Disclaimer-Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to mourn the fact that none of us own any of the fictional characters from Sons of Anarchy. I do own this story (which just passed 100 reviews, I feel like I owe you guys a really dirty one shot or something), my OCs, and a box of tissues with lotion that my husband's MC state president dropped off after work because I ran out and my nose is a delicate being.
"What the fuck, Ace?" She growled right back at him and let fly another belt buckle. "I really don't know what the fuck you're pissed about, but fuck you very much if you think I'm going to let you treat me like a child!"
"Throw one more thing at me, Ace, and I swear to Christ I'm going to throw it back." Happy caught the buckle one handed, and tossed it up, catching it again. "I don't fucking get it. I'm gone for not even five goddamn hours and you've got your hands all over one of my brothers? Are you that fucking desperate for attention?"
Ace's eyebrow flew up and her mouth moved, but she couldn't even form the words to tell him to go fuck himself. She turned her back on him, ignoring the angry growl at what he probably read as an insult.
"Don't turn your back on me."His voice came from dangerously close behind her, and any sanity Ace might have had evaporated instantaneously.
"Or what? Huh, Hap?" She found him inches from her when she spun around, and shoved him. Predictably, he didn't move an inch.
"You're my old lady. I fucking married you. You can begin to repay that by keeping your hands to yourself." He sneered at her, taking a step toward her, forcing her to retreat.
"Repay you?" Her voice lost all its heat, coming out in a flat monotone. She dug the wad of cash from her pocket and dropped it at his feet. "What the hell did you think I was trying to do, asshole?" She dodged around him, managing to evade his grab for her arm and slammed the bathroom door, locking it behind her.
"Ace!" He hammered a fist on the door. "Open the fucking door, Ace!"
When the only answer he got was stony silence from the other side, Happy turned and walked out.
"Hey, Killah, where you going?" Kozik waved Tig off, and followed the Tacoma Killer out of the clubhouse and down the stairs. It was still raining, and starting to get dark out, but it was clear that Happy was bent on riding anyway. Kozik braced himself to get hit for the second time, and grabbed Happy by the shoulder, spinning him. "If I'm going to risk my ass riding in this shit, you gotta tell me what the hell we're doing, brother."
Hap rubbed a hand over his head roughly, pulse still pounding in his temples. Part of him wanted to turn right back around and kick down the door, but he knew his temper wouldn't allow him to be anything but brutal with her.
"I gotta burn a tank, or else I'm going to hurt someone."
"Ok, then let's ride." Kozik nodded to his brother, unnerved at seeing the club's most levelheaded assassin less than completely controlled.
No Other Man Alive
It had taken two tanks of gas for Happy to be ready to return to the clubhouse. Kozik had literally ridden through the storm with him for hours, even though he'd been up the whole night before and had to be exhausted. The relief on his face was clear when they dismounted, a little after one in the morning.
"Thanks, brother." Happy grunted, uncomfortable.
"You tight?" Kozik asked, studying him in the dim security lights.
"Yeah, I'm cool."
"You know Lorca was the one in the wrong, not her, right?"
"Yeah. Hey, Kozik?" Happy paused to light a cigarette. "I don't have a fucking clue what I'm doing."
Kozik laughed, and threw an arm around Happy's shoulders. "Dude, you're like 45, and this is pretty much your first girlfriend, and you married her, I think we all know you don't know what you're doing, it's what made you such an easy target for Lorca."
"Yeah, fuck you." Happy replied with no heat, because he couldn't deny that Kozik had nailed it.
They climbed the stairs in silence, and Kozik led the way across the dark clubhouse floor. He paused at the hallway, ready to head to his bed, but prepared to stay up if Happy needed him. Happy just shook his head, though, and pointed down to where Tig still stood, keeping vigil over Happy's door.
"Is she awake?" Happy asked him, irrationally worried that she wasn't actually there anymore.
"I don't know, man. It's been quiet for a while." Tig answered. Happy nodded.
"Was it loud before?" He smirked, thinking that Ace had probably worn herself out cursing him left and right.
"No, man." Tig was uncharacteristically solemn, "She only came out once to ask if I thought you were coming back. Other than that, I haven't heard her."
"Shit."
"Yeah." Tig agreed.
"Get some sleep, Tig. I appreciate you watching out." Happy felt like a royal asshole having kept both Tig and Kozik from their beds half the night because he'd been too stubborn to come back and deal with his old lady.
He pushed the door open, and the room was pitch black. He closed it quietly behind him and stood, trying to let his eyes adjust. Ace was sitting up in the middle of the bed, not asleep like he'd halfway hoped. She was wearing one of his reaper crew shirts, and looked even younger than she already was, arms wrapped around her knees. He'd intended to strip off his wet clothes, but found himself incapable of moving, and he just stared back at her.
