Chapter Text
rhett abbott satisfies a need you did not know needed to be filled.
the need being a piece of eye candy for you that is. even sweaty and smelling like outside, he still looked handsome.
rhett had shown up on your doorstep with a toolbox in hand, and his truck bed filled with extra timber and mesh wire.
you had answered the door in rather drabby clothes (sweats that is), and when you opened the door to find the brunette boy, you almost had felt a little embarrassed.
rhett had eyed your figure, like he was trying to conjure your name onto his tongue because he had forgotten who you were. fair enough.
your brother and rhett had once run in the same circle, the closest of friends since diapers. if your brother was around, usually there was rhett trailing along.
then everything changed. your brother had moved away, got married, and was out of wabang for good. rhett had never visited again, only stopping by when he errands to run for cecilia.
and it’s not like you saw rhett around much either. you were not allowed to attend the weekly bull ridings, not without your daddy, and he never went. rhett only went to church for easter sunday’s, other then that you only saw cecilia. he also was never in the same places as you. he didn’t go to grocery stores or post offices like you, but instead to bars or dark alleyways kissing women he had just met.
so it makes sense he doesn’t remember your name, it makes sense that he’s eyeing you like you’re someone who just broke into your family’s house. well at least in your mind anyways.
a silence followed when you answered the door, both you and rhett unsure of what to say.
rhetr coughs breaking the silence. “uh—is pastor james here? im here to uh—fix the fence.”
your suspicions were correct, he didn’t know who you were. “yeah he is. let me get him for ya.” you paused, your hand on the door. “wanna come in abbott?”
he’s taken aback slightly when you use his last name, surprised that you know him. “oh. sure—of course.” rhett took a step in the house, setting his toolbox down and closing the door behind him.
“it’ll just be a minute. he’s out in the yard.”
rhett watches as you make your way over to the back door, yelling out the door: “daddy! rhett’s here!”
oh.
it all makes sense now to rhett. he chuckles lightly, remembering you as the little girl that followed around her brother, desperate for his attention.
princess. yes that’s what rhett called you, because that’s what you were. a dramatic princess that he used to walk with to the bus stop along with your brother, his best friend.
time had treated you well, maturing to a young women who carried herself with poise. rhett knows this. he knows you’re not a little girl anymore, but the idea of teasing you entertains him. but he chooses not to, not wanting to get on your bad side on his first encounter with you in years.
rhett leans against the wall, grinning and shoving his hands in his pockets. “so uh—how’s your brother doing?”
you shut the back door softly, waiting on your father. “hm?”
“how’s jackson doing?”
you smile softly at the mention of your brother. “oh. uh—he’s doing well. he has his own ranch—a big one actually in texas. sends us money every now and then. you guys keep in touch still?”
“sometimes. his wife sends me postcards here and there, keeps me updated. i usually just get the occasional post from facebook.”
rhett pauses before continuing, but he’s unable to when your father swings the door open.
“ya ready abbott?” your dad says.
“yes sir.” rhett gruffs back.
you look at rhett as he leaves his place in front of you, off to go mend the ancient fence around the property. too bad he’s leaving now, it was nice seeing him.
“see you around princess.” he says with a tip of his stetson.
your cheeks flush at the old nickname.
“but put on the lord jesus christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
that’s what your mother tells you as you wait for your daddy and rhett to come home. a storm has found its way to wabang, and you would be worried sick if you weren’t so focused on the fact that rhett would most likely stay here because of it.
with your family. in your house. less then ten feet away from you as you rubbed your clit sore.
you don’t even think it’s because of some crush you’ve had on rhett. it’s because he’s a man with experience. he’s older, not too old, but old enough to make you ache with how much experience he has over you. sexual experience that is. he’s strong, he’s a goddamn bull rider for fucks sake of course he’s strong. he could probably toss you around, bend you in any way he sees fit.
rhett abbott is also beautiful. the sort of rugged beauty and pure handsomeness that makes you want to jump his bones.
you feel somewhat guilty of your active imagination about a man you’ve only just seen for the first time in years, but you’ll repent later.
you awake from your thoughts with a sharp jab to your arm. it’s your mother.
