#I loooove writing for beau

[wxywardsun]

Omg I saw you were writing for Beau!! My baby.. could we please do where Reader is feeling down and insecure and Beau just comforts her and reminds her of how amazing and beautiful she is🤍🤍🤍

[I’m admittedly a lil late to this req but nonetheless,let’s get our comforting fluff on!]

——————————————————————————

Imagine Beau comforting you and telling you just how beautiful you really are…

Irritable,blue, and maybe feeling like a dark cloud is looming over your head,crackling and sparking like a burst of lightning will crash on your head if you so much as breathe too hard.

Those were the best words to describe how down you felt today..but at least the work you had today was light and didn’t further your frustrations at all.

With a deep breath you sit back down on the chair in your office and put your head in your hands.

Of course Denise comes up and checks on you every once in a while. Asking you how you’re doing,she offers you one of the cups she’s holding with freshly brewed tea inside (bless her heart)

You’re about halfway through the cup when when a ringing bell catches your attention. You don’t even pick up on the voice,but the moment you hear the clack of a glass dish on Denise’s desk you immediately know who it belongs to.

You let out quite a long sigh and yep,there he is,cup of tea in hand,gentle smile,and bright eyes right next to your desk. One things for sure,Beau isn’t leaving till he makes you smile!

He gets up and closes the door to your office as he speaks. “So..Denise told me somethin’ is up today and that you weren’t feeling too hot. Wanna talk about it?”

You can trust him..and letting your insecurities eat you up is never good. So you let go,and with a sigh and a sip of your tea you tell him everything.

Even as the tears threaten to spill from your eyes,you tell Beau how off you felt today,and how your insecurities are dampening your mood.

He doesn’t even hesitate as he holds your hand,listening to every word you have to say,and gliding his thumb over the top of your hand in a soothing pattern.

“Listen to me sweetheart,and look at me.” His voice is so calming and yet so passionate as you at least try to look into his eyes as he speaks.

“I know it can be difficult sometimes,especially when your insecurities are eating you up inside. But you have to understand just how much I care about you,and I don’t care if I have to scream it out at the top of this building to get you to understand this,you hear me?”

You nod as he keeps talking,a few tears stream down your cheeks as he wipes them away with his thumb.

“Listen to me..you are one amazing woman. You’re kind,and passionate about your work,and hell,you’re whip smart! But most of all,you’re gorgeous. You’re absolutely beautiful no matter what your mind might be telling you..”

You’re taken aback as Beau plants a kiss on the top of your hand,then on your cheek which causes them to flush up.

Almost immediately you pull him into a hug. His own face flushes up as you thank him for such kind words. Hell,you couldn’t thank him enough!

You sigh as you part from the hug,and Beau takes the opportunity to kiss the top of your head.

“Hey so,I wanted to ask you a long time ago but,how would you feel about maybe coming over to my place? Maybe we could catch a movie,or have dinner together if you want?”

God bless him,your heart is practically bursting out of your chest.

You take his hand into yours,and with a soft smile you tell him, “yeah..yeah,I’d really like that..but one more thing.”

You gesture to his cheeks that are practically red like tomatoes, “I thought you said y’all don’t blush down in Texas!”

You both start laughing and you look on at Beau in awe. In just a short amount of time he practically lifted your mood like it was nothing.

Maybe he is the light that shines through the dark cloud.

[puppypeter]

HELLO this is the normal!Roy/famous!Jamie anon and your response has literally made my brain worms with this au 10000 times more potent!!!

This au was actually a Trojan horse for my role-reversal sugar baby au!!!! There was a post going around hypothesizing the dynamic of a young new-money sub who seduces his older 9 to 5 Dom, basically switching up the usual sugar baby/daddy dynamic.

NOW PICTURE THIS: Jamie attempting to win his grumpy older beau's heart through increasingly extravagant gifts. Oh, your watch broke? I gotchu. Oh, you're worried about the dress code at the venue for our date? I got it covered babe, let's go bespoke suit shopping. Oh, youre having car trouble which is affecting your work? Here's a G-wagon. Just Jamie attempting to buy his way into Roy's affections because he's never actually had to TRY to woo someone, he's just had to say "Hi, I'm Jamie Tartt" and he was in. Now he's gotta charm the pants off this grumpy grandad who he has fallen head over heels for.

Roy is of course incredibly overwhelmed by the crazy expensive gifts from this needy brat who won't leave him the hell alone!! (He's also very flustered because he's never actually been spoiled like this before,,, he's soo used to being the provider that experiencing being cared for so explicitly is very new to him).

To clarify, Jamie would still be the bratty sub to Roy's exasperated Dom, but Jamie would just be happily showering his sexy older partner with gifts, because he deserves it!!

I loooove the idea of Jamie getting to dress up his sexy older Dom and show him off at things like the charity dinner (LOOOVED that idea!!). But you're right, the protectiveness of privacy would also be sooo interesting to explore with this pairing, especially the angst potential of the press becoming super invasive in Roy's life and that causing strain in their relationship.

Waaaahhhh your engagement has really motivated me,,, ❤️❤️ I may have to commit and write this now!!!

(EDIT: For anyone else curious here's the previous asks: part one and the one after part three)

I am so into this I pulled out my laptop to answer cause it became a big screen level ask ahah

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE LOVE LOVE that!!

Jamie would absolutely try to buy him stuff all the time and woo him with money and Roy is both mad (just cause I work in a diner it doesn't mean I need your money) and flustered (because someone is getting him flowers and a suit and nice stuff, but I think Jamie would also be fairly considerate in his gifts, not just random fancy stuff but also "you mentioned your knee was bothering you so I asked my physio and bought you this fancy knee brace/cream" or "I overheard you talking on the phoen to your sister about your niece's new obsession with painting and I saw this watercolour palette and thought I'd get it for her")

Also, cause I like suffering, I'd like to point out that Jamie Tartt (especially post-return to Richmond lonely Jamie Tartt) likes to buy people's love and affection with gifts (remember those PS5? What better thing to spend money on than love?) and I once replied to a post about how he's been doing that with James forever, by getting him tickets and probably that watch/rings etc, hoping if he buys him stuff maybe he'll be happy with him.

