Good Old West

Asa didn't know what he thought might snap him from his... Torrent of bad thoughts, if they could be simplified to that level.

It definitely wasn't an apology and a hug. He tensed like he'd just been caught robbing a homestead before he even allowed himself to relax into it, and let it happen.
He didn't know what to say, he expected Oscar to be mad at him. He was maybe even ready to start an argument over memories.

But Oscar wasn't like that, he was way more mature than Asa had believed him to be, apparently. But even once that tense moment was over, defused by Oscar's sincerity and his embrace, hearing his apologies didn't feel right.
So Asa hugged him back, tight, the way a good man like Oscar deserved to be held. How often he'd like to be the one doing that had to be pushed aside for now.

"Don't fuckin apologise to me for missing our friends." He said after mulling the words over in his head for at least one minute too long.

"We just... Can't do it right now. But maybe next week we can dwell on how we... We feel about this. For a night, over drinks." He offered, hesitant. Separating from Oscar, ending their hug so he could look the other man in the eye and offer a comforting attempt at a smile. His hands lingered on Oscar's shoulders.
His eyes stayed on his friend's face, and the sudden tempting look of his lips made Asa pull away entirely, blushing like mad.

It was late, they should go to sleep already
 
Oscar leaned into the embrace as Asa hugged back, almost relishing the solid weight of Asa against him and the reassuring squeeze of his arms around him. It's been a long time since he was held like this, and he found that he didn't want to let go. To embraced and in turn be embraced - Oscar has had precious few moments of comfort like this, and he closed his eyes, not wanting it to end.

"You don't have to feel like it's an obligation or something," he said softly, as the two of them eventually separated, though his fingers itched to hang onto Asa for even just a little longer, to hang on to the remnants of that moment. "We'll have to get over it at some point. But... I do suppose talking about it would help." It felt like a promise had been made between them, tentative and uncertain, but Oscar would be glad to honor it. The two of them smiled at each other before Asa blinked and turned away, breaking the eye contact between them. It could be a trick of the lamplight, or simply because it was getting late and his alertness was waning, but Oscar thought he saw red tinting his friend's ears, though he couldn't be sure.

Speaking of which - he hadn't noticed how late it'd gotten. It was fully dark outside now, the half-moon already high in the sky, pale light casting down onto now silent streets. It didn't feel like very long since they started drinking, but they must've lost track of the time amidst all the jolly reminiscing and the sudden fit of angst that overtook them. The emotional toll of the evening was starting to show its effects, leaving Oscar feeling drained.

"We should go to sleep," he said, already reaching down to loosen his boots. "It's getting pretty late, we've got work tomorrow." He loosened the collar of his shirt after setting his boots aside.
 
His mind was racing, trying to figure out just what the hell had just happened. Because that had been more than just... Enjoying a hug, or thinking Oscar's hair was pretty.

"Y-yes, you're right" He said, getting off of the bed so he could take off his boots and leave his satchel somewhere, did he like Oscar??, on the closes piece of furniture. What the hell was wrong with him??

They both got comfortable and remained quiet before getting under the covers. Asa made sure to lay down with his back to Oscar. Not that it'd help the fact that he seemed to free roam the bed in his sleep. He'd been told in the past that he moved like he was possessed sometimes.

"Good night, Oscar" Said Asa, quiet. If he wanted to sleep he couldn't linger on this weird shit his mind was doing.
 
It was the knocking on the door that woke Oscar up in the morning. He'd startled awake at the insistent rapping on the door to their room, with a woman's muffled voice coming from outside. Asa had somehow managed to tangle the two of them into a mass of limbs and sheets through the night. He had a hand thrown over Oscar's waist, chest pressed against his back, and Oscar had to extract himself gingerly from the pile, heat creeping up his neck, so he could answer the door. After thanking the girl for waking them up, Oscar went about shaking Asa awake.

They dressed in silence, collecting all of their few belongings strewn about the hotel room, since they would no longer be staying there. Oscar left the hotel key in the keyhole as they exited. He wasn't much looking forward to the next few days sleeping on hay bales, but it was far from the worst conditions he'd been subjected to before, with the plus-side that he would no longer have to endure the stink eye that the hotel clerk gave him every time he passed by. What the hell was his problem, anyway?

