Good Old West

He watched Oscar after he took the book, he looked so disappointed, with the paper-y pile of wet mush... He couldn't help the guilt that settled in the bottom of his stomach. It wasn't his fault, but still, he wished they had come earlier.

Leaving him be and after saddling Red with the help of Charles, he dug into his satcgel for the hair tie that Morrisey had given him long ago. It was time to, like with Zefir, let go of it. If Charles had anything to say about it, he didn't. And Asa tied the piece of fabric to a nearby tree branch, saying a prayer with it and thanking the mare he'd lost for the journey they had had together.

The hunters were talking to Anthony when they arrived back to their camp, one of them bandaged up. Apparently, they had come out to hunt mountain elks, and hadn't been warned that this was also cougar territory. They weren't from the area, but from a city more to the south called Blackwater.

The lot of them mounted up, Henry, the one with a leg wound, with some help from Asa and another of his partners.

From time to time, Asa looked at Oscar, worried about his friend... But it wasn't the time to ask about it now.

They rode down to the nearest road, slowly and carefully so no one got lost in the rain, and no one slipped in the mud. A bright day that ended up like this.

It felt like they should be celebrating. But no one felt it, it seemed. And Asa wondered if it was the rain, the spilled blood, the body of the cougar. It had been skinned of its fur and other resources, like fangs. He'd taken two of the fangs, the rest was with Henry.

They split when they got to the road, Charles riding back to Mr. Hagenson's ranch after saying his goodbyes and wishing them luck. The rest of them riding south, together for now until the road split again.
 
They didn't talk much on the way back. The rain had slowly thinned and turned into a constant drizzle about halfway back to the stables, and by the time they returned it had mostly stopped, the dark grey of the clouds earlier disappating and giving way to a clear sky and late afternoon sun, fresh on their faces the way sunlight was after a heavy downpour. It was almost a picture perfect afternoon, but it felt disjointed with the dour mood that Oscar was in, still sopping wet and now shivering as they finally rode up the dirt road to the stable.

Conor had been sitting out front, presumably taking a break from the work, when he spotted the three of them returning.

"Ah, look who's back!" That's one person in a good mood today, at least, thought Oscar. "Jee-zus, y'all are soaked. Was thinkin' y'all might've gotten caught in the rain on the way back or somethin' but I didn't expect it to be this bad." Conor followed them into the stables as they dismounted and lead their horses back into their respective stalls. "There ain't too much left to do for today, anyway - ol' Fern told me to tell y'all to have an early day after you come back. Lucky day for y'all, Adam was furious when he found out, heh. Anyway, about that, boy do I have somethin' to tell ya..."

He continued talking while the group took the saddles off their horses and brushed them down, and Oscar wondered how the hell one man could be this full of things to say. Maybe he just liked to hear the sound of his own voice. Just because Conor was the better McGrath sibling didn't mean he wasn't annoying as shite.

"Right, then, I'll see y'all at dinner in a bit," Conor called as they exited the stables, free to do whatever they wanted for the rest of the afternoon, a rare gift in these parts, especially in this line of work. Normally Oscar would've been elated at this kind of opportunity - now, however, standing in the afternoon breeze and shivering, he was at a sudden loss on what to do.
 
After almost telling Conor to go fuck himself, Asa put a hand on Oscar's back and walked with him to their barn. They had to get undressed and dry their stuff, now that the rains had passed.

"Hey, come on now... Lets get inside" He said, seeing him like that, soaked and trembling, it broke his heart.

"Take off... Well, your clothes. We gotta stay dry and warm." He said, putting his blankets by Oscar's side. And then opening the door for Anthony that brought them a few more. He left swiftly, though, probably tired and eager to warm himself up.

Asa undressed to his ubderwear and then wrapped himself in blankets, sitting on a hay bale. He was trying to think about what had Oscar's mood so low. He was fine until the rain and the book, right?. Maybe he could just get him a new one. If only he remembered the title.

He looked over to his friend, sheepish, concerned that he'd just make him feel worse.
"What's... Wrong, Oscar?. You wanna talk about it?" He asked, thinking about the irony of it. How it was supposed to be him who took this hard, who was most affected by their excursion. But it ended up being Oscar.
 
Oscar stripped down and wrapped himself in the blanket as well, sitting opposite to Asa. While it certainly was better than being in wet clothes, he still didn't seem to feel any warmer. Another wave of chills swept over him even as he curled tighter into the thick fabric. He'd never been one to handle the cold well - he could only hope that this wasn't the beginning of some bout of sickness. Oscar didn't get sick often, but when he did it was with a ferocity that left him wiped out for days, even weeks. If he got sick now, he would be incapacitated for goodness knows how long, and god knows he didn't want to be a burden to Asa when they already can't afford to miss work.

