#cowboy hat rule

[marvelwitchergilmore]

New Routine Comfort

Summary: Tyler Owens x Fe!Reader -> You work with the Tornado Wranglers and have done for a couple of years, but being newly single means you need to find a new routine and Tyler might just be the person to help.

Disclaimer: Mentions and appearance of a cheating asshole ex, Tyler and Reader are more co-workers than anything until that eventually changes..., swearing, love confessions, use of "Sweetheart" from the Cowboy Scientist, two-stepping, teaching to dance, mostly fluff, little angst, and the Cowboy Hat Rule (..kinda..) Not Proof Read.

When you joined the Tornado Wranglers, you joined at the request of Boone. They needed someone who could capture more footage than either him and Lily got and, since they had raised so much for families that had suffered from extreme tornado weather, they wanted to make it more permanent. 

Which was where you came in. You could help with footage collection, fundraisers, social media pages, editing and a couple other things. The rest of the team helped where they could, but you managed it well. 

However, this did mean that you didn’t see the team as much as you’d like save from the videos they sent you and the group chat Boone had added you into. 

However, it was one night sitting in a local watering hole that you found yourself growing closer to one of the Wrangler’s in particular. 

Tyler Owens. 

There was a week here and there that you’d join the team storm chasing each season. Except, this year’s week of you joining them on the road couldn’t have fallen at a worse time. 

“Please don’t tell me you’re gonna sit here all night drowning your sorrows in crappy beer?”

You shook your head. “I’m not.”

Boone tilted his head. “Oh, not the head tilt. Please.”

“Come on, Y/n. He was an asshole. Forget about him.”

“Little hard to forget when I was the one to walk in and catch them,” you looked back at your beer bottle. The label was practically torn to shreds from where you’d been scratching at it. “It’s like it’s burned into the back of my eyelids.” You took a long swig of your beer. 

Just a little over two months ago, you’d watched as your relationship of three years burst into a ball of flames. You’d come home, smiling as you texted the Wrangler’s telling them the company you’d been pestering for a large donation that, with their track record, would put them out of pennies, had not only agreed to donate but also to host and bring all of their more-than-wealthy partners to the event. 

Only, as you called through the door for your boyfriend, you heard a noise. Had he fallen?

Then you found the trail of clothes leading into the kitchen before another one made its way up the stairs towards your bedroom. 

“Have you tried thinking of something else? Maybe watching a horror movie?”

You nodded. “Apparently finding your partner cheating on you in your own bed, and subsequently finding out they’d been doing that for over a year…is the scariest thing for me.”

“Well…screw him! He never deserved you! And you deserve a good night! And some decent beer.”

You gave a slight smile. “Boone. I like my drink.”

And it was true. You did.

You watched as he grimaced and picked up the other beer bottles. “Don’t know how you can drink that stuff.”

And away he went back to the dance floor with the others. And you turned back to your drink, your thumb still scratching away at the label. 

An hour or so later, Tyler’s eyes found you in the crowd at the bar once more. He’d watched you all night. He’d watched you for the last two weeks if he was being completely honest with himself. 

Since you joined the team, he saw you maybe for two weeks across the entire year. One week storm chasing, and the next seven days scattered throughout the rest of the year. But when he found out of Boone you’d be joining the team for most of the chasing season, something sparked inside of Tyler. 

He was glad to have you aboard, of course. He might not have known that much about you, but he knew you well enough to know you joining the team for longer than a week meant something was wrong. 

And once you arrived, it took him three days to finally figure out why. 

“Are you sure she’s okay?”

Lily looked behind her, following Tyler’s gaze. Though, she could guess who it was. “Y/n? Oh, yeah. She’ll be fine. She’s hurtin’ right now, but she’ll be okay. Dude was an ass! Glad he’s gone.”

Tyler had met him only a handful of times but he could agree with Lily. He was an ass. An ass to you and an ass for letting you go. 

But, as Tyler watched you, he saw something in you change. You’d gone from slouched on the bar stool to…alert. And nervous. 

Confused, he followed the direction of your eye-line until he saw…

Him. 

Stood with some blonde who couldn’t stop giggling into his chest as his arms were wrapped around her in such a way he was being possessive whilst trying to show her off. 

And it was at that moment Tyler realised he wasn’t the only one watching you anymore. Because your ex had spotted you. 

“No.” Dani and Boone told him as the bottom of his chair scraped the wooden floor. “No, let her handle this. She needs this.”

Tyler didn’t look convinced. So, Lily added. 

“And if she’s not ready, then you can go. But they’re right. Let her handle it.”

So, reluctantly, Tyler sat back down. But he was itching to stand. He was itching to be at your side. 

But you handled it. 

Your ex approached you, and he seemed to make some kind of asshole comment about you. You didn’t seem pleased. Then everything about you…became fake. 

One look around you made you realise there were plenty of people still left inside the bar. More than when you had entered with the team, even. If you caused a scene, you’d get kicked out. And your team would follow. But it had been a long week. They deserved a good night. 

So you took it. You took his comments about smiling more, and setting him free and his thank yous for showing him he could have ‘something more with’ whoever the Blonde was waiting at the end of the bar for him. 

And when he patted your arm, you could have thrown up. You never wanted him to touch you again. You’d told him as much when he tried to hug you, not ten minutes after being caught having sex with someone else. 

And when he finally walked away…you wanted to run. But you had no energy left. Seeing him again zapped it all. You had been in love with him once, and believed he felt the same about you. All the memories of your relationship flashed behind your eyelids, before going back on themselves. The pictures told you of the lies he’d made in the last year you’d been with him. 

Tyler watched as your entire body sighed before you started counting the cash in your pocket to leave for your bill.

Your ex didn’t get to ruin your night by being here. He didn’t get to take away your happiness, or your freedom to have fun in your bar. 

“Okay, come on.”

You looked to your side and found Tyler stood there. He took your hand in his and dragged you with him. 

“Tyler!”

“No, no.” Turning to face you as he finally reached the dance floor, he kept his eyes on yours. “He doesn’t get to take your night away. Fuck that asshole.”

“That’s my problem. I did fuck that asshole. And then he fucked someone else.”

“Then let him.” Tyler told you. “You deserved better than him, anyway. You still do. Do you know how to dance?”

You were in shock. You and Tyler were never exactly close. Sure, you’d talked over text, but that was mostly in the Group unless you needed to contact him directly for something about a fundraiser or an appearance at a school to help students when it came to Tornado warnings. 

After a moment, you shook your head. 

He gave a curt nod and stepped closer to you. “That’s okay. I can teach you. Is it okay if I put my hand here?”

You looked to see where he meant. It was around your back. You nodded. 

“Okay, just keep your eyes on me. I’ll make sure you don’t trip.”

With one hand in his and your other on his arm, your eyes fell to the floor as you mirrored his steps. “I think you’re underestimating my two left feet.”