Stepping out of the hotel, Oscar stopped at the hitching post and took a moment to take in the sight of Asa's new horse, a beautiful Andalusian that seemed rather reluctant to rouse even as Asa gently shook it awake.

"That's a damn nice horse you chose," he said, walking up to Houyi to give him a scratch. He was already awake, if rather grumpy at having to work this early in the morning, and Oscar passed him a sugar cube which was eagerly accepted. "What's her name again? Red?"
 
"Mhm" answered Asa, still half asleep himself. They really should've gone to hed earlier, but he didn't exactly regret their talk last night.

"Careful though" He said, using the hitching post as a middle point to get on the horse, since he still didn't have a saddle or the will to hoist himself up with his arms alone.

"She'll bite your ear off as soon as you turn your back to her." He said, amused, patting her neck and taking hold of the reins.

Once they were both on their horses, they left for the stable with Asa leading the way. It was a ten, maybe fifteen minute ride at their current pace, which was a quick trot. It helped that the streets were pretty damn empty at this hour.

They mostly trotted in silence, with Asa putting his hair up on the way there. Thank god Anne had come wake them up. He wasn't looking forward to being up by this hour every day.
When they arrived, they hitched their horses by the entrance to the stables. Mr Fern was up, and so where three other men.

"Mr. Asher! Its good to see you and your friend here. How are you boys liking Strawberry?“ He asked, making Asa question his humanity. How was he so goddamn cheerful at this time??

"Morning Mr. Fern." He said as they walked in.
 
"Good morning," Oscar echoed, darting a good look at Mr Fern as they approached him. He certainly was energetic for it being six in the god damn morning. He could feel Mr Fern's gaze sweeping over him, as well as from the three other stable hands behind him, and he couldn't help but bristle a little, nervous at the sudden attention. It was an instinctual reaction by now - he'd always hated being stared at, ever since he was little. Even if it turned out that the people gawking at him had no malicious intent, it always felt as though he was being judged.

Pushing away those sentiments, Oscar straightened himself, determined to present a decent image of himself to the others. Asa wouldn't have agreed to work here if they actually were of the bad sort, he reminded himself. He trusted Asa's judgement, especially on matters like this, and he didn't want to be the one messing up their plans.

"What's the name of your friend here, Mr. Asher?" Fern said, inspecting Oscar, who was keeping himself very still, uncomfortable with the scrutiny.

"Oliver Lee, sir," he replied, his tone reserved. "Thank you for agreeing to let us work here, Mr. Fern."
 
It was weird to see Oscar so quiet and reserved, since he wasn't, not like that, when he was surrounded by... Friends. Asa supposed. Well, he was still sort of quiet sometimes, they both could be, but not like this.

"Thanks for the welcome" He said, grinning. His stomach was sort of rebelling, his nervousness and anxiousness peaking now that they were actually at the stable.

"Of course!, well, I have some matters to attend to. But I'm sure Mr. Sheen and the McGrath will be fine showing you around."
With that, Mr. Fern left Asa and Oscar in company of the other three farm hands.

Anthony Sheen was a strong, tall man with dark brown skin and short black hair, he was the one who showed them around the whole area of the stables and the surroundings. He was really nice to both of them, sympathetic with them being the talk of the town. He mentioned it was the same when him and his wife, Genoveva, arrived.

Asa was glad to find him so welcoming and nice, also patient with the both of them. Since at least for Asa, he'd never done a lot of ranch work before. And as hard as it was to believe, even shoveling shit required some technique.

The other two were siblings, from an Irish family it seemed. One of them was tall and muscular, the other still strong but less tall. Both had pale skin and reddish hair. They were alright, if a bit absent during the morning.

By lunch time, Asa was already both sweaty and tired, and gladly welcomed a small break for lunch with the rest of the hands. They all ate outside, since Asa and Oscar didn't have their own cabin just yet.
 
The meal today was a vegetable stew that was far too salty, but Oscar gladly downed it anyway. He'd never been one for hard labour, not even back when he was in camp - he helped out with the choring whenever he could, but the most strenuous of tasks were often left to bigger guys like Fraser. He could feel the ache settling in his back, and he winced, shifting a little on the hay bale he was sitting on. The next few days were going to be hell to adjust to. Anthony and Asa were talking to each other, and Oscar idly listened in to them as he ate.