So I think there would be both him just thinking it's a good way to show love (and when they get closer / more open with each other he does admit he did not grow up rich at all which is why he gets Roy but he also wants him to experience this fancy ridiculous stuff with him) but also because he does hope/think Roy might stick around that way.

And I absolutely adore a bratty sub making their dom all flustered!! is there anything more delightful than cheeky flirty jamie and rosy cheeks roy??

I think the charity gala would also have a lot of potential for angst/hurt comfort because of what we know about Amsterdam. Like Jamie would buy him the suit and invite him and be very adamant that Roy come even if Roy doesn't want the attention and can't understand why Jamie keeps throwing things at him to convince him (I got you a fancy watch and a limousine and the fanciest champagne and flowers and a necklace and please please come with me) and he later admits he was super stressed about the auction thing. Everyone at the gala is intrigued by this mysterious dark haired older bearded man spending so much money on him (well jamie's own money but still). If I had to picture this as a film, I feel like when they walk out of the gala and are walking around Richmond at night that's the moment of most vulnerability, when Jamie finally opens up to Roy and is honest and sheds all the layers. Roy takes them back to the diner and opens it just for them and they sit there for hours talking about their lives and families and growing up, having cherry pie (don't tell my coach) and playing footsie under the table.

Re the privacy thing it perhaps post-gala post-night alone in the diner together, someone recognises roy or even worse approaches Roy while he's with Phoebe and it really pisses him off because he's super protective of her? Make it 100 times worse and make that person James/Denbo/Bug? Maybe they've followed Jamie or found out about Roy somehow and threaten him or Jamie doesn't show up to the diner a few times or starts being very on/off, cancelling last minute and Roy snaps that he thought he was dating a grown up and he doesn't have time for these stupid games. While actually Jamie was just trying to keep him and Phoebe at a distance to ensure his dad (or the press) wouldn't bother them, but then he finds himself in need of help and calls him or shows up to Roy's place/the diner having a lil breakdown (in the cutest way as we know)

God I won't be able to stop thinking about them now!!

[zepskies]

Oooh I'm excited you're excited!! lol

I HATE MICHAEL. He never deserved her, never ever. He doesn't deserve any women at all. He really thought he'd get her back if he "came clean"?

We all hate Michael in this house. He deserves to be along at this point; he had all kinds of audacity in this chapter.

Lol I'm glad you liked Beau flashing his cuffs (and his weapon), lest Michael get any ideas about running.

I love how much already Beau is protective of her, if he could he'd have loved to punch the light out of that bastard. Especially after the day he had with Avery and everything else.

He's protective by nature, but especially about the people he cares about. If Beau got the chance to put Michael in his place physically, he'd clock him out no question lol.

I'd like to thank you for giving us a really deep, emotional and heartfelt backstory for Beau. His whole behavior is reflective of everything that he went through, and as much as it makes me sad for him, I'm sure she's gonna help him get out the dark place he's still a little in.

You're so welcome! One thing I really wanted to explore in this series is the backstory in Houston we never got on the show. I love how you said "His whole behavior is reflective of everything that he went through," because it's absolutely on point. I wanted to give him a good and plausible reason for acting the way he does.

But also give the reader a chance to give the support he needs (and should have gotten). Because he's definitely worth the wait. 😉

I AM SOOO HAPPY FOR THEM. The tension was still there, since the beginning, it increased in the precinct and even more when they both almost kissed. I love how Beau truly could not resist anymore, self control be damned and just went for it. He deserves to be happy. I loved loved looooved this chapter. I truly can NOT wait for these two to get together.

Thank you so much, lovely!! I'm happy for them too. 🥰 Beau finally couldn't help himself lol. I wanted to try to make these two feel "inevitable," so thank you for saying that. I'm so glad you loved this chapter!! I think it was my favorite to write out of the whole series.

You'll see how they navigate this complex situation moving forward...there just may be a couple of obstacles along the way lol. 😅

Take Me Home - Part 6

Pairing: Beau Arlen x F. Reader 

Summary: You are another lost soul at Sunny Day Excursions. You’re aiming to settle in Helena, Montana, where Beau Arlen is the new sheriff in town. But you’ve both got a past you’re running from. 

AN: Get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions…

Word Count: 4.6K

Tags/Warnings: Angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, tinge of spice~

❤️ Series Masterlist

“Michael?! What are you doing here?” you asked. 

He stood there with determination set across his face.

“We really need to talk.”

“We already did! Just leave me the hell alone,” you said. If your day hadn’t been long already, you knew it was about to be even longer. 

Because just as you began to close the door, Michael slapped a hand on the center of it and pushed his way into your apartment.

You gasped and had to back up a couple of steps. “What are you doing?”

“Just hear me out, and then I’ll leave,” Michael said, staring down into your eyes. “That’s all I want.”

He pushed the door closed behind him, but it swung open, just a crack. In his heated state, he hadn’t even noticed. Neither did you. You stepped back further into the center of the living room and crossed your arms with an angry frown. 

“I don’t care!” you snapped. Your patience quota for the day had run out a long time ago. “I just want to be done. Don’t you get that?”

“I know,” he said, rubbing at his eyes. He looked tired as hell; like he hadn’t been sleeping well for weeks. Now in the light of day and not a dusky bar, you could see the darkness under his eyes and the stubble on his cheeks, though he was usually clean-shaven. 

“I know and I’m sorry. I hurt you badly, and I never even told you why,” he said.

You tilted your head in contemplation. Because he was right. For all these months, you’d been so incensed at the bare facts of what he’d done, you’d never looked too deeply into the why.

The one time you’d asked him (while throwing his clothes and possessions out of your shared apartment at the time), he’d never given you a good answer.

“Okay, fine. Why did you do it then?” you asked. “Why did you betray me in the worst way possible, and still try to marry me?”

Michael sighed, his shoulders sinking. “The truth?”

That sparked your anger once more.

“No, keep lying to me like you’ve done from the very start!” you retorted.

“It wasn’t from the start!” he barked back. “It was around six months in, when we were dating. You and I had argued about something stupid. Kate came over to talk it out with me…just to talk. I swear to God. But we were drinking and…”

You let out a sigh, casting your gaze upwards. You really didn’t think you wanted to hear this after all. Michael earned your attention back though, when he took a step forward into your orbit.

“She got pregnant,” he admitted.