Tyler smiled with a small chuckle, and pulled you a little closer before tilting your chin up until your eyes met his. “Eyes on me, Sweetheart. I promise, I won’t let you trip. And nobody can be a worse dance partner than Boone.”

“You’ve danced with Boone?”

“Somebody had to teach him how to dance. I think my feet are still bruised.”

You smiled. “I’ll try and not make them worse.”

Tyler smiled as your eyes found his own, again. You were relaxing into the music. You were trusting him to take the lead. And before you knew it, the pair of you were two-stepping further into the dancefloor, a bright smile shared between the both of you. 

Four songs, two line dances, and one group square dance later, you found yourself back in the comfort of Tyler’s arms as he held his hand out to you from where you had both sat down at the table. 

With a nod and a genuine smile, you took hold of his hand and let him lead you towards the middle of the dancefloor. Tonight might have been the first time you’d both danced together, but somehow, it felt familiar. Routine. To be in his arms, to have his hand in yours, to have only him in front of your eyes and in your mind as you both softly danced to the slow song that played from the Jukebox Band on stage. 

“Thank you,” you found yourself saying. 

Tyler lifted his head from yours to look at you, and you did the same. “What do you mean?”

“I was about to go home. I would have spent the next twenty-four hours wanting to be alone and depressed. Instead, you did something else no-one has ever done.”

“And what is that?”

You felt yourself laugh a little. “Taught me to dance.”

Tyler’s mouth broke out into a smile before he took your hand and spun you around and back in. “You’re very welcome, but if I’m being honest, I might have had my own reasons. I need my own dance partner and, as much as I love the guy, Boone isn’t the most graceful.”

“So you’re calling me ‘graceful’? Have to say, that’s never been a word people have used to describe me.”

“Really?” Tyler sounded genuinely shocked. “All because you couldn’t dance?”

You felt a small blush heat under your cheeks. “Maybe I was in need of the right partner.”

Tyler felt himself blush. “Maybe you were. But I’d still call you graceful. I don’t know what people have described you as, but- if you don’t mind me saying.”

You shook your head. Coming from him, something in you didn’t mind a bit. In fact, you wanted to know. 

“I think you’re so much more than whatever people tell you.” 

When his gaze locked on yourself, you felt the rest of the room disappearing. 

“You’re beautiful. In your mind, in your heart and in your soul.”

You could feel your heart beginning to race. 

“Nobody should ever make you feel anything less than that. You’re an incredible human being, Y/n. We’re lucky to have you. I-”

Tyler felt the words catch in his throat. He didn’t want to scare you away. But he needed to tell you. He wanted to tell you. 

“I’m lucky to have you.”

You smiled as you watched Tyler. He was one of the kindest men you’d ever met. Maybe he had a wild side, but that was what made him so good at his job. Beneath all of the adrenaline chasing, Tyler had a heart and soul unlike any other. He loved his team, his family, his job and his life. 

Slowly, leaning up, you pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

“I’m lucky to have you, too.”

Tyler smiled and slowly, the rest of the room started to fade back in, slowly. 

“You should come out with us more. Who knows? You might just catch the bug for chasing Tornados?”

You smiled. “Boone has been trying to get me to come chasing for years. What makes you think I’ll change my mind now?”

Tyler smiled. “We’ll go out tomorrow. The data is showing a small EF-1. Just me and you. After all, you can’t stay in the van forever.”

Tyler could tell by your smile you were deliberating it. 

“You know,” you started. “Boone isn’t going to be happy we’re chasing without him.”

Tyler smiled. You had agreed. “I’ll make it up to him.”

Your smile settled onto your face. “Okay then. But just this one.”

Tyler nodded as you both slowly turned around in a circle. “We’ll see.”

Two months later, you’d been more chases than you could count. That morning Tyler had taken you out in his truck, there was a chance you could have called him an asshole (in a slightly more affectionate term) as he drove towards the tornado. 

You’d edited hours of footage but being the one in the passenger seat was something else. 

But the minute you looked up and out of the window and back to him…something changed. Something changed between you and storm chasing. Something changed between you and your job. Something changed between you and Tyler. 

Boone, once he’d been cleared of his hangover, wasn’t happy about being left out from a chase. But Tyler found a way to make it up to him. And since you left Boone to sit in the front for most of the chases, had you made it up to him, too. 

Sometimes you’d stay in the truck with Dexter and Dani but it was becoming much more routine for you to sit in the back of Tyler’s truck as he drove into another tornado. 

And on the rare opportunity. Boone would give you his seat beside Tyler in the truck. You’d get better pictures for socials that way. At least, that was his excuse. It definitely wasn’t to give the Live Feed viewers what they wanted, which was more of you and Tyler together. 

But in those two months, things had just been…teetering. You knew you felt something for Tyler, but you were too scared to let your feelings known in case he didn’t feel the same. At the end of the day, you loved your job and the team. You didn’t want to give them up because of a school girl crush you had on the Cowboy Tornado Wrangler. 

But the others saw the way Tyler looked at you, too. They’d seen it since he first met you. He never made a move considering you were in a relationship, but that didn’t stop his feelings from growing when he saw you or saw your name pop up on his phone. 

And since you started actually chasing with him…he was a goner. 

He looked at you like you hung the moon, and you looked at him in the exact same way. But apparently only the team and the comments section of the videos could see it. 

“I can’t believe the season’s almost over.”

Tyler shook his head. “We’ve still got a month or so left.”

“I know, but…I’m really enjoying it.”

He smiled proudly. “Told you you’d catch the bug.”

You and Tyler, like every weekend, had found yourselves back in each other's arms on the dancefloor, two-stepping along to another song. And being back in his arms was like your two left feet had disappeared. 

It might have also helped you’d both practised in your hotel rooms over the last couple of months. For the last month, you’d both been sharing a room since every motel that Boone and Lily found only seemed to have so many rooms left. And with the others bunking together, it left you and Tyler together. 

“I got a call, by the way. A school just outside of Wichita is wondering if you and the team will come down and talk to the kids. Most of them have seen your videos, but a lot of them are scared and the city’s local ‘what to do in a Tornado’ has scared them all half to death.”

Somehow, Tyler had this magic about him. Whenever he and the team went into school to explain about Tornados, all the kids walked away a hell of a lot less scared than they were when they walked in. In fact, most of them walked away talking to their parents about meteorology and the science behind a Tornado. 

“Of course we will.”

You smiled. “Good. Because I already said yes.”

He figured you might have done. “When do they want us there?”

“As soon as you're available.”

“We could go after this next chase? There might be an EF-3 in the next couple of days. I want to make sure people are safe.”

You nodded with a smile. “We can go after, then.”

Soon the song came to an end. “I’m gonna get a drink, want one?”

Tyler nodded as he let go of your hand and he went towards the team’s booth. “Please.”

Ordering your drinks, you waited for them to be ready. Only, as you did so, you felt the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. There was a familiar smell in the air and it made your entire skin crawl. 

Then you saw him. 

