The Most Wanted Woman in Town [Romance o/o] (Closed)

Eve looked tired, and Ronnie's heart went out to her. She'd had an awful experience and likely hadn't slept.
He smiled as she greeted him.
"Morning, Eve. No, I think I got it. Just headed over to your place to rig up that window latch." He lowered his voice. "Doing alright this morning?" He wasn't sure what she'd say, but he hoped she hadn't gone back and nightmared about it or anything.

The door opened, and the tall figure of Romulus swept in, wearing his police blues. "Ah! G'morning, just the person I needed to see." He gave Ronnie a smile, and nodded respectfully at Eve. "Night watchman says you two might have had some excitement."

Eve was clearly not ok, from her facial expressions to the way her voice reacted and several other things. Ronnie didn't want to call attention to it, though he wanted to help.
"Yeah, though I guess I could just go in the window, since I'm gonna be messing with it anyway. But if you've got a spare, I'd take it." She obviously had to have one that wasn't on the cat's neck at all times.

Romulus seemed to make her nervous, for just a moment, and Ronnie's heart hurt for her again. He wondered if those nerves had always been there with big men, or if they were worse this morning. She disappeared into the back to get her key, and he turned to Romulus.
"Had some trouble with the drunk in your cells. Found him in Eve's house, after she came and found me."

Romulus gave him a long look. "You know you gave him a severe concussion, right? You gotta be careful, Ronnie, next time it might be a guy with enough intelligence to press charges."

Ronnie's eyes widened, before his expression hardened a bit. "No. I'm not being careful about that. Somebody breaks and enters, especially into the home of a single woman, I'm breaking them. I don't care what kind of legal mess they give me."

Romulus just held his gaze, before nodding slowly. "If you still want that police job, it's still open. Just… be smart. Town is too small for you to go beating up guys, and not expect to run into their friends." He reached over and squeezed Ronnie's shoulder. "And remember, you're not a one man army. Or you don't have to be, at least." He smiled, and was headed back out the door.

Ronnie stood there for a moment, thinking. He exhaled slowly, trying to make sure he was clear-headed. But no matter how he thought about it…. Eve was worth it.

Ronnie gave Eve a smile, basking for a moment in how her smile made the room light up. Definitely worth it.
He took the key she handed him, and picked up his stuff. "I should have this done by lunch, if you want to swing by and check on it. And don't worry about the details of last night. Romulus is taking care of it for us." His expression turned more sympathetic. "I'm sorry this is causing so much distress. Please lemme know if there's anything else I can do to help."
He meant that. Anything at all he could do to help, he'd do. It struck him how head-over-heels he was just then, but he didn't care.
He wasn't going to be able to catch that cat anyway, so he didn't need to worry.
He gave her a slight nod and a smile, and headed out the door, into the snow.
…..

The project took him a couple hours, but his estimations had been right. He had to shape the wood pieces and size them to make sure they fit, but once he'd done it, putting together the latch was easy. 'Latch' was a misleading word, really. This was a heavy reinforcement. It would make the windows impossible to open from outside, without someone first unlocking them from inside.
He did it on Eve's bedroom window, before realizing that just one window wouldn't mean much. It was still a couple hours till lunchtime, which is when he'd said he'd be done, so he hustled back to the woodwright's shop, bought some more wood, and did all the rest of Eve's windows. He also reinforced her door jambs, and just generally made sure that anyone trying to get into Eve's house would either fail, or be so loud the entire town would hear them.

He was testing everything from the outside by the time lunch came around.

Ronnie glanced over his shoulder, and beamed as Eve called his name. "Pretty well, I think. I managed to do all of your windows, not just the one, and your doors got some reinforcing as well. Should be pretty secure." He reached down and unlocked the door, stepping out of her way. "Let me show you how the latches work, and I can be out of your hair."
He stepped into the living room area, where there was a decently large window facing the street. "So, this is the main mechanism here. You pull this little lever back, which releases the frame, and then just raise the window, and let the lever lock back into place. Whenever you want to raise or lower the window pane, just engage the lever first. Not terribly hard, but if you try to do it from outside, without the lever in the open position, the window either won't budge, or the whole thing will shatter. There's no sneakiness with this." He smiled at her. "Might make opening your windows in the summer a bit of a hassle, but it's safe."
Stepping back towards her door, Ronnie turned to look at her. "Anything else you need done around here, before I give your key back?" He held it out, though he waited to drop it till she said yea or nay.

The surprise on Eve's face was… just so rewarding, Ronnie couldn't help asking if there was anything else he could do for her. He knew full well that being that forward with her was probably improper, especially for a lady who had so much attention on her, and had a challenge out there.
But he couldn't help it. She looked so happy.

The hug sealed the deal for him.

