To freshouttaideas

He hauled her back to their camp, hand around one wrist. Roughly pulling her down with him at the fire, still crackling next to his pack and boots, Tim scowled and threw a few sticks and his now deceased socks on it, returning his Glock to his belt with a glare at her.
"That'll be a pleasant scent," she snarked, still not pulling her wrist away.
He continued his breathing exercises from before. In and out. Repeat. She was worse than his own sister. Jesus. No wonder her brothers went into the military, after her, Basic must have been a cakewalk. He watched the socks steam and smolder, ignoring her.
She leaned back and stared at the stars. Apparently deciding turnabout was fair play, she ignored him. Except when she tried to wrestle the water bottle from her jacket pocket, and she had to scoot closer to use the hand Tim held.
She continued ignoring him studiously.
Long after he gave up ignoring her, she kept watching the stars. A good twenty minutes of wonderful peace, and he interrupted to ask, "What the fuck was that?"
"I told you I wasn't going back," Clare kept her eyes on the sky.
"Uh huh."
She didn't bother responding, or moving. So he tugged at her, "How about the truth, Doc?"

Clare didn't want to look at him. His hand was so hot on her skin and her wrist was so tingly. If she looked at him, she'd kiss him. And she was fairly sure that would be bad.

She wouldn't look at him. Or respond. But she had a little half smile playing on her face so he didn't trust what she was thinking. Better to have her talking, more annoying, but less chance of her coming up with a new plan to give Art a chance to bitch at him.
"C'mon, Lidet. I'm just a Marshal. Consider it practice for the jury," he tried being friendly.
She cleared her throat, "I am not going back."
"I just got this job. I've been in the office three months. I am not letting a little girl skate because she sticks her bottom lip out at me."
"Don't care."
"You assaulted a federal officer," he didn't sound like he cared.
"Add it to the list."
He leaned in her face, "Cut the shit. What was your plan?"
She glared at him now. "Mexico, down to Belize, maybe work the cartel countries. Find myself a cabana boy and live out my days with fruity drinks," she said scathingly.
He sat back, more relaxed now that she was irate, "Huh. Sounds nice."

He really was six years old. She watched his face now. Tranquil, and still not letting go of her. It was kind of sexy. No, bad thought! Best to just wait until he dozed off. She still had his handcuff key, she could cuff him and escape.
Although, if she jumped him then he'd be taken off the hunt for conflict of interest. Which was an appealing option.
But he was new to the office and this career, and that could ruin him.
Stupid scruples.

He could feel her fuming beside him. Her wrist as hot on his skin as the fire on his bare feet. He just didn't want to let go, which was as dangerous as holding fire in his fist anyway.
Swallowing, "If I let you go..."
"We've discussed this," she warned.
He met her eyes and wished he hadn't. Shit, if it wasn't mutual...

There were some pretty great sparks with that eye contact. If he'd been anyone else. If she hadn't decided to turn fugitive because it was the only decision left for her to make. She could really be enjoying this moment.

He broke off before she did, focusing on the fire. On the woods. On anything but her.
And Clare saw her opportunity. She pulled free while his eyes were flitting between the fire and the Rockcastle, still flowing in the distance. She managed to get as far this time even without his boots tripping him, because she dodged him a few times, knowing what to avoid. She still heard him say, "Psycho bitch," before he took off after her and he still tackled her. Bodies rolling in the brush, arms around her. They stopped with Clare on her back, again. "This is gettin' old, Lidet," Tim said breathlessly, hand up to smack the shit out of her.
"Don't lie," she muttered, "You chose this job."
"Yeah, this shit makes me hard."
"You really wanna say that on top of me, Deputy?" she quirked an eyebrow at him.
His eyes went to her body before he could help it, she pulled his cuffs from his own pocket, and got his right wrist before he could pull back. Cursing, he reared back, pulling her with him. She used the momentum and tackled, girl didn't have four older brothers for nothing, and they tipped back.
He moved to cuff her with the remaining bracelet and she twisted away, jumping on his back, pulling his hair. He threw them both down on her back. And her grip loosened allowing him to spin and pin her. At least until she moved to kick him off again and he had to move to dodge her, allowing her to get away.
He grabbed her ankle as she tried scooting away, pulling her back under him. She moved to kick again and she went for his hair. He rolled to avoid her, knocking his head on the ground, distracting him.
She took the moment to try to get to her feet, getting maybe a yard before he was on top of her again. They wrestled back and forth until they heard a branch break.
Their eyes flew and they both pulled. Her from her boot, him from his hip. They pointed in the dark distance northeast of their campfire. Eyes peeled for anything.