Author's note: This was meant to be a part of the secret santa prompts that were "due" a few weeks ago to get us through the hiatus. However, due to a computer virus, personal issues, as well as the show itself just not inspiring me as of late, I never got around to completing it in time. I liked the prompt so much though, so I wanted to be sure and post it anyway in the hopes that you lovely folks will enjoy it. This first chapter is part one of four. It may be a bit fluffy/cheesy, but I think we could all use that right about now.
The prompt I was given was: -Write about birthday gifts Deacon and Rayna gave each other - Preferably have both (or at least one) set in the future.
A huge thank you goes to KarenES for her wonderful beta reading skills. Any mistakes found are my own. Thanks also go to Shiny Jewel, whose prompt I was given. I'm sorry it took so long, and I hope that you (and the rest of you lovely readers) enjoy!
The first year they were together on her birthday, neither of them had much cash.
They traveled from gig to gig in Vince's truck, using instruments bought at pawn shops. Sometimes they borrowed a van from a guy in Deacon's apartment building, but that was with the promise they'd fill up the gas tank prior to returning it. Because of his lack of steady income, Deacon found himself stuck, unsure of just what to get her. Truth be told, while they may have been together, they weren't "together" together, though the lines had been blurred on many more than one occasion. As happy as he was to oblige her with a kiss (or more) during a song writing session or threaten to kick any guy's ass who happened to hit on her after a gig, he wasn't entirely certain of just what they were. But he did know that if Rayna Jaymes were to ever walk out of his life, he'd do whatever it took to make her come back.
A few days before, they found themselves in Nashville, in between gigs. Looking for entertainment, and also in hopes of cheering Rayna up after several labels didn't respond positively to her auditions, Deacon persuaded her to take a trip with him to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Surrounded by the music, photographs, and memorabilia of artists such as the great Hank Williams and Patsy Cline, Rayna seemed to perk up almost instantly. They strolled through the building, holding hands and talking about someday.
"You never know, Ray," Deacon said, smiling as he nudged her with his elbow. "They might put somethin' of yours in here one day."
Rayna laughed at that, shaking her head as she read the plaque on a display case. "Not so sure about that anymore, Deacon. But I like the way you think."
They stopped at the gift shop on the way out, rifling through a multitude of gadgets with likenesses of various artists, but he settled on buying a key chain shaped like a guitar with the name of the museum printed on it. He had an idea in mind, and was hoping she'd like it.
When her birthday came he told her to come over under the premise of going out that night. They'd grab dinner at a relatively cheap place, or maybe just grab something to go and eat at the park. He planned on giving her the present afterward, but when she came in that evening she spotted the hastily wrapped package sitting on the coffee table, and curiosity got the better of them both.
"Deacon," Rayna said, dropping her purse onto the chair. "You didn't have to get me anything."
"I know," he said, sticking his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels. "I just, uh...I saw it, and I thought maybe it was a good fit."
Rayna sat on the arm of the chair, staring down at the bright red paper that he'd wrapped the box in. She stuck a finger underneath the tape and opened it, carefully removing the lid and staring at what was inside. She ran the pad of her thumb around the grooves of the guitar-shaped key chain before picking it up, watching as a single key dangled from its ring. "Deacon..."
"If you don't like it, I understand. I just thought, you been spendin' a lot of time here, more often than not. I just wanted you to have a place to go if you needed it."
Rayna smiled at how quickly he spoke.
She stood, cupping his cheek with her palm. "I love it," she said, her voice laced with tears.
"Just wish I coulda got you somethin' better. Somethin' that was worth somethin' or-"
Rayna pulled him in for a kiss, effectively shutting down whatever doubt he had left. She pulled back afterward, resting her forehead against his. A smile crossed her face as she felt the key still clasped in her hand.
"That clear up things for you?" she asked.
He laughed, relieved. "You could say that."
If either one of them was actually hungry for dinner that evening, they never said it.
He pulled her in for another kiss before backing up towards the bedroom. They never left the house that night.
On his birthday later that year, she was a little better off. After saving up money from a couple months' worth of gigs around town, stashing it away where he wouldn't find it, Rayna felt confident that she was making the right choice. It was something he'd talked about needing but never seemed to get around to, so when she saw the ad, she knew there was no way her gift could be anything different.
She'd even sent Vince to the store for all the fixings for a nice cookout. Deacon had insisted he didn't want a party, had even bluntly said it to her face, so it would only be them, Vince, and the band. Even if he wasn't the celebratory type, she was hoping he'd appreciate the gesture.