Your mouth fell open as your breath left your lungs. Your hands went to your temples in disbelief, and you made a sound of pure shock and distress.

“But she lost the baby early on,” he said. “She was devastated. I was too, but…I tried to help her through it. And it became this, this thing that wouldn’t let go of me. She wouldn’t let me go.”

You shook your head as furious tears welled up in your eyes. This was just too ridiculous and upsetting to compute. You didn’t even recognize the man that was standing in front of you anymore.

How could he blame Kate for what they’d done to you, and for clinging to him after losing her baby? How could he keep that from you, even when he asked you to marry him?

And how could he tell you all of this now and expect you to forgive him?

You didn’t have the words, but you held out a hand against him when he tried to take another step toward you.

“I know I fucked up. I fucked everything up. But you don’t have to come all the way here to run away,” he said. “Your parents miss you. Our friends…they all love you. And most of them rightly don’t want anything to do with me.”

He looked down then, with shame coloring his features. 

Through your tears and the struggle of collecting yourself, you studied him closely with your arms crossed.

You’d known Michael for several years. Even considering the months you two had been apart, you knew he was the same—stubborn and hot-headed and full of audacity as ever. But…he also seemed genuinely remorseful. And desperate.

“If you give me one more chance, I promise I won’t mess it up again. I’ll be the man you deserve,” he said, taking your hand and uncrossing your arms in the process. “Believe it or not, I took a week off without pay, just to be here and get a chance to say this to you: I love you. I love you. And I know now that it’s meant to be you.”

You hesitated, and even made the mistake of looking up into his eyes. They were a crisp dark blue, and yet, not the warm green you’d come to crave. You shook your head.  

“I get it, Michael. I really do…but I can’t do this anymore,” you said. “It’s too damn much.”

You began to slip your hand out of his, but he held you a fraction tighter. He frowned. 

“Are you seeing someone? Is it that guy from the other night? That cop?” Michael asked. 

“Stop it,” you warned in anger. Beau was part of the reason your heart held pain, but it wasn’t the main reason you wanted to be done with Michael Hadley.

You tried to twist your wrist out of his grip. He wouldn’t let you, instead, trying to bring you closer. 

“That’s not an answer,” he said in frustration. “Please, we can start over—”

“Let go!” you demanded. You yanked your hand out of his, and the rest came on instinct. 

Your slap was loud against his cheek, and it made your hand sting too. You also pushed him hard in the chest. Michael was forced to step back while holding his reddening face. He looked back at you in disbelief. 

You were breathing hard, shocked even at yourself. You’d never done that before in your life, but then again, never had you felt the panic of a man holding you against your will. 

Michael’s brows furrowed. He called to you in a pleading tone, and he reached for your arm to placate you.

You quickly stepped back again on reflex. Your heel tripped on the tile floor and you gasped as you felt yourself careening back…onto the glass coffee table behind you.

After putting his investigation of Avery to bed for the night, Beau felt drained on all counts.

He punctuated the end of his day by calling to check up on Frank Davis, the local firehouse chief, and the father of one of the firefighters who was killed a few months back. Brett, one of the other victims, had carried the guilt of his best friend’s death to his grave. 

Inevitably, that case brought up old memories for Beau. It also reminded him of you, and the situation with your firefighter ex-boyfriend. ‘Scuse me, ex-fiancé.

He also felt bad about how things ended with you in his office. He knew he wasn’t being fair to you. 

As his daughter reminded him the other night, if he’d just been a bit more “open” and honest, maybe he could’ve saved his marriage.

Now with Michael likely trailing you, he didn’t want you to feel like you couldn’t come to him, or even call him for that matter.

He seemed to be a bit of a hothead too, Beau thought. While he climbed into his truck and peeled out of the station, he debated stopping by to see you. Carla and Emily wouldn’t be getting over to his place for a couple of hours. That did give him some time. 

And when it came down to it, was he a man, or was he a coward?

He knew it wouldn’t sit right with him if he didn’t try to make this right, in whatever small way.

So with that decision made in his mind, he drove over to your apartment complex. When he parked in one of the guest spots, he noticed another one occupied by a rental car, a gray sedan.

A small tingling of unease buzzed in the back of his mind. Beau approached your building, went inside, and started up the stairs. When he began to hear raised voices, a man and a woman who sounded too much like you, that gut feeling became a red hot alarm making his chest tighten.

He took the stairs nearly two at a time to get up to the second floor, where he saw that the door to your apartment unit was cracked open. He could hear glass shattering from inside.

He sprinted down the hall, and with a hand on his gun at his belt, he swung the door open.

The first thing he saw was Michael’s tall frame standing over you, frozen in shock. You were lying on your side amidst a shattered coffee table, fallen through the wooden frame. There was glass everywhere and underneath you, with magazines and pictures and other knickknacks strewn across the floor.

“What the hell’s going on here?!” Beau barked out.

Michael had turned at the sound of the door banging open. He met the sheriff with wide eyes. Beau’s expression set with a grim, angry frown. Though he willed himself to hold his temper in check, he immediately stepped forward and grabbed Michael’s shoulder, pushing him back and creating space between him and you.

“Step back,” the sheriff snapped.

“Beau,” you uttered in disbelief. You had tears in your eyes at the sight of him.

“Hey, darlin’,” said Beau. His voice was still rough, but more gentle for you. He knelt down at your side and carefully wrapped an arm around your waist to help lift you off the glass.

“You okay?” he asked you.

“Y-Yeah.” Though you raised one of your hands from the ground and blanched at the sight of a sizable piece of glass embedded in your palm. Beau’s lips flattened into a line.

He paused for a moment, turning his head back towards Michael.

“Stay exactly where you are,” he ordered, in a tone that boded no argument.

And Michael offered none. He stood there with furrowed brows. He even looked on at you in worry and frustration, knowing he couldn’t help you. He could only watch the sheriff make slow movements to help you out of the glass.

“Okay, slow for me,” Beau said. He spoke to you in low, calming tones whenever you made a sound of pain. He hooked an arm under your knees and lifted you out of the coffee table’s remains.

“Easy, I gotcha,” he murmured, helping you sit on the couch. You folded your legs off to the side, so you weren’t continuing to step in the glass on bare feet. Besides your right palm, your arm and right thigh had a few bleeding cuts of various degrees.  