“hello? gonna repeat the verse back to me sweetie?” she asks. “i don’t got all day to wait on ya.”
you cough, shaking your head to focus. “right. romans 13:14, but put on the lord jesus christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
to gratify its desires.
the words play in your mind endlessly because you do. you gratify your own desires most nights, thinking of men who’ll let you taste them, who will taste you, taking you to a place of heavenly pleasure.
you might have your own private area upstairs, your own room far away from your parents, but you can’t risk them hearing you. so most times you’re coming apart with a hand over your mouth, slick on your fingers.
your mother opens her mouth to ask you another question before the sound of the door slamming open has her attention, but yours is somewhere else entirely.
it’s your father and rhett. soaked from the rain, laughing at their predicament.
“just our luck rhett.” your father chuckles. he’s soaked from the storm, feet squelching with every step inside.
rhett laughs heartily at your dad’s comment, shaking his hair as he pulls his boots off.
“looks like i won’t be heading home tonight.”
“that’s alright. you’ll stay with us rhett, i’ll get the bed ready for you.” your mom says. she diverts her attention towards you, whisper yelling, “don’t just stare! get me some towels!”
she’s right, you were staring. at rhett.
he had came to the house in a slightly dirty white shirt. it hugged his biceps, and you remember because that’s where your eyes went first.
it doesn’t help that the rain made the shirt translucent, and you could see the beginnings of a happy trail and a strong set of abs. and if you squinted just enough you could see a tattoo—
your mother smacks you away from your staring. “go get some towels!”
rhett catches your eye, hearing your mother. “no it’s okay ma’am, she can just show me to the bathroom.”
your mother clicks your tongue, slightly in annoyance. “ah okay then.” she waves you off, and you feel your heart racing as you lead the way.
“this way rhett.” you point your head towards the stairs, hearing him step behind you. when you make it up the stairs you turn to the linen closet, grabbing a towel.
you open the door to jackson’s room. “that’s where you’ll be staying tonight. mama will get some clothes on the bed for you.” your eyes trail around nervously, before opening the bathroom door.
you realize immediately that rhett probably already knows the layout of your house, but he doesnt stop you. you continue as you mentally cringe at yourself.
“there’s the bathroom. extra toothbrushes and normal soap is under the cabinet—i assume you don’t wanna smell like a girl.” you laugh out.
you hold the towel out for rhett to take, prepared to step away and let him be, but rhett meets your eyes.
“and where do you sleep?”
you’re taken aback slightly. “oh uh—same place since i was a kid. walls are still pink.” you smile bashfully, stepping away towards the stairs. “i’ll let you be rhett. if you need anything just holler, the walls are thin.”
as you step down the stairs you hear the bathroom click shut, and you realize that your heart is racing and your face warm.
jackson had moved as soon you graduated from high school, and rhett hasn’t had a friend since. rhett really just feels like big fuck up anytime he thinks about your family.
he remembers joining your brother on the porch, stepping out of your graduation party. jackson had handed him a cigarette, which rhett had denied.
jackson blew out a puff of smoke, coughing slightly. “i’m leaving rhett. i thought you should know that.”
rhett was taken aback. “when?”
“next week. just broke the news to my momma and papa.” he sighed, saying your name and trailing off. “i’m telling her tonight.”
“how long have you known?”
“for two weeks. i applied for a job in texas. big farm, for some local business.” jackson laughed, “i didn’t expect to get it, i was just fucking around.”
rhett stared emptily into the sunset. “hah—good job. i’m proud. i’ll miss ya buddy.”
“me too.” jackson said, patting rhett’s shoulder. “but i got a favor to ask while im gone rhett.”
“what is it?”
“watch over her when im gone.” rhett immediately knows who jackson is referring to.
rhett’s mind had flashed to you. a memory of chasing you around the playground with jackson, and then you tripping on the concrete, scraping your knee. rhett remembers wiping your tears with his thumb, telling you it would be okay as jackson went to get a teacher.
he could do that. take care of you.
