#part of me wants to write it like I did Starborn Saga

[atonalginger]

WIP Wednesday

Today I have a excerpt from my upcoming Ranger and the Deputy fic staring Ranger!Delgado and Kitty Lincoln.

I tag @fangbangerghoul, @eridanidreams, @silurisanguine, @bearlytolerant, @toxiclizardwrites (I think you shared today but tagging anyway!), @aro-pancake, @aislingdmdt, @a-cosmic-elf, @lisa-and-shadow, @thatsgoodsquishy0, and anyone else who might have something to share. No pressure, let's have fun:)

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Delgado pulled her close and stole a kiss on her jaw as they approached the Coe Heritage Museum. Kitty giggled and turned, catching his cheek in her hand and kissed him back. Her lips were soft against his, a heat, intensity in the moment. He held her against him, his hand firmly at the small of her back, and dipped her as his lips trailed down her neck. He bit her neck and quickly kissed it to soothe the skin. She gasped and let out a breathy giggle. He wondered if they could make it to the bar.

He stood her back up and was met with a hungry kiss, her arms slung around his neck, her weight and momentum throwing them off balance. They stumbled back together into the side of the Enhance! Building, her fingers in his hair rubbing his scalp, his hands firmly gripping her hips.

“Hey, knock it off,” a firm voice from the path called over to them. As they reluctantly pulled away from each other a flashlight blinded Delgado, causing him to curse in Spanish and flip the bird at the guard. They were both panting, Kitty leaned forward to rest her forehead on his shoulder.

“Ranger?” the guard lowered his flashlight, “come on, you know better.”

“Don’t you have anything better to do with your time?” Del shot back, “maybe go take a long stroll over to Laredos and see if you can find the thief Annie mentioned a while back.”

“We both know that kid was seeing things,” the guard flipped the flashlight off and hooked it back onto their belt, “just…if you’re going to be doing that sort of thing, go home.”

Kitty was mumbling into his scarf, “oh gee thanks, officer. We never would have figured that one out if you hadn’t come along.”

Delgado gave a hearty laugh and kissed her head, “Vamos, Diego is waiting at Aggie’s.”

They hurried down the switchback stairs and down into the Stretch. The sounds of Aggie’s, blaring generic rock music, the crashing of glass bottles into a bin or onto the floor, the shouting and laughing, spilled out into the muddy path. As they approached three men spilled out the main doors, one tumbling back into a large puddle, another swinging for the third, missing, and losing his balance. Aggie herself appeared in the doorway, a bat in hand, “Git!”

“Still want to go?” Delgado asked, his arm draped over Kitty’s shoulder.

“At least one drink with Diego,” she bumped her hip into him.

He nodded and they approached the bar, Aggie still lingering in the doorway. She eyed the couple suspiciously and relaxed her shoulders, “Del, nice seeing you again.”

“I see you’re having a busy evening,” he glanced back at one of the three drunks she had just ejected, “not too much trouble, right?”

“Those three? Fucking idiots,” Aggie shook her head and spit into a nearby puddle, “mind the floors, Ethan’s still mopping up the mess.”

“Please tell me its beer,” Delgado wrinkled his nose.

“Thankfully,” Aggie took a step to the side to let them pass, “Diego grabbed the usual table and already ordered. Ethan will bring the drinks out when he’s done.”

“Thanks Aggie,” Del touched his forehead with his index finger and gave a small salute before leading Kitty inside. He leaned in and whispered into her ear, “hopefully that was the last of it.”

Diego waved them over to his table, Ethan next to him with a tray with shots of golden liquor, a salt shaker, and a small dish of lime slices. Delgado sighed at the sight and let loose a string of Spanish curses under his breath.

“Problem?” Kitty leaned in close to his ear to combat the loud music. Her breath felt good on his neck.

“Oh just Diego’s idea of getting drinks is all,” he responded, his lips now pressed against her ear.

“We’ll be fine,” she tickled at his side as they stepped up to the table. He jumped slightly with a laugh and shook his head.

“Took your time,” Diego looked between them. Del caught Diego staring at her neck and looked over to see his bite bright against her pale skin, “Get lost?”

“We took the scenic route, Del wanted to show me the sights,” Kitty leaned against the table, eyeing the shots on the tray.

“Oh I’m sure he did,” Diego smirked.

Delgado leaned over to Deigo and hissed through his teeth, “shut it.”

“Someone cultivates agave out here?” Kitty picked up one of the glasses and sniffed the contents, “New Homestead used to but someone in my dad’s generation messed up a soil change and killed the whole crop. No one could get it going again and they were told by MAST our crop was the last of it.”

“Probably for the UC,” Diego said before licking the side of his hand and shaking salt onto the wet skin, “but yeah, Del’s family owns like six massive greenhouses of the stuff out on Codos.”

“They do?” She looked at Del with big, bright eyes, “that’s amazing.” Delgado bobbed his head side to side, irritated with Diego’s rambling but not wanting to show it, “You ever had tequila?”

“Once. Anja got a bottle in the tavern and served it to celebrate a milestone a few years back. Everyone got a drink with a shot in it; I remember it was pretty sour,” she shook her head and sat the small glass on the table, “In New Homestead we brew vodka, rum, and gin in house. We serve it at our tavern but only the locals really drink it; the tourists all complain that it’s too harsh.”