After making a short glance at a still concerned Michael, Beau turned to you.

“Did he push you?” he asked.

“No, I didn’t fucking push her!” Michael said. 

“He didn’t,” you confirmed. “But he did shove his way into my apartment.”

Beau’s jaw tightened. He looked back at Michael, and his gaze demanded an answer. 

“I just—I just wanted to talk! Obviously I didn’t mean for this. Goddamn it,” Michael said, wiping a frustrated hand over his face. “Are you okay?”

You sighed. Beau set a hand on your shoulder. 

“Do you want to press charges for trespassing?” Beau asked you.

“Oh, come on!” Michael exclaimed. Beau pointed at him with a hard stare.

“You pipe the hell down,” he said tersely. “And don’t you move a damn inch. Because if you do, so help me, it’ll just about make my day.”

He flashed the other man a look at the handcuffs (and the gun) on his belt.

Beau then returned his attention to you. You were attempting to pick the glass out of your hand. He stilled your movements with a gentle hand on your wrist. 

“Hey, hey, wait on that for me, okay?” he asked. You looked up at him tiredly. 

“It’s okay. Just let him go,” you said. You shifted your gaze to Michael. “Go back to Chicago, for real this time. I’m not going anywhere.”

Michael’s face became disheartened, but his eyes fell to your injured hand. Blood was streaming all the way down your forearm and dripping on the tile floor, along with the other smears of blood amongst glass. 

He knew what he’d done. It made him even more sick with himself.

He turned to leave.

You watched him go, and you could no longer hold in your quiet tears. It wasn’t for him leaving. You just couldn’t believe it had all come to this. 

Beau lightly squeezed your shoulder. 

“Hey, I’ll be right back, okay?” he said. “Do me a favor and don’t move.”

“Okay,” you said, in an uncharacteristically small voice.

Beau tried to give you a reassuring smile. He gave into the desire to sweep a stray lock of hair away from your eyes, allowing him to brush your cheek with his fingers. You gave him a small smile back, despite your watery eyes.

Beau nodded and got up from the couch. He made swift strides out of the apartment, making sure to close the door behind him. He then hastened down the hall and the stairs to catch up with Michael in the parking lot. Beau was hot on his trail to the rental car.

“Hey!” he called out.

Michael paused in his gait. He turned to face the sheriff, sporting a look of frustration.

“What?” he shot back.

“You better take her warning for the gift it is,” Beau said. He closed the distance between him and Michael, but resisted the urge to grab the other man and hurl him against the car.

“It’s time for you to go home,” Beau said. “I don’t want to see you in town. I don’t want to hear that you’re following her around or blowing up her phone. Do you hear me?”

Michael stood straighter, his jaw working in anger.

“Are you threatening me, Sheriff?” he asked.

“No. I’m thinking you’ll be smart enough to take some friendly advice,” Beau said, but his eyes were sharp. “If I have to threaten you, then we really will have a problem.”

Michael was younger, leaner, probably faster, but Beau edged him out by a couple of inches, on both height and build.

“Just let her get on with her life,” said Beau.

Fortunately, the standoff didn’t last long.

Michael’s anger soon relented, letting the guilt and shame shine through.

“Make sure she’s okay,” he said. “Tell her…that I’m sorry.”

Then he turned and walked away. Beau watched him get into his car and leave the premises.

It wasn’t until the rumble of the engine faded away that Beau released the clenched fists at his sides. He pivoted slowly on his heel and made his way back up to your apartment.

And your door was locked.

On one hand, he understood your fears. On the other hand, he’d asked you not to move from the couch.

“Who is it?” you asked, after he knocked.

“It’s just me, don’t worry,” Beau answered. You opened the door with your good hand and let him in, while holding up your bloody one with a bunch of crumpled gauze and medical tape hanging down your arm. It looked like you got the glass shard out, but you were struggling on the “wrapping it up” part.

“Oh, sweetheart, I asked you to wait for me,” he said. His brows furrowed as he took your wrist and elbow to steady you.

“Yeah, well, I got impatient,” you replied, but your attempt at a smile lightened him too. 

Beau followed you to the kitchen sink and grasped your hand carefully. You’d already cleaned and sterilized the wound, so all he had to do was wrap it for you with some gauze and medical tape. 

“This is kind of deep. You might wanna go to the ER,” he said. “I could take you.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s really not that deep,” you replied.

“You sure?” Beau asked, frowning at you. “How you doin’? You okay?”

Your face had been tight with pain while he tried to get the wrapping right with deft hands. At his questioning, you softened with a wry smile. 

“I’m fine, more or less,” you said. “But…how…why were you here to begin with? How’d you know I was in trouble?”

Beau met your gaze for a moment. He was able to delay answering your question until he finished wrapping your hand. Afterwards, he sighed.

“I came to apologize,” he admitted. “But first, can I help you clean up around here? You just sit and relax. I’ll sweep up all this glass and mop the floor.”

You let out a long breath, your shoulders sinking. “Oh, Beau, don’t. You don’t have to do all that.”

“But see, I actually want to,” he said, giving you one of those grins you’ve come to know and expect. You couldn’t help but smile back.

“Okay.”

A thorough sweep, vacuum, and mopping, then a couple of cracked open beers and an order of Chinese later (plus cleaning and patching up the rest of your cuts), Beau sat next to you at the dining table and officially made his apology.

“I’m sorry for how things turned out today at the precinct,” he said.

You shook your head. You’d had some time to think about all of that, and there were things you could’ve handled better too.

“Beau, look. I get it,” you said. “You’re dealing with a lot at work, with Carla and Emily too, and…really, we haven’t known each other all that long. It wasn’t fair of me to expect you to open up on something that clearly still hurts you. Especially in the middle of your office.”

Beau let out a breath through his nose. He smiled and laid a gentle hand over your uninjured one, earning your widened gaze.

“You’re a sweetheart for that, but the truth is, you had a point today,” he said. “I’m a difficult man to know. It’s a flaw of mine that my ex-wife has pointed out several times. And even my daughter. Sometimes she looks at me like she can’t understand me.”

You bit the inside of your lip. You debated asking the question you wanted to ask. With his hand over yours, brushing his thumb over the back of your hand, you were able to gather your courage.