"Tig said you'd come back." She sounded small to him.
"I always come back to you." He was surprised that this would ever be something she'd worry about. She didn't answer him, just shrugged, and continued to watch him. When the silence stretched on, Happy slid off his cut, laying it meticulously on the dresser. He toed off his boots, and pulled off his wet clothes, aware of her eyes still on him. He left it all in a heap on the floorboards, approaching the bed warily, pulling his rings off and leaving them on the nightstand. He lay back against the pillows and opened his arms to her.
"C'mere." It was immensely gratifying that she didn't hesitate, pushing herself right into his side. She kept her face down, though, and he hated that she was hiding her face from him. He ran his fingers through her hair, and tugged gently, trying to get her to look at him.
"What did you mean, you were trying to repay me?" He asked her when she met his gaze.
"I'm not an idiot, Hap. I know you paid off my debt, and I don't want to owe anyone over that." She sighed, and rolled further onto him, laying her chin on her crossed hands.
"You don't owe me shit for that, it wasn't your debt." Happy stroked her back, soothing himself as much as her with the long repetitive strokes. "And I'd have paid a lot more than that to have been able to take you from him after what he did."
Ace smiled a little when his arms tightened momentarily around her, basking in the security of his physical strength.
"You're such a Neanderthal."
"It made me insane seeing you touching another man." Happy admitted. "I'm a greedy fucking bastard."
"Hap, I was tattooing him, not giving him a handjob." She shot back, drily. "I have to ink, Hap."
"I know. I guess that's my fault, huh?" He grinned, masculinely proud that he'd been the one who had mapped her passion. "That shit out there was on Lorca. He should have come to me before approaching you, but he likes to push buttons, see what kind of reaction he can get."
"I'm sorry. You said I could keep tattooing, and you seemed so ok with everyone here, I just didn't think it was going to be an issue. I tried to tell you that I didn't know what I was doing." Ace was frustrated, and fed up with always feeling like she'd messed up.
"You're fine, Kozik pointed out that I'm the one who doesn't know what the fuck I'm doing. You've at least been married before, the only relationship I've ever had with a woman is the one I've got with my ma."
"Yeah," Ace snorted, "My marriage was such a great example of a normal, healthy relationship; I rated somewhere down below the entire Marine Corps, Texas Hold 'Em, and hookers."
"So we're both fucked." Happy shrugged. "I want to make one thing clear though." He rolled them over, and Ace laughed in surprise. "The only thing you come below is me."
No Other Man Alive
"Heard your old man caused quite the scene last night." Maryanne raised an eyebrow questioningly when Happy left Ace in the office the next afternoon.
"Yeah." Ace sighed. "I'm actually using your office as my hideout if that's ok?"
"It's fine, honey. Everyone knows Lorca was trying to provoke Happy, though, so you don't have to hide."
"Does it get easier to figure out?" Ace asked the other woman, dropping into one of the client chairs, next to Colton. "Being an old lady, I mean."
"You're doing fine, honey." Maryanne looked up and pushed her glasses up into her hair. "Happy's not exactly a simple man. The whole club respects you for taking him on at all, especially given the fact that you've known him for a while."
"A while? I've known him my entire life." Ace smiled at the blond boy who tracing her Puerto Rican quarter sleeve. "Hi there."
"Hi. You have tattoos like Happy does. He has more, though."
"He does have more." Ace agreed, surprised when the boy grabbed her book off her lap, flipping through the pages. "Uh, is that ok for him to be looking at Maryanne?"
"Colton's been brought up in the club," Maryanne laughed, "I'm sure he's seen much worse."
"Are these tattoos, too?" Colton asked, fascinated.
"Yep. I'm a tattoo artist." Ace told him, wincing a little at some of less-than-age-appropriate drawings he was studying.
"Like Happy." Colton pointed out.
"Happy's his favorite." Maryanne smiled, too, the little boy was obviously adored by his mother.
"Mine, too." Ace whispered to Colton conspiratorially, grinning when the boy put his hand up for a high five without looking at her.
"Can I have a tattoo, Mom?" Colton held the sketchbook up, showing his mom a sketch of a snake, not dissimilar to the one that resided on Happy's chest.
"When you're 18, you can have as many tattoos as you want." Maryanne answered wearily. Ace spied the Crayola markers that Colton had abandoned and held them up questioningly.
"Will these wash off of skin?" She asked Maryanne. "Do you mind?"
"Knock yourself out." Maryanne responded, shaking her head.
"Alright little man, it won't last as long as a real tattoo, but I can give you a pretend one if you can be really still." Ace told the kid, who was practically vibrating. "Where do you want your snake?"
