thomasxbaker

[thomasxbaker]

When Leo had that smile on his face, god, his knees nearly gave out. He was so effortlessly attractive, and then his husband was sliding his hand into his back pocket and speaking to him in that tone. He was Leo's plaything, his chew toy, his doll to dress or undress as he pleased.....and boy did he enjoy that role. They were married, equals, but......hell did Thomas love the idea of being Leo's.

He let his husband move his head, his body as he pleased, feeling as his neck was exposed and his husband started sucking on it. He was whimpering, and then he felt Leo's hand undoing his belt, pushing him against the door, and licking at the marks he had already started to place on his neck.

Leo's hot breath on his skin when he told him that he had been waiting all day for this, Thomas felt like a lamb, and Leo the wolf that had been stalking, waiting, and finally had its prey. And he wanted to be said prey, obviously hard in his jeans, he batted his eyelashes at Leo, looking up at him, delicately, innocently as if he had no clue what Leo was planning, what he had been teasing.

"Waiting all day for what? I don't know what you mean, Leo." As he spoke, Thomas let his bottom lip linger open just a few seconds too long, enticing, teasing. "Did you have to wait so long, you're going to have to be rough? Commanding? Remind me of your dominance?"

This was what he craved - as Thomas melted into him, Leo took up the mantle and pulled him close for support. Thomas' weight pressed against his body, and Leo smiled into his kiss. But as he went to push deeper into it, Thomas pulled his face away, once again denying him. A hungry growl bubbled up in his throat as his eyes fluttered open and his hips pressed forward.

His breath shuddered in his chest, a wolfish smile clawing its way onto his face as his husband spoke. "Oh, Thomas Baker," he chuckled. The hand that had found its way to the small of Thomas' back flexed and crept downward, lodging itself firmly in the back pocket of his jeans. "Is that how you want to play it?"

His other hand, previously thumbing Thomas' cheek, spread out, tracing the underside of his jaw until he could turn Thomas' head at will. With the smallest flick of his wrist, he exposed Thomas' neck and dove in, sucking at the other's throat. He pushed forward and pivoted, taking the opportunity to move his hand to Thomas' belt before spinning and pushing him against the door, which rattled at the sudden slam. Two practiced motions later had the man's belt undone, and Leo's hand hovered conspiratorially over the button of his pants.

Leo ran his tongue over the redness already developing on Thomas' neck before pulling away. He pressed his hand against the door over Thomas' shoulder, hovering his face just barely in front of his husband's. His chest heaved with each breath, pressing against the other's. "I've been waiting all day for this," he said, with fingers threatening the waistline of Thomas' jeans.

[thomasxbaker]

Leo was a toucher, he knew this, that his husband always had craved physical affection. It was what had helped endear Thomas to him. The constant hand holding, the brushing of their arms when they moved past each other, now that they were married, Leo never had to hide it, or come up with an excuse to do it....he just always touched when he wanted....and Thomas ate it up every time. The only person he wanted to be wanted by, wanted him, and did very little to hide that want.

He could feel his hands moving over him, his back, his shoulder blades, his collarbone, his jaw. "Danger is a bad thing. I'd much rather be safe and sound, here with you." When Leo finally leaned in to kiss him, though, Thomas melted, melted into his touch, his grip. It felt as though his whole body was going limp in Leo's grip, as if they could phase into one person. It was now Thomas' turn to let his hands wander, moving up and down Leo's back, feeling each muscle beneath his shirt.

Pulling out of the kiss, he chuckled, nuzzling his nose against Leo's cheek. "Big talk, Leo, why don't you prove just how much more you love me than? Hmmm, you may talk the talk, Leo Rafferty, but can you back that up with the walk?" As he spoke, Thomas played with the buttons on Leo's undone overshirt. He wanted to goad him into getting Leo to do the work...."I think I need to see just how roughly you can walk that walk."

Leo could hardly hear the words Thomas was saying with how dazzled he was just looking at the man. His mouth fell slightly open as Leo Rafferty rolled off Thomas' tongue. Leo's eyes flicked across Thomas' face, unable to stop at any one place for too long before they were distracted by some other point of beauty.