“i will don’t worry.” rhett smiled to jackson. “but—uh can i ask why?”
jackson sighed, “dads been hard on her, mom even more. they want her to get a husband. even tried to set her up with luke tillerson.”
“luke’s ten years older than us. that’s not—“
jackson had interrupted rhett, he was upset too. “i know. just watch over her okay? i don’t need her marrying a thirty year old when im gone.”
rhett laughs then. “i will. one last drink? like old times?”
rhett’s attention comes back to the bathroom, and he takes in the decorated space.
there’s photo frames on the wall, small paintings of places in wabang, your family’s barn, jackson’s horse, rhett laughs heartily, smiling at the art works. he goes silent though when he sees the piece that hangs in the middle.
three small figures on a swingset, just like the one outside the elementary school. he can tell which one is you because of the bow in your hair, the one with the boots on must be jackson and there was rhett too.
except he wasn’t drawn facing the school, he was drawn smiling at you. rhett can see his dimples and how you drew his blue eyes sparkling with the innocence of a child.
rhett’s heart twists when he sees your signature in the corner. he remembers the weight of that conversation with jackson, feeling guilty because all these years, rhett did not keep an eye on you like he promised.
you finished washing up that night in your parents bathroom, bidding them goodnight as you head upstairs. you’re on the top step when a steamy rhett comes out of the shower, towel wrapped around his waist.
your eyes linger for a second, noting the tattoo on his peck before immediately covering them. “oh uh—sorry!”
“oh it’s—it’s okay. you can look! i swear it’s fine.”
you take a deep breath before you move the hand on your eyes.
rhett’s hair is wet, sticking to his forehead. there’s a warm steam radiating off of rhett’s body that draws you in, especially because of the coldness in your house the storm brought.
“hope you don’t mind, i uh—had to use your hair stuff.” rhett laughs, scratching his head.
“oh it’s fine!” you say a little too quickly. your heart beating faster at the thought of rhett smelling like you. “i don’t mind.”
“you’re a good artist by the way.”
“what?”
“the bathroom?” rhett points his head towards the open door.
realization clicks in your head. “oh! thank you i made them after—“
your eyes trail down to a large cut on rhett’s hand when he rakes his hand through his hair. your eyes widen at the sight. “woah what happened there?” you say, your mouth slightly agape.
rhett just chuckles, saying “oh yeah it uh—happened when we were trying to run out of the storm. accidently grabbed onto the damn fence wire while trying to close the truck bed. just being stupid.”
“no—“ your cheeks flush the tiniest bit, slightly embarrassed already, which rhett notices immediately. “—it’s not stupid rhett. why don’t you get dressed first and i’ll wrap it up for you?”
“oh.” rhett’s never used to this of hospitality. he’s used to just being kicked out of rooms through windows when he accidentally sleeps over with a girl. “thank you.”
“anytime rhett.” you smile softly before heading to your room. “just uh, knock when you need me!”
rhett knocks on your door rocking on the edges of his feet. you open it, politely telling him to sit on your bed while you look for the first aid kit.
rhett’s eyes track the bare skin of your legs, coughing and looking away when you stand on your tippy toes to reach the kit, revealing the curve of your ass to him. you really had grown in the two years rhett was absent.
he remembers teasing you when you were a kindergartener, him a third grader. he used to pull your pigtails and chase you with jackson. he also remembers teasing you as a freshman, ruffling your hair everytime he passed you in the hallway, or taking you home when jackson couldn’t.
rhett missed you.
in the same ways jackson made him chuckle, he made you chuckle. you were shy, but incredibly witty and open with rhett in the right circumstances. like if the windows were rolled down in his truck with your favorite song playing, or chasing the chickens back into the coop together when nightfall fell.
you were different from all the girls he usually associated himself with, and the closest one he had to a friend.
a friend. rhett repeats it in his head over and over again.
right. what was a friend again?
someone who made him laugh, listened to him, someone who enjoyed his company.
were you ever his friend?
rhett’s spiraling but he stops when he notices the curious look on your face.
“you okay there?” you ask. you hold the first aid kit over your chest, stopping in your tracks.