"We already know what happened to you boys with the cougar, really sorry to hear the story. Its good to see you two are alright though." Anthony was saying to Asa, who gave a woeful half-smile and mumbled a word of thanks in return. The taller McGrath sibling, however, chose that moment to interject.

"Where'd you come from, though?" He asked, looking directly in Oscar's direction. The other three pairs of eyes immediately settled on him, and Oscar hesitated, brow furrowed at having been put on the spot.

"You know," he said evasively. "Just... been here and there, really. I was born way out West, but since I left I've never stayed anywhere for long enough to call it home." He didn't want to give away too many details to a (for now) total stranger, deciding to go with a vague half-truth that left out the unsavory parts of his past. Connor didn't look too convinced, but luckily Asa came to his rescue.

"Same here, we've always been wandering souls, I guess." He laughed, and the tension bled out of the situation. Connor seemed mollified for the moment, but his sight lingered on Oscar.

"So that mean you won't stay for long then?" Adam asked.

Asa shrugged. "No idea. We don't have plans to leave in the next month or so, though. Right?" He threw a look at Oscar, as though looking for some sort of confirmation.

"I guess?" Oscar replied. "Not yet at least. It's been... difficult, the past few months." He returned his attention to his bowl, deliberately not making eye contact with anyone and wishing desperately for the attention to be off him. "I'm thinking we could settle here for a bit before we decide to move, if at all."
 
"Take your time, you might decide to stay for good here after all. Me and my wife, we wasn't planning to stay here long either, but now we have no plans for leaving anytime soon." Said Anthony, laughing a bit before he went back to his stew.

Asa's eyes widened, and he directed a surprised look in Oscar's direction. But the other was a bit too focused on his food, it seemed. He didn't quite notice.
" Maybe, I guess?, we hadn't really talked about it much. Dunno if I'm ready to settle down just yet."

"Jesus, its starting to sound like y'two are a marriage here." Said Conor, breaking into a loud bout of laughter that his sibling soon joined.
Asa laughed as well, if nervous because of recent... Developments between Oscar and himself.

He saw his friend, suddenly startled, looking around with his eyes open wide. It bothered Asa when the McGrath laughed at him, at his feeling of alarm. What did they know aboht their lives to make such tasteless jokes?.

"Hey, we was joking, alright? shoulda seen the look on your face." Said Conor, bursting into another fit of laughter right after. Adam joined him.

Meanwhile, Anthony was only a little bemused. "Ignore them" He said, "They're always like that. And... Well, seems like you two have some discussing to do, then"

"Apparently, yeah" Said Asa, giving Oscar an annoyed look now that the other had finally looked away from his plate.

"Oh, you'll be fine" Said Anthony, with a movement of his hand to take importance off of the moment.
"By the way, remind me later to get you two some blankets for tonight. It can get cold 'round these parts." Added the man, Asa smiled a bit. He was so attentive.

"They're probably used to sleeping outside though, if they travel that much." Said Connor with a light chuckle.

"Well, yeah, but we sleep in bedrolls, not on the ground" Answered Asa, amused by the thought that they just... Randomly laid on the grass on on a rock and fell asleep.

"Oh well we figured maybe you slept on trees or somethin" Said Adam then with a mischievous smile. Conor's eyes widened, realising the implications of his brother's words. And even worse, that he'd said it on purpose.

Asa's laughter died halfway, his eyes narrowing with a sharp look that spoke volumes as he directed it at Adam.
"Sorry, what?“ He said, his mouth twisted with disgust.

It took all of two seconds for Adam to realize he had fucked up. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea... Considering that not even Conor had laughed.
.
" Well, you know, 'cause you' re..." He didn't finish the sentence. God he was only digging his own grave, wasn't he?.

“You gonna finish that sentence?“ Said Asa, leaning forward a bit. He put his plate down.

Adam lifted his hands in a defensive stance after putting his own plate down.
"Look, I didn't mean nothin' by-"

"Thats good, 'cause if you don't watch your mouth' round us..." Said Asa, making a circular movement with his spoon.
"... I'll wash it with soap for ya." He finshed, pointing at Adam with the spoon.

"Now now boys, perhaps we should get back to work." Said Anthony then, after a couple minutes of tense silence once Asa was done talkimg.
 