“Aren’t you meant to be in a mourning period or some shit?”

You were taken aback by his abruptness. “Excuse me?”

“We’ve been broken up for less than six months then I come in here and see you trying to flirt your way into some guy’s pants.”

“What? Like you and her over there? Tell me, is she the one from during me, or after me?”

“You bitch. She’s my girlfriend.”

“And that’s different?”

You ex stood straighter and hissed. “Yes.”

“Really?”

“Yes. She’s my girlfriend. He’s just- What? You’re fuckbuddy?!”

Before you could answer, you felt a much more comforting presence behind you followed by his voice and a hat being placed on your head. 

“Boyfriend, actually.”

You turned your head and looked at Tyler who just winked and you relaxed into his arm that laid across your shoulders. 

“And I don’t appreciate you calling her a bitch.”

“How long have you been fucking him?!”

Then Tyler stepped in front of you. The hand on his back let him know he’d done the right thing. 

“You’re done talking to her now. You’re gonna talk to me. Better yet, you’re gonna listen. The biggest mistake you ever made was thinking you could find anyone better than her. Now, I’m sure your girlfriend loves you very much and I think she came out here to enjoy her evening like everyone else and doesn’t want to be kicked out with her boyfriend who’s just been given a black eye.”

“Are you threatening me? You can’t threaten-”

Then Tyler’s voice lowered, making the conversation strictly between himself and your ex. 

“The minute that hat touched her head, it let everyone know who she’s with and considering I know the owners here, them and everyone in this bar will protect her over some scumbag like you. And unless you’d like to spend a night in a cell with the County Sheriff, I suggest you and your girlfriend find some other place to have a drink and you never even think about my girl again. Do I make myself clear?”

One look around the bar to see if anyone else had seen or heard what had gone on let your ex know they had. And from the looks of the patron's faces, they were more than ready to defend both you and Tyler against the asshole standing in front of him. 

“Whatever, Dude.” Walking away, he called out for his girlfriend, grabbed her hand and walked towards the door, constantly looking over his shoulder. Especially after one of the owners followed him out of the door and watched him load himself into his car. 

Once the owner walked back inside and gave a curt nod to Tyler, everyone went back to normal and Tyler turned back around to face you. 

“I’m sorry if-”

“Thank you.”

Tyler was expecting you to tell him off, or yell at him. Say something that made sure he knew never to do that again unless you asked. 

“What-”

“Nobody has ever done that for me before and, if I’m being honest, I was 90% sure he would have done more than just yell at me whilst I was here. So, thank you.”

“I meant what I said. You should never let anyone make you feel less than what you are. You’re beautiful, Y/n. Inside and out.”

You smiled and turned towards one of the beer bottles that had been placed in between you and Tyler in order to hide the blush of your cheeks. “Nice touch, by the way. With the hat.”

There was a slight twinkle in Tyler’s eyes along with his semi-confused and intrigued look. 

“You know about the hat?”

“You explained it to him, didn’t you?”

Then he realised. “Oh, yeah. Yeah. Right.” And nervously took a long swig of his own drink. 

But then you removed it from your head. “You’re gonna want this back.”

And for a moment, Tyler held it in his hand, deliberating on what he wanted to do, vs what he should do. 

He shook his head and handed it back to you. “Keep it. In case he thinks about coming back.”

“I don’t think he will.”

“Well, if he does. He’ll get the message.”

It took you a moment, but keeping your eyes on his, you placed the hat back on your head. Tyler swallowed another gulp of his drink and turned to face you before he fixed the hat on your head. 

“Better?” You asked. 

Tyler nodded as he looked away. He had to hide his blush somehow. “It suits you.”

Then the next song came on. 

“Come on, let's dance.”

Taking Tyler’s hand, you dragged him back to the dancefloor. 

By the end of the night, you all walked back towards the motel considering it was only a block or two away. Down the road, Lily and Boone were giving each other piggy-back rides, Dani was listening to Dexter talk about everything he knew about Tornados and where Tyler would usually be on his own at this point in the night, he found you right next to him, still wearing his hat. 

“Careful.” 

Tyler took your hand in his as he pulled you away from a deep puddle in the path. 

“Thanks.”

When you’d both finally made it to dry concrete, your hand never left Tyler’s. 

“What are you thinking about? You look like you’re in deep conversation with yourself under that hat.”

You broke into a small smile. “I am.”

“Then what is it?”

“Nothing important,” you shook your head. 

“Try me.”

Looking at Tyler, you took in a breath and looked back at the sidewalk. “Okay. I’m thinking about what to do.”

“About what?”

You stopped in your tracks and looked at where your hand was interlinked with Tyler’s. Then you looked him in his eyes. 

“I know you were just helping me before, with my ex and…everything. But…”

Shit. You cursed yourself over and over again. But you didn’t want to waste any more time in your life. 

Just spit it out. You told yourself. 

“Is..is there a world…maybe…where…” You took in a tough breath. “Where would you want something more?”

“Something more?”

You cursed yourself for a whole other reason now. You’d dug your grave this far. Might as well hope for it to collapse on top of you. 

“Something more between…us?”

The next ten seconds were the longest ten seconds of your life. You were pretty sure you’d died three lifetimes over by the time you felt like you were back in your body again. 

“You know what, forget I said-”

“Yes.”

You felt yourself physically stall. “What?”

“Yes. I want something more. There is a world where I want something more. And it’s this one.”

You didn’t know what to say. The others were long down the street so it was just you and Tyler. 

“I…I don’t know what to say from here. I wasn’t expecting to actually say anything.”

Tyler smiled and stepped a little closer to you. “Well, I’m glad you did.”

“Where do we go from here?”

Tyler thought about it for a moment before looking around. “Come with me.”

Tyler dragged you back down the street, over the puddle and towards a small field just off the side of the road. 

“Tyler, what are you doing?”

“Getting rid of the light pollution.” 

You felt yourself laugh. “What for?”

He pulled you a little further out into the field before the lights faded away over the hedge and all you were left with was the blanket of stars above you and Tyler. And, being back in the comfort of his arms, he danced you around a small patch of wildflowers. 

“Neither of us knew what to do, so I’m taking you on a date. Usually, we would have gone for dinner or I would have brought something with us but since we’ve done that part without knowing where we’d end up…I’m skipping to the end a little.”

“So you’re saying, for our first date, you would have packed a picnic and we would have gone stargazing? That’s…incredibly romantic.”

“Think it’s corny?” Tyler asked and then he laughed. “You think it’s corny.”

Your eyes narrowed a little. “Maybe. Just a little. But, I love it.”

There was no one else. It was just you and Tyler, dancing, under the stars. 

“I do have one question, though.”

“Shoot.”

“Would you have kissed me at the end of the date? Would we have danced under the stars then and would you have kissed me?”

“Now who’s the corny one.”

You blushed a little and laughed. “I’m serious. I’d need to know if you were a good kisser. Couldn’t wear my cowboy’s hat and not enjoy kissing him, too. And before you say anything, I know that might not be the rule. But it does come as a part of mine.”