"All around my arm, and then his head goes on my chest!" Colton was already stripping off his shirt, and Ace looked to Maryanne for approval, and was waved off.
"You're good with him." Maryanne observed, when Colton did a victory lap of the office with his awesome new ink. "You want kids?"
"Definitely not." Ace shook her head, still laughing at Colton's enthusiasm.
"Not ever? I didn't think I'd ever have a baby, but then I hooked up with Donut, and that all changed."
"No, not ever. I like other people's kids, but I'd be a terrible mother. And Happy really doesn't want to go back to a charter, so it wouldn't make sense anyway." Ace felt the woman weighing her answer.
"He has to retire sometime, honey, and you're still young." Maryanne cajoled.
"Seriously, Maryanne, me and my Planned Parenthood IUD are very happy together." Ace answered firmly.
"Such a shame. You two would make pretty babies." Maryanne smiled.
"Not gonna happen."
No Other Man Alive
Happy slung his arm around Ace's shoulders when he came to collect her a few hours later. She wrinkled her nose up at him.
"Don't you smell manly." Ace commented, then shrieked when Happy forced her nose first into his arm pit. "Gross, Hap."
"You asked for it." He laughed at her, then caught sight of Colton coloring underneath the chair. "Niiiice ink, small dude."
"Ace did it!" Colton strutted over to show off the snake that wrapped all around his skinny little arm and up over his shoulder to end, fangs bared dramatically, on the boy's chest. "She likes me."
"Oh, sure, I leave her here for you to watch her, and you're pushing up on my girl, little man. Not cool." Happy rubbed the kid's head affectionately. "Come on, baby, I gotta get changed before Church. You gonna come watch me whup Lorca later, Maryanne?"
"Not tonight, Happy. With the Red Nation in town and visiting tonight, Donut wants me to stay home with the kid."
Happy was surprised when they made it all the way to their room before Ace asked about the other club in town.
"It's a mostly Hispanic club that's here on business. Bowie's allowing a few of them to come to the party after Church as a good faith gesture." He told her, pulling on his jeans.
"Are you really not taking a shower?" Ace asked from where she lay on the bed, enjoying the show.
"No point. I'll take one after I throw Lorca a good beating." He grinned, jazzed for the night's festivities. He launched himself onto the bed, landing on his back next to Ace, and pulled her on top of him. "Once all that's finished, I'm going to get sloppy drunk and fuck my old lady."
"Oooh, lucky me." Ace fluttered her eyelashes in a decidedly sarcastic manner.
"You bet your sweet ass." He growled, grabbing a firm handful of the ass in question.
"What am I supposed to do if one of the other club's guys talks to me?" Ace looked a little nervous at the prospect, which amused Happy, since she was already surrounded by outlaws.
"You don't need to worry about it. They're not going to risk bothering an old lady when they're in someone else's house." He told her.
"So I just tell them that I've got an old man and they'll leave me alone?" She looked dubious.
"You won't need to. Your ink makes it pretty obvious who you belong to." It still made him hard whenever he thought about other men knowing instantly that his old lady was off limits. "You'll be with me most of the night, and Tigger will look out for you, too. You'll be fine."
Ace had just slid a hand down inside his jeans when a hard fist pounded on the door.
"Chapel, brother!"
Happy dumped Ace on the bed and made fast work of pulling on a shirt, his rings, and his cut. He was still stomping his boots on when he pulled the door closed behind him with a wink.
No Other Man Alive
"You broke my nose, douchebag!" Tig complained at Kozik loudly, head tilted back to try to stem the flow of blood. Ace balled up Tig's white undershirt and pressed it to Tig's nose. "Thanks, doll."
"Your right cross is weak, man, you give me the same opening every time." Kozik flopped down on Ace's other side. "I'm getting too old for this shit."
Ace was only half-listening to Tig and Kozik bickering across her. Her attention was riveted on Happy, climbing into the ring set up in the middle of the asphalt. He'd laid his cut across her lap and dropped his rings in her hand before he'd disappeared to get wrapped.
"You need to get looked at." Ace turned to see a rail thin Son studying her two enforcers; he nodded to her when she caught his gaze. "Donut. Come on you two, let me check you both out in the clubhouse where I can see."
"Donut's a paramedic." Kozik explained. "We'll come up after this," he nodded to the ring. "Happy's about to give Lorca a formal education in how to take an ass whupping."
"Yeah, and I'm babysitting." Tig patted Ace on the head condescendingly.
"You guys have your own paramedic?" Ace asked Kozik incredulously.
"Well we have to share him with the great city of Tacoma, but other than that, yeah. We get bloody. It helps when there's someone around to patch up the holes." Kozik shot her a confused look, like this should have already occurred to her.
"Indubitably."
