Disclaimer-Sons of Anarchy belongs to Kurt Sutter, but I have better boobs. I own my OCs and this story, and a Sportster that's very lonely at the moment. *Apparently my page breaks completely disappear when the chapters get published, which makes the flow totally shitty, I'm trying something new, hopefully it works. SORRY!*
Ace woke up hot and sore the next morning. Happy was mostly on top of her, his face buried in her neck. The stubble on his chin scraped painfully across her skin as he began to stir. Ace rubbed his back, tracing the letters of his top rocker without opening her eyes, like reading Braille. She knew he was awake, too, but they both kept silent. Happy yawned, and his eyes flew open when Ace hissed. Courtesy of his position, he got an up close and personal view of the bite mark he'd forced on her the night before.
"Shit, Ace." He rolled off of her, and touched a finger to the purple and red bruise.
"I was wondering why your face scruff felt so sharp." Ace answered, voice still thick from sleep. "Look bad?"
"Yeah, kinda." Happy sat up and lit a smoke. "Does it hurt?"
He watched her carefully as she tested the spot with her fingers, relieved when she shook her head. She stretched hugely, and Happy enjoyed the show her tits put on in the process. He tried to hide the cocky grin on his face, but he wasn't fast enough.
"What's with the face, big man?" Ace asked him, standing in front of him with her arms crossed. It forced her tits higher, which didn't help him erase the look on his face at all. He placed his hands on her hips, fitting his grip to the bruises he'd found there.
"You look like you were rode hard and put away wet, baby." He chuckled, and bent his face to kiss the marks. He didn't see Ace look thunderstruck by the unexpected gesture. Instead he put out his cigarette and flopped back on the bed.
"I'm not going to survive taking you to Tacoma." He groaned.
"You're making me awfully nervous about this. I feel like I'm meeting the parents or something." She complained, and caught sight of herself in the mirror. "And apparently I'm doing it looking like a whore."
"Its fine, baby, I promise. Tacoma is huge compared to Indian Hills, and lots of them have old ladies." Happy dug in their bag, presenting her with a very interesting view of his ass.
"And that has what to do with anything?" Ace asked, laughing both at her own confusion and his undignified position.
"You've met enough MC guys, do you think any of them would judge an old lady for being a little wild in bed?" He pointed out, while pulling on his jeans.
"I guess not, I just didn't expect the evidence to be all over my face." She gestured to her bruised and swollen lips, and the bite mark. "They had you for years. I've had you for about a nanosecond. I'm just worried that they're not going to approve or something."
Ace ducked into the little bathroom, and turned on the water. She was silently cursing herself for letting her mouth run away with her. She was well aware that Happy liked her independence, and she hated that she'd just pulled a classic needy chick move. God, when was she going to stop feeling like that out of control 14 year old constantly watching him walk out the door.
"Hey." Instead of walking out the door, Happy came into the bathroom behind her, right into her space. "Tacoma is my home, and the club is my family, but you've got a place in my life."
Ace dropped her eyes, terrified of what he might see if he really looked, but Happy trapped her face in his hands. Even though she resisted, he forced her to look at him.
"You always have, Ace."
It should have been a really tender moment, and some portion of her brain did register that, but Ace felt the laughter bubbling up and tucked her puffy lips between her teeth trying to stem the outburst. Happy saw it, though, and rolled his eyes, which opened the floodgates. She laughed until she snorted, which only made her laugh harder, so that she was bent over, soundlessly cracking up. Ace shoved him back out into the room and locked the door behind him.
"I have to pee!" She shrieked when he pounded on the door. A dozen slow deep breaths later, she felt like the worst of the storm had passed.
"Better?" He asked when she opened the door to let him in.
"Yeah, I'm good. Sorry for ruining your moment, it just sounded funny, that's all." She explained, stepping into the shower while Happy ran the water to shave at the sink.
"Why's it funny? I've been coming back to you for years." It was easier for him to talk to her while he was shaving his head, he could focus on the repetitive motions and he didn't have to see all her emotions on her face.