“Does it have something to do with the reason you were in grief counseling?” you asked. “About your partner on the job?”

Beau nodded, his smile fading. “Yeah, it does. It has a lot to do with Randy.”

He took a moment, but you gave him the time he needed to find his words. Eventually he began to explain to you what happened in Houston.

How he’d been an upper-level officer dealing with a narcotics case. His partner, Randy Santos, had volunteered to infiltrate a drug cartel undercover. He stayed in the field for a few months longer than protocol, but he was so close, he’d claimed. One bust, and they could arrest the kingpin. The entire cartel would crumble.

Beau had backed him up with the Chief, against his better judgment. When the time came that Randy had helped arrange a drug deal, Beau was the one leading the squad on the bust.

“It went south so fast,” he said.

And he paused in his story for a moment. His eyes were far away, lost in memories.

You squeezed his hand over yours to bring him back. He met your gaze.

“When it got down to it, I had two choices,” he said. “Take out the boss, or take out the guy right in front of me, Dante. Now, Dante had his back turned. He couldn’t see me. Would’ve been fish in a barrel…but I went for the head of the snake. I shot the kingpin. I didn’t realize that Dante had already burned Randy. Knew he was a cop.”

Beau met your gaze then. “Dante shot Randy in the head, point blank.”

Your mouth fell open in disheartened shock. Beau took a long sip of his beer, wishing it was whiskey.

“I saw it all…in slow motion. Just like the movies,” he said. “I see it almost every night, without fail.”

You shook your head helplessly. “Beau. It’s not—”

“Not my fault?” Beau gave you a sad smile. “Oh, but it was. Nothing else to it. Bad leadership. bad police work. Bad friend.”

He continued to drink his beer.

“And I checked out,” he said. “My wife and daughter paid the price of my absence. Picking myself off the bottom of whatever crusty bar would have me that night. Refusing to go to counseling. Generally making an ass of myself.”

You covered his hand with your bandaged one. It got him to look at you and forget his beer for a moment.

“It was a hard call,” you said. “Anyone could’ve made the same one you did.”

“Yeah. And it got my best friend killed,” Beau said. “His wife, his ten-year-old boy, his parents. They’ll never be the same because I messed up. I can’t abide that.” 

He sucked in an unsteady breath. “It still…sometimes I wake out of a dead sleep, and I see his face. I see the body they brought back.”

His eyes were red and shining. The emotion in his voice choked you up as well, making your eyes sting. 

You raised a hand to touch his cheek, your thumb drifting tenderly across his chin. 

“You’re not a difficult man to know,” you said. A tear found its way down your cheek, and then another. You didn’t bother to wipe them away. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about you, it’s that you care. About your team, your family, everyone…even messy, accident-prone women.”

You gave him a smile at the last bit. He was able to give you one back, through his own unsteady breath.

“Especially those,” he agreed. Your hand moved down to his shoulder. 

“And you also like to eat. A lot,” you quipped. “I think you’ve got about three stomachs.”

“Probably four, realistically,” he said with a tearful laugh. He wiped at his face with both hands. You waited for him to meet your gaze again before you continued.  

“You’re also an old-fashioned cowboy,” you said, with a brighter smile. Your hand slid down, this time to his chest, over his heart. “But you’re a good man, Beau. That, I knew from the very beginning.”

Beau clasped your hand where it lay on his chest, almost on reflex. He was sure you could feel his heart tripping up, double timing. He reached out for your cheek, guiding your face up to his. He leaned over slowly, giving you time to say no, whether with words or with actions.

But your eyes, though still a bit shiny from tears, were nothing but beautifully welcoming. So he took a shot. He began to cross the distance between your lips and his.

And his phone buzzed on the table, making both of you jolt. 

It was just a text message. Frowning, Beau looked over and read the preview. When he saw Emily’s name, he cursed under his breath. He reached for his phone and opened up the message.

Hey, where are you?

“Shit,” he said. “Emily’s been staying with me all week and Carla’s joining us tonight, to be safe. They’re there already, asking where I am.”

You would be lying if you said you weren’t disappointed beyond measure, but you nodded.

“Then you should go,” you said.

You squeezed his hand before you released him. Beau wasn’t happy about it either, but he did the same. He helped you clean up the dining table and gathered up his wallet and keys. You walked him over to the front door, where Beau debated how he should leave this.

The door was open, literally and figuratively as you leaned against its frame. You couldn’t hide your unease. You didn’t know where this left the two of you either.

Beau sighed and propped a curled finger under your chin, earning your gaze.

“I need to settle some things. After…” he trailed. You nodded at what he was trying to say.

“When Carla and Emily have stability again, we can talk,” you finished for him. “I’ll be here.” 

He looked at you in wonder. 

“You’ll really wait for that?” he asked. His brows creased, and he truly marveled at your patience with him. “You know you don’t have to.”

A smile curved your lips. “Something tells me you’re worth waiting for, Sheriff Arlen.”

Beau grinned at you fondly. He cupped the side of your face and pressed a kiss to your cheek. 

“Well, thank God for that,” he said. “Really, thank you…”

Lord help him, but he couldn’t help himself. He finally crossed the distance and kissed you.

Your chest rose with your breath, but when your eyes fell shut, you couldn’t help but melt against him. You gripped the front of his buttoned-down shirt for stability while his fingers tangled in your hair. It all grew with heat when he tilted his head, tasting you deeper with each new kiss.

He pressed you into the doorframe, trapping your body with his. You held onto him like a lifeline.

While his hands drifted down your back and rested on your hips, bunching the material of your pretty yellow sundress, you twined your arms around his neck, pulling him flush against you. He felt your every curve, soft breasts and thighs and sweet sighs.

He released a sound of pleasure, deep in his throat. His lips veered away from yours to burn a slow trail down to your neck. He was satisfied by the way you moaned and struggled to catch your breath at his ministrations.

Your fingers wound up sweeping through his hair. It both soothed and aroused him, somehow. But Beau knew if he didn’t stop here, he wouldn’t be able to again.

He laid one last kiss under your ear that hinted with teeth, making you shudder. He pulled away just enough to rest his forehead against yours. You two breathed together for a moment, just existing here, hearts racing.

“I gotta go,” he said. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

You nodded, biting your lip. He pulled back further and thumbed at your lower lip. 

