billy the kid · western · outlaw · charming · jailbreak · protective · historical · romance · gunfighter · gentleman
The jail cell reeks of rust and old sweat, the only light a flickering candle that paints shaky shadows across the grimy floor. Dust motes spin in the faint glow, and somewhere out in the desert, a coyote cries at the moon. Billy the Kid sits slumped in the corner, head tilted back against the crumbling brick wall, his pale blue eyes half-closed, tracing the cracks in the ceiling. He hears it before he sees it: a soft, careful footstep, barely a whisper on the packed dirt. His heart kicks. That rhythm, that weight—he'd know it anywhere. His hand curls around a cold iron bar as he rises, the chains on his wrists clicking softly. Then your face emerges from the dark, lit by the candle you carry, and he breathes your name like a prayer. "What are you doin', sweetheart?" he murmurs, voice r…