The day was coming to a close, sun dipping towards the horizon, and Oscar couldn't wait to stop work for the day. He'd been in a strange anxious mood since lunch time - Asa seemed to be pissed at him for reasons he couldn't discern, and the confrontation between Asa and Adam had left tensions high between the group even after lunch. The afternoon had passed in mostly silence, with Anthony trying to keep things civil between the group as they worked to little effect and Oscar resolutely keeping his mouth shut, only speaking when he had to in single-word replies.

Putting the pitchforks away in the storage, Oscar walked out of the barn, only to find Conor hanging around outside, trying to look as though he wasn't loitering around.

"Hey, uh, Oliver." He quickly said as soon as he spotted Oscar coming out. "I just want to say, uh, sorry for my brother being - you know." He was an animated speaker, waving his hands around and bouncing as he spoke. "He's just boneheaded like that, but I swear he ain't meant anything really bad by it, promise."

"Why are you telling me this?" Oscar asked, puzzled. "I wasn't the one he insulted."

"Hah, funny thing, er. I'm not sure how that friend of yours will take it, if I talked to him about it." Conor let out a nervous laugh, eyes flickering around as though to make sure Asa wasn't around. "Can you just... tell 'im I said sorry, yeah?"

The way he said it rubbed Oscar the wrong way, but maybe it was just because he was exhausted. Either way, he really wasn't in the mood to examine if Conor's apology was sincere or not, so he just nodded. "I'll pass it on," he said, tone more clipped than he intended, then in a moment of impulse he added, "but this ain't my apology to accept, so don't be surprised if David doesn't buy it."

"I get that," Conor was quick to reassure him. "I do. I'll talk to Adam about it, yeah? Right. I'll see you around." With that he was off, presumably to find his brother, leaving Oscar alone to ponder on what just happened. Deciding not to dwell too much on it, he headed for the storage barn that Mr. Fern had told Asa and him to meet after work was over.
 
The rest of the day was... Not ideal. That was one way to put it. He was still mad at racist McGrath, he was also sort of mad at the world... At least for a bit. It just meant he'd be quiet than usual, silently mulling things in his head and possibly overthinking. But he'd be fine in a couple of days.

He talked to Anthony for a bit, going to get the blankets he'd mentioned earlier. They passed by his cabin and he met his wife, Genoveva. A lovely black woman around the same age as Anthony and equally as welcoming. It helped him forget about the events of the day, and after that he went to say good night to Red and Houyi before heading for the barn he'd be sharing with Oscar.

Oscar, who had said earlier he might like to... To settle down. To maybe stay here in Strawberry. Maybe it had been part of their cover, but it really hadn't felt like that. Still, perhaps Asa had been way to annoyed with Adam's comment and let his anger nip at Oscar. Who besides talking, hadn't really said much in the entire day.

"Hey" He said when Oscar arrived to the barn. His voice soft. He handed him one of the blankets Anthony had lent them for the time being.
 
"Hey yourself," Oscar replied, taking the blanket from Asa, though there wasn't really any heart in his greeting. There were too many things on his mind, too little time to think about it, and the exertion from the day's work had made his mind sluggish, as though stuffed with cotton. On top of that, the anxiety that had been buzzing in his mind for the entire afternoon hadn't abated, especially since he still hadn't figured out just why Asa had gotten mad at him during lunch. The combination of the day's shitshow culminated in a fog that weighed heavy on his mind, clouding his higher faculties. It felt like he couldn't think properly even if he tried, and he hated it.

Taking the blanket, Oscar set it aside together with his satchel for later, since it was still early in the night. He picked one of the hay bales to sit down on, sinking down onto it with a sigh. He remained in that position for a few moments, just hunched over and catching his breath, before recomposing himself.

"Oh, right. I saw Conor just now - don't worry, it's nothing bad," he reassured Asa, knowing how the other might jump to conclusions. "He wanted me to tell you that he was sorry for what his brother said, and that he'll go talk to him about it." He tried not to let his own perception of the McGraths cloud his words, but still ended up delivering the message with too much bite for it to be a neutral statement. "Said he was scared of talking to you directly, whatever that means. Make what of that you will, I suppose."
 