His hands instinctively wandered as Thomas pulled against his body. His fingers explored the small of his back, the curve of his spine, the hem of his shirt. They pressed, pulled, and kneaded any part of Thomas they could find. He ducked his head slightly as Thomas kissed him, pushing his cheek into the other's touch. As Thomas leaned in, Leo returned the gesture, pressing his lips against his cheekbone.

"You say danger like it's a bad thing," he whispered into Thomas' ear, then grabbed his sides with a jump. He laughed as Thomas laid into him, allowing his arms to wrap fully around his husband and pull him in tight. His fingers traced the arc of his shoulder blades, poking and prodding like small explorers on a distant landscape.

"Impossible," he said, resettling his head so he was cheek to cheek with Thomas. One hand slid over Thomas' shoulder, across his collarbone, and settled on the side of his face, where Leo gently thumbed his jaw. "Because I love you more than that." He gently pulled Thomas' face away so he could look at his husband properly, with his other arm resolutely and tightly wound around his waist. But the spell couldn't be held any longer: he couldn't stop his hand from pulling Thomas in to kiss him.

[thomasxbaker]

Thomas shook his head, "You know we have plenty of empty rooms, if you want one its yours Jericho. Just make sure you switch out the sheets in the morning after you wake up." Waving a hand to his other assurances about the window. "It's no rush, I promise you. That window has had issues since I was a kid."

Thomas kept telling himself that by this time next year, he'd finally have enough supplies for that big renovation, more rooms, more space in the tavern, a proper stage for Jericho. It'd be like those big inns he'd heard about in Portsmouth. "I mean it though, you're more than just the odd jobs guy, you're a part of the family, I wanna make sure you're taken care of."

Jericho hummed to himself lightly. While he had a perfectly usable cot in the broom closet next to the kitchen, sometimes he would spring the money for a proper room upstairs if there were some to spare. Unfortunately, that was not in the cards tonight, given the paltry sum of money he had raised in tips.

"Not tonight, nah," he said. "Thanks though. And I know I still need to work on the window upstairs for you. It's on my list for tomorrow, I promise."

[thomasxbaker]

He shook his head, pouting playfully when Leo said that his day was hardly worth commenting on. "Your day is always worth listening to, no matter how cowish the cows acted. Nothing you tell me about will ever be boring, Leo Rafferty." He felt the hand looping into his belt and tugging him closer, feeling his body press up against Leo's, and he giggled as if it was the first time his husband was holding him again.

"You be careful now, you're playing a dangerous game holding me like that, while we're all alone like this." Smiling, he moved his head to press a kiss to Leo's jaw before chuckling. "You'll always get to me at the end of the day, no matter what. I wouldn't not let you, even if you tried." Humming quietly as he layed his head against his husband, just wanting to feel him in his arms for a few minutes. "I love you more than anything, you know that?"

With the need for public-facing courtesy falling behind him with every step, Leo busied himself with unbuttoning his shirt as he climbed the stairs. The flannel fell open to reveal the tight undershirt he wore underneath, and he breathed a sigh of free relief as the evening air breezed by. He grumbled slightly as Thomas commented on his habit of wearing his boots into the home, but all of it melted away as he touched his face. A contented smile fell onto his lips as he pressed his face into Thomas' touch, and he obediently stooped to unlace his shoes.

"Day was hardly worth commenting on," he replied with a small grumble. "Cows are gonna be cows, no matter the day." He ran a hand through his hair impatiently. Mercifully, Thomas swung the door open. Leo stepped through the doorway close behind him. With one hand, he pulled the door shut behind them, and with the other, looped a finger into Thomas' belt loop.

"The important part," he said, tugging Thomas towards him, "is that I got to you, finally."

[thomasxbaker]

Thomas sighed when the person didn't take the bait and decided to go instead. He'd been hoping to get a late check-in in, but evidently, that wasn't in the cards tonight. He started to go back to wiping down the bar when Jericho came over. Thomas liked him; he didn't seem to have much or have many people, and Thomas....Thomas liked giving people somewhere safe to be.

"Yeah, you're right. Still didn't hurt to try; maybe he didn't wanna walk it." He folds his arms over his chest. "Speaking of a place to stay, what about you? You for anywhere or are you going to need a room? Gotta make sure my star singer is safe. I think half my business is because of you these days."

