A/N: Many apologies for how short the previous chapter was! I hope you all enjoy this (much longer) one. Your reviews make me so happy, thank you all for joining me in Sasha/August hell!

Sasha dragged her feet across the dirt to the Purple Skag that afternoon. She wanted to check on August after their run-in with those bandits the previous night. She figured there was a possibility that they could return, no matter how unlikely that was. Her and August kicked ass last night.

Of course, the firefight wasn't the only thing on her mind from the night before. She tried to convince herself that it was the adrenaline that had her jumping his bones last night, but it was to no avail. She knew that as soon as she nudged the door to the Purple Skag open.

The only lights that were on in the building were those behind the bar, casting August in a deep purple hue. He was at the bar, his back to the rest of the room. She ran her eyes over the parts of him that she could see from behind the counter. He had taken his piercings out, but he was still wearing the same shirt she had left him in last night. He was sweeping up broken glass and shell casings off of the floor. The bandage on his right arm had been changed since last night, and she was happy he actually did a better job wrapping it up than her.

"Hey, August?" She called out to him as she approached the bar.

"Hey." He came around the bar and greeted her with a small kiss on the cheek. She closed her eyes and smiled when his goatee tickled along her jaw. He definitely hasn't tried to forget last night.

"How long have you been working on this?" Sasha gestured to the fairly pristine bar behind her.

"Not long," August let out a husky laugh, "I woke up a little late today. Had a long night."

"Oh," Sasha's neck was hot and she mumbled, "me, too." August turned back to what he was working on and Sasha noticed a small circular bruise on the side of his neck. Did I do that? The heat in her neck rose to her cheeks and she was shaking her head silently behind him.

"I'm going out tonight," he turned his head to look over his shoulder, "into the desert outside Hollow Point."

"Okay." Sasha certainly wasn't hoping this was going where she thought this was going.

"Want to come with me? I'm assuming you'll want to let your friend know, too. So just let me know when you come back around here tonight."

I actually want to crawl into a hole right now. "Sure, actually I can just ask her now." Sasha turned her back to him and pinged Fiona.

She picked up almost immediately, "Sasha?"

"Hey, Fi."

"Hey, yourself, sis. What's up?"

Sasha mentally prepared herself for the verbal abuse she was about to receive, "You remember that guy August I told you about?"

"Oh, you're around him so you have to be in character. Nice. "

Sasha rolled her eyes, "So he and I are going out of town tonight. I'll be home sometime tomorrow probably, so don't worry about me."

"Whoohooo, Sashaaa," Fiona sang into her ear, "don't have too much fun. Thanks for keeping us – I mean me – updated. Let us know if you run into any trouble."

"Thanks, I'll see you then."

She nodded at August and he smiled, "Yeah, all good."

He nodded back at her and put away the broom he was using. Walking around the bar to where Sasha was standing, he sat at a stool behind her and she turned around to face him.

"What's the plan?" She asked, sitting next to him. Sasha kept her arms tucked around her sides, as if that were going to keep her more in control.

"Didn't think you'd agree to it, honestly. Give me a minute to think about it."

"Why not, August?" Sasha's right hand went to support her chin and she leaned forward on her knees.

"You left in a hurry last night. I thought I'd scared you off." He shrugged his shoulders and leaned back against the counter.

Sasha laughed nervously and his face fell. She knew it was a bad idea for the con, keeping him questioning her true motives. It was going to be best to just continue to act like she had fallen for him, which –unfortunately- wouldn't be hard. She'd done this before, but this time felt starkly different. Maybe it was because she had always left their marks wanting more, keeping everything they wanted just out of their reach. She would trick them into thinking that if they gave Sasha what she wanted from them, they would get what they wanted from her. With August, there was so comparison. He already had her, so her options were becoming extremely limited. She thought of what Fiona had said to her that morning. Before she left Felix's that day, she had pulled her aside,

"You can't play coy with him anymore, that option has been thrust out the window – pun extremely intended."

Sasha had rolled her eyes up to the ceiling as she replied coldly, "Well, then how are we going to handle this, Fi?"

"I guess just keep giving him what he wants, whatever that is. Play girlfriend, play young-love, whatever you want, just keep playing him."

Keep playing him. She thought, looking at the side of August's face. Some parts of this deal might work out for the both of them. She envisioned crawling on top of him after their fire fight yesterday, her eyes closing pleasantly. Of course, everything was going to go to shit the second she pulled the rug out from under him. That was how these things usually went, but this time she felt pretty terribly about it.

Sasha was going to have to push those thoughts from her mind if this was going to work. If she kept doubting herself it might show, which would lead to too many questions from August.

She rose from her stool, repeating her own mantra in her head. Play your part. Play the part. Sasha stood in front of August and grabbed his hands, lacing his fingers with her own. She had to admit, it was corny, but he went along with it. She straddled herself over his lap again and brought their foreheads close together.

"Not at all, August." She sighed.

"Good." He mumbled, clearly at a loss for words. He unlaced his fingers from hers and circled his hands around her waist, drawing her up further onto his lap.

"There are always, um, other things that we can do?" She whispered coyly against his ear. Her heart was thrumming in her ears when she felt him let out a shaky breath against her collarbone.

"Sure thing, Sash."

Sasha pecked him on the lips, their mouths lingering just past what was appropriate for a quick kiss. Her heart jumped to her throat and she rose from his lap.

"We can leave whenever you want. Do you have your gun?" August stood up with her and adjusted his shirt. His vest was probably still on the floor upstairs by the table, sitting in a sad heap underneath the chair he had been sitting in last night.

"Yeah." She stammered, smoothing out her own clothes.

"That's my girl." She looked over at him, curiously. Did he mean that? He had his arms crossed over his chest and was looking at Sasha with his head cocked to the side. She liked that. How he had so proudly said that. It made her feel nothing short of special. She quickly transformed her expression into a warm smile and replied,

"Damn right." He smiled back and walked up to the base of the stairs.

"I'll be a minute." August disappeared up the steps and Sasha sat down at a table.

Sasha couldn't believe what she was feeling. She was excited to go out and do whatever it was they were going to do. She'd get to leave Hollow Point, and be outside to see the sunset. They could watch the stars away from the lights of any town, which sounded cheesy at best, but nice. Of course, she assumed they'd be fighting their way out there, but that may have actually sweetened the deal.

August came down the steps carrying a small backpack slung over his shoulder. He had put on his vest upstairs and Sasha also saw something new clipped to his belt. Noticing her intrigue, he pulled an identical item out of his bag and threw it at her. She caught it and turned the device over in her hands,

"A shield?"

"Yep, it's not a lot, but just in case we run into trouble."

"Thank you." She mumbled quietly. Sasha clipped it to her belt and watched a small blue film flicker over her skin. He was being modest; this was a Vladof shield, and a rare one at that. She couldn't help but feel small butterflies in her stomach at the thought of him wanting to protect her.

"Are we ready to head out?" Sasha stood up and holstered her gun.

"Yeah." August led the way through the bar out of a back door. She stepped out into the alley as August was throwing his bag into the back of a runner. Climbing into the passenger side, she sat herself low in the large seat and tried not to imagine how perfect it would be for two.