03-03-2021, 10:53 PM
[align=center][div style="width: 430px; text-align: justify; font-family: verdana; font-size: 6pt; letter-spacing: 2.5px; word-spacing: 0px; line-height: 12px; color: #000"]Oh, shit.
William lay his head back against the pillow, staring up at the top of the tent as he rested clasped hands against his stomach. He felt the mechanical rise and fall of each breath, and soon he glided his hand up against his chest, expecting to feel each disconcerting heartbeat as rapid as a rabbit’s. With a long sigh, gaze darting across the tent, a thumb glided across his chest. Nothing, not even a beat.
Despite recovering from his initial and understandable shock, that very name was unable to leave his mind. William was never one to concern himself much about others — it often took away from his desire to prioritise himself above all, after all — but this was far more than worrying about a person. Hell, if it were any other man screwing Joey, William would barely bat an eyelid. But Walker?... This was someone who could destroy William’s reputation with one smooth blow.
This was someone who knew every deep and dark crevice of William’s alternate identity. The only person who understood the true abstraction of William Stirling. He was no average man with his morals aligned in the standard manner. No humble, charming smiles or playfully impudent challenges. He wasn’t everyone’s favourite rendition of the boy next door. He could hide his cold gaze, one could even hold his hand and feel warm flesh gripping onto theirs, but William was not the man Joey thought he was.
But Walker, he knew William back in the day where William was young and brazen, excited to share with someone like him those deep dark secrets that he’d kept to himself for years. The gratification for violence, the pleasure he’d feel the moment he was in complete control. Life could not throw him curveballs when he controlled life itself. All people at his helm, they liked him because they could never suspect that William was any less than the nonchalant man he claimed to be. Not only did he talk the talk, he also walked the walk and he had vast experience in weaving a disguise beautiful enough to even fool himself.
But Walker… He knew William. He knew William and knew that this secret was his only weakness.
William lifted his head slightly at the sound of his tent being unzipped, resting his head once more when his gaze met with Joey’s. She would try to challenge him, but William would not respond, instead allowing his eyes to flutter shut. Maybe Walker was more dangerous, perhaps not to Joey but to Will. ❝ Depends on how dangerous you think I am. ❞ He retorted in a low mumble, voice gravelly from his exhaustion from today’s walk. There — he’d neither agree nor disagree on the question. William believed that Joey had some sort of inclination that William would never be much of a vanilla man, but was that not why she was attracted to him in the first place? The adrenaline of being with someone maybe she shouldn’t have been with. Someone who could easily kiss her or kill her all the same.
William would say nothing more, laying unstirred as he listened closely to the sound of their breathing, until his eyes fluttered open when she spoke once more. They met each other’s gaze, William saying nothing before lifting the thin covers he lay beneath, offering a space for her to join. But, as she shuffled closer, Joey took his arm to position it in a way where she could lay in his embrace. William would not protest, especially since this had been something that he admittedly missed. Rosie had kept them apart but, with her absence, this almost felt as if they were able to return to what they once were. Return to their somewhat fucked up normal. He released a slow sigh through his nostrils, shifting to get comfortable as he pulled her slightly closer, free hand tucking the covers over her to keep her warm.
The mention of The Badlands captured his attention, William’s passive gaze peering across at Joey as he listened. They’d never spoken about a next time before, Joey outwardly wanting William to accompany her somewhere. Was she just saying this because she was stuck with him again for the inevitable future, or did she really mean it? Did she crave his touch in the same way as he craved hers? He contemplated wordlessly as she traced patterns against his skin. The lightness of her touch was the most the felt in a long time, William allowing his lips to part before he said, ❝ I’d like that. ❞ A hand went to rest on her waist, a move bold for a man who’d barely spoken with Joey for the past few months following their daughter’s birth.
But, this was exactly what he missed.
Either, he was pushing boundaries or initiating what they both hoped would happen, but William had a firm inkling that it was the latter. And so, he leaned his head closer to press his lips against her forehead, then slowly lowering his head to rest his forehead against hers. He felt her breath against his skin, eyes searching hers before he then began to smile, ❝ I best find myself a good enough suit and tie then, huh? I wouldn’t want you to completely outdo me. ❞ He'd clutch onto this thought for as long as she'd let him.
Whatever he could do to retrace her footsteps back to Walker.