Jericho was in the corner where Thomas had cleared out a few tables, allowing the space to serve as a makeshift stage. He sat upon a stool, his guitar on his leg and his case open. In it, there were a few dollars (that he himself had placed there to encourage others), but otherwise few people paid much attention to the ambient music he plucked out. With a small sigh, he scooped up the few bills and replaced his guitar in the case.

He approached the bar where Thomas was trying his best to drum up a touch more business, but the case fell on unhearing ears; the person he was speaking to stood up and left without another drink (or staying the night). Jericho slid into the now-vacated seat. "Tough luck," he said. "But if we're being real, no one who has that nice of a coat needs a place to stay for the night. He's got a home somewhere probably in the center of town."

[thomasxbaker]

"I trust your judgment in picking out the perfect ones. Not getting. me to help you repay your debts for you." He smirked, enjoying the playful teasing between them. "Though it would be fun to go with you just to watch you have to pick them." He did have to roll his eyes playfully when Leo said that they could afford a free show every now and then. He was glad that Leo quickly picked up what he was throwing down to Hank, not that the old-timer didn't know what was actually going on, he just either wanted that drink, or was too into his current drink to bust their rouse.

Thomas was already halfway out the door when Leo told him that he was right behind him. Heading up the outdoor staircase that led to their private apartment on the highest floors of the Inn. He pulled off his boots outside their door as he started going through the process of getting their locks undone. Handing moving up to rub Leo's cheek.

"Shoes off, I don't wanna have to sweep up after you again." He moved to run his hands through his hair as the final lock undid with a click, pushing the door open. "I wanna hear all about your day before you got to me. Wanna hear about the local hero saving all the animals."

Leo narrowed his eyes at Thomas' demand, but a small smirk still managed to creep through. "Might need you there to help pick out the perfect ones," he retorted. After all, a nice beach day might be just what everyone needed, even if the air outside was still a touch cold for most people's likings. The confirmation that Eden came by was good enough for him; at least she had swung by.

He chuckled at Thomas' comments. "I don't think the business is doing that bad," he said, his voice hushed in false conspiracy. "We can afford a free show or two every now and then, I think." He slid his hand across the bar towards Thomas, only to be denied yet again as the other man rounded the bar.

His eyes followed carefully, though, as Thomas tossed the keys to good ol' Hank, and found their way back to Thomas's face. His own jaw fell slightly open in amusement before he sucked in his lip to gently bite down on it. "Oh yeah," he said, half to Hank and half to Thomas. "The books. Business is down, after all." His eyes sparkled as he slowly stepped towards his husband. He beckoned for Thomas to lead the way.

"Trust me," he said, head cocked slightly to one side. "I'm right behind you."

[thomasxbaker]

Thomas hummed for a few seconds, "You could pay it by going down to the shore and getting me some of those nice, really big shells. I was thinking of making picture frames for them to hang around the hearth. You know, let some of the patrons draw up some art for us. it would look nice and make things feel even homier." He tutted when Leo said to let them watch or kick them out. "Leo Rafferty, to think you were once so shy and modest, now you wanna put on a show for half the town." He grinned. "Besides, you let them have a free show? I know you're planning on at least charging."

He went to collect his glass to clean it, watching as his husband started to help clean, and when he saw how he flipped the chair....well Thomas Baker almost melted onto the floor right there. They'd been together for a long time now, and yet he still managed to leave him breathless by doing the most mundane things and looking the furthest from mundane while doing them. He was snapped back into the moment by his husband's voice asking about Eden. "She did, but. I don't think there were any eggs. We did talk about chicks, though."

He watched as Leo finished wiping down the counter before moving out from behind the bar, grabbing the keys and tossing them to a patron who'd been coming since his parents first built this place. "Hey Hank, you mind locking the door and shutting off the lights on your way out? Leo and I have some bookkeeping to do upstairs that I forgot about. You can have another drink on the house as a thank you." When he got a grumbled, yeah, he grinned at Leo.

"Well, are ya coming? You're the one who insisted on getting this bookkeeping done."