“Don’t do that, or I just might have to go back on my word,” he said, giving you a smirk.

You smiled in amusement. “Promise?”

Beau chuckled. He stole one more heated kiss before he withdrew from you, his hand lingering on your cheek. Heaving a sigh, you turned him around by his broad shoulders and reluctantly sent him on his way. 

Halfway down the hall, he slowed to look back at you. Seeing you leaning against your door, still catching your breath, all hot and bothered…it nearly broke his resolve.

“Nope,” he muttered.

He shook his head and forced himself to keep walking until he hit the stairwell for the umpteenth time today. 

He would stop three more times on the way to his car before he actually left your building.

AN: 😘 So, how'd you like the official "end" of Michael Hadley? And finally, finally, we get to a first kiss. In Part 7, we enter some even deeper waters...

Next Time:

“I’m actually glad you’re here,” she said. “I’ve kinda got a question for you.”

“Kinda?” you echoed with a smile, but you pat her on the knee. “What’s on your mind, honey?”

Emily looked a little unsure. It had you giving her your undivided attention.

“It’s about my dad,” she began. Your smile slowly fell, but now you were really listening.

“Okay,” you nodded.

Emily opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, the lights in the entire office went out.

Ko-Fi Me ☕

Series Masterlist

Big Sky Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Series Tag List (Part 1):

@kazsrm67 @letheatheodore @agothwithheavysetmakeup @jacklesbrainworms @foxyjwls007 @wincastifer @iamsapphine @simpforbuckyb @roseblue373 @brianochka @branj19 @globetrotter28 @hazel-eye-coffee-shop-girl-blog @ades106

@charmed-asylum @waywardxwords @deanwinchestersgirl87 @this-is-me19 @rachiem4-blog @sweettimelady @leigh70 @clinicallydepresso @emily-winchester @xiphoidbones @skoveu @nyotamalfoy @kmc1989 @deans-baby-momma @tabsluvsu @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @deanwanddamons

@antisocialcorrupt @lacilou @deans-daydream @deans-spinster-witch @agalliasi @venicesem @chriszgirl92 @lyarr24 @iprobablyshipit91 @ladysparkles78 @solariklees @lostin-jensenseyes @deansbbyx @candy-coated-misery0731 @curlycarley @sarahgracej @bagpussjocken @deanfreakingwinchester @chernayawidow

[bougiebutchbitch]

I am Upset about your Zuala Returns ideas. They aren't even a fic yet and they make me Upset. Esp Beau mistrusting that it's really her for some reason???? That is just. So. Ugh. It's so in character and I Absolutely Hate It. Plz. :softly: don't.

:3c

>:3c

I love the pain

Seriously though, I loooove exploring character flaws and negative character arcs (so long as there’s an ‘oh god I fucked up’ moment, plus a redemption, an apology, and a happy ending... I’m a weenie at heart!) So while Beau might spend a few chapters being super-suspicious and cruel-to-Zuala-with-the-misguided-intention-of-protecting-Yasha, it won’t last forever. 

Generally speaking, I don’t like villainising characters unless there’s damn good reasons given. I want to show where Beau’s coming from and why she feels the way she does, so you can empathise with her even as she makes awful decisions - it’d be a disservice to her character, otherwise!

And, I have a minor sideplot idea where Zuala might give Beau a reason to doubt her intentions... We’ll see how that pans out!

Overall though, I think this fic should focus on Beau & Zuala building a relationship (and both of them helping Yasha through The Sads). So Beau’s suspicions proooobably won’t be the main thrust behind the plot. She’ll realise how epicly she’s screwed up and throw herself into repairing her relationship with Yasha. And, grudgingly, her relationship with Zuala too. Only - oh no (cue a ‘help, she’s hot’ moment)~

At least, this is how it’s playing out in my head! We’ll see what happens when I have time to sit down and write the damn thing ;P

Tl;dr; you can expect a few chapters of pain pain pain, featuring Beau sliding down the alignment chart a little. Then plenty of awkward, gruff apologies, slow-burn-y growth, and OT3 smut to make up for it. 😏

[essercipertuttienonperse]

hello i would like to know ur favorite angst fics in return pls thank u ily

Heyyy! God I NEED a better system because there are so many i can't find!

Here are some of my favourites:

• we're having a baby, my baby and me by @hazzabeeforlou loooove this author! This topic is always a painful one but it's so beautifully described in this fic! Also I'm in love with their Louis characterization

• always you series by @hazzabeeforlou really sad and angsty canon! My jam!! As always I love the writing and the characters!

• little Technicolor things really poetic and beautiful writing! Read the tags because it's not everyone's cup of tea

• picking up the pieces by @halosboat i love this author's way of writing angst !

• Falling again by @halosboat again, great angst, great pain, i cried

• thumbing my way back to you (series) canon in a wonderful raw and painful way!

• 'lambing season'

etched in salt

alien roadtrip all by @helloamhere

All great! All angsty! My favourite is the last one! Also can you tell i love this author ajajaj

• 'a prayer for which no words exist' sooooo good!!! Honestly every single fic by this author is so amazing

• 'the dead things we carry' by @mediawhorefics you said you've already read tired tired sea so you already know how great this author is !

• turning page i think it's a pretty known one but it definitely deserves the praise imo!

• boys of summer this one just has a certain ~~vibe~~ that's so magical to me

• I'm falling again by jaerie another great author, another great canon break up fic

• heading for limbo my @kingsofeverything loved this one god, the pain! The slow burn was driving me insane! Also love this author!

• don't want shelter by @kingsofeverything first of all, OLDER LARRY! Second, growing up together! Third, they are stuck together in the same place! Literally everything i want!

• Constant debauchery by blake love this author too! And i love the a/a trope!

• Wishing you were them by momentofclarity @gaycousinlarry this fic is ??? Just??? So amazing ! Also I'd pay to watch the movie version!

• Don't let the tide come and take me by @icanhazzalou biiig love for mermaid harry fics! This is one of my faves if that genre!

• The best part of me (was always you) by @louislorde another break up fic! Love love love this one! The first fic I've read by Mel and still one of my faves!

• Soul of the sea it's a different type of angst but i definetly reccomend this one!