Asa watched Oscar. They were both tired after such a long way. But he was pretty sure it must've been harder or his friend. He wasn't used to the more physically taxing activities. Oscar and his books.

He listened to him once the other man had caught his breath. The news he brought made him bristle, having the opposite effect that Adam was hoping for, most likely. It only made it worse. Sure Asa's words had been clear and threatening, but he wasn't some beast that would strike down aimlessly anyone who came near.

"Jesus Christ..."Was his only answer. Frustrated and disgusted, both with the McGrath and with himself. Maybe he really had been too agressive.

" I'm too tired for that sort of shit. We ain't school boys fighting over who gets the ball to play with during break. They wanna talk to me, they come talk to me." He said, just because he needed someone to hear it. It was a moment of frustration that he allowed himself before deflating. He might be bigger than Oscar, but the entire day's worth of work had been hell on him too.

" Sorry, I ain't mad at you, for delivering the message or whatever." He said, making sure to clarify the reason why he wasn't mad. But why did he even do that? He was annoyed, yes, at Oscar. But could he blame him for being tired of their previous life and wanting to settle down?. Maybe. Maybe he could try, but it was wrong... Even if he didn't understand it.

He lay down on the bales of hay he'd put together, coccooned in the thick blanket Anthony had so graciously given them. Asa smiled, thinking of Anthony, and closed his eyes. The day was over and he wanted it ti be over.
 
"I'll pass that on to them," Oscar said, after listening to Asa's response. He wasn't surprised that Conor's apology was met with frustration - the fact that he'd been too afraid to even confront Asa, like he was some kind of beast, bothered him more than he could articulate. "And no - I understand. Don't worry about that."

He said that, but in truth - that wasn't the case. He wanted to ask Asa just what had caused him to be so upset at him during lunchtime. The question had been gnawing at his insides for the better part of the day, but now that he had the chance to actually talk about it with Asa, somehow the words just would not come. Call it apprehension, call him a coward, whichever it was, something compelled him to stay silent. He wrapped himself in the blanket, lying down on the hay bale that he'd been sitting on. The blanket was thick and properly soft, smelling faintly like soap - they must've been freshly laundered, and Oscar suddenly felt a measure of gratefulness towards Anthony.

Despite the comfortable blankets that shielded him from the cold of the night, sleep didn't come easy for Oscar. The longer he stayed awake for, the more his mind strayed, and not always to benevolent thoughts. He was suddenly very aware of his current situation, sleeping on a hay bale in someone's barn, with coworkers that may or may not be properly racist and no acquaintance he trusted other than Asa, who was angry at him. A sudden shiver ran over him, and he turned to look at the shape lying opposite him.

"Are you still awake?" He whispered.

The sound of light snoring was all that answered him. Heaving out a sigh, Oscar wrapped the blanket tighter around himself, curling up into a ball, and shut his eyes tightly. He wasn't sure for how much longer he stayed up, but he drifted off eventually into a thankfully dreamless sleep.
 
Early the next morning, it was a rooster's hellish "keekeereekee!!!!“ That woke Asa. It was barely bright out, what meant they should go ahead and get up. Get somewhat presentable for the day.

He sat up from the hay-covered floor where he'd fallen during his nightly wrestle with whatever forces his mind had cooked up. It hadn't been very nice, Zefir's agony filled wails plaguing him... But they still had to work.

So he stood up and yawned, stretching his arms and torso. His hair had random hay strands poking out of it as they saw fit. His hairtie thankfully kept safe in his satchel.

"Os- Oliver" He called his friend, gently nudging the hay bale he was laying on with his boot.
"Get up, we have work..." He said, ending with a groan of his own. He folded his own blanket, Asa, yesterday's conflicts forgotten for now.

"Oliver!“ He called, now shaking his friend awake with a half laugh. He wanted to see him wake, because if Asa's hair was a hay struck mess... Oh boy. He couldn't wait to see Oscar's.

Outside, the rooster announced his presence to the world once more. This time, even louder than the last.
 
Oscar woke to Asa's shaking, the rooster's piercing cry grating on his senses. As he gained consciousness his first instinct was to curl deeper into the blanket - it was still warm inside, and he was keenly aware of every muscle in his body bunching up and aching like a bitch. After a few moments, however, the combined din of Asa's calling and the rooster screeches outside were too much to bear, and Oscar reluctantly threw off the blanket, rubbing his eyes as he sat up, eyesight still bleary and unfocused.