She had a few of the guys take him out for a few hours to distract him, but when Deacon came back home and found neither her nor Vince there, curiosity got the best of him. He'd half expected her to go against his wishes and have the place all decked out. When he opened the fridge, he did see a cake with his name in blue icing, but besides that, he didn't see anything. A few minutes later, he heard the door opening and looked out, seeing Vince in the doorway, arms laden with several bags. "Hey, you seen Ray? She said she had someplace to go this mornin', but now-" Deacon paused, seeing the bags in his arms. "I thought I told y'all-"
Vince sighed, shaking his head. "They weren't s'posed to bring you back yet. Guess they'll have her to deal with later."
"Later?" Deacon asked, confusion mixing with his frustration. "All I wanted was to spend today at home, relaxed, quiet...but you two gotta-"
"Hey man," Vince said, still standing in the doorway. He turned his head, focusing on something outside the doorway as he spoke. "Don't shoot the messenger. I just did what I was told. Pick up a few things, take Rayna where she wanted me to...that's all."
Deacon furrowed his brow, crossing his arms. "That it, huh? What's in the bags then?"
Vince laughed, knowing full well how annoyed the man could get when he felt out of the loop. He cocked his head in the direction of the open door. "Why don't you go ask Rayna? It's all her idea anyway."
Curious, Deacon edged his way past him, fully prepared to launch into an explanation of why whatever Rayna was planning would be a bad idea, until he saw her, all tank top and shorts and long curls blowing in the breeze. It took him a minute to realize that she was leaning against the side of a truck that wasn't one he'd seen before.
Grinning, Rayna circled a keychain around her finger as she eyed him. "I know you said you didn't want me makin' a big deal about your birthday, but I just thought maybe you'd like it. What do you think, wanna go for a ride?"
His gaze slowly shifted from her to the truck she was leaning against, his eyes adjusting in the afternoon sunlight. Across the parking lot, he heard a couple of kids yelling at each other while racing off to the basketball court. He focused back on Rayna, who was holding out the key in his direction, and only then did the pieces click together. "Ray?"
Her face shifted into a look of uncertainty. She'd felt so confident when Vince went with her to pick it up, but with Deacon now she didn't feel as confident in her choice of gift. "I know that it's a little much, but you said yourself that your car's about to fall apart." She watched as he walked around the side of the truck, tracing his hand around the door. She lifted herself off of the hood, slowly following him. "The guy said it's a fixer upper, I mean...it'll need a few tires, maybe a paint job. It was a steal basically, and maybe it was more expensive than I planned, but I hoped you'd like it." She watched as he took in his reflection in the window. "If you hate it, we can sell it. Find something different. I just thought-"
Deacon walked the few steps to where she stood, taking her face in his hands while his lips crashed against hers. He didn't care if Vince were to walk out and see (he had, after all, walked in on far worse things), or that anyone driving by might catch a glimpse. All that mattered to him in that moment was the feeling of her fingers curling through his hair, and the sound she made when his lips traced her jawline before finding the spot on her neck he knew made her squirm. "I love it," he said, pulling back, planting a quick kiss against her forehead before tucking her in close to his side. "Really, darlin', I do. I'm gonna have to up my game. I think you're better at this givin' stuff to people thing than I am."
Rayna turned to him, sloppily planting a kiss on his cheek, smiling as they swayed back and forth. "I just like seein' you happy, babe. You know you don't have to give me nothin'."
"You know what would make me happy today?"
Rayna tossed her head back, laughing as she already knew what he'd say. "You want me to call the guys and tell them not to come back later?"
"Could you?" he asked, hopeful, even though he knew what she would say.
"And have all the meat just waitin' to be cooked, and all those beers in the fridge?" she asked, waiting to see how he'd take it. Had it been any other day, he likely wouldn't be one to turn down a party. "What if I just said it was to celebrate the song we sold last week, would that be good?"
His eyes flicked between her and the truck, and he grinned. "Sure, I reckon. Long as we can take this thing for a spin later. Maybe drive down by the river," he said, kissing the soft spot just below her ear. His nose rubbed against her hairline as he murmured against her skin. "We could christen it, you know. Maybe even more than once."
At that, Rayna laughed again, playfully pushing him away. "Deacon Claybourne, you're incorrigible, you know that?"
"Yeah, I suppose. I'm just lucky that you love me anyway," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"You're right, darlin'," she said, slipping the key from her finger into the front pocket of his jeans. "I sure do."