Tyler felt most if not all of his face turn red at the thought. When you had asked him in the bar…you already knew. He was glad there were no bright street lights surrounding either of you right now. 

“Well, then, since you’re already wearing my hat…I can’t start breaking the rules now…”

With another smile, Tyler’s hand cradled your head as he pressed his lips to yours, letting his free hand hold you flush against him by the waist. 

By the time he pressed a final small kiss to your lips, with his forehead against yours, you felt your lungs scratching your chest to breathe. 

“Yep, definitely didn’t break any rules.”

Tyler let a chuckle leave his chest. “Come on, we should get back. Before the others start wondering where we got to.”

Boone and Lily had had too many beers to be left unsupervised. Last time Tyler had left either of them alone, they’d somehow chalked out an entire Tornado on the side of a motel wall. Even if it was exquisite, the motel owner wasn’t the happiest of people to see it. 

“Okay. But we’re doing this again.”

“What? The date, the kiss or the dancing?”

“All of the above.”

Tyler smiled and reached down, lifting his hat from the ground before placing it back on your head. “Good, because I wasn’t finished.”

With a smile that hurt your cheeks, Tyler took your hand in his and you both hurried your way back down the road, over the puddle and towards the motel where you both found Boone and Lily playing a very terrible version of hide-and-seek. 

But something that neither missed was the way yours and Tyler’s hands were intertwined between you both, or that in the morning and the mornings after, you and Tyler rarely left each other's side. 

And neither of you had to be pushed to share a room. 

It became a routine. Along with the dancing, kissing and storm chasing. 

And when the third teacher hit on him at the elementary school he was talking at, despite you finding it a little funny watching him try and shut down each woman with kindness that left them just wanting him more, he proved his point in front of the faculty and his team (even if they already knew) by giving you the millionth kiss of a lifetime from him, with his hat upon your head. 

[zellaspinna]

brewed up more bullriders!Landoscar.. (wip? maybe)

the cowboy hat rule;D

[disruptive-starlight]

Unspoken Rules

I saw one (1) tiktok about “the hat rule” and it has done irreparable damage to my fic writing lol

This is a Caleb x MC story written in second person

Enjoy :)

“I can’t believe you were able to get clearance to give me a tour of the base!” 

“Being a colonel has its perks, y’know.” 

The two of you are standing outside the entrance, hand in hand. 

“By the way, come here for a sec.” 

You raise your eyebrow, confused, but do as he says. Caleb reaches for his hat, removing it from his own head before plopping it onto yours. 

“What was that for?” 

“I just don’t want you to feel left out, since everyone else will be in uniform.” 

You don’t quite believe that, but you drop the issue, not wanting to start anything before your actual date begins. After all, you steal Caleb’s clothes all the time. Why's wearing his hat any different? 

The two of you spend your day walking through the base, Caleb taking the time to show you all his favorite spots. With all your teasing and laughing, you end up missing the strange looks many of the officers are giving you throughout the day. 

Caleb doesn’t. 

From jealous to encouraging, Caleb catches them all as he does his best to make sure you don’t notice. He knows how these men could be, and he needed them to know you were his in every sense of the word. Just one of them thinking it was a good idea to approach you just wouldn’t do. 

Most of the tour goes without a hitch, and the two of you bump into Gideon just as you’re about to leave. 

“Hey guys!” 

He smiles as he approaches, clapping Caleb on the back before greeting you. 

“Hey, Gideon! What’re you up to?” you ask politely, and the two of you chat for a bit before he turns to Caleb with a teasing grin on his face. 

“You just had to go and stake your claim, huh?” 

Caleb wants to slap him so bad.

He tries to respond but you beat him to it. 

“What do you mean ‘stake his claim’?” 

Gideon immediately realizes his mistake, even before the glare Caleb shoots his way. 

“Oh, uh, just that he walked around base with you all day. No other reason.”

The poor guy hightails it out of there, already preparing for the talking to Caleb’s bound to give him next time they see each other. 

As Gideon leaves, you turn your attention to Caleb. You swear you can see him sweat under your gaze. 

“What was he talking about?”

“Like he sai–”

“Don’t give me that crap.” You stare him down as he tries and fails to avoid your eyes. “Tell me what he really meant.” 

He sighs. 

“Have you ever heard of the hat rule?” 

You weren’t expecting that. 

“The what?”

“The hat rule.” He sighs again, eyes looking anywhere but at you. “It’s technically a cowboy thing, but many of the Fleet officers follow it too.” 

“Cowboy? What do you– wait. You mean that hat rule?!” 

“...yeah” 

“That’s why you put your hat on me this morning?!” 

“...yes.” 

You sigh, your face in your palm as you take this in. Caleb waits, nervousness evident on his face. 

After a moment you start to laugh, and Caleb can’t decide if he should join in or run for his life. 

“You know what, fine.”

Caleb lets out the breath he’s holding just before the devilish grin takes hold of your face. 

“But you need to wear mine when I show you around the Association.” 

Mouth agape, he tries to protest but ultimately decides against it. He lowers his head in defeat. 

“...fine. As long as it makes you happy.” 

You smile at him, confirming his words. 

“Now c’mon.” You grab his wrist, signalling him to follow you.

“Where are we going?”

“We have to follow the rules, right?” 

You don’t miss the grin that lights up his face. 

“Of course.” 

[princessmaybank]

Ride The Cowboy

Pairings: JJ x BestFriend!Fem!reader

Warnings: MDNI, riding, creampie

Summary: JJ got a new cowboy hat and reader has no idea about the rule.

Authors Note: I had a smut written for a request. It was JJ and reader with the cowboy hat rule but it got deleted! It was anonymous so I hope whoever requested this sees it and enjoys!!!

(Edit: I changed the gif bc he's got a cowboy hat on 🤭 idk who these belong to but they aren't mine so credit to whoever made these!)

JJ found this random black cowboy hat at one of our shops in town. I didn't think he was serious when he said he wanted to buy it because it's not even his style.

Anyway he's been wearing it for a fucking week, trying to act all country and it's so fucking annoying. He has started using a country accent trying to be funny, but it was just so, so lame.

We were at the boneyard having the time of our lives. JJ and I were dancing together, giggling and having some normal fun, until he started talking like he was from Texas.

I was so fed up. I reached for his hat and threw it onto my head. "Look at me, I'm JJ, all I ever do is talk with an accent and twirl around in my cowboy hat!!" I said, very annoyed with a terrible attempt at a country accent.

JJ was staring at me in awe, which got the attention of our friend Pope, whose jaw went slack as well. Pope walked over and rested his arm on JJ's shoulder. "She doesn't know does she?" Pope looked at JJ with the most dead serious look I've ever seen. What the hell was he talking about???

"I don't think she does." He grinned and started laughing. His cheeks flushed red as he looked at his feet then back to Pope. "What are you talking about?!" I asked frantically. "Have fun cowboy." Pope said patting JJ's back while walking away. I give JJ a questioning look.