Leo's eyes swept over Thomas' face, lingering just too long on his lips. He leaned forward an imperceptible amount further. "Oh yeah?" he muttered, "And how exactly am I gonna pay a debt that big?" He went for the kiss just as Tom pushed away. With an overdramatic sigh, he let his forehead fall gently against the bar's surface. "Let 'em watch," he whined. "Or kick 'em out."

He sat back up, lounging back in the bar chair. He scooped his glass and took a long pull. "You're too nice to the kid," he said, though there was levity and joke in his tone. Leo wasn't Jericho's biggest fan, but he couldn't deny the slight value he brought to the place. "Plus, he's gotta fix that window upstairs still."

Leo's eyes trailed across his husband's back before catching his eye in the reflection of the mirror. He shot the remainder of the beer back, gently rested the glass on the counter, then pushed back and out of the chair. "Fine, fine," he said with a chuckle. "Just this once." He moved to an empty table and upended a chair in one fluid motion, flipping it to lay on top of the table. In short order, he finished the round table, prepping the floor for sweeping and mopping.

A few people remained at other tables, and Leo wasn't one to rush them out. He meandered back to the bar, grabbed a spare rag, and started wiping it down from the far end. "Did Eden ever swing by? She said she'd bring us the rest of the eggs from her day. Promised her two meals in exchange."

[thomasxbaker]

"You know my parents always used to tell me that when things seemed bad, to just remember, we're all only one rainstorm away from rainbows." It had seemed silly to him. asa kid, but Thomas was pretty sure he got what they had meant by it now. He put one last glass back into its place on the shelf before giving Eden his full attention, smiling at the mention of chicks. "Well, I hope she thinks you need some then. Chicks would brighten just about everyone's day up." Maybe it was silly of him, but Thomas loved baby animals. And he knew that Leo just loved animals. Any shape or size. "I think the more animals we have wandering town, the better people's moods would be."

"I can agree with that. Worse would be bad." Generally, it would be. It was kind of lame, but it was all eden could offer. "I'm... well enough." It had been hard ever since mama had gone, it would never get easier, but that didn't mean the whole town wanted to hear about it every five minutes. Eden tried to find something else to mention, and with some real effort, found something. "I'm excited for spring. We should get a lot more eggs. maybe even some chicks, if Mom thinks we need some." Eden loved chicks.

[thomasxbaker]

Thomas had seen his brother-in-law come in as soon as he had come in, the hair on the back of his neck stood up, but he kept on a friendly smile. He was glad Leo wasn't out here right now, especially if Honor was planning trouble. He watched as the coins hit the bar, and shook his head. "Family's money is no good here." Despite everything, they were family, even if they weren't close family. "Drinks on the house." He filled a glass halfway, before sliding it over to him. "What brings you here, Honor? Anything I can help with?"

Honor had made a mistake in coming here. But he was already drunk when he'd shown up, and had been hoping that Courage might be around. When he arrived and saw that Courage was not here, well, he was already halfway to the bar with a few coins in his hand. "Well ain't that lovely hospitality?" he drawled, tossing the coins onto the bar. "I'll have whatever you're still serving."

[thomasxbaker]

Thomas nodded his head. "Of course, wouldn't wanna keep you too long and end up getting you in trouble." Thomas leaned on the bar. he was cleaning glasses, getting ready to start closing things down for the night. It was his ritual, and he'd gotten fairly good at it. Eden was here about once a week, he always took note of his regulars, and though he had people that came in more then her, to him she still fell into that category.

"For the inn or me? Because truthfully," Tapping his knuckles against the wood of the counter, "I can't complain about anything. Things have been good. I just hope with the things going on......that they don't get worse. How about you? How're you?"

"Oh, I can't stay out too late." Eden shook her head, taking another bite of her meal. She was allowed to eat here once per week, that was the budget, and she loved her meals at the bar. It was fun to have some time alone to chit chat and people watch and be in the center of town but on the side of things. just where she liked to be. Part of a community, but not the focus of it.

"My mom'll worry. After mama..." she tried not to stay out past sundown anymore. Although she was pushing that tonight. "I'll leave soon. but... how are you? How's things?"

