Right Here (In Four Corners)
Jan. 8th, 2020 05:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
queenkatyastarTitle: Right Here (In Four Corners)
Author: Katya Starling
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Characters/Pairing: Ezra/Inez
Rating: G/K
Challenge/Prompt: Short Fics 53: When You've Stayed Too Long
Word Count: 934
Date Written: 7 January 2020
Warnings: None
Summary: Inez accepts she's stayed too long, and is glad of it.
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
You've stayed too long. The thought slips into her mind with all the swiftness and power of a bullet and the surprise of a stampede on a clear and cloudless day. She blinks rapidly, but she knows already the words are true. It's meant to be a warning, and at one time in her life, when she first slipped into this town, it would have been a warning that would have both scared her and been adhered to by her. She would have packed her bags that very day and left without a word to any one.
But she knows already that isn't going to happen. She has stayed too long; yet, she could never stay long enough. She's stayed too long to ever consider leaving. Four Corners has become her home, and she can't imagine staying, or going, anywhere else. She belongs here as surely as the sun does in the sky, or as surely as the six, handsome men laughing and talking in the most pivotal corner of the saloon.
She can't imagine her life without Four Corners. She can't imagine her life without them. She can't imagine going through her days without getting to see Vin's shy smile light up the room or hear JD's excited babbling. She can't imagine living her nights alone again without the nearby protection of Larabee's steady gun or Nathan's healing techniques. She no longer misses Catholic ceremonies and has no desire to hear anyone preach other than Josiah. Even Buck's charm always lights up her day; she can't imagine going without it for even a day, let alone the rest of her life.
Most especially, she can not imagine going without Ezra's quiet, suave, and debonair reassurance. She can't imagine having to go days, and doesn't even want to consider going hours, without getting to see him, without occasionally meeting his glance above his cards, without knowing he's there just within the shout of her voice whenever she should need them. Si, she's most certainly stayed too long for she can not imagine living her life without this place, without these men whom she admires and considers both friends and family and aches, in one special case, to consider so much more.
She's not going anywhere, not today, not next week or next month, not ever, at least not as long as this town is guarded by these six, wonderful men. She also can not imagine a time when it will not be. Oh, they talk sometimes of leaving. Ezra detests that his mother shows up in town whenever she pleases, and Vin still has that bounty on his head. Buck has itchy feet, and Larabee's rarely stayed so long in one place. Indeed, except for the tales she hears of when he was a happily married, he's never stayed so long in one place.
But they're not going anywhere, she knows in her heart, and as long as they're not going anywhere, neither is she. Neither is Mary or little Billy or Missus Potts. Rain will always be nearby as will her people. Maude may not stay, but she'll be constantly swaying in and out of town. She used to think nothing ever stayed the same always, Inez reflects, but these men have taught her so much.
They've taught her that she does deserve to be safe and loved and cared for. They've taught her it's okay to trust and a good feeling to be trusted. They've taught her the true meaning of friendship and family, and so much more too. They've taught her it's okay to settle down and that she can be safe and valued. They've taught her this place is home, and none of them are leaving, no matter what some of them may say when they grumble on the bad days.
But in the end, Inez thinks with a grin starting to come over her face, there are no bad days, not any more. There are no bad days, and there can not be -- there will not be -- as long as they are near. And as long as she stays here, there will always be near, and she will always be safe and have loved ones on whom she can truly rely.
Feeling a steady but soft gaze upon her face, Inez lifts her dark eyes and locks gazes with the gambler, her own personal favorite among the seven men who the entire town, and especially all the women therein, adore. She feels a familiar heat creep into her flesh, but she doesn't lower her gaze as she once would have. She meets Ezra's gaze head on, and for a moment, they just stare across the smokey atmosphere into each other's eyes. He smiles suddenly, and the flash of his gold tooth makes her heartbeat speed.
She winks, then nods her respect and continues about her day. He's not going anywhere, unless they're called out for duty, and even then, he'll be back. He'll come home, to the saloon and to her, and all will be right again. As long as she stays here, as long as she stays near him, as long as she stays in Four Corners, all will be right, and her life will be . . . well, magnificent. Beaming, Inez starts to sing, as she so often does these days, joy and love filling her heart and overflowing from her mouth. She sings, and then whole world seems to sing with her, for she is safe, she is loved, and one day, she knows and trusts, Senor Standish most especially will love her.