"Yeah, but that's the only place I had in your life, waiting for you to come back and get what you needed." Her protest was without accusation, which made it sting all the more. The fact that he felt guilty for the shit she'd been through between his visits really chapped his ass.
"Trust me, I'm going to catch more shit in Tacoma than you will." He assured her. "All I'm going to hear about is what a fucking idiot I was not to have made you my old lady years ago, and how I always said I'd never have an old lady, and why won't I come back to the table. On second thought, let's just skip Tacoma."
Happy changed his mind about showering with Ace and dropped his jeans to the floor. He climbed in behind her, and she smiled at him over her shoulder before ducking under the water to rinse her hair.
"Why didn't you want an old lady? And after all that, I think I want to go to Tacoma. I want you to know that I'm barely resisting bursting into a Monty Python song right now, by the way." She informed him, giggling when he shook his head at her.
"There's something wrong with you." He pivoted her out of the water to rinse his own head. "And old ladies are a liability, I've seen old ladies used against their men, and I didn't think I could afford the weakness."
"But you do now?" Ace tilted her head to the side, measuring his reaction. It was a mannerism that any Son who had worked with Happy would have recognized.
"No. But I want you badly enough to try to fool myself into believing that you won't be my Achilles heel. It's why I'm glad Tig's going to be with me, he's seen all the shit that went down in Charming and he's nearly as ruthless as I am. He'll keep me clearheaded and that's what will keep you safe."
"I'm not worried, Happy. And I swear I'll do my best to make it an easy job." Ace started to get out of the shower, but paused with one foot out of the tub. "You know I'm really good with a gun, right?"
"Get out of the shower; we don't have time for what I want to do to you." He groaned, but couldn't help smiling when she laughed.
It was the easiest they had been with each other, getting dressed and gathering their things, working in a way that almost felt routine. It was soothing to Happy knowing where Ace was without having to look. He craved control, and despite constantly challenging him, Ace still managed to make him feel more settled than he could ever remember feeling in his life. He wasn't an introspective man, but he wasn't stupid, either, and he knew that in some way he'd been seeking her out for so long because she satisfied something in him.
"Let's go before Tig eats all the breakfast." Ace waited by the door, bag in hand. When Happy nodded that he was ready, she pulled the door open.
"What the-!" Ace exclaimed when the man in question literally fell on her feet. Tig blinked up at her and rubbed his face before sitting up.
"Were you sleeping against the door?" She asked incredulously.
"Yeah, sorry." He stood, and his face was spooked. "I couldn't sleep in there, there's like, three dolls just sitting and staring. I hate dolls."
"Really?" Ace asked, trying desperately to keep a straight face, but failing hard.
"You're a cruel woman, Mrs. Perez."
No Other Man Alive
"You weren't joking, there are a shton of them!" Ace hissed in Happy's ear when they arrived in the lot behind Tacoma's warehouse and clubhouse.
"One of the largest charters, and probably the most fun. Now hop off so I can park." Ace could see him grinning, and it made her smile, too. She even kissed him lightly on the neck before swinging off.
"Hi, you're Ace."
Ace turned, startled, her boots had barely touched the ground when the bubble gum cute voice popped up right behind her. And the blonde hottie who had spoken wasn't alone, Ace immediately found herself surrounded by a herd of women.
"Um, yeah, hi." She smiled weakly, intimidated by all the close up scrutiny.
"She's gorgeous! Isn't she gorgeous, Cat?"
"I always knew Happy must have good taste."
"Where's he been hiding you?"
Ace couldn't keep up with the rapid fire conversation taking place all around her, so she just kept smiling and pulling off her gear. There was a collective gasp when she slid her leather off her shoulders.
"Oh he marked you already!" The tall brunette with the amazing bitch heels and slightly Southern accent looked and sounded so disappointed that Ace couldn't help herself.
"I'm sorry, were we supposed to wait?" She apologized, looking frantically over her shoulder for Happy, or even Tig.
