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It was a typical night in Hope County, Montana. Cool wind blew through the trees surrounding Moonflower Trailer Park, making the leaves rustle softly. A decently built, dark haired man sat in a lawn chair next to a bright bonfire. His short locks were shoved into a plain grey baseball cap that almost completely hid it from view. He felt comfortable in the dark jeans and tank top he was wearing, his black denim vest cast to the side. The breeze felt nice on his skin and the pants kept him from being too cold. His eyes were closed when another man came to join him, his rough voice enough to wake him from his dozing. Nathan looked up to see Sharky holding out a plate to him, a smile on the bearded man's face. "Here trouble maker," he said, referencing the words on the deputy's shirt. "You should eat something before you fall asleep."
Nathan smiled, taking it from him. "I wasn't falling asleep," he protested lightly. "How can I sleep when I know you're making dinner for me? Something that still surprises me, by the way."
Sharky rolled his eyes, taking a seat in the lawn chair next to his friend. "I told you man, I live alone. I gotta be able to feed myself, and life is too short for shitty food."
Nathan looked down at his plate. Sharky had pan-fried some sliced potatoes and onions alongside the grilled steaks they'd gotten from Casey Fixman back at Fall's End. Atop the slab of meat was a dollop of garlic butter. The smell alone made his stomach rumble. "You just don't seem the type," he mused, cutting into the steak. The inside was a perfect shade of pink.
Sharky watched him from the corner of his eye. He had to admit, Deputy Nathan Hafter was a handsome man, with his strong jaw, high cheekbones, and light blue eyes surrounded by thick, dark lashes. It was very rare for Sharky to find a man attractive, let alone one that had him hooked from the start. Nathan also wasn't like the other police he'd encountered in his life. When they'd first met right in this trailer park Sharky had been defensive, worried the officer was there to arrest him. He had a grin on his face the entire time Sharky went through his rant just to politely inform him that he was, in fact, safe. He just wanted to ask the pyromaniac for help against the Seeds and their fucking cult.
It was an offer that was too hard to pass up, but Sharky had to make sure he could trust him first. After flaying some of Faith's angels and blowing the balls off some Peggies though, any reservations he'd had were gone. Nathan had enjoyed it as much as he had. The two had been inseparable since. At first it was fun (and it still was, don't get him wrong), but after half a month the way Nathan laughed at his jokes and smiled at him and Hurk as they bantered made his stomach flutter. He felt like a fucking girl; it was stupid.
Nathan drew him from his thoughts. "Nights like this I can almost forget we're being hunted by a bunch of psychopaths."
Sharky let out a curt laugh. "Yeah, you should have seen it before the cult came and fucked everything up. We used to have so much fun until all of this."
Nathan noticed a sad look cross his friend's face. "I'm sorry, Sharky. I promise we'll make them bastards pay. And once everything is cleaned up, we can have some fun."
There was that fucking smile again. Sharky felt his heart pounding in his chest as he dropped his gaze to his food, hoping Nathan didn't see the flush on his cheeks. "You fucking bet we will. Gonna get drunk as fuck and wreck some shit." They ate in silence for a while after that, Sharky taking their plates inside his trailer once they were finished.
When he came back, Nathan had moved his chair closer to Sharky's. He swallowed hard and made his way back over. He sat, trying to ignore the way their arms almost touched. "Felt lonely all the way over there?"
"Mm, a little. It's easier to talk this way." He gazed at him with those hypnotic eyes, and Sharky for a split second wondered if the deputy was coming onto him. His voice was soft and coy sounding, a tone Sharky knew well from all the girls he'd flirted with in the past. His heart beat had kicked up again, this time unable to look away even as he felt his cheeks burn. He only hoped it was too dark to see it despite the fire. "You sure that's it?" His tone sounded light and teasing, but underneath he really hoped it wasn't.
Nathan batted his eyes at him. "I don't quite know what you mean," he said innocently "Are you trying to accuse me of something, Mr. Boshaw?"
Something in Sharky snapped at that moment. He wasn’t sure if it was the sweet Southern Belle act he was putting on, or those stupidly long eyelashes, but something just told Sharky's brain this was it. He reached out, sliding his hand beneath the man's cap. It fell to the dirt as fingers ran through his hair. It felt a little greasy, but Sharky didn't hold it against him. Showers were hard to come by.
A soft sigh left Nathan when Sharky's mouth pressed against his, leaning right into it with no hesitation. Like he'd been waiting for this. The other man's beard scratched against his face; a feeling that sent a shiver down his spine. When Sharky pulled away, all Nathan could do for a moment was try and steady himself "Well fuck," he breathed, that soft grin back on his face. "I didn't actually think you'd go for it."
Realization crossed Sharky's face, which just made Nathan laugh at him and reach up to tug on his hair. "Oh please, I caught you staring at me a looong time ago, buddy"