He got extremely close to my body, yet he was still towering over me. Damn this boy was tall. JJ took my hands in his. "You don't know the cowboy hat rule?" He asked smirking down at me. "These things have fucking rules too???" He giggled. "Yes but this one is probably the most important." Somehow he got closer, which was surprisingly not as uncomfortable as I thought. "What is it??" I asked getting annoyed because he was playing games at this point.

"Wear the hat, ride the cowboy."

His face never changed from that smug little smirk, but my eyes got wide. I hit his chest, he was my best friend. "No way Maybank, that's probably something you made up to get you laid." He grinned. "It's not I swear, if you don't believe me look it up."

Unfortunately I did, and he was right. It was some kind of sick joke. "Well I didn't know so it doesn't count!" I crossed my arms. "Hey, rules are rules baby." He was holding my hips now. Why were butterflies filling my stomach? I've never thought of JJ this way. It would be so wrong. "So is no pogue on pogue macking!" I say trying my hardest to find a way out of this, but of course he's ready for whatever I say. "First of all, John B and Sarah are right over there, basically eating each other's faces. Second of all, it's not macking, it's riding baby." He smiled to himself because he knew he won.

JJ walked us to the Twinkie, where we wouldn't be bothered. "You just want an excuse to fuck your best friend!" I say fighting the best I could. "I could say the same about you! I didn't tell you to steal my hat! And you're still wearing it!" He laughs so hard after he gets his sentence out. I was blushing when I quickly took his hat off and threw it at him.

I was hovering over him, very anxious. He had a huge grip on my hips. "We do not have to do this if you don't want to." He says while holding me up. "JJ, I'm already naked. Plus you said it, rules are rules." Before I could change his mind or my own, I started easing myself down onto his dick. JJ let out a slight hissing sound as I went lower. Not gonna lie, I did need to get fucked. It was probably why I found him so annoying this week.

JJ helped me move at a pace that made us both feel good. "Come here." He pulled me in with a motion of his finger. "Might as well break a rule while we're at it." He smirked before attaching his lips to mine. JJ sat up and put his back against the seat, never pulling out. I pulled his hands away from my hips and to my tits, making him squeeze them as I bounced on his dick all by myself. I couldn't believe I was riding my best friend.

"Fuck Y/N/N don't stop." Woah. JJ called me by my nickname while I was bouncing on his huge cock. How fucking hot. Can't believe I'm saying this but I think I'm catching feelings in the middle of all of this. "Fuck I'm cumming!" I yell as my body starts spasming, I feel his dick shoot his hot liquid into me after I was done. JJ pushed my hips up and down, helping us ride out our orgasms.

He started spooning me after I put my clothes back on and laid down. "JJ I don't wan-" Before I could finish he interrupted me. "Y/N, I can't handle it anymore. I need to be with you, especially now. Now that I've had a little taste of you, I don't think I could let you go and just continue being just your best friend." He was hovering over me now. "I was thinking the same thing." That made us both smile.

We popped up when we heard the side door slam open. "I'm assuming she followed the rules?" Pope giggled staring at JJ, making him giggle as well. They high fived as I rolled over to hide in JJ's chest.

[ponkydraws]

Wear the hat, ride the cowboy. Or maybe it’s save a horse, ride the cowboy in this instance?

Stupid lil panel inspired by these images lmao

[rosedorada]

THE COWBOY YOU ARE | J. Escuella

javier escuella x f!reader

tags ; smut, cursing, riding a cowboy (iykwim), cowboy hat rule (look it up), afab anatomy , dry humping, p in v, switch!javier, switch!reader, teasing, cockwarming but only for a few seconds

wc ; 749

a/n ; save a horse, ride a cowboy ;) | my first smut on this app, so why not make it my boy javier

if wear the cowboy hat, you gotta ride the cowboy.

“You’re treading on thin ice, princesa” Javier sets his hat down on the table and huffs as he sits down. [ princesa - princess ]

“Is it so bad,” You sit down on his lap, “that i just wanna wear your hat?” Your hand goes to grab it and he swats it away.

“You know what happens when you wear my hat.” He warns you. Of course you knew what happened when you wore his hat, that’s why you wanted to wear it.

“Yes, Javi, I know what happens.” You grind down onto his lap and he swallows down a groan.

“Mierda, oh go-“ Javier bites down on his hand as you continue to grind down on him. The entire camp was either asleep or just in their tents doing stuff. So, you two were pretty safe out here for a bit. [ mierda - shit ]

“Shh, Javi.” You slowly reach for his hat with your right hand. Putting it on your head once you had a secure grip on his hat. “Oops…”

“You did this on pur-“ You grind down on his dick again, stopping him mid sentence. “God.” He whines and bucks his hips up against yours. That was your breaking point.

✭ ✭ ✭

“Javier-“ You manage to moan out his name as he kisses up and down the upper half of your body, leaving your jeans buttoned almost on purpose. You grip onto his hair, ruining the low ponytail he had it in.

“You don’t know what you do to me, especially when you do this.” He stands up, fixing the brim of his hat that was on your head. “I wanna see you ride me like the cowboy you are, since you’re obviously one now.”

You rubbed your thighs together for some friction, anything, to soothe the ache between your thighs.

Javier seemed so dominant until you slowly sat down on his dick, every time you’d grind down he was a whimpering, whining mess. Gripping at your hips, helping you ride him.

��Por favor, te necesito... Necesito esto.” Javiers nails dug into your hips, making you moan a little too loud. [ please i need you… i need this ]

When you both bucked your hips at the same time, it made your vision go white. It practically made you scream out in pleasure.

“Javi,” You throw your head back as you claw at his chest. “God… you’re so-“ You struggled to talk in between moans and whines that would escape every so often.

Javiers hands slowly slid up your body, cupping one of your boobs. His calloused thumb sliding over one of your nipples, making you shiver. “You don’t know how much… I- dios… worship you.” [ dios - god ]

It was true. As his hands went up to your face he flicked the brim of his hat up, exposing more of your face. It was red and had a thin layer of sweat covering it.

“I’m close-“ You struggle to moan out the words, gripping and clawing at Javier’s chest.

“So am I, hermosa. Just… mierda… a little bit longer.” He let’s out an animalistic groan as he looks down and sees where you two were connected. [ hermosa - beautiful | mierda - fuck ]

You eventually dive down and start kissing him once his moans and whines got too loud. He got more aggressive with his thrusts, though they were sloppy it still bucked your body upward.

Javier takes both of his arms and gropes your ass needily, like he was a starving man and you were his first meal.

He dips his left hand down to play with your clit, leaving you a moaning mess. Javier seeing you come undone this fast and this easily made him rut into you.

“Ple- please… I-“ Javier manages to groan out, “Inside…” He started panting, “you… p-please.”

“You can…” You grip onto his shoulder, feeling him thrust one last time into your throbbing cunt until he eventually came.