He froze, for just a second, before returning her hug, inadvertently tucking her under his chin and pressing her to his chest. This woman deserved to be protected at all costs, her sanity and health put on high priority, and if no one else in this tiny town was going to do that, Ronnie silently promised her just then that he would.

Some part of his heart registered what he was thinking and bucked, unhappy with the fact that he couldn't act on his feelings, or show them, really, unless he caught that blasted cat. And the rest of him decided that even if she wound up bound to some cat-catching wonder, he would still be there, be her friend, and make sure that the two were taken care of and watched over.

All of that he summarized in a short response to her thanks. "Of course, Eve."
He let go and stepped back after a few moments, not wanting to make her feel awkward.
"Let me know if you think of anything else you need done around here." He smiled at her, before stepping out the door.

A couple of the pieces of scrap wood that morning had gone to making a small box for his tools. So Ronnie picked that up from where he'd set it by the door, and headed back to the Blondewood. He got there, still smiling from the moment with Eve, and headed up to his room.
His stomach rumbled, and he realized he hadn't eaten since dinner yesterday. He decided to head over to Marvin's to get lunch.
He considered asking Eve if she wanted food, but as he stepped back out into the snow, he saw the cat, being chased down by Ji're and other men. He shook his head, and trudged across the street to get lunch. Eve had enough to deal with without him asking if she wanted food. She'd had a hard night, and probably needed a break for a bit.
So he went and got lunch on his own.

The meal went fine, but Lana, Romulus's little sister who was a waitress there, slipped him a small piece of paper as he was paying his bill. She gave him a look, which wasn't flirtatious or charming, like she usually acted. This one was more serious.
He gave her a nod and a smile and stepped back out into the snow. He'd decided to go get that job today, so he turned and headed down the street towards the jailhouse/police station. The piece of paper was folded, and as he unfolded it, he could see Lana's handwriting. It was the same as the bill she'd given him at the restaraunt.
Be careful. Rumor has it you're trouble for being kind.
That was rather ominous. Ronnie found himself squaring his shoulders and standing up a little bit taller as he walked. He could only assume she was telling him that word had got out he was helping Eve, and to some of the more unsavory men in town, that was trouble.
Well. Let them come after him. These soft, small-town punks would be like children attacking a wild beast. He'd tear them to shreds, rip them limb form limb if he had to, rend and break and hurt-

He paused, took a deep breath, and relaxed. They'd threatened him, and the soldier had immediately showed his face again. He swallowed down the urge to growl, and stepped into the police station.
…..

It was late evening, just a couple minutes before the end of Eve's shift, when Ronnie finally trudged back into the Blondewood. He looked very tired, and had a bruise on the side of his face.
The officers had tested several things, and he could feel that he'd been up all night after all of that. Well-rested, he'd have done better. Passed the tests easily, probably.
As it was, they'd still given him the job, but. It hadn't been easy.
Romulus had clapped him on the shoulder as he shook his hand and left a shiny badge in it. "Go get some sleep, Ronnie, you're asleep on your feet. We'll start you tomorrow."
And so here he was. He'd checked on Teben, made sure his Warg was ok, and now… To bed.

Eve's concern was touching, and Ronnie couldn't help but feel warmed, the fuzzy heat suffusing through his chest. He smiled tiredly at her and held up the badge where she could see it. "I got the job."
He was carrying a bag of stuff, which included a couple changes of a uniform and the cloak the police wore in winter and rain. He let it slide off his shoulder and plop onto the floor. Eve's hand was still raised towards his face, and he turned his head just a bit so she could get a better look at the bruise. He was trying to show her it wasn't serious. "They run you through a lot of tests, most to make sure you're physically fit for the job. I mentioned I'd had combat experience, and some of the officers seemed to think I was some punk kid who needed to be put in his place." He smirked quietly. "3 on 1, and they all look worse than this."
Romulus had tried to warn the others, but they hadn't listened, and Ronnie had found himself in a fight that might have been serious… if it had been someone other than Tol Galen cops. The small-timers were in way over their heads, and Ronnie had knocked all three out by the end of the fight.
"I'm ok though. You needn't worry." He stooped to pick his bag back up, and when he stood back up, his smirk had softened back into that smile. "How was your day? Things pretty slow here?" He was dead tired, and just wanted to sleep, but he wasn't going to pass up a chance to talk to Eve some more.

Ronnie smiled at her congratulations, her excitement warming him. "Thank you, Eve."

He'd always intended to stay here in town, so it never occurred to him to mention it to her. In the back of his head, there was the hope of one day buying his home back from whoever owned it now. But that would have to come later.

Eve kept looking at his face, and Ronnie realized she was looking at the bruise. He kept his head turned so she could see it, see that it wasn't bad, but he couldn't stop the slight blush as she continued examining his face.