The End
Author: Katya Starling
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Characters/Pairing: Ezra/Inez
Rating: G/K
Challenge/Prompt: Short Fics 53: When You've Stayed Too Long
Word Count: 934
Date Written: 7 January 2020
Warnings: None
Summary: Inez accepts she's stayed too long, and is glad of it.
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
You've stayed too long. The thought slips into her mind with all the swiftness and power of a bullet and the surprise of a stampede on a clear and cloudless day. She blinks rapidly, but she knows already the words are true. It's meant to be a warning, and at one time in her life, when she first slipped into this town, it would have been a warning that would have both scared her and been adhered to by her. She would have packed her bags that very day and left without a word to any one.
But she knows already that isn't going to happen. She has stayed too long; yet, she could never stay long enough. She's stayed too long to ever consider leaving. Four Corners has become her home, and she can't imagine staying, or going, anywhere else. She belongs here as surely as the sun does in the sky, or as surely as the six, handsome men laughing and talking in the most pivotal corner of the saloon.
She can't imagine her life without Four Corners. She can't imagine her life without them. She can't imagine going through her days without getting to see Vin's shy smile light up the room or hear JD's excited babbling. She can't imagine living her nights alone again without the nearby protection of Larabee's steady gun or Nathan's healing techniques. She no longer misses Catholic ceremonies and has no desire to hear anyone preach other than Josiah. Even Buck's charm always lights up her day; she can't imagine going without it for even a day, let alone the rest of her life.
Most especially, she can not imagine going without Ezra's quiet, suave, and debonair reassurance. She can't imagine having to go days, and doesn't even want to consider going hours, without getting to see him, without occasionally meeting his glance above his cards, without knowing he's there just within the shout of her voice whenever she should need them. Si, she's most certainly stayed too long for she can not imagine living her life without this place, without these men whom she admires and considers both friends and family and aches, in one special case, to consider so much more.
She's not going anywhere, not today, not next week or next month, not ever, at least not as long as this town is guarded by these six, wonderful men. She also can not imagine a time when it will not be. Oh, they talk sometimes of leaving. Ezra detests that his mother shows up in town whenever she pleases, and Vin still has that bounty on his head. Buck has itchy feet, and Larabee's rarely stayed so long in one place. Indeed, except for the tales she hears of when he was a happily married, he's never stayed so long in one place.
But they're not going anywhere, she knows in her heart, and as long as they're not going anywhere, neither is she. Neither is Mary or little Billy or Missus Potts. Rain will always be nearby as will her people. Maude may not stay, but she'll be constantly swaying in and out of town. She used to think nothing ever stayed the same always, Inez reflects, but these men have taught her so much.
They've taught her that she does deserve to be safe and loved and cared for. They've taught her it's okay to trust and a good feeling to be trusted. They've taught her the true meaning of friendship and family, and so much more too. They've taught her it's okay to settle down and that she can be safe and valued. They've taught her this place is home, and none of them are leaving, no matter what some of them may say when they grumble on the bad days.
But in the end, Inez thinks with a grin starting to come over her face, there are no bad days, not any more. There are no bad days, and there can not be -- there will not be -- as long as they are near. And as long as she stays here, there will always be near, and she will always be safe and have loved ones on whom she can truly rely.
Feeling a steady but soft gaze upon her face, Inez lifts her dark eyes and locks gazes with the gambler, her own personal favorite among the seven men who the entire town, and especially all the women therein, adore. She feels a familiar heat creep into her flesh, but she doesn't lower her gaze as she once would have. She meets Ezra's gaze head on, and for a moment, they just stare across the smokey atmosphere into each other's eyes. He smiles suddenly, and the flash of his gold tooth makes her heartbeat speed.
She winks, then nods her respect and continues about her day. He's not going anywhere, unless they're called out for duty, and even then, he'll be back. He'll come home, to the saloon and to her, and all will be right again. As long as she stays here, as long as she stays near him, as long as she stays in Four Corners, all will be right, and her life will be . . . well, magnificent. Beaming, Inez starts to sing, as she so often does these days, joy and love filling her heart and overflowing from her mouth. She sings, and then whole world seems to sing with her, for she is safe, she is loved, and one day, she knows and trusts, Senor Standish most especially will love her.
The End