"Morning," he grunted, voice hoarse from dryness. God, everything hurt. He looked up at Asa only to find him beaming back, looking extremely entertained about something, and then he realised - "Stop staring," he demanded, though a smile was tugging at his mouth as well. "Shut up, not a word about this." He doesn't seem angry anymore, a voice in his head supplied, and immediately some sort of weight lifted off his mind. Asa seemed to be in a good mood, at least for now, which meant that by proxy Oscar's mood was lifted as well. He reached up to pull the strands of straw out of his braid, but was dismayed at just how much had gotten lodged in his hair while he slept. Heaving a sigh, he reached up to loosen his braid so he could card the strands out of his hair and retie it.

Standing up as he was dealing with his hair, Oscar nearly buckled as he took a step, his sore muscles nearly giving out under his feet. "I'm fine," he ground out as he steadied himself, gingerly taking a few more experimental steps forward. "Just - extremely sore. I'll be alright after a bit. Let's not keep the others waiting."
 
After shameless laughter from Asa after he got to see Oscar's hay filled hair, they headed out for breakfast and their daily tasks.

Through the beginning of their day Asa hovered near Oscar... Just in case he almost fell again. He was also sore from the previous day, but still, Oscar was... He wasn't tiny. No, maybe the better word was petite. A book belonged in his hands way more than a shovel and hay bales did.

They joined Anthony, cleaning the stables and shoveling shit. Moving equipment, tools and animals from here to there. They didn't really see the McGrath for a while. And after a quiet, and hopefully unnoticed by Oscar, question, Anthony revealed they had been sent to town for supplies. In Asa's opinion they took way too long, and probably either ran into trouble or caused it, but he'd rather not know.

And so, lunch time saw the both of them sitting with Anthony around a smoking pot of stew. This town had an obsession with stew, thought Asa.

"So, you boys mentioned a saddle and other stuff left behind in your escape from the cougar, right?" Said Anthony.

"Hm, yeah. We're hoping to get back there eventually. Hopefully before it rains..."

"Well, we have some horses that Mr. Hagenson up in Springer Ranch bought from Mr. Fern. Its northeast of here, so on our way there we could try and check your camp?" Suggested Anthony, getting a thankful smile from Asa. This man was so nice to them, damn...
 
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They made small talk through lunch, agreeing to take a look at their campsite tomorrow when they brought the horses up northeast. Though Oscar was still far quieter around Anthony than he would be around the gang, he was beginning to warm up to the other man. Asa seemed to like him a lot, and he'd been nothing but kind to the both of them from the moment they arrived at the stable. He seemed like a trusty enough person to have as an acquaintance, someone that was sorely needed especially here in a place where the people didn't seem to be the friendliest. Oscar's mood soured a little when the McGraths returned after lunch, though it wasn't anything significant enough to ruin his day. They seemed to get the memo to keep their distance as well - all the better for both parties, he supposed.

All in all, he was having a much better day than he had the day before. Even though his body felt like a worn engine two screws loose away from falling apart, he was in better spirits, and it no longer felt as mentally suffocating working at the stables. The rest of the afternoon passed quietly, though it was far from the tense silence of yesterday.

As Oscar stowed the farming equipment for the day, wiping the sweat off his brow, he saw Conor approach from the corner of his eye.

"Hey, Oliver." The redhead seemed to have something on his mind. "So, uh, did David say anything about-?"

"Well, if your brother wants to apologise to him for what he said, he should go talk to David himself. Not ask you to deliver a message to me and hope he accepts it through proxy." Oscar couldn't help but feel a little vindictive joy at the look on Conor's face.

"Well, hah. That's what I told 'im as well, but he wouldn't believe me." Conor sounded resigned. "Ah, besides that. I got something else to ask you."

Oscar didn't like the tone of his voice. "What?"

"Are you and David... you know..." Conor darted a nervous look around and lowered his voice, "like... queers?"

The statement rang in his head like a gunshot, an accusatory condemnation that sent his heart pounding faster, whether from indignation or fear. Conor must've noted the look on his face, putting up his hands as though to pacify him. "I don't mean you no harm! Just... someone said you two were, and when we went back this mornin' we heard from 'im-"

"Who's been tellin' you this?" The words came out in a hiss, and Conor jumped back, alarmed.