Ronnie shrugged nonchalantly at her question, like it was no big deal. "Those were the kinds of odds we faced on the battlefield all the time. And these guys weren't armed. They also weren't trying to kill me, so that's nice."
She admitted to worrying, though it was such a quiet admission, Ronnie almost didn't hear it. His smile widened, just a tad, and he had to look down to hide exactly how much it pleased him that Eve cared enough to worry.

He nodded as she described her same-old-same-old day. The question about the cat, though… that caught him completely off-guard.
His eyes widened just as much as Eve's as he frantically tried to understand why she was asking. Her blush implied she was embarrassed, and her backtracking made it clear she hadn't meant to ask quite that bluntly, so… maybe she was worried he was going to try?
On the other hand, it kinda seemed like she wanted him to as well… but that could be a trap. Up to this point, Eve had seemed pretty opposed to men catching the kitty, and Ronnie couldn't see why he should be any different. So maybe this question was a test, to see if he was like the other men, all chasing her for one thing.
Some part of him wanted to believe she was hoping he would catch the cat.

Still, she was definitely right about one thing. He was extremely tired. Ronnie managed to get his face under control, and gave just a slight laugh. "I am very tired, so… maybe not tonight. You're safe for another day, from me at least." He chuckled, before it morphed into a yawn. "But who knows…" he said in that sleepy-sounding voice people do while yawning. "…Maybe I'll see your cat out again later tonight when I take my midnight walk." There was an annoying truth. Nightmares were nothing if not consistent, and Ronnie hadn't slept all the way through the night in years.

Ronnie smiled but shook his head a little at the offer. "No, I'm ok. I can pack some snow on it if it becomes a problem. Besides, you're headed out."

Her question about 'all the time' on the battlefield elicited a nod from him. Just a small one, and that was it. He wasn't sure he should describe it to her more.

He watched her pack up, before giving her a tired smile. "Ok then. I'll see you tomorrow, at some point." He gave a slight wave and trudged up the stairs, his steps heavy with weariness.

He was out cold as soon as his head hit the pillow.

…..

A few of the rooms around Ronnie's room in the Blondewood heard a muffled cry sometime around 1 am. It was followed by someone scrambling out of bed, opening their door quickly, and barreling down the stairs.
Ronnie came bursting out the front door of the Blondewood into the snow, looking around him wildly for a moment, before he realized where he was and sank to his knees in the snow. It took him a minute to compose himself, get control of his racing heart and the adrenaline coursing through his veins, but once he did, he was able to get up shakily, and walk to his usual bench out front. He slumped into his seat, and sat there, staring at the snow.

(hey are you bothered by people bumping their Rp's with you? I don't want to pester you if yes)

(Oh I feel that. Especially recently. Just didn't want to be a pest)

Ronnie didn't seem to register the cat's presence, until it meowed him. He glanced at it, a small smile crossing his face. "Hey, Kitty-cat." He didn't otherwise move, and went back to staring at the snow, his face sliding back into a pensive expression.
Eventually, he sighed and ran his hands up his face and through his hair, over the back of his head. "I must look crazy to these people… Some guys rolls into town, gets into fights, and runs around at night instead of sleeping." He shook his head. "Old habits are hard to shake, and when you've been chased like I have…" He glanced at the cat again, and gave a rueful chuckle. "But I bet you know all about that, don't you, Kitty-cat…" He went silent again for a moment, listening to the cat purr, before going on.
"They used to come after us at night. We'd be in our tents, and we would hear what we thought were dreams, or hallucinations brought on by sleep deprivation. Sometimes it was loved ones, sometimes it was fallen soldiers, sometimes it was just random civilians, but… always, if a soldier couldn't separate reality from what their eyes told them, those blasted shapeshifters would lure him in and then destroy him. Men dying in what they thought were nightmares, only to never wake up." He closed his eyes and dropped his head. "And the battles… it's something you never quite get used to. These morphing, changing masses sprinting your direction, roaring and snarling like beasts, then screaming like a woman in pain. Children running up, asking for help, only to shapeshift into some abomination with 6-inch fangs and claws that could shred armor. Your buddy disappearing around a corner or into some woods, and showing back up a couple mintes later, only to stab you in the back or the side, and then shapeshift into you, before killing your next friend…" He shuddered, his voice cracking. "It made us trust nothing. We had to question our senses. Our ears and eyes and noses became hyper-vigilant. We got to know mannerisms and pick up signs that a person wasn't who they said they were. But sometimes… there was no way to tell, without doing terrible things… things I'm ashamed to talk about. Things that… well… this little town doesn't know who they let in." He paused for a long moment, before looking up, tears in his tired, sad eyes.
"We fought monsters for so long, we became monsters. A different kind, one that stayed in our own skin, but… no better than our enemies, in some ways…" The tears ran down his face, though only for a moment before he swiped at them viciously, as if angry they existed.
"So… maybe I deserve this. Maybe, after all of that, I deserve to spend every night afraid of my own dreams, seeing blood and gore and violence behind my closed eyelids. Maybe I deserve to feel chased and hunted still. Perhaps it's penance for the things I've done… but by Tulkas, that doesn't make it easier."
He went back to staring at the snow, his hands trembling just slightly.