Javier puts his arms around your waist, pulling you flush against his sweaty body. His face was slightly flushed, and his lips were swollen. He was trying to catch his breath but he had the most intoxicating smile on his face.

“So… how was the ride?” He looks up at you with hooded eyes, obviously trying to joke around.

You roll your eyes, kissing his forehead and pushing the stray hairs off of his forehead before getting up off of him to lay beside him.

[garyroachsandersonsbf]

Cowboy Hat Rule Part 1 - Ghostroach

SFW | Minor Violence

—

Currently the 141 were stationed in good ole’ Fort Worth, Texas. The hot and humid weather of mid July was harsh, and being in a full tac kit only made things more miserable. Two days already in the city and Soap was begging to go home. But they couldn’t, not just yet. The reason why they’re currently holed up inside of a van with a barely working AC unit, was because an anonymous tip gave the team a possible hit on El Sin Nombre. Said he was running large trades through the traveling rodeo, so here they are now, waiting outside the ongoing rodeo in Cowtown.

Ghost actually advised against deploying to Texas due to the lack of legitimacy in the tip’s claim and not much proof to back it up besides a half torn letter from El Sin Nombre himself that could’ve been a fake anyways. But as they were incredibly desperate to catch this guy for intel on the missing missiles, they took any chance they were offered to get him, and so Price and Laswell approved the mission and sent out the lieutenant with the three of his sergeants to meet up with Colonel Vargas, Sergeant Major Parra, and Commander Graves. It was only their second time meeting, but it felt like they’ve all known each other for much longer, guess that’s what happens in war.

“It’s so fookin’ miserable in here.” Soap pulled at the collar of his shirt that was drenched in sweat. “Cannae wait any longer before I gaun get heatstroke.” He then attempted to fan himself with his hand.

Ghost sighed and tossed a water bottle at him, “Shut up Sergeant. Rodeo should be done within the next hour, you can be quiet and wait until then.” Ghost tugged at his mask, repositioning it as the sweat caused it to cling flush against his face.

Soap scoffed, “Away n’ bile yer head!”

Suddenly Gaz’s voice perked up from beside Soap, “It is hot in here though, Soap’s not wrong about the heatstroke either.” He looked around the van at the miserable and sweaty men.

“We can’t risk opening any doors and exposing our cover over needing a little bit of air. Just drink water, you’ll live.” Ghost was very irritated that night. Having to come to Texas was the first thing that ticked him off. Then it was the weather. And then there was the plan they had. It was flimsy, nothing very solid to go off of in the first place, so naturally there’s a lot of room for error and danger, and Ghost didn’t like that.

Roach leaned in beside him, “What about a window?” His goggles rested on top of his helmet, allowing Ghost and the rest visual access to his eyes where currently Roach was lifting one eyebrow up expectantly.

“Negative Sergeant. You’re just gonna have to suffer.” His monotone voice showed no sign of sarcasm or humor. The sergeants all sighed loudly not being able to get their pleas through to the lieutenant.

“Heads up,” Rudy knocked on the metal mesh separating the back of the van with the two seats up front. “Two armed men just got out of a truck near an emergency exit at the rodeo. We may have something here.”

“About fucking time. Get ready boys.” Graves clapped triumphantly. Surprisingly to Ghost, Graves has managed to become more insufferable and obnoxious than Soap! And unfortunately for Ghost, he had the honor of sitting right next to the mercenary commander.

“Not yet,” Alejandro chimed in. “We don’t see any package, they’re only just standing around, no need to engage yet.” Then he whispered something in Spanish to Rudy, too quiet for Ghost to make it out.

After about 20 more minutes of waiting and various complaints about the heat, they finally got the green light to engage. “Eyes on a woman being escorted by three other heavily armed men.” Rudy called out, binoculars pulled up to his eyes.

“ID?” Ghost asked, trying to shift his body and look through the mesh and out the windshield.

“I think we got a hit on El Sin Nombre’s personal sicaria, Valeria Garza.” Rudy responded, tension in his voice.

“That’s the bitch who slipped through us last time in Las Almas, isn’t she?” Graves asked furiously. Back in Las Almas during their first meeting, they attempted to seize Valeria but they ended up being outnumbered and she was able to escape and go back into hiding.

“Easy there, Graves.” Alejandro warned from the driver’s seat.

Suddenly Rudy, who still was looking through his binoculars, yelled out, “Target getting into the truck, more men behind her loading crates into a black suburban, possibly the package she has to deliver.”

“Copy that, calling it in.” Ghost switched his comms to the channel with Laswell, as did the rest of the men. “Laswell, we have eyes on Valeria Garza and the package. Permission to follow and engage if needed?”

Laswell’s voice crackled through his earpiece, “Affirmative, you have the go ahead. Try to make it out of the city before engaging with them, we want to keep a low profile.”

“Copy. Going into pursuit.” Ghost stood up and reached over to bang on the metal mesh signaling it’s time to go.

Alejandro put the car into gear and began rolling out of the alleyway and down the narrow street a few hundred feet from the targets. They anxiously followed behind the cars, waiting for them to arrive at their destination. After about 10 minutes of driving, they turned onto a private dirt road where they were more exposed than before.

“Drop back following distance, they’ll be able to spot us much easier than before,” Rudy advised and Alejandro complied, slowing the vehicle down and leaving another couple hundred feet between them and the targets.

“Losing visual on Valeria and the package, too far back and too much dirt being kicked up,” the colonel warned. Suddenly their tail lights disappeared completely and the soldiers were unable to make out the cars through the dust. “Command, we lost complete visuals with targets. I repeat, we have no visuals on targets.”

“Something isn’t right…” Roach muttered anxiously.

“No,” Ghost agreed. “Pull over the van and-“

All of the sudden the truck and suburban came into view and were parked horizontally over the road, multiple of the armed men standing behind the vehicles, gun trained on their approaching van. Alejandro slammed on the brakes, causing the van to swerve and stop horizontally on the road as well, bout a hundred feet away from their enemies.

“GET DOWN!” Alejandro and Rudy yell, ducking below the windshield and windows as bullets begin to fire and hit the van. Ghost was extremely thankful for the armoured van Price gave them, a reinforced body and chassis, and bullet proof glass. It was enough to handle some firepower for a good amount of time, much longer than a normal van.

“Laswell, targets have opened fire on us, we’re pinned down.” Ghost yelled out through the comms, hands on his weapon waiting for an opportunity to engage.

“Shit! Get out of the van as quickly as you can and engage. We’ll try to send in reinforcements.” Laswell then went silent as she made her other calls for backup.

“We don’t have time to wait around for others! Ghost, are you able to get out the back door?” Alejandro yelled out over the loud gunfire.