[thomasxbaker]

Thomas sucked on his lip a little when Leo asked if he would throw him out if he didn't order another round, he grinned a little. Shrugging his shoulders, "I would.....but if it wasn't for the massive tab you've built up all these years....I'd go bankrupt if I didn't try and get you to pay up." He felt a blush creeping on his cheek when he felt his husband staring at him. Somehow, he still made it feel like it was the first time they were looking at one another. "Stop looking at me like that. Or else these fine people will end up with a show."

He huffed when Leo talked about Jericho like that. Pushing away from his husband to start wiping at an unused mug. "He's a good kid. Helps liven the place up. Besides, every inn needs a bard." He was putting a glass back up on the shelf, back turned to Leo, looking at him through the mirror he winked at his reflection. "You gonna sit there looking pretty or are you gonna help me clean up, so we can get out of here sooner?"

Leo chuckled as he mirrored Thomas' actions, leaning forward against the bar across from him. "Gonna throw me out if I don't order another round?" He pushed his half-empty glass forward, indicating that he was still working on it. His eyes lingered on Thomas' face, bringing a small smile to his own.

"Is that so?" he challenged, his voice centered in his chest. "I've heard about the famous Baker Inn hospitality. Who's the we? You and that scrawny musician you keep around?" He leaned in a bit more, threatening to break the unspoken boundary of the bar.

[thomasxbaker]

It was late, and Thomas had noticed that ever since the body turned up, people either left earlier, or once it passed a certain time, they stayed in the common room near the fireplace for as long as possible and only left in small groups. Not that he was surprised people were worried, scared. Who did it? Who was next? Those were probably the thoughts running through people's heads. He wasn't going to throw anyone out, though. Leaning onto the bar, he put his face against his hand.

"You gonna order anything else? Or do you want a room or anything? I get not wanting to go out there at this time. Don't worry though, we'll take care of you, long as you're under my roof."

[thomasxbaker]

Thomas Baker (he/him). 42. Chris Evans.

Thomas, or Tom or even, Tommy has lived in Ridge Harbor his whole life. His parents moved there shortly after the drought, he was born not long after. They had opened Baker’s Inn, and while they were not strong believers in the cult they never gave reason for them to be distrustful. Rather they became a somewhat useful tool in the early history of Ridge Harbor. They had aimed to help the community grow, provide shelter, and a place where people could gather, and foster relationships. That’s where Thomas grew up, in the inn/tavern meeting new people, helping with drinks, luggage, keeping the fire going, carrying luggage and eventually taking over the inn and running it himself. As Ridge Harbor grew over the years so did the Inn, it started as a small communal room with two rooms for rent, now its a two floor establishment with the first floor being six rooms for rent, a kitchen, and a small lobby, and the upstairs being a large open floor communal room with tables, booths, couches, chairs, and a large hearth in the center. The establishment is now Thomas’ and he runs it more or less just how his parents did. An open door policy, making sure people are warm and welcomed, the beds are comfortable, and no matter who you are you feel like you can stop in to talk to friends. He wants it to be a community space, but also a welcoming sight for any new residents of Ridge Harbor, his mission is to try and make it the first place people want to stop in when they first get to Ridge Harbor.. Thomas is always armed with a warm smile, and warmer personality for everyone, stranger or not. He’s never been someone who is quick to anger, in fact little ot no one in town has ever actually seen him angry. Thomas makes friends easily, and is quick to forgive if someone does somehow manage to upset him. He’s witty, friendly, and incredibly chatty. He takes care of and protects not just the people he cares about, but anyone who needs it. He’s always tried to be a friend to everyone, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to lend,  in their times of need. He’s been compared to a Golden Retriever multiple times.  His own relationship with the cult is….sure maybe back then their faith helped save the town but now the thing thats going to keep it growing, and keep it going is hard work, and neighbors supporting one another, the community putting their sweat and love into Ridge Harbor, not some mysterious entity, or rituals or faith in unknown, but faith in each other, in community, in helping lift each other up. While Thomas is not hostile towards them, he always offers new people the advice of steering clear, rather than getting themselves roped into it because he warns they won’t always be happy with what they find the deeper they dig into things. 

PENNED BY DEVIN