(boop)

(totally fine! I'm in the same boat. youre ok :)

(working on it ;)

The little meow registered, somewhere in the back of Ronnie's head, and he had to give a slight chuckle. It was like the critter could understand him, and was talking back.
It got closer, but Ronnie had no energy to try and reach for it. He found he didn't want to, anyway. Eve didn't need his mess. He'd had the thought before.
But just now, when he went back up to his room, he was going to have to explain the bedclothes to her or Beanbelly anyway… His nightmare had been vivid, and violent, and he'd thrashed and fought so hard, his pillows were shredded and his blankets were torn. How could he ever hope to have any kind of normal life, when his nights were filled with that? And what if-…
He glanced at the cat as it came towards him, hardly daring to think the awful thought. But what if the next time he fought a battle in his sleep, it wasn't pillows and blankets that paid the price, but the beautiful woman next to him? What if he hurt someone?

….what if he took the key, and hurt Eve?

It was too much. The thought was too dark, too heavy, and he couldn't handle it. He shook his head violently, trying to clear his mind, and only realized he was slapping his forehead loudly after about the third time. That was not an image he wanted. Not Eve, bleeding and bruised because of his hands… he couldn't let it happen.
She didn't deserve the things he would dish out to those filthy shapeshifters. She was too pure, too wonderful and sweet to be involved with him and this mess. If she never knew the nature of shapeshifters, that would be good, and she certainly wasn't going to learn it from him, not this way. He was here to protect her, protect the town, from such evil, so how could he endanger her, put her in a position where he might be the thing that hurt her?

The soft touch on his leg drew his attention, and he glanced up in time to see the little cat leap up next to him. He was flattered, and a tiny part of him said take it. He reached over, slowly, gently, and stroked the cat's fur, down its back from its shoulders, gently petting the elusive creature.

But the bigger part of him was too far gone at the moment to hear that little piece. He petted the cat for a moment, and only a moment, before standing up and backing away. "Little friend… you and I have a responsibility to Eve. I'm gonna protect her from many things, everything and anything I can. And you?" He swallowed hard. "You're gonna protect her from me."

(teehee-)

The little cat reacted to Ronnie's touch like it hadn't been petted in eons, and when he stood, it came after him, mewing insistently. The small part of him saying take it was getting louder now, especially as the animal sniffed towards his hand. The conflict in his soul was getting heavier, and the tears which had so recently flowed began to drip down his face again.
He'd thought by moving home, he might find a place he could be happy. He'd thought maybe by picking up the pieces of his life that had fallen apart nearly ten years ago, he could have a semblance of a normal life. He'd thought maybe he'd even find love.
He hadn't counted on the war following him here, nestled deep in his mind.
Ronnie knelt, and began petting the cat again. He actually wound up petting it gently, slowly, with both hands, as the little creature responded to him. His thoughts swirled, and he didn't know what to do, or how to react, and he was tired, and the thought of Eve being his was so wonderful and terrifying at the same time-
…..

Carlan had lived in Tol Galen for roughly 6 months. He was from a village up the river, and had come here to see if the rumors of an exceptionally beautiful woman guarded by the whims of a house cat were true. He had immediately found himself attracted to Eve, and had joined Ji're in the hunt for the key and the cat on a regular basis.
He'd passed out, drunk, on the wooden sidewalk down the street from the Blondewood, and was just beginning to wake up, the cold of the snow slowly making him alert.
He sat up and groaned, before rubbing his face to try to wake up. As his eyes slowly focused, he found himself looking at an odd scene, and was soon scrambling unsteadily to his feet.
For there, down the street, was that new guy in town- Robby? kneeling in the snow, holding what could only be Eve's cat.
The cat with the key.
"Hey! You let go of that cat!" he slurred, moving towards the pair. If he and Ji're couldn't catch the cat, there was no way he was letting the new kid on the block get it. "Or better yet, hold it for me!" His head was slowly clearing the more he moved, and soon he was jogging.

Ronnie's head whipped up as some drunk yelled at him, and he only realized it was about the cat when the guy lurched to his feet and headed their way. Ronnie immediately let go of the cat, and gently nudged it away. "Get going, before he gets here. Go on, shoo!" He nudged it again, back in the direction of Eve's house, before standing and stepping between the cat and the drunk. "Hey, leave it alone. Go sleep off your whiskey, bud."