“It’s risky but possible!” Ghost got up from the bench, still keeping down low in the van. “Moving out!” He swung open the door which was immediately hit by dozens of bullets. He waited until there was a minor pause in fire, as they were reloading, to leap out and run behind the van, quickly making his way to the front of the vehicle. He positioned his gun around the very front of the van and began to shoot at the cartel. He immediately downs one man who falls off the bed of the truck. “Need more power!” Ghost urgently called out, and a few seconds later Roach is behind him, laying down fire from over the hood of the van.

A couple more men drop dead but not enough to try and advance further. Gaz was the next to come out, staying at the back of the van, shooting from under the opened back door. He was able to pick off another guy, leaving about five cartel members and Valeria left. Each side continued to exchange bullets for another 5 minutes before the other side halted fire completely. Suspicious, Ghost peeks around the corner to try and spot them but is unable to see a single enemy. “Gaz, visual on anyone?”

“Negative, LT. Looks like they ran.” Gaz moved over to Ghost and Roach, Soap on his heels right behind him.

“Or they’re all dead.” Soap chuckled.

Ghost shook his head, “Don’t get too excited just yet, Johnny. Something is off.” He squatted and leaned against the tire, “Alejandro, you see anything?”

Alejandro picks his head up and peaks through the cracks in the window, “Nothing Ghost.” The van’s door creaks loudly as he opens it slowly, and steps out. “I think we’re clear. Rudy, come out.” Rudy on the other side of the van hops out and joins the other four soldiers still hiding behind the van. The men gather around to regroup and figure out what they need to do next. Valeria had once again slipped right of their grasp. “Hold up, where’s Graves?”

Ghost whipped his head around and walked carefully over to the back of the van where the door was still open, he peered through and saw Graves holding up a radio, speaking quietly into it. “Hey, the fuck are you doing? We’re regrouping, Valeria’s back in the wind.”

Graves turned sharply on his heel, an odd grin on his face, “Quite the opposite Lieutenant Riley. While y’all were shooting at the cartel, I called in some of my Shadows for reinforcement. They caught her and took down her escorts about half a mile out from here.”

Ghost didn’t praise his efforts, he only grilled him more, “And where’d you get the clearance for that, Commander? Hadn’t heard you over the comms at all.”

“Shepherd gave the go-ahead. Turned on a different frequency and asked him directly.” He began to step out of the van, bumping his shoulder against Ghost’s harshly, “No need to worry, Lieutenant.”

“Well,” Roach walked up to Ghost, “Think we’re going to need a new ride.”

Ghost looks at the van full of bullet holes and shattered windows, smoke emitting from under the hood. “Think you’re right about that, Bug.”

—

[tanked-up]

Soap: WHAT’S THE SAYIN?

The entire 141: …??

Soap: SAVE A HORSE, RIDE A COWBOY

Ghost without a saying:

[wretchedlittlething]

I need to find a cowboy who's hat I can steal

[thoughts-ofthe-damned]

I'm on my bullshit again. I NEED COWBOY HAT RULE PLZ PLZ PLZ I'M GOING INSANE

"Shout out to all the southern boys. The big ones, the tall ones, the short ones, I don't care. Show me a man with a deep southern accent and I start barking like a damn dog."

[rivernoma]

HE’S HOT🤭

[aprincesscalledbabygirl]

WHEN HE FOLLOWS THE COWBOY HAT RULE

WHEN HE FOLLOWS THE COWBOY HAT RULE

WHEN HE FOLLOWS THE COWBOY HAT RULE

WHEN HE FOLLOWS THE COWBOY HAT RULE

[cozycryptidcutie]

Oops- cowboy hat rule?

[24hrfrog]

COWBOY HAT RULE BUT ITS COWBOY N CATTLES AU WITH JAVY PUTTING HIS HAT ON JAKE AND COWBOY SLIDER YEEHAWING A HAT ON MAV AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[yoshidoes-stuff]

found out abt the cowboy hat rule someone plspslsl tell me someone alr made an agent whisey fanfic out of that if not pslpsdk smoeone make it

[garyroachsandersonsbf]

Cowboy Hat Rule Part 2 - Ghostroach

SFW | Suggestive

—

Eventually, some of Graves’ men had picked up the stranded soldiers, and brought them to where they held the sicaria in an abandoned mill. They interrogated her for roughly an hour, drilling information about the missiles and El Sin Nombre out of her. During this time, they also learned that Alejandro had a previous connection with her, so they used it to their advantage as much as they possibly could. Finally when they were done, they collectively agreed to go back to their post and wash up before heading out for a small celebration.

Cowtown was still loud and lively as they strutted down the brick street passing by the various shops, restaurants, and bars. “Still cannae believe El Sin Nombre was right in front of us this whole time.” Soap exclaimed to the group.

Gaz then leaned over his shoulder, “And that Ale never told us he and Valeria used to be a thing.” He turned his head at Alejandro who’d kept himself from the conversation this far.

He cleared his throat and glanced awkwardly at Rudy before trying to explain himself, “We were teammates, not a… thing.”

“Nae, she totally implied something happened between yeh.” Soap prodded.

“No. And anyways, our involvement wasn’t relevant to the mission.” Alejandro was trying his best to end the conversation but Soap and Gaz kept going at it.

Ghost stood close to Roach as he watched the three men to his left argue back and forth. He would occasionally brush his pinky lightly against the back of Roach’s hand, a ghostly touch. Roach only pressed closer as much as he could while still maintaining a friendly demeanor to the public.

Graves trudged behind the group, keeping his attention on the signs of the buildings as they walked passed, avoiding other pedestrians. Suddenly, he pushed himself to the front of the group and stopped them, pulling them aside. “How bout’ we get some good authentic cowboy hats for our three Brits here?” He raised an eyebrow intriguingly at the men.

Soap’s eyes lit up at the American’s proposal, “First of all, I’m Scottish, but aye, that sounds great!” He grabbed Gaz’s arm and began to pull him across the street towards one of the hat shops. Alejandro and Rudy chuckled together and followed them, while Graves waited behind for Roach and Ghost to follow as well.

They walk into the first of many hat shops in awe, rows and rows of cowboy hats displayed on the wall. Soap walked over to the wall and picked one up off the hook, settling it on his head with a wide smile, “Ay, an’ how do I look?”

Roach took a step towards him and plucked the hat off his head examining it, “Let’s go to a different store. This one’s a tourist trap, too expensive for mediocre quality… at best.” He set the hat back on the hook and stepped out of the shop, the rest of the men following behind him confused, even Graves.

Ghost caught up to him and whispered, “Say Bug, how’d you come to that conclusion?”

“What? About the hat?” Roach raised his eyebrow at Ghost and Ghost responded with a nod. “Oh well. I grew up in rural Georgia, and had a friend that did farm work. I was almost always at their plot of land, and the grandpa would tell stories from when he was this supposed big time cowboy. Told us about how he’d herd the cattle, work in these stock shows, and all sorts of things. He’d also show us how to make our own cowboy hats and stuff, and pointed out the right materials and things. It’s all kinda hazy but I still can spot the cheaply made ones over authentic ones.” Gary had a smile on his face reminiscing over his childhood memories.