William lay his head back against the pillow, staring up at the top of the tent as he rested clasped hands against his stomach. He felt the mechanical rise and fall of each breath, and soon he glided his hand up against his chest, expecting to feel each disconcerting heartbeat as rapid as a rabbit’s. With a long sigh, gaze darting across the tent, a thumb glided across his chest. Nothing, not even a beat.
Despite recovering from his initial and understandable shock, that very name was unable to leave his mind. William was never one to concern himself much about others — it often took away from his desire to prioritise himself above all, after all — but this was far more than worrying about a person. Hell, if it were any other man screwing Joey, William would barely bat an eyelid. But Walker?... This was someone who could destroy William’s reputation with one smooth blow.
This was someone who knew every deep and dark crevice of William’s alternate identity. The only person who understood the true abstraction of William Stirling. He was no average man with his morals aligned in the standard manner. No humble, charming smiles or playfully impudent challenges. He wasn’t everyone’s favourite rendition of the boy next door. He could hide his cold gaze, one could even hold his hand and feel warm flesh gripping onto theirs, but William was not the man Joey thought he was.
But Walker, he knew William back in the day where William was young and brazen, excited to share with someone like him those deep dark secrets that he’d kept to himself for years. The gratification for violence, the pleasure he’d feel the moment he was in complete control. Life could not throw him curveballs when he controlled life itself. All people at his helm, they liked him because they could never suspect that William was any less than the nonchalant man he claimed to be. Not only did he talk the talk, he also walked the walk and he had vast experience in weaving a disguise beautiful enough to even fool himself.
But Walker… He knew William. He knew William and knew that this secret was his only weakness.
William lifted his head slightly at the sound of his tent being unzipped, resting his head once more when his gaze met with Joey’s. She would try to challenge him, but William would not respond, instead allowing his eyes to flutter shut. Maybe Walker was more dangerous, perhaps not to Joey but to Will. ❝ Depends on how dangerous you think I am. ❞ He retorted in a low mumble, voice gravelly from his exhaustion from today’s walk. There — he’d neither agree nor disagree on the question. William believed that Joey had some sort of inclination that William would never be much of a vanilla man, but was that not why she was attracted to him in the first place? The adrenaline of being with someone maybe she shouldn’t have been with. Someone who could easily kiss her or kill her all the same.
William would say nothing more, laying unstirred as he listened closely to the sound of their breathing, until his eyes fluttered open when she spoke once more. They met each other’s gaze, William saying nothing before lifting the thin covers he lay beneath, offering a space for her to join. But, as she shuffled closer, Joey took his arm to position it in a way where she could lay in his embrace. William would not protest, especially since this had been something that he admittedly missed. Rosie had kept them apart but, with her absence, this almost felt as if they were able to return to what they once were. Return to their somewhat fucked up normal. He released a slow sigh through his nostrils, shifting to get comfortable as he pulled her slightly closer, free hand tucking the covers over her to keep her warm.
The mention of The Badlands captured his attention, William’s passive gaze peering across at Joey as he listened. They’d never spoken about a next time before, Joey outwardly wanting William to accompany her somewhere. Was she just saying this because she was stuck with him again for the inevitable future, or did she really mean it? Did she crave his touch in the same way as he craved hers? He contemplated wordlessly as she traced patterns against his skin. The lightness of her touch was the most the felt in a long time, William allowing his lips to part before he said, ❝ I’d like that. ❞ A hand went to rest on her waist, a move bold for a man who’d barely spoken with Joey for the past few months following their daughter’s birth.
But, this was exactly what he missed.
Either, he was pushing boundaries or initiating what they both hoped would happen, but William had a firm inkling that it was the latter. And so, he leaned his head closer to press his lips against her forehead, then slowly lowering his head to rest his forehead against hers. He felt her breath against his skin, eyes searching hers before he then began to smile, ❝ I best find myself a good enough suit and tie then, huh? I wouldn’t want you to completely outdo me. ❞ He'd clutch onto this thought for as long as she'd let him.
Whatever he could do to retrace her footsteps back to Walker.
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TAKE A HUMAN HEART , ADD SOME VANITY , AUTHENTICITY
[sup]AND PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER . DO WHATEVER TO YOUR BROKEN MACHINE .[/sup]