer,” you said, only half-sarcastic.
“Fighter too,” he said. “You hear about Rose Creek?”
You nodded. Everyone within a seventy mile radius had.
“I was there; I was the one who blew the Gatling gun up,” he said.
Your eyes widened slightly. No wonder the name Faraday sounded familiar; you had heard the names of Rose Creek’s saviors, but you hadn’t realized who he was until he said it straight-up. “So you’re not just a ne’er do well?” you asked, but now your tone was teasing. He was clearly rough around the edges, but perhaps he worth a try.
“Only part of the time,” he said with a wink. “So, you want what I got you or not?”
“Wait ‘til after we eat and I’ll decide,” you said and he laughed.
Prompt: “Maybe there’s more to me than meets the eye”
Character: Josh Faraday
Warning: N/A
—————————————
“So you’re not just a whoremongering, drunken gambler then.” You’re watching Faraday from across the room. The more time you spent in his company the more you realise that he was more than a simple gambler.
“Maybe there’s more to me than meets the eye” He winks at you in the way he always does. So predictable. But you know he’s just covering up how uncomfortable your analysis made him. You were determined to figure Joshua Faraday out.
On the surface he was a drunk. A whoremongerer. A gamber. A sharpshooter. He was all talk with a little bit of bite. But beneath that he had shown hints of other things.
A man concerned for others. One who did not trust easily. That pushed people from getting too close.
"I will get to the bottom of you, Joshua Faraday.” You narrow your eyes.
He turns to you with a smirk, “By all means. My bottoms right here.”
A creak met your ears, the unmistakeable sound of footsteps downstairs. Now you knew what had woken you. It wasn’t that late; the tears you had shed until your sleep stopped them were still moist on your pillow and you could see through the window that the moon had not yet reached its apex. The shattered images of memories danced through your mind: Faraday’s late nights coming home, how you could hear his familiar footsteps and his muttering to himself from your bed. But those days were gone, and this time was probably just a petty criminal. You reached for the holstered revolver on your nightstand, adrenaline washing the tiredness from your mind and body as it coursed through your veins, your focus taut as a bowstring at full draw. The footsteps started again, this time coming up the stairs, and you darted across the room to stop just next to the doorway, your heart pounding.
The doorknob turned and the door swung open. The toes of a boot swung through the door, followed by the rest of a body, the clothes worn and tattered, but your thoughts were moving too fast to notice their familiarity, or to look more closely at the shadowed face. You stepped out, your revolver rising to be level with the man’s chest, and called, your voice steady and firm, “You get out of here now or I’ll put a bullet in you and get the sheriff!”
“It’s me!” The words, the voice, shot through you like a bolt, and your hand trembled, your arm dropping to your side. He reached up to pull off his hat, his free hand raised in submission. “It’s me!” he repeated, and the tears sprang to your eyes, the emotions welling up in your throat like a tsunami. “Calm down, baby, please.”
The revolver clattered as it hit the floor and you surged forward, jumping onto Faraday hard enough that you heard his breath escape him in a puff, your arms around his neck and your legs around his waist, your face buried in his shoulder as you forced out through your sobs. “I thought you were dead!” and then again more weakly as his strong arms encompassed you, “I thought you were dead.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice hushed in your ear. “I’m so sorry. I was unconscious for almost two weeks-”
“What happened?” you cut in, concerned.
“It’s a long, long story,” he said. “I’ll tell you tomorrow.”
“No, tell me tonight,” you said. “I’ll light a fire.”
“Okay,” he said. “You gonna let go so we can get downstairs?”
You shook your head and he chuckled though you could hear the way tears made the sound catch in his throat. “Okay then.”
You held him a little tighter as he turned to go downstairs. “Thank God you’re okay. You have no idea what I went through here thinking you were gone.”
“I’m sorry,” he said softly, and you could tell he totally meant it. “I really am.”
You just nodded, pressing a kiss to the base of his neck, which was the highest you could reach from the position you were in, as he started down the stairs.
Two hours later, you were starting to fall asleep curled up in front of the fireplace with your head in his lap as his fingers clumsily but gently chased through your hair, loosening the tangles and stroking your scalp. He had finally finished recounting the events of Rose Creek and you had asked everything you were curious about. Finally you just said, “I’m glad you’re home.”
He leaned down to kiss your forehead and you laughed at his groan at the stretch required. “I was too but now you’re making fun of me.”
“It’s my specialty,” you said, turning your head for a moment to smile up at him.
“I missed it,” he said, pressing another kiss to your temple before sitting up straight again. “I missed you.”
He was rarely this straightforward about how he felt about you and the last vestiges of tension at the periphery of your mind released as drowsiness began to take over. “I missed you too.”
The last thing you registered was Faraday gently carrying you upstairs and settling you in the bed before he slipped in next to you, his body fitting perfectly against yours in the way you had missed so much. Then you were asleep.
