Wild, Wild West. || Charlie Slimecicle x Reader

9

After changing into some spare clothes you kept in Basil's satchel, you and Charlie carefully made your way down to the river, though it was a steep drop down.

You seemed to climb down with ease, while Charlie seemed more hesitant. "Not a fan of heights?" You asked teasingly, smiling as you dropped down onto another set of rocks.

The cowboy following along with you almost seemed offended by your question, a loud scoff escaping his lips as he glared down at you. "Me? Scared of heights? Please." He grumbled as he carefully slid down, grabbing onto the ground around him to keep him steady. "Out of everything I've been through, you think heights would be the worst of em'?"

"I'm just sayin'. You seem more hesitant than usual." You teased, soon making it to the bottom of the hill. The water was clear and flowing smoothly, almost perfect to swim in.

Before Charlie even joined you at the bottom, you had run into the water, practically jumping in once you reached a deeper level. He watched for a moment as you splashed around and laughed, managing to see a few fish darting away as you made movement in the tides.

As you looked back to see if Charlie was joining you, you noticed he stood at the bottom of the hill, watching you for a moment. He didn't seem hesitant to get in the water, but instead, he seemed interested in how you splashed around and played in it like a child.

Before you could holler at him and tease him for not getting in, he removed his coat and his shirt, tossing them to the ground before running in, jumping right in front of you and splashing you with water.

You squealed for a moment, quickly splashing him with water as soon as he came up for air. "You bastard!" You said with a laugh, seeing the playful smile on his face.

"Relax, you're already wet anyway!" He teased, shielding his face as you splashed him more. "Hey, quit it! I only splashed you once!" He said with a laugh.

The two of you splashed around and swam like children through the waters, the loud crashing of the waterfall almost completely covering the sounds of your giggling.

"Man, I can't remember the last time I got to swim like this! Schlatt can't swim, and Ted's just too 'hardcore' to have fun." Charlie said with a smile, floating on his back as the flow of the river slowly carried him downstream.

Floating along with him, you gave him a concerned look. "Wow, you guys were just criminals by heart, huh? No fun, no games.. just heists and shit."

He gave a slow nod, a small sigh escaping him as he thought back. "You could say that again. Don't get me wrong, Schlatt and Ted are like brothers to me.. but sometimes, I just felt trapped."

"I know the feeling. Not as bad as you, but to some extent." You said softly, slowly standing up in the water as you looked at him. "Being the sherrifs kid isn't all pleasantries. People expect more from me- they want me to follow in his footsteps. Protect the town from criminals and shit.. but if I'm being honest, I'm not interested in anything like that."

Raising an eyebrow, Charlie couldn't help but stand as well. "Really? Most sherrifs kids seem super involved in their dads career. What are you into?"

You couldn't help but smile at his curiosity, his eyes seeming to light up once you showed no interest in working for the law. "If I'm being honest, I'd like to be a shopkeeper. Buying and selling goods for others just seems like it'd be nice. Plus, it pays well, too."

"I bet. You'd be running a shop of your own. Every bit of money would rightfully be yours." Charlie said with a smile. "Though I will warn you, businesses are usually targeted by bandits. Them and banks are what people tend to go for when wanting to steal cash."

Scoffing slightly, you gave him a playful glare. "Well, you don't say, Mr. Criminal."

Charlie snickered softly, wading through the water in order to make it to a shallow area. "You don't usually see criminals robbing schools and ranches unless it's for horses, though, do ya?" He teased, carefully sitting on a rock, relaxing in the water.

It took you a moment to catch up with him, but once you did, you sat by his side, an annoyed huff escaping you. "So a personal preference of sorts?"

"More like there's more cash and easier access to it. Their usually easier to get out of, too. Just hop on a horse and ride like the wind." He spoke casually, as if this was knowledge was known by everyone.

Before you could scoff or ridicule him, a loud crash of thunder could be heard in the distance, causing both of you to jump. He grimaced as he glanced up at the sky, seeing a few gray clouds begin to roll in. "Shit. Guess we got a storm on the way, huh?"

Standing up, water dripped from your clothes as you looked at the clouds. "Yeah. Guess we'll have an excuse on why we're soaked." You said with a small laugh, ringing out your shirt as you waded through the water, making it back to land.

Charlie followed after you before grabbing his shirt and coat from the ground, placing them back on. "You got a point there. We can say the rain started when we were halfway through town." He chuckled softly, beginning to climb up the hill.

You followed behind him, your wet clothes weighing you down a bit, but it didn't take long before both of you were met with Basil. She had waited patiently on the two of you to get back, gently grazing on some grass. Patting her head, you smiled before hopping onto her saddle.

Offering Charlie your hand, he hopped up as well, sitting right behind you. "Well, off we go, then!" He said with a smile, carefully grabbing onto your shoulders for support.

As you whipped Basil's reigns, she let out a whinny before taking off, dashing through the woods as the rain began to pour down on the two of you. The two of you were freezing as the cold rain best against you, the cool air that flew by as she ran not helping whatsoever.

"Jesus, you think your ma' is making something nice and warm for dinner?" Charlie asked through the pouring rain, his grip on your shoulders seeming to tighten the faster Basil ran.

"Let's hope so!" You called back, feeling shivers roll down your spine the faster you went.

The two of you had made it through the woods and began riding towards your home, which luckily wasn't too far out from the forest entrance. As soon as you both arrived, you made sure Basil was comfortable in her stable before the two of you rushed through the front door.

Instead of being open with welcome arms like you had expected, though, the opposite awaited in the kitchen.

Your father sat at the kitchen table, a shotgun resting in his lap. The two of you seemed to pause once you saw the weapon, your eyes widening. "Uhm.. howdy, pa-"

"Y/N." Your father said grimly, cocking back his shotgun, before aiming it directly at Charlie.

"Back away from that criminal."

~

(Happy 4th of July or whatever, my goofy goobers, since it's a holiday this chapter is a bit shorted, but hey, I uploaded

Also, if you don't celebrate the 4th, I hope you're having a good day in general!

Wonker out)