doesntsing | shot through the heart (for allbedestroyed)

shot through the heart (for allbedestroyed)

This is definitely the most unique first date that Midge has ever been on.

Despite the fact that Robert took her to his company party one night and came out to see her show the next night, this outing is their official first date. And it’s to a shooting range outside of the city. Certainly not what Midge would have picked, but she’s open to new experiences. She doesn’t think she’s ever held a real gun, let alone shot one. She’d be more nervous if Robert wasn’t with her. He’s so calm and steady that it should keep her from panicking too much. It helps that he’s an expert shot as well. Midge just hopes that he’s a patient teacher.

They managed to get a warmer than usual day for December in New York with the sun shining brightly overhead. Midge is wearing a sweater and a pair of trousers with her coat and a hat. They’re going to be spending the day outside, so she had to dress sensibly, though still fashionably, of course. They packed a picnic lunch to eat on the grounds after they shoot, and Midge brought along a big thermos of tea to hopefully keep them warm. Tea because he’s English. She made an assumption.

The range is about 30 minutes outside of the city and Midge watches the fields go by as the two of them race through the countryside in his rented car.

“How did you hear about this place?” she asks.

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That Midge isn't the type to do this, but is doing it anyway is something Muldoon appreciates, both personally and generally. It says a lot about someone when they can step out of their comfort zone without too much hesitation. Still, he intends to make it as easy and fun as possible.

"A friend. I make it a habit to ask for recommendations when I'm going to be staying somewhere for a while. It's a good rule to live by: Always ask the locals."

He glances over at her before looking back to the road. "Are you sure you're alright with this?"

“I usually ask for restaurant recommendations,” Midge teases. She supposes that it’s different if you’re someone who needs to be able to shoot as part of their job. Robert brought several guns that are in cases in the trunk. Midge will either shoot one of his or borrow one at the range.

She nods at his question. “I am. I doubt that I’ll be running out to buy a gun any time soon, but it can’t hurt to learn how to shoot one.” They’re just shooting at targets, not hunting animals. Midge feels safe with him.

“Do you hunt in Kenya?”

The quip does get Muldoon to smile. Midge is fast becoming the world's expert at getting him to smile.

"I do. Not often these days, and when I do it's for food or safety."

"Acting as guide for big game hunters was my first job. There were plenty of times I had to take down animals because of bad would-be hunters."

Midge gets another glance. "I'm glad you're open to trying this. I hope you never have to fire a gun, but better to be prepared than not."

Good. She likes his smile.

Hunting for food is mind blowing for Midge, considering that she hunts for her food at the butcher and the baker. Where he is really remote, isn’t it?

“Because they didn’t know what they were doing?” she asks.

Edited 2025-01-16 20:55 (UTC)

"Because they didn't know what they were doing," he confirms. "Or they didn't listen to the experts they hired. Or both. It's like watching boys trying to show off to their friends, except that they have money and guns."

"I much prefer what I do now," he adds.

“You mean you didn’t like working for a bunch of rich assholes?” Midge says wryly. It sounds insufferable, if she’s being honest. “I don’t enjoy the idea of hunting for sport. Leave the lions and elephants alone. Seems like just another way for men to compensate for what they’re lacking.”

She’s pretty sure Robert isn’t hunting for sport, so hopefully she hasn’t just insulted him. Besides, Robert’s got nothing to compensate for.

Her summary gets a bigger grin. "That's exactly what I mean."

Seeing their destination up ahead, Muldoon keeps his eyes on the road as he starts to slow down to take the right turns.

"I agree. I wouldn't have been in that line of work, except that it's my father's line of work. Helping out his business was my first job."

That’s understandable. He was probably required to help his father and then it was easy to continue in his line of work. As he got older, he realized that it wasn’t right for him.

Midge is fairly sure that Robert told her that his father is now deceased.

After he parks the car, Midge gets out and stretches. They’ll leave their lunch in the car for now, though she takes the thermos of tea. She’ll let Robert handle his guns.

“So… when you’re hunting for food,” Midge asks. “What sort of animals are you hunting?”

Muldoon's father is very much alive, somehow. But given how little they see of each other, and how Muldoon talks as a result, it would be easy to assume otherwise.

