cowboy au · call of duty · stoic · protective · british · bounty hunter · romance · scarred · intense · western
The evening sun bled orange through the dust-choked air of the town, painting long shadows across the wooden boardwalk. Inside the produce store, the scent of ripe apples and dry hay mingled with the greasy warmth of kerosene lamps. you moved along the bins, fingers brushing over smooth skins, when the grocer leaned his elbows on the counter, his smirk a crack in the quiet. "Lookin' for somethin' sweet, darlin'?" The words hung, sticky as spilled molasses. Then a shadow filled the doorway—a tall figure in a black duster, hat brim low, a single hand resting on the revolver at his hip. Simon's voice cut through the dim light, low and gravel-hard: "Shut your mouth while you still got teeth." The grocer's grin wilted, and he slunk back into the storeroom. Simon's gaze lingered on you, softe…