"No, no, it's fine, sugar, I was just hoping he'd wait until you got here. I'm Cat, Bowie's old lady. Kozik told us next to nothing about you, but we're really glad you're here." She linked her arm through Ace's, gesturing to another woman, who stepped forward and took Ace's helmet and leather from her.
"Oh, thanks." Ace craned her neck, still trying to locate Happy. "It's nice to meet you. Where did-"
"Happy knows better than to try to steal you away from me. Apparently he's been hiding you for years!" She raised her voice pointedly, which helped Ace finally figure out where her man had disappeared to. He was in his own knot of humanity, all of it male and leather clad. His face was split in a grin that got bigger when he heard Cat's accusation. He didn't bother to respond, and Ace was a little dismayed when he showed no signs of retrieving her, just saluted sardonically and took the beer someone pressed into his hand.
"Let's get you out of the sun, sugar. Are you hungry?" Cat continued to lead the procession toward the gigantic warehouse, the half dozen or so women following her like she was the pied piper. Or maybe Moses.
"Starving, actually. We didn't stop for lunch, just rode straight through." Ace answered, suddenly desperately aware of her stomach grumbling.
"I figured he would do that to you. Well, I have lots of food going, and it's air conditioned upstairs, and we have Prospects to bring us wine. Welcome to Tacoma, honey!" Cat began to ascend the very long set of stairs along the side of the warehouse.
In minutes, Ace was settled at a long table with a heaping plate in front of her. Tacoma's clubhouse was well appointed, tiled floors, deep blue walls, and leather furnishings from wall to wall. It was utterly masculine, and Ace loved it. She turned her attention back to the ladies who were all staring at her.
"It's all really good." She mumbled, shoving another forkful of food into her mouth, hoping to avoid further attention.
"Let the girl eat!" Another brunette, this one pure pin-up glamour, in leopard cigarette pants and red lipstick, ordered the table. Ace just mouthed her thanks as men started crowding in the door.
Happy didn't hesitate when he walked into the clubhouse, heading straight for her. At least, he seemed to be, until Cat stood up and hugged him tightly around the waist. Ace immediately lost interest in her food, sitting back to observe. She wasn't wild about the tall, willowy beauty receiving such easy affection from Happy, but tried to check any jealousy. Cat had mentioned an old man of her own, and Happy hadn't given her any reason to second guess her place with him.
He knew that she was clocking him, and could read her uncertainty in the tense way she sat. Tacoma had him in good spirits, and he couldn't stand thinking she wouldn't feel the same way about his favorite charter. He disentangled himself from Cat, the President's long time old lady, and stalked to his own woman. She tried not to smile, but looked smug as hell anyway. He leaned down, bracing his hands on either side of her head, forcing her to tilt her head back to meet him when he kissed her.
"Mmmm…" Every time Ace hummed like that, it went straight to his cock. He loved that she never hid her reactions from him.
A chorus of "aaawwws" erupted from the ladies present, and Happy choked out a laugh when Ace rolled her eyes dramatically. He kissed her again, softly this time, just to wind the old lady brigade up even further. His own old lady shot him a dirty look before schooling her expression to a pleasant acknowledgement of the cooing congratulations.
"Sit up." He ordered, hunkering down next to her. She must have read his intention, because she pulled her braid over her should and angled her back toward him so that he could pull the tape off. "Much better."
He was momentarily confused when she began to unbraid her hair, which would cover her ink if she left it down, but she kept her eyes locked on his as she pulled the wild curls all the way up on top of her head, tying the mass into a messy knot that left her ink, and the bite mark utterly unobstructed.
"Jesus, she's perfect for him." Marveled one of the women down the table. Happy didn't look away from Ace to see who had spoken. He rubbed a deliberate thumb over the bruise his teeth had left in her skin.
"Yes, she is." He finally broke away from her eyes and addressed the table. "I expect you to return her in the same condition, got it?"
When the estrogen table all laughed their assent and assurances to return Ace to him in one piece, he kissed her for a third time and stood, knees cracking.
"Good luck." He told her, retreating to the bar and his brothers.
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