They continued to walk back down the brick street until they arrived at a smaller, less busy shop at the very end of the block. As they stepped through the threshold, the old wooden planks creaked under their weight, alerting the store owner of their presence. A short, old man came waddling out from the back of the shop, smiling brightly at the new customers. He greeted them with enthusiasm and urged them to come over to the counter where he could comfortably talk with them.

“So boys, what can I do for ya?” He flashed his smile, a few teeth missing from his grin.

“Just lookin’ for some hats for these three big guys,” Roach clasped the nearest shoulder to him, which happened to be Ghost’s. “They’re from the UK, first American southern experience.” Roach let his accent draw out, appeasing the older man.

“Oh well wonderful! Y’all came to the right place, we make every hat in here by hand, just unfortunately not by my hands,” the old man held his shaky hands up and chuckled. “My granddaughter is the best in all of Texas though, I’ll tell ya that.” He chuckled again and yelled out for her. She came walking around the corner in a pair of bootcut jeans and tucked in a flannel shirt, the classic southern dress. Soap’s attention snapped to her and he leaned against the counter attempting to look appealing.

Eventually after a small talk with the old man and everyone introducing themselves, they were finally able to see their hat making magic begin. Soap’s was up first. Majority of the time while the nice lady was taking measurements and forming the actual hat, Soap was flirting with her. Gaz and Roach kept laughing at every ill attempt at seducing her, but she looked every bit uninterested in what the Scot had to say. Finally he was shut up about an hour after, when his hat was finally complete. She set it on his head and he winked at her before turning to the rest of the group. “How do I look now? Better?”

After about two more hours of waiting and talking inside the small shop, the three men each had their own personal cowboy hat. Roach thanked the man for his time and the granddaughter for her skills, then gave them a large heap of money. Alejandro rushed them outside and forced them to pose for a photo. Gaz and Soap smiled so widely their cheeks would hurt while Ghost stood there on the side, his black surgical mask covering the majority of his face up. After photos, Graves then dragged them to a bustling bar across the street, the booming country and rock music able to be heard from blocks away.

As they stepped inside they were greeted with the strong smell of cigarette smoke & alcohol. They made their way through the crowds and stepped up to a round table big enough for the seven of them to sit comfortably on the high chairs. After a waitress came over and took their orders, Soap noticed a mechanical bull smack in the middle of the very large bar. People were gathered around watching as a man holding the rope in one hand and a beer in the other, tried to stay on top of the jerking bull, ultimately failing in the end and spilling his drink all over him.

“Aye Ghosty, how much fer yeh tae ride?” Soap inquired of Ghost, pointing over at where the bull’s next victim was getting ready to try and take it on.

“Not even going to entertain that idea, Johnny.” Ghost brushed off, instead watching as the waitress came over quickly with the tray housing their drinks.

When she passed out each drink, Soap leaned in to her with a mischievous expression, glancing once over at Ghost and then the bull. The waitress listened carefully to Soap and pointed somewhere behind Ghost, then said one last thing to him before walking away. Soap took a sip from his draft and slid off of his seat, inching closer to Ghost. “Say Ghosty, let’s check out the bar, aye?” That mischievous face still present.

As Ghost was about to decline, Roach spoke up next to him, “I’ll come with, Simon. It’ll be fun to look around, yeah?” Roach under the table tugged at the hem of Ghost’s shirt trying to encourage him to get up.

Ghost in the end gives in and stands up, waiting for Roach to do the same. Soap cheers as Ghost obliges and begins to follow him through the bodies. They walked around for a few minutes, finding where the bathrooms were, where a small dance floor overrun with people was located, and even a beer fountain. But before they could make it back to their seats, Soap pretended to be curious about a seemingly random line in the middle of the bar, “Wait, let’s see what this leads to.” Soap begged Ghost to stay and wait, Roach as well. Ghost, suspicious but not being able to see through their plan yet, agreed to wait. There were only 3 other people in front of them, so why the hell not?

Ten minutes later, when they were finally next in line, was when Ghost realized Gary and Johnny had set him up. The large, black and brown leather, mechanical bull sat still underneath the spotlights. “You lot are assholes. You hear me? Assholes.” Roach and Soap only pushed him onto the padded mats, but before the gate closed, Ghost grabbed Roach’s wrist and pulled him into the ring.

“Ladies and gentlemen, seems like we’ve got a pair goin’ at the bull tonight!” The bull’s operator yelled into the mic, broadcasting it through the entire bar. “Let’s see how they can handle it!” The lights then dimmed, replacing them with red colored ones, and an upbeat country song began to play. The people around them clapped and hooted at the two men standing awkwardly.

“I suffer, you suffer,” Simon whispered into Gary’s ear. He tugged Gary to the set of steps leading up to the bull, letting him go to straddle it before offering his hand again. “Let’s get it over with, Bug.”

Gary shook off his nerves and took Simon’s hand, pulling himself up onto the bull, facing Simon. He grabbed the rope hanging from the ceiling with one hand, his other bracing himself behind him. Just as the bull began to rock slowly, Simon reached out and gripped Gary’s waist, holding the two of them steady. They stayed like that for a few seconds before the bull’s movements became more fast and aggressive. Simon steadily slid back and forth on the machine’s back still holding onto Gary’s waist as Gary himself kept a tight hold on the rope.

Just as the music changed to the song ‘Country Girl (Shake It For Me)’, Gary reached up with his free hand and grabbed Simon’s brand new cowboy hat. He gave him a wink before putting it on his head and quickly lifting himself up and onto Simon’s abdomen, pushing Simon down on his back on the bull. His body rocked on top of Simon’s, occasionally pressing down and grinding against his hard stomach.

This goes on for another few minutes before the bull stops and they both hop off, sweaty and out of breath. Gary repositions the hat on his head, securing its place before heading back to their table where there will no doubt be questions. He put his arm around Simon’s shoulder and pulled him into his side, his lips brushing against his ear, “You know the ‘cowboy hat rule’?”

Simon could feel Gary’s grin against his skin, “Enlighten me, Bug.” Ghost discreetly hooked a finger in one of Gary’s belt loops, his thumb sliding under his shirt and brushing against his hot skin. Gary’s grin grew wider as he explained to him what it was, feeling Simon start to squirm.

Back at the table, Soap grouped up with the others, letting Simon and Gary have their moment together. He anxiously watched the others' reactions to the two men displaying this type of affection so publicly and carelessly. Ale, Rudy, and Gaz seemed shocked but didn’t press on about the situation, instead now indulging in their own conversations. Graves on the other hand curiously watched Simon and Gary walking back towards the table together. He noticed Soap staring and switched his expression to something smug, “Do those two have something going on?”

Soap straightened his posture, “No, but if they were and you had a problem with it, you can take it up with me.” Possession and protectiveness lacing his words.

Graves tried to hide his smirk, “No no. No problems here, Sergeant.”

—

End