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it was that one time, that one goddamn moment.
"Well, never knew yer one for a rough play, Chili." Rye whispered in her ear.
Chili's face immediately turns redder than her own hair, but she keep her stances. Despite being flustered, she pushed her dagger closer to Rye's neck, dangerously closer. All she needs now is a little more pressure, or just a swipe really, but Rye doesn't seem to mind. Instead, she smirk.
She smirk even when Chili is one move away from killing her. And Chili is getting more and more confused by each second. She was just doing her usual pickpocketing, nothing new just her daily schedule. But of course she just had to make that mistake of picking the wrong target. An effort to steal a handful of gleaming coins, turns into little hand wrestle, and now this.
"Gotcha."
A hitched gasp left Chili's lips as she felt a pressure to her stomach, she peer down to see Rye's cold gun pressed against her belly. And a deep chuckle from Rye bought her eyes back up.
"Oh, thought you wanna snatch my coin? don't tell me you changed your mind, i don't mind if you steal a kiss instead though."
Too lost to processed the unexpected situation, she ran. She bloody ran, the infamous spicy thief ran away just because she got flustered over some words.
The very next weeks, Rye were still proud of that moment. Chased off a thief by flirting with them? no gun and threats needed, just a few sentences will do. She'll pat herself in the back for that, the flirting were more of a risk taking decision since she didn't feel like shooting some flesh. But damn, does she likes that view? absolutely. Don't get her wrong she still going to lock up that red haired cookie for stealing her sack of rye, but a little teasing won't hurt anyone won't they?
Slippery fingers moves fast they said, especially one with revenge on her mind. And speak of the devil, the spicy thief emerged seemingly out of nowhere. Before a teasing line can make its way out of Rye's mouth, she found herself slammed down to the ground. Not only that it was so sudden, it send a little tingle down her spine, especially when she suddenly found a pair of lips touched hers.
The said thief just kissed her, not a hello nor even a hi first, she went straight for the lips. And the holy angel forbid, the kiss taste so spicy that Rye nearly blamed it for her blushing mess of a face. But she knew that it was more than that, because she knows spice doesn't make someone wants to held another person closer, she knows that having the urge to hold Chili's waist is not an after-effect of spice, and spice definitely doesn't give a stirring feelings to the stomach like this.
"Heard you don't mind if i steal a kiss." Chili pull back her lips with an grin that in Rye's opinion is very annoying. She stood up and dust her pants lightly as if she didn't just nearly had a make-out session with someone who's been hunting her for months.
"Oh, and next time," she put her lips next to Rye's ear and Rye is praying to all of the holy beings to ever exist that Chili doesn't notice her tensed up body, but it seems like she did, assuming from the little giggle she let out, "you might wanna keep your badge sewn to your clothes."
And with that she was gone in a flash, leaving a quick trail of red. Rye, who is still on the ground, frozen and red, finally got out of her trance and processed Chili's word.
"Something about a next time and a badge, wait, badge!" her hand immediately flies up to her hat, feeling around for something, only to find that her badge is not where it's supposed to be. Of course, that damned kiss is just one of her many thievery technique.
But she can't lie, that kiss actually left her hot and bothered on the ground. She plopped herself down and lie down to the grass. If anything is on her mind then one thoughts would stand out the most, payback. if Chili decided to make this into a competition then she sure as hell would get one. If she thinks that she would get away with that badge then she's surely mistaken.
Rye is never one for mischief but no one said she's a good girl either. So as a bounty hunter, she will hunt her prey and she'll have one hell of a fun doing so.
"Have you seen Rye? She promised me a cup of rye juice for a new drink."
Sliding a cold cup of sparkling juice, Sparkling waited for Chili's response. She gulped down her drink immediately, stopping halfway through the glass.
"How in the hell should I know?" She took a sip of the bright coloured drink, "it's not like we're buddies or anything."
Sparkling raised an eyebrow at her, he set down the glass that he cleaned earlier. With his body leaned towards her.
"Maybe because she kept cursing your name before nearly breaking my glass last week?"
"I don't know buddy, go bother someone else about it."
Sparkling lets out a light scoff before tending to his other customers. A part of his words keep repeating on Chili's mind.
It's been a week and a half and yet no one has seen Rye. She usually kicks down the bar door with a loud laugh by noon, giggling and singing with the people here. Yet each of her visit to the dim light bar, seems so quiet without the bounty hunter's dramatic antics.
Setting down her now empty glass she prepares to leave before someone set their hands on her shoulder, making sure she stays seated.
"Ya miss me?"
Chili spun her bar chair around, facing the person behind her. There stand Rye, in all her glory. Sleeves rolled up with one arm holding what Chili assume to be a sack of rye and another on her hips. Her bright face supporting her signature grin. Without her cape and hat, Chili can see her face clearly, the little freckles on her face like a star on a starry night. Her usually tied up hair were cut. Chili can't decide if she likes her with long hair more or if she's enjoying the new view.
"What? No, it's so much more quiet without you." the redhead spun around, back facing Rye as she put her finger around her empty glass. "What are you doing here anyway? You've been gone for like a week."
Rye chuckles lightly, setting down the heavy sack on her shoulder before setting herself down on a chair next to Chili.
"So what you're saying is that you've been waiting for me while i'm gone?" She whispered on Chili's ear.
"No i don-"
"Oh Rye there you are." Chili's word were cut off by Sparkling. The latter heading on to their seat to greet Rye. "Where have you been?"
Chili drowned out the rest of their conversation as the pair continues to chat away for the next ten minutes or so.
She snapped out of her trance when their chatting has died down. Rye were already holding a drink in her hand, downing it all in one gulp. A satisfied gasp left her mouth, she brings up her hand to wiped her lips, her eyes travels to Chili while doing so. Chili, noticing the burning gaze from the woman beside her, return the gaze with an annoyed expression. Yet her face is undeniably warm.
"What? What are you staring at?"
"You." the word registered through Chili's mind in an instant, warm face and sweaty hands, that's how she'll describe herself in this situation. Her feet were begging her to just step out of the door, running away just like last time. But instead she stays where she's seated, eyes wide and still not leaving Rye.
Chili's always takes risk, so in this moment, she stays in character. One hand grasping the front of Rye's shirt and another resting on her face. She kissed her, but this time it were not for a tease, not for distraction, it was a need that has been pooling inside her chest.
From a touch, born a desire, and from a kiss, born a feeling. Maybe this is what people has been saying, about sparks in your gut when you kiss that one person. About needing more than a subtle touch and occasional glance. She could feel her head swirling with the newfound feeling when Rye kissed her back. Fingers running through her messy red hair and an arm wrapping her waist, pulling her closer.
A few seconds after, they pulled back for a needed air. Eyes locked into each other with their forehead leaned on one another. Before Chili could made up some last minute lie to save her pride. Rye smirk and inched herself closer again, nose touching and the faint smell of sparkling juice accompanied the warm sensation on Chili's face.
"i'll be taking that back." Chili furrowed her brows in confusion before noticing something in Rye's hand, her badge. Her finger reached to take it back, being handcuffed and thrown into a cell by a sheriff is one thing but having one stole something from you is even more embarrassing for her bandit ego.
Rye simply pull it out of Chili's reach before whispering in her ear, "and i'll be taking my kiss back, you're welcomed to steal it again if you like."
With that she walks out of the bar leaving a messy flustered Chili.