"The hotel clerk, Bartley, he's been sayin' how you two were-"

"I don't need to hear what he's been saying." Oscar had taken a step towards Conor, pointing an accusing finger at him, and though he was a good head shorter Conor recoiled at his wrath. "For the record, Bartley is a lying scumbag. Keep your mouth shut about it. Not a word about this to David. And if your brother knows any better, he'd shut up too. You hear? Not. A. Word." Conor could only nod, scurrying off to god knows where, leaving Oscar again reeling from the weight of the revelation. Adrenaline was still buzzing through his body from the discovery, with no way to dispel it, and he took several deep breaths to calm himself down. He'd always known the hotel clerk was up to no good, but to stoop to spreading rumours about the two of them, about the kind of things that could get them hanged - Oscar's fists clenched.

Asa couldn't know about this, or who knows what he'd do to that clerk, though this point Oscar wasn't above beating the clerk up himself. Still, Asa didn't need to know now, not when it was just Conor's word, who he barely trusted. He'll find a reason to go back to town alone soon to verify if those rumours were true, and then he'll decide what course of action to take.
 
The dreaded return of the McGrath siblings ruined Asa's mood considerably. What bothered him more though, was how Adam still avoided him completely, didn't even say a word outside what tasks him and Anthony had to do. Apparently they had other things for Oscar to do at the end of the day.

He got to know Anthony a bit better, he was an interesting man. He liked poetry, for example, and had some books around he offered to let Asa borrow. He did admit to him that he wasn't much of a reader, but maybe Oliver would enjoy them.

"You really know each other, hm?" Asked Anthony while they worked.

"Comes with time, I guess." Said Asa with a shrug.

"Well I meant more than that. You two seem close, is all" Said Anthony, locking eyes with Asa. The other watched him with a raised eyebrow.

"Just good friends... is all" He answered, serious, unsure what to make of the situation. But Anthony defused whatever was building up with a quick joke. Asa relaxed, and their banter continued, expanding to other topics.

They talked about Anthony's life, about how he met Genoveva and the time they arrived to Strawberry. It had been some years already, it seemed. He was certainly an interesting man, thought Asa. Time seemed to pass twice as fast, and before they knew it, it was night.

Asa separated from Anthony, their work finished, and took some time to wash himself before heading for the barn he shared with Oscar. When the other did get there, Asa was sitting on a hay bale, with his shirt off, his hair wet, rummaging through his satchel in search of something unknown.
 
Oscar walked towards the barn, Conor's comments still on his mind. He didn't want to think about it too much, lest Asa somehow deduced that something was wrong, but the thought was as persistent as it was intrusive, every corner of his mind turned into a minefield that would trigger another fit of overthinking if he didn't step carefully. Above all the anger at the clerk and fear of the rumour spreading, he was bitter - it had barely been three days since they'd arrived, and somehow someone was already out to try and ruin their peace. God, what had they done to deserve this?

The thought that he had a few days ago - that this was somehow god's punishment for trying to outrun their sins - was niggling at his consciousness again, taunting him. Oscar shook his head forcefully, as though he was trying to physically shake the thoughts out of his mind. No matter how dire their circumstances, that was no way to think. He couldn't fall into the trap of cynicism. Not now.

Walking into the barn, Oscar absently greeted Asa, settling down on the hay bale he'd claimed the night before.

"What're you digging for there?" He asked, grabbing his own satchel to dig for his book. He hadn't touched it since they were at the hotel, and he was desperate for some sort of distraction now. Besides that, he wanted to avoid having to look at Asa too much for the night, until at least he got his thoughts sorted out, and burying his nose in a book would be the most inconspicuous way to go about it.

"Right - I told Conor that his brother would have to talk to you directly if he wanted to apologise. Not that I think Adam would actually bother, but just so you know." Flipping to where he last stopped, Oscar skimmed through the words, though he wasn't really trying hard to comprehend any of it. "He's actually not that bad, Conor. His brother's a different story, but he's just annoying." And he did blow the whistle on the clerk without spreading the rumour around, his mind added, though he wouldn't vocalise it.
 
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