The fight was brutal and bloody. Lorca was indeed a big bastard, and he used his weight and reach to his advantage, but it wasn't enough against Happy's cold rage. Once he wore Lorca down, Happy controlled the ring easily. He worked the bigger man deliberately, dragging the fight on longer. It was obvious to the screaming crowd that Happy was purposely targeting the tattoo, returning to it each time Lorca caught his breath.
Ace was aware of the many eyes on her. She didn't cheer with the crowd, or cringe and cover her eyes, she watched. This Happy was the same one she'd glimpsed at the range, all business, and holy hell it was hot. When one of the Tacoma brothers finally climbed in to stop the fight, Ace smiled smugly, pulling her hair over a shoulder, unconsciously exposing her tattoo.
"There, Happy's finished, can we do this now? Maryanne will have my balls for earrings if I don't get home soon." Donut pushed. Tig looked around at the crowd, scanning for possible trouble.
"You gonna be ok, dollface?" He asked Ace, who nodded, still watching Happy, who was hugging Lorca in the ring, their heads bent close.
"What did Tig hit you with?" Donut asked Kozik as the three moved off into the dark.
"Ha, that wasn't Tiggy, that was Ace. She launched a belt buckle at Happy and got me instead." She heard Kozik explain to Donut.
Ace hung back, staying on the picnic table, trusting that Happy would eventually manage to make his way to her. She liked watching all the Sons together, it was exactly the way she pictured a big family of boys would look like.
"That was your old man?" A deep, accented voice came from behind her, and a chill shot up Ace's back. She looked over her shoulder and recognized immediately that even though he wore a cut, this wasn't a Son. She glanced back toward the ring, but she'd lost Happy in the crowd.
"Yes." Ace answered, deciding that civility was her best bet.
"He's quite the fighter, isn't he?" The man lit a cigar, not coming any closer, but making no move to leave, either. Ace continued to scan the knot of men frantically, hoping to find Happy.
"Um, yes." Ace looked back to him, trying to push down the panic she was starting to feel.
"And that brand is still healing, so you must be a very new old lady, probably only a couple weeks. Isn't that right?" He continued, and this time when Ace looked for him, Happy was pushing through the edge of the crowd. His face was hard when he saw that she wasn't alone, and she hopped down from her perch on the table to meet him. Happy didn't pause, just took her by the hand, shoving her behind him.
"There a problem?" He asked coldly, but the other man just held his free hand up.
"Just congratulating the lady on her new ink. Very nice work, brother." His tone was unfailingly polite, and Ace felt Happy's grip tighten on her hand before he shook her loose.
"I ain't your brother. I think you're done here." Happy stepped all the way in front of her, so she didn't see the man nod his head respectfully and turn to go. All she saw before the darkness swallowed him up was the back of his cut and the flash of a cell phone screen.
"You ok?" Happy turned back to her, and she nodded back. Assured that she was fine, Happy picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist.
"You did good, big man." Ace told him, wrapping her arms around his neck, still holding his cut in one hand and rested her forehead on his. Happy's skin was slick with sweat and hot against hers, and it was a relief when he plundered her mouth. She moaned when he set her down on the edge of the table, and he kept a firm hand on her lower back, forcing her to arch into him.
"Fuck." He pulled away from her, panting. "I'm not going to make it to the room. Come on."
He pulled her to her feet, and tugged on his cut, dragging her across the parking lot to Bowie's warehouse. There were a lot of knowing looks and laughter from the Sons that Happy ignored in his single-minded focus. When they reached the door to Maryanne's office, he stopped short and fumbled for his keys. Unlocked, he pushed her through and kicked it shut behind him. They both stood still for a moment in the quiet. Ace drank in the feral sight of him, his eyes were glittering dangerously in the dark, and his nostrils were flared, still breathing heavily. She kicked her boots off, backing toward the desk.
"Come and get me, big man." She goaded him, her hands going to the button on her jeans. Happy hit her like a linebacker, pushing her onto the desk, hands dragging her jeans roughly down her legs. He abandoned any effort to keep kissing her, desperate to get inside her. He spat into his hand, and coated his dick, knowing that he wasn't going to be able to gently work himself into her. It was crude and primal, and extremely hot, and Ace was blessedly wet around him when he drove into her. He supported her weight easily, wrapping an arm around her back. Ace fisted her hands in his cut, keeping herself close to him.
By the time they were done, Happy had climbed halfway on the desk in his attempt to get deeper inside her. He wrapped both arms around her, and let his forehead fall to the desktop, next to Ace's ear. Her hair was a mess, and he didn't think she'd noticed that the cut in his left eyebrow had bled on her. He felt her tremble slightly beneath him and he squeezed his eyes shut.
"You make me crazy, Ace." He told her quietly, but it felt like he'd meant something entirely different.
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