“yeah, just thinking.”
you laugh slightly, approaching the bed to set down the kit. “about what?”
rhett considers holding back his words for a moment but he decides to say it anyways. “if we were ever friends.”
“oh.” you avoid rhett’s gaze, opening the kit and pulling out the alcohol wipes.
rhett chuckles. “i assume that’s a no?”
you step closer, standing over rhett. “no! i just—i don’t know. it’s in this weird space because you were originally jackson’s friend, and you probably didnt even like me that much and—“ you continue to trail off, stopping when you hear rhett laugh at you.
“i always thought you were cool. i just teased ya a lot.” rhett says.
“oh. okay. i did too, i mean riding bulls and all—“
“no you were nice to hang out with too.”
a silence hangs in the room in his admission, and rhett doesn’t miss the way you smile at his confession.
you take rhett’s hand, holding it up in between the two of you. your fingers unconsciously rub his wrist softly, and you miss the way rhett shudders at your touch.
rhett’s hand are calloused. strong and large hands that engulf yours. seeing your hand next to his makes you swallow nervously, dirty thoughts entering your head.
you stay there like that, admiring his hands for half a second more then normal. you’re brought back to reality quickly when you realize you shouldn’t be having those thoughts, pushing them deep down so you’ll hopefully forget them.
“sorry—this is gonna sting rhett.” you dab the wipe on rhett’s wound, blowing softly to soften the sting. you look up to see rhett’s eyes on you, softer then you were expecting.
but rhett was just admiring your tenderness, how you closely care for all the people around you. something he wished he had.
“i liked hanging out with you too rhett. you were the only person that didn’t think i was weird.”
rhett open his mouth, wanting to say something in return, but stops when you rub at the skin around his wound softly.
“this is really deep rhett. i think you might need to get this stitched up tomorrow by my ma.”
rhett ticks his tongue in annoyance, sighing deeply.
you laugh, amused. “what is it?”
“nah, just wishing you could take care of me. your ma is scary.”
you scoff playfully, laughing brightly. “rhett abbott, the bull rider scared of moms. didn’t expect that.”
rhett’s laughing, “you should see the amount of ma’s that chase me out of the house when i wake up in their daughters bed—that is a scary sight.” rhett shakes his head, still shaken by some of the memories. but he quickly realizes where he is, and regrets what he says. “oh i’m sorry—maybe shouldn’t say that here.”
you take the bandaids out of the first aid kit, shaking your head at rhett’s realization. “it’s okay abbott. not gonna damn you to hell.”
something clicks in rhett’s mind.
“oh—uh i’m sorry.”
“nah don’t be. it’s normal for people to be weary of the preachers daughter.” you rip the bandaid open. “and uh sorry—we only got barbie bandaids.”
“hah-“ rhett laughs, “it’s okay, i get a reminder of you now.”
you feel your cheeks rise in temperature. “yeah guess you do.”
when you’re done patching up rhett, you lead him out of your room, letting him know the bandaid was a temporary fix.
“—please let my momma know tomorrow okay rhett? m’ not anything close to a healer like her, so she’ll do a better job.”
“of course—thank you. really. it’s been a while since i got patched up like that, usually perry just lets me bleed out.” rhett rakes his hand through his hair, a nervous tick you note.
“always rhett.”
a silence follows before you break it. “um goodnight! see ya!”
rhett laughs, “see ya princess. sweet dreams.”
when you shut your door you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.
“no you were nice to hang out with too.”
“nah just wishing you could take care of me instead.”
“see ya princess, sweet dreams.”
rhett’s words ring in your head, and the ache in between your legs gets unbearable.
rhett is all the things you desire from a man. he’s older, sexually experienced, strong, kind to a fault, but he’s off bounds.
and maybe that’s what makes your heart beat fast and pure want flow to your core.
because jackson would be livid. probably. you don’t know, maybe he’d be okay with it now.
either way you ignore the fact that rhett’s off bounds that night as you let your own desires overtake you. rubbing at your clit, pinching your nipples, softly moaning rhett’s name as you cum on your fingers.
you’re screwed, and possibly damned.