“Harsh?” Diego lowered his hand, no longer ready to hurry the group into their first shot.

“Apparently you aren’t suppose to be able to taste them when mixed with lots of juices or soda?” Kitty shrugged, “I’m not sure. I just know that tourists will order a mixed drink and complain that they can taste it and it’s bad but…it’s fine? I mean it’s alcohol, it’s not going to taste like candy and sunshine.”

Diego threw his head back and laughed hard enough to draw attention from other tables, “Is New Homestead brewing moonshine?”

“We don’t exactly have room for a lot of extra equipment,” Kitty explained, “they could probably stand to filter the vodka a few more times, that one can make he shudder something fierce, and sometimes the gin tastes like the floor cleaner smells but again it’s alcohol, it’s not supposed to be nice, it’s meant to get you drunk.”

“¡Mierda! You poor soul,” Diego was wiping tears from his eyes, “It doesn’t have to be that bad.”

“Diego, they live under the ice,” Del reminded him, “they’re making due.”

“They shouldn’t have to, they belong to the fucking United Colonies. They aren’t some LIST settlement!” Diego exclaimed. He pointed at the salt shaker, “Okay, Kitty, you saw what I did, copy that. Once we have that we lick the salt, take the shot, and bite the lime once you swallow.”

“That seems like a lot for a shot,” she tilted her head to the side with a quizzical look.

“It allegedly makes the shot taste better,” Delgado picked up his shot and looked to Diego, “or you could just shoot it and not be a pussy about it.”

“I didn’t order your family’s tequila,” Diego shook his head, “it don’t go down smooth without it.”

Delgado held Diego’s stare for a beat and then threw the shot back unceremoniously. It did burn a bit, the aftertaste wrinkling his nose for a second, but it was fine. He sat the shot glass down and looked over in time to watch Kitty swallow and set hers down as well. She looked completely unphased by the cheap tequila, wearing a toothy grin at Diego who grumbled about them being no fun before licking his hand, shooting his shot, and biting down on a wedge of lime. Kitty reached over and took one of the lime wedges and bit into it, clearly curious to what it might add to the taste.

“Ethan!” Diego called over to the bartender, “another round por favor!”

“You sure, you big baby,” Delgado taunted his fellow ranger, “you barely handled the last one.”

“Vete a la verga,” Diego snarled back.

Delgado could feel Kitty looking at them. When he looked back she was still smiling, “how many ‘another rounds’ you counting on, ranger? Del and I do have work to do tomorrow.”

“Just one more,” Diego held up his hands in mock defense, “so we can have a proper toast.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Del pointed a finger at Diego, “arguing with Jacob will give me a headache enough, I don’t want to be hung over.”

“Thought you said no work talk,” Diego leaned in.

Delgado touched Diego’s cheek and pushed his face away with minimal force. Diego laughed and clapped his friend’s shoulder as Ethan delivered the second round. Diego thanked the bartender, who gave a noncommittal nod and shuffled back to the bar.

“Don’t go crazy with the toast,” Del reached for his glass.

“I won’t,” Diego waited for Kitty to take her glass and then raised his own, “To your success today at the GalBank, to your success tomorrow, and each day forward. Arriba, abajo, al centro, y dentro. Salud!”

As Diego said the back half of his toast he raised his glass, lowered it, and pushed it to the center with Delgado following suit and Kitty trailing behind, unfamiliar with the tradition, before finishing the toast and throwing back the shot. Delgado echoed his ‘salud’ and Kitty quietly followed suit before taking her shot. Delgado and Kitty watched Diego shake off his grimace and then shared an amused look.

“Oh shove it your people drink paint thinner,” Diego waved off her look with a laugh, “go on and get out of here, I know you both want to.”

“You know nothing, Diego,” Delgado laughed and clapped his friend’s shoulder, “don’t get too wild tonight.”

“I’d say the same to you but we both know neither of us listen.” Diego’s darted his eyes to Kitty and back to Delgado and winked. While the two rangers bantered Delgado missed the young man who sidled up to Kitty with a drink in hand. When he turned around he saw her leaned back against the wall, one hand around an empty shot glass and her eyes glued to Del.

“Your wasting your time with the lawmen here,” the young man said, his words slurred, “why don’t you come sit with me, I can show you a good time.”

“That’s it?” Kitty asked loud enough to be heard over the music,

“That’s all you’ve got? I’ve heard 12 year old boys serve better pick-up lines!”

“Man, fuck you, you fat cow,” the man stumbled as he thrust his pointed index finger inches from her chest, “I was being nice!”

“Go be nice somewhere else,” Delgado shoved the man, knocking him to the floor and spilling his drink. He clapped his hands together like he was knocking dust off and then held out a hand to Kitty, “shall we, Kitten?” Delgado heard Diego behind him, “Dios Mio.”

Kitty’s skin was flush, though Del couldn’t tell if that was arousal or the alcohol, desire plain in her eyes. She took his hand and stepped over the downed drunk, “thought you’d never ask.”

#starfield fanfiction #atonalginger writes #wip wednesday #Starfield Delgado #Delgado x starfarer #ranger!delgado #don't know when I'm going to start uploading #part of me wants to write it like I did Starborn Saga #part of me wants to upload in chunks as I go #mmmm Chunks