• Be my once in a lifetime by @pattern-pals , painful, beautiful, love this author

• Amor victorious same author but abo this time! The a/a trope is explored so beautifully here! And everything is so raw and real! God!

• an entire desert in our hourglass beautiful apocalypse exes to lovers fic, i cried obviously

• everything suspended LISTEN!! THIS FIC IS BEAUTIFUL BUT IT WILL HURT YOU!!! IT WILL!!!!

• the orchards of jessop by jaerie another one that had such a magical atmosphere! Almost melancholic in a way but i loved it

• Best intentions by @girlhoodandothercults maybe not the usual type of angst but i loved this fic a LOT! The moments of intimacy were just SO tender!!!

• I can’t do this alone (sometimes I just need a light) by @beau-soleil-louis again, not suuuper angsty but i thought it was really lovely!

• reeling through the midnight streets very unique fic imo, the atmosphere felt very fragile and sad (but it gets happier in the end!)

• not to love the person you are with is a crime this author is very unique in their writing style imo, very intense and real. i liked all their fics, but this one really stood out to me, probably because it's the first one I read that deals with grief in such a raw way! And through the eyes of someone else!

Also i feel like it's due to tag @twopoppies who made me discover most of these fics and authors thanks to their amazing fic recs! And who also is writing great fics so go check them out too!

[nicbrouillette]

Review: Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Disclosure: technically I alternated between reading and listening to the audiobook version. I was really invested in the story, but I also still had work to do! Audiobooks are the perfect solution.

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin tells the tale of runaway witch, Louise le Blanc, and her marriage of convenience with the witch hunter (chasseur) Reid Diggory. Right now it is intended to be a duology, with the second book Blood & Honey coming out in the autumn.

I really enjoyed it! I struggled a little bit in the beginning during the opening scenes in the brothel. They were mildly confusing, and it felt a bit like being dumped in the middle of something, and that I was missing some key information. I guess I could have done with maybe a bit more of an introduction to everything, I don’t really like feeling disoriented while I read. So that threw me off a bit, but the story quickly righted itself and I was completely absorbed in no time. 

So, I have trash tastes. I love the enemies to lovers trope. This book was crack to me in that regards. I ate that shit up. The relationship was a huge draw, and I really felt like the author handled it really well. With this trope it’s so easy to go cringey and Mahurin really managed to keep it cringe-free. In fact the whole book managed to stay pretty cringe-free. I love YA fantasy, but a lot of it can feel super juvenile to me depending on writing style and choices made by the author, but Shelby can write and she also made great choices! So A+ for that! I guess maybe its New Adult? I’m never super clear on the distinction.

The supporting characters are another huge draw. Ansel and Coco are a delight! Love them! I don’t really have strong opinions on Beau, he felt a little under drawn to me and also the audiobook narrator was doing some strange things with his character so that shaped my overall feelings towards that character. But, I am excited to see more development and what happens with Ansel and Coco. And hopefully Beau becomes a more rounded character.

Now for some minor complaints. First, the audiobook. The female narrator was fine. Not the best, not the worst. Just fine. Sure, I maybe would have picked someone else, but ultimately it didn’t make a huge difference. The male narrator though, that is an entirely different matter. A sense of dread hit me every time his chapters started. My throat also sympathetically burnt in response to the Batman rasping/growling voice he chose to use for Reid. It was awful and distracting. He did something similar for Beau and the Archbishop, but thankfully those characters didn’t have that much dialogue, so my ears were given a bit of a break. That poor man’s vocal-chords. What made it even stranger however, was the fact that he used an entirely different voice for Reid’s inner thoughts. It was a choice. 

Maybe better choices will be made for the second book. Like not hiring the same voice actor.

The pacing was another thing that I thought suffered a little bit. Don’t get me wrong, I love this book and I had a great time reading it, buuuut the ending seemed a little rushed especially when you consider how much time the book spent doing literally anything else. I don’t really have a solution; I wouldn’t want to lose anything from earlier in the book, and the book clocks in at 528 pages so I don’t know if more would have been necessary (I loooove long books, and would happily always take more, just from a selfish fan point of view and not a critical one).

My other, albeit minor, complaint would be the world building. I loved the whole 17th century France/Not France thing that was going on, but I wanted more! I want to know more about the world, country, citizens, and most importantly the witches. Hopefully, we will get more of this in the second (and possibly third!) book. We know there are dames blanches and dames rouges, so I can only imagine there must be other types of witches out there in this world.

I think it’s an excellent first novel, and I am looking forward to the sequel and whatever else Shelby Mahurin works on in the future! 

[priisakilljoy]

You are right, minimalism is overrated. I think the image in my mind of just being clutter free is what’s so appealing but I like having stuff around too much to ever have that lifestyle lol. Oh my goodness I’m actually dying over your minimalism/depression comment. Lmao you are so funny! You wouldn’t save anything?! Omg I’m the exact opposite, I would try to save the entire house lol. If I had to choose...well, is this counting pets? (3)

Because if I could only save 3 it would of course be my 3 babies!! But if it was only objects I would save this painting my mom made. She took a painting class when me and my brother had first moved out of the house for college. It was the first time she was all alone and it was really hard for her. She would never actually tell us how difficult it was for her but we could just tell. (4)

It took a lot for her to actually get out of the house, so going to that painting class was a big deal and a big step for her. she would call me every day after class was done and gush about how much she loved it and how happy she was. When the class was all done she sent her painting to me and it was a recreation of a photo my brother took of me and my mom in front of this lighthouse that we found one day and loved. (5)

The painting was actually so beautiful and so professional looking and I was so proud of her and I had no idea at all she was painting it, and that she was painting it for me! So it holds a very special place in my heart. Every time I look at it I just become so proud that she was able to get out of that bad place she was in. That would be #1! The other two would probably be postcards my brother sent when he was traveling all over Europe! That’s kind of silly to save but they mean a lot to me(6)