Hefting his gun bags up over his shoulders is so natural he doesn't think twice about it. Midge's continued enquiries, on the other hand, does surprise him. He's not used to people outside of his line of work even feigning interest.

"That depends where I am. Gazelle, deer, wildebeest, hogs or boar are all common enough. There are rules to follow, too. They have to be plentiful and it has to be the right time of year... Do your family ever hunt or fish?"

That sounds like a story for another times.

As they walk to small building where they’re supposed to check in, Midge listens as Robert talks about the types of animals he hunts, and apparently eats.

“Are those Kosher?” she muses to herself. “Not hogs or boar.” Then, she huffs a laugh at his question. “Not my father. My ex-husband and ex-father-in-law do some fishing when we’re at Steiner. That’s the summer camp that you think is a luxury resort.” Her tone is teasing.

"Sounds like a luxury resort," he insists with a mumble.

He takes a little time to talk to the man behind the desk to get them checked in. Midge won't have to worry about any of the directions the man gives, Muldoon is more than comfortable with all of it.

"This way," he says once he's done, and starts walking round to the range. "What are the criteria for Kosher meat?"

She can follow instructions. Mostly. A lot of it is about safety and not pointing the guns at any person while at the range. Midge figures that Robert will show her what else to do.

“It’s a little complicated,” she replies. “Animals that don’t have split hooves aren’t Kosher. Pigs aren’t Kosher. Deer are. I’m not sure about wildebeest. I don’t remember what their feet look like. It also matters how the animal is killed though. It’s supposed to be done in accordance with Jewish law, which says that it should be done by cutting their throats. I don’t know where that leaves hunting.”

Midge shrugs. “I’m not incredibly strict about keeping Kosher.”

"Wildebeest have cloven hooves. But the goal of hunting is to put them down as quickly as possible. That's not usually done by cutting their throat. I don't think there's much of a Jewish community in Nairobi, though."

As soon as they step into the range he rattles off the key safety points, mostly in case there are any other shooters they need to be mindful of. After that he sets the guns he has out, he looks over them before turning to her. "I've brought three types of gun with me today. A rifle, a shotgun, and a handgun. If you don't want to use one, or if you're not comfortable, I want you to tell me, alright?"

"They're all unloaded at the minute, so you pick them up and look at them. If you have a preference, we can start with that one."

He can go through more safety and rules then, but he doesn't want to scare her before she's even seen the guns up close. They've been carefully selected, lighter than he'd usually go for, and with less recoil. Though he still has his favourite in one of the bags in case there's time for a few rounds with it.

“That’s not very surprising,” Midge replies. The meat being Kosher isn’t really something she’s worried about at the moment, though she thought of it when Robert mentioned that he eats what he hunts. She supposes that means that he cooks too. It’s something to ask him later, because she probably needs to pay attention while he explains to her how to use his guns.

Midge picks up the handgun and examines it. It’s weighty in her hand, though not too heavy. “I suppose I shouldn’t hold it like a spy in a Hollywood movie?” she jokingly strikes a glamorous pose, holding the gun out in front of her with one hand.

He stands back and watches her while she looks over them, allowing himself the smallest smile at her pose and question. "Only if you want to miss your shot and give yourself a black eye."

Then, putting a hand on her back he positions her over by the stand designated for shooting. It's here Midge will get to experience the time honoured tradition of Totally Not Flirting while he corrects her posture. Since they've already spent a night together he has no qualms about putting his hands on her hips as he explains how to stand, or wrapping his arms around her as he explains how to hold the pistol. Shooting is never as glamorous in real life as in the movies, but learning it can still be fun.

With his hands on her shoulders and his voice low, he asks, "Would you like to try shooting?"

It’s Totally Not Flirting. Not at all. Except for the fact that feeling his hands on her waist like that brings back memories of him holding her there while he fucked her. Those thoughts are incredibly distracting, and it’s all Midge can do to pay attention to the instructions that he’s giving her, considering that they’re for everyone’s safety.

She practices pulling the trigger of the unloaded gun a few times and then nods. “Let’s do this.”

"Alright." He takes the gun from her, but has his eyes pretty much entirely on her while he loads the weapon. "You're going to put on the earmuffs, pick up the pistol, keep it aimed towards the target at all times, take your aim, turn the safety off... and then shoot when you're ready. Take your time, and if you're ever unsure of anything, put the safety back on and put the gun down first."

