Work Text:
“How do you continuously get us into messes like this?” Beth wraps her arms around herself, snow clinging to the bottom of her mom jeans, seeping into the fabric.
“Me?” Rio laughs out, rolling his eyes to the sky. His breath is puffing like cigarette smoke out of his mouth as they hide behind an abandoned shed in someone’s yard. “This ain’t on me, babe.”
It’s dilapidated, rotten wood, two seconds in from caving in on itself but it’s just big enough to hide them from the ‘business’ partner’s gunfire from a job gone sour. She’s so tired of being shot at. The pet name digs under her skin like ice, bristling right up her spine.
“Don’t call me that. I told you these guys seemed shady—”
There’s another eye roll as Rio glances around the wobbly structure, trying to figure out if they’ve lost their tail or not. “You say that about everyone. I’m startin’ to think you’re part of the issue with our meet n’ greets goin’ to shit.”
If he was closer, she’d reach out and strangle him. She lets out a huff of annoyance and takes a step closer in the snow, shivering as the cold kisses her bare skin. What she doesn’t realize is that her boot lands on a tree branch and a resounding CRUNCH echoes into the atmosphere.
Both of them freeze, Rio’s eyes glaring a hole into her face. She gives him a colorful hand gesture but the voices closing in on them is enough to get her blood pumping. They’re heading right towards them—
He grabs her arm, not gentle, and shoves her into the side of the shed that has a hole in it. She has to bend down so that she doesn’t hit her head off the jagged wood but they make their way inside with little to no noise. That’s something about winter that she doesn’t like—the snow somehow absorbs and reverberates all at the same time.
She’s about to suggest that they keep moving; leave out the other side of the shed and make a break for Rio’s car but his hand comes over her mouth to keep her quiet. She rolls her eyes as he presses her against one of the shed walls, his body blanketing hers like fresh snow. His breathing is even and calm, he thrives in situations like this, body adapting instantly to the problems at hand.
Beth’s almost a little jealous of how easily he can do this kind of work. She resists the childish, knee-jerk reaction in biting one of his fingers. When Rio’s sure the noises outside the shed have dissipated, his hand slowly falls away from her lips.
“How long are we planning on staying in here?” Beth asks, shivering slightly from adrenaline and damp clothes.
He takes a step back, “As long as it takes, ma. I’d buckle down for at least another half n hour, to be safe.”
The expression of discomfort on her face must be clear as day because Rio licks his lips, a soft smirk echoing in the shed.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm.” He goes to reach for her and Beth shoves him, hands hitting his chest, which only makes him laugh.
“I’d rather freeze, thanks.”
He shrugs his one shoulder, leaning against the other side of the shed. “Yeah, we’ll see.” He crosses his arms over his chest after pulling his beanie down to better cover his ears.
Beth does her best to remain on her side of the shed, glancing out the window every so often for someone who might be approaching. This is ridiculous; there’s no reason why they have to wait a half hour—it’s completely quiet outside. If someone was coming, wouldn’t they have kicked down the shed walls by now?
But apprehension keeps her in her spot because what if she just so happens to be wrong? She can’t risk both their lives like that…they both have children to come home to. She counts in her head, all the way to three minutes, before she moves—
She closes the distance between them instantly, pressing herself against Rio’s chest and forcing his arms down.
“Don’t say a word.” She mumbles, her face slipping in-between his coat lapel and body—her nose instantly warmed by the skin of his neck.
Rio just huffs out a sound and she feels him move to take his beanie off, slipping it over her head and covering her ears.
“Nah, wouldn’t dream of it.” There’s an amused tinge to his voice, his arms coming down around her to pull her closer, shaking soothed by the heat of his body.
He’s quiet now, sneaking a kiss directly under her ear, but she knows later when they’re out of this that she’ll never hear the end of it.