It had been his dream to travel for a long time and seeing him fulfill that dream made me very happy and emotional. Uh oh, I talked a lot again 🙊 sorry! I loooove analyzing dreams! So much! If you ever want to analyze one let me know and we’ll figure it out together! I used to forget my dreams a lot too. It was really frustrating. That still happens a lot to me actually. I like that you write them down! That is nice :) what has been your all time favourite Mitch dream? (7)

i do get the appeal, looks chic. looks way easier to organize and clean as well lmao. and moving must be fantastic when you only have two books and one houseplant. but having emotional attachment to the things that surround you sounds even better to me, even if it is a little messier 

oh no pets are never in danger in hypothetical fires, that would be so mean! i would save Chico in a real fire. he is my baby 

thats so sweet!! i love it. i actually teared up a bit lol. it’s amazing that she was able to do it and heal through it and then she gifted it to you! definitely worth saving

it doesn’t sound silly at all! listen i also have a brother and i love him to death so i get that, seeing people we love being happy and fulfilling their dreams is a great feeling. and he was sending you postcards and thinking about you and it’s really nice

forgetting dreams really is frustrating. sometimes i wake up and open the notes on my phone but the dream is already gone and i feel so annoyed lol. 

i have two favorites because i can’t choose lol. the first one i had in june, and Mitch was going to open for superfruit. he was releasing the lead single of his first solo ep, dreams IV, and his family was there and Beau and his family were there, everyone was chilling backstage, he was very quiet and kind of far away, preparing for the performance. and i actually dreamt the song. i can’t remember what it sounds like but i remember my reaction to it and it was so beautiful and i was so moved 

my second favorite Mitch dream doesn’t actually has Mitch in it, but it’s about him lmao. i was in a synagogue with Beau and it was the most beautiful place ever. we were standing in front of this pillar with very detailed engravings, it was really the most gorgeous thing, so Beau wanted to take a picture because it reminded him of Mitch but this guy said we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside and he apologized. i was so impressed by how pretty this dream was, when i told my therapist about it i asked if maybe it wasn’t a sign that i should convert to judaism and she was like ‘right. maybe don’t do that’ lmao

[spnwoman]

Ohhhh my gosh u did a part 2! I’m over the moon and doing a happy dance! 😄oh my gosh I looooved it! They are so sweet! The fluff and the tension between them! 😅😍😍 soo good id definitely be up for more of this! It’s awesome hun! And can I be added to the tag list for Beau and well all your writing pretty please! 😁 I’m not sure if I’m on already but I had no idea there was a part 2 I didn’t get notified but would love to from now on! 😁❤️

That Simple

Part 2

Series summary: Beau goes to Y/N, a new friend of his, for some dating advice. Is the charming new Sherriff gonna get the date that he’s hoping for?

Pairing: Beau Arlen x female Reader

Category: Fluff

Word count: 1.8k

Warnings: Mentions of guns, sexual tension

A/N: This is part two to That Simple. It was originally supposed to be a one shot, but I loved writing it too much to leave it behind just yet. I hope you like it! Send me an ask if you want to be added to my Beau tag list ❤️

Beau Arlen Masterlist

Main Masterlist

“Like that?” She felt weird, holding the heavy piece of steel in her hand. Perhaps she just wasn’t cut out for this.

Beau smacked his lips and tilted his head to the side. “Not quite. Here, lemme show you.” He stepped behind her. His arms circled around her, mimicking her grip on the gun. He caged her in his embrace. “This okay?”

Keep reading

[hollymbryan]

Blog Tour + Recipe: WICKED CHARM by Amber Hart!

Welcome to Book-Keeping and my stop on the blog tour for Wicked Charm by Amber Hart! I’m thrilled to share with you today all the details on this creepy Southern tale, along with a recipe for what sounds like absolutely delicious banana bread! Let’s get right to it...

About the Book

title: Wicked Charm author: Amber Hart publisher: Entangled Teen release date: 30 January 2018

Nothing good comes from living in the Devil's swamp.

Willow Bell thinks moving to the Okefenokee area isn't half bad, but nothing prepares her for what awaits in the shadows of the bog.

Girls are showing up dead in the swamp. And she could be next.

Everyone warns Willow to stay away from Beau Cadwell—the bad boy at the top of their suspect list as the serial killer tormenting the small town.

But beneath his wicked, depthless eyes, there's something else that draws Willow to him.

When yet another girl he knew dies, though, Willow questions whether she can trust her instincts…or if they're leading to her own death.

Add to Goodreads: Wicked Charm Purchase the Book: Amazon | Amazon.com.au | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Entangled

About the Author

Amber Hart resides on the Florida coastline with family and a plethora of animals she affectionately refers to as her urban farm. When unable to find a book, she can be found writing, daydreaming, or with her toes in the sand. She's the author of several novels for teens and adults, including Wicked Charm, the Before & After series, and the Untamed series. Rep'd by Stacey Donaghy of Donaghy Literary Group.

Connect with Amber: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

About the Recipe

One of the best things about this book, for me, was how Willow regularly referenced all the wonderful Southern food her grandma made :) I’m a Southern girl, and I can tell you for sure that we loooove our food down here! In the spirit of sharing some good, Southern home-cookin’, I asked Amber if she’d share one of the recipes from her own home that she placed in the story. At one point Willow mentions eating her grandma’s amazing banana bread topped with peach marmalade, and that is the recipe that Amber sent me. I will definitely be making this!

A note from the author:

My novel, Wicked Charm, is full of all things Southern. The setting, accents, cadence, and yes, the food. One particular recipe that is featured in the book is a delicious banana bread, so I thought that readers might like the taste and smell of it in their own kitchens. For this reason, I’m happy to share my personal Homemade Banana Bread recipe that I make regularly at home. It’s super fun, easy, and of course, delicious!

Hope you love it as much as I do!

Amber

Wicked Charm: Homemade Banana Bread Recipe

Begin:

—Pre-heat oven to 350F —Grease 8x4 inch loaf pan

In a separate container add:

—1/3 cup water OR melted butter —Mash 2-3 ripe bananas —Pinch of salt —1 1/2 cup flour —1 cup sugar —1 egg —1 teaspoon vegetable oil —1 teaspoon vanilla extract —1 teaspoon baking soda —(Optional) dash of cream for extra sweetness —(Optional) add nuts

Bake:

Mix together and pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Insert toothpick when finished to make sure it comes out clean. If not, bake another 5-10 minutes until done.

Serve:

Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Slice. Serve warm or room temperature. Top with peach marmalade. (Other topping options: powdered sugar, dry/crushed nuts, peanut butter, whipped butter). Share with a friend. Enjoy! ☺