#harper x cyprian

[indycinders]

REPOST I POSTED TO THE WRONG BLOG HAHAH

*sees this*

...

*SIGHS*

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Outlaw!Harper belongs to @campwillowpeak

Bounty Hunter!Cyprian belongs to me~

No CW :: SFW :: 1,311 words

Title: Toe the Line

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The hot sun of mid-morning beat down as Cyprian urged his stallion, Quicksilver, to continue on. He’d been on the hunt all night since he’d received a tip from one of his favorite drunkards at Emerald Gorge’s saloon. The horse slowed its pace as it trotted up the incline of the canyon.

“Whoa,” Cyprian pulled back on the reins just enough for Quicksilver to stop. The dappled Appaloosa kicked at the ground as he dismounted.

Cyprian walked up to the edge, pulling out his binoculars and crawled forward, keeping low. He put them over his eyes, peering through them. There was a gentle breeze kicking up loose red dirt, causing small clouds to obscure his vision. But then he saw the white smoke of a late night campfire dying out. There was a bedroll, and the familiar golden Dutch Warmblood.

Only such a large horse would be able to carry a man like Harper.

Cyprian grinned, shuffling backwards until he was out of sight and then he stood up. He walked over to his horse and pulled a carrot out of the saddlebag, feeding it to him. “Stay up here, boy, okay? I’ll whistle for you.”

The horse blew air through its nose in response and chewed the carrot. Cyprian turned and looked for a way down the canyon. It wasn’t too far of a way to go, but it still took some time to make his way down a narrow path while trying to be quiet.

Once he was down on the ground and approaching the camp, he realized that the bedroll on the ground was empty. He looked around for the horse and didn’t see it either. Just as an uneasy feeling settled in his chest and he moved his hand to his hip where his revolver was, he heard that familiar voice from behind him.

“Lookin’ for me, Caro Mio?”

Cyprian whipped around, almost losing his hat in the process. There, atop the large horse was the tall frame of the infamous outlaw, Harper. Wanted in seven states for arson and bank robberies.

The black-haired main grinned, flashing sharp teeth down at the other. “Miss me that badly, eh?”

The Dutch Warmblood snorted and kicked up dirt, causing Cyprian to take an uncertain step back. He drew his revolver and pointed it at Harper.

“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, Harper,” Cyprian warned.

“What if I want it hard?” the outlaw winked and grinned again.

Cyprian’s thumb pulled back the hammer on the gun. “I’m serious! Get off the horse and surrender now.”

“Oh, Caro Mio, I am serious, too.” Harper’s boots touched the flank of the horse softly and it started walking in a wide arc around Cyprian, who turned with it, keeping his gun steady and aimed on Harper. “But I can’t allow myself to be hanged. I’m having too much fun.”

“Harper…”

The outlaw winked at him again before quickly tapping the horse and taking off. Cyprian cursed under his breath and holstered his gun, putting two fingers in his mouth and whistling for Quicksilver. His horse found its own way down and Cyprian jumped on, spurring it forward to chase after Harper.

The Appaloosa was faster than the Warmblood, being a smaller and more agile horse. Plus with the way Cyprian had trained him from a foal, it was used to these chases. Once he saw Harper some twenty odd yards ahead of him, he kept a steady pace behind him.

When they started nearing the long train bridge, he saw Harper hop off the horse and send it away. Cyprian, wary of the sudden change in the man, slowed to a trot before hopping off his horse as well. Quicksilver stayed behind, kicking the ground, amped up from the chase.

He put his hand on his revolver again as he approached the outlaw, who was standing a few yards away from the railroad tracks, staring down at the river below the bridge. “You screwed yourself, Harper. Come on, now, don’t be stupid.”

The man didn’t move, just glanced over his shoulder.

“You jump from that height, you’ll die. You know that.” Cyprian called as he inched forward.

“Are you worried about me, Caro Mio?” Harper asked. He extended his arms out at his sides, as if he were spreading long wings.

Cyprian’s heart pounded in his throat and as Harper leaned forward, he jumped and grabbed onto the back of the man’s jacket, pulling him away from the ledge. They tumbled backward into the dirt. In the distance, there was a train whistle.

Cyprian scrambled around, trying to get a hold on Harper’s wrists in the ensuing scuffle. However, he somehow ended up on his back, staring up at the outlaw, with his wrists pinned behind his head. Harper laughed softly, leaning down to whisper in his ear, “I’m still gettin’ the best of you, Caro Mio.”

“Fuck you, Harper.”

“Is that an offer?”

“Get off me!”

He complied and let go of Cyprian’s wrists, standing up and brushing the dust off his pants and coat. As the blue-haired man stood up as well, he could see a train approaching. Cyprian went to grab his hat off the ground but Harper beat him to it.

Clenching his jaw, he said, “Give it back.”

“Or what?” Harper teased. “You’ll shoot me?”

Cyprian put his hand on his hip and realized his gun was missing. When he looked back at the man taller than him by a few inches, he saw him twirling the damned thing around one of his long fingers. “You know, for a bounty hunter, you’re not that observant,” Harper chuckled.

“So, what happens now?” Cyprian asked, sighing. He glanced at the train behind Harper. “You’re expecting me to just let you go?”

Harper’s deep blue eyes flashed in excitement. “I have a better offer, actually.”

“What’s that?”

“Come with me.”

Cyprian’s resounding laugh was more like a bark full of bitterness. “Ha!”

“You hurt me, Cyprian,” Harper pouted. “Is it that bad of a proposition?”

“I’ve been chasing you for years, now, Harper. What makes you think that I want to join you?” Cyprian asked, his voice filled with venom. Harper took a few steps forward, Cyprian’s hat in one hand and his gun in the other. “In all these years, all these attempts I’ve given you, not once have you had the guts to go through with it.”

He was standing so close now, their chests were almost touching. Cyprian could feel Harper’s breath on his face while he spoke. “Why is that, Caro Mio?”

“I-I—“ Cyprian struggled to make a coherent sentence.

The hand with his hat raised up and placed it back on his head, tilting it back. Without warning, Cyprian felt Harper’s mouth meet his in a startlingly deep kiss. He found his hands reaching up to grab his jacket, but instead of pulling away, he pulled him closer. He felt Harper smile against his lips.

Suddenly Harper pulled away. His hand had untied the red bandana from around Cyprian’s neck and he clutched it in his hand. “I’ll return it when you find me again, Caro Mio. Take care.”

Cyprian watched stunned as Harper continued walking backwards towards the tracks. The train was so close now, almost off the bridge. Cyprian shouted and almost jumped forward as Harper raised a hand and grabbed onto one of the car handles and hopped on.

In a flash, he was gone. Cyprian stared as the tall man waved his bandana at him like a taunting flag. He reached up and covered his mouth, remembering the feel of his lips. His hand brushed his hips and he noticed that Harper had returned his gun as well.

“That son of a bitch,” Cyprian sighed and watched until the train disappeared. Then he whistled for Quicksilver and started trotting after it.

OK BUT WHAT IF

WHAT IF

HARPER IS THE OUTLAW AND CM IS THE BOUNTY HUNTER??