It would not be a fun date it she ended up accidentally shooting him.

Clicking the clip back in, he sets the pistol down and directs her to the earmuffs. "When you're ready. Take your time. Breathe."

It’s impressive that he can load the gun without even looking. Midge listens to his instructions, though she’s starting to feel a bit anxious now. She takes a deep breath and puts on the earmuffs before picking up the gun.

She tries not to hold the gun like it’s a bomb about to go off, but she’s being very gentle with it. Her thumb flicks off the safety and then she aims. The target seems extremely far across the grass and her hand shakes a little. As long as she keeps the pistol facing this direction, everything should be alright.

Midge squeezes the trigger, waiting for it to go off and lets out a yelp when it does. The retort is a lot stronger than she expected it to be. She fired something though.

“Did I hit it?” she asks, squinting at the target.

Muldoon is too used to being around guns to worry about putting on ear protection himself. It's why Midge might find him a bit more responsive when she's on his left. He still steps back out of the way when she aims her weapon. The yelp doesn't surprise him, but he manages to wrangle his smile down before he steps back close again.

Setting a hand on her lower back reassuringly, he shakes his head and points to where he saw the dirt scatter. "No, but you're in the right direction. Aim higher, don't lock your arms. Here..."

He gently adjusts her posture, and this time he keeps his hands on her shoulder and waist so she stays in the right place. "Try again."

“I’m supposed to be able to concentrate when you’re touching me like this?” she quips. “For the record, don’t stop touching me like this.” Having him physically show her how to stand is helpful.

Midge aims and fires again, the sound of the shot frightening her less this time. There’s a thunk as it hits the bottom of the target.

She's making it impossible to stop smiling. It's just as well he's nowhere near his workplace or people would stop seeing him as the scarily stern head warden. The comment is all well and good, but seeing her actually hit the target makes him proud.

"There you go! Good job!" He might be a touch excited as he does a few more corrections. "You're shorter than a lot of the people coming here, so you have to aim higher than you'd expect. It might feel wrong, but you'll get results, trust me."

Midge loves that she can make him smile, that she’s able to break through that stern exterior. That’s been one of her goals ever since meeting him. His coworkers would certainly see a whole different side of him if she were ever around while he was working.

“Thanks.” Midge is thrilled to have just hit the target at all. “I have a good teacher. And I’m 5’3”, thank you very much.”

So yes, shorter than most men. Her indignation is fake though.

Midge takes care to remember that she still has a live weapon in her hands. She holds her arms higher than what feels normal and shoots again, hitting the target again.

Just because she didn't hit the dead centre doesn't mean she's bad at all. The fact that she made such a marked improvement makes Muldoon swell with pride, and hope that she feels as much satisfaction as he does with a well made shot.

"Well done! You're a natural!"

Midge laughs and shakes her head. “I think it’s because you showed me what to do,” she tells him. “Although I was pretty good at archery at camp when I was a kid.” See? It is more than a luxury resort.

She shoots a few more times, getting closer to the bullseye before she turns the safety back on and puts the gun down. “Your turn,” she says.

That is a luxury resort! How many city kids get to go and do archery? Muldoon still isn't accepting the brushoffs, though. "You need to have a knack for these things to pick them up so quickly. You're good, Midge."

When the gun goes down and she taps him in, he hesitates as he considers protesting, but reconsiders pretty quickly. They're here to have fun, and he does enjoy shooting. He suspects she expects him to show off, too, and he isn't about to disappoint her.

Nudging her aside playfully, he picks up the weapon and reloads it. His stance is more relaxed than hers, more comfortable with the weapon raised. It isn't all that heavy to him, and he's more than used to holding larger guns up for longer periods.

Muldoon won't notice the way his smile falls away, replaced by a stern expression of concentration as he picks his target, and then fires. One shot, an adjustment of his aim, and then three more in steady succession. The holes are all neatly clustered around the centre, which he finds acceptable, despite what the unhappy tug at the corner of his mouth might suggest.

"It's not my weapon of choice," he concedes as he slips the safety back on. "How did you find it?"

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