"I just..." He paused, not knowing where to start. "Didn't expect it to affect me this much, I guess. I'd already prepared for most everything to be stolen or ruined, but actually havin' to see it with your own eyes... guess I wasn't ready for that." Oscar was rambling now, just verbalising the stream of thoughts as they occured to him. He hadn't really been able to sort out his feelings about the whole thing on the ride back, and getting a chance to talk about it was his own way of processing what happened. "Plus... it was a gift from Morrissey, that book." He admitted. "Gave it to me after he learned that I liked reading. Was just the new kid he saved from the gallows, but he took it out of his own collection and told me to keep it. I just... it feels like losin' the last part of what he's left for me."

He was staring at a nondescript part of the ground as he spoke, not wanting to face Asa when he was in a state like this. "I know we have to move on, shouldn't get too hung up over things like this since all it does is remind you of the past, but Morrissey... he was like a father to me." He didn't elaborate on that more, a lump rising in his throat, but he hoped Asa would understand the thousand unsaid words behind his one statement. That he'd just lost the reminder of one of the best people that's ever happened to his life. And oh, how it hurts.
 
Huddled up in his blanket, Asa listened to Oscar. He kept quiet, relflecting on his own actions at the campsite. They were almost a mirror reflection, how Oscar had lost something he wanted to keep while Asa had left it behind voluntarily. But at the end of the day, both of them had left it. Thinking too hard about it wasn't good, he thought. Someone smarter might be able to draw better conclusions from it all.

What he did, was to get up, still wrapped in blankets, and sit next to Oscar. He'd been there for him before, and now Asa wanted ti do the same. He hesitated, but then he hugged his friend over the blankets, hoping to give at least a bit of comfort.

"I... Think he was like that to many of us. I'd say he was more of a mentor to me, but still. I'm sorry about your book." He said, squeezing the other a bit harder.

"I remember this one time I was talkin' to Morrisey. We were coming back from robbing a homestead. Back when Pauline joined us 'cause some bastards got there first and her parents didn' t make it. I was there just to help out with the robbing, but she ended up riding with me." He said rambling a bit.

" She wouldn't stop cryin', and I remember Morrisey said somethin' like... How was it..." He wasn't good at motivational speeches, Asa. But he was trying.

" He said it's ok to mourn for people you care about. But to remember that when it comes to... To loved ones. They always stay with us once they're gone. Watchin' over us an' something." He said, remembering how the older man had told Pauline her parents would be proud of her for being brave and making it through.

" I'm sure Morrisey is still watchin' over us. And he must be real proud that we took a step in the right direction an' left Rook's traitorous ass behind." He said, still hugging Oscar. He didn't think he'd be able to say all this if he was looking at Oscar from any further.
 
"He did?" Oscar remembered the night Pauline first joined them. It'd been quite some time ago - he didn't ride out on that robbery, so he missed that whole speech, but he was grateful to be hearing it from Asa right now. If Morrissey said it, then it must make sense. Oscar had never quite been able to grapple with the whole concept of grieving and letting go, but if anything he trusted what Morrissey said. "I mean... it's Morrissey, he's always gotta be right about everythin', ain't he?" He gave a weak chuckle at that, though it came out as a sniffle, and belatedly he realised that his eyes were wet. Oh.

"Sorry, I... give me a moment." Oscar fell silent again, feeling Asa's hands curling tighter around him through the blankets, the grief washing over him as powerful and sweeping as the ocean, with an intensity that shocked him. He hadn't known that he had been holding onto this much emotional baggage, didn't know he was capable of it in the first place, but as the dam finally broke so did his composture. It came slowly at first, the small hiccups, turning into silent sobs that shook his body. In any other circumstance he would've been embarrassed at being this vulnerable in front of anyone else, but in that moment any thought of preserving his image was thrown to the wayside. He hadn't properly cried in years - this was a culmination of all the pent up anxiety, anger, sadness, and everything in between that he'd been silently enduring for the past few months.

"...Sorry," he mumbled, after the worst of the shaking faded away, the grief ebbing away, leaving behind only an emptiness in its wake that was as painful as it was relieving. "I ain't about to look back now. Too far gone for that, both of us." It wasn't going to hurt any less thinking of the gang and their past any time soon, but the experience of losing the last reminders of their past lives, as traumatising as it had been, was a clear reminder that they had to move on even with whatever regrets they had.

"Thanks for... listenin' to me. Sorry you had to see all that." He wiped at his eyes with unsteady hands and gave a shaky smile to Asa.
 
Asa didn't know what to do when his friend started weeping and sobbing, except to hold him tighter in an attempt at communicating his support. He listened to his words and his sobs, holding Oscar and holding on to Oscar. His own grief still very much present as well. Hearing his friend let go definitely had an effect on him, and he let go some quiet sniffles and a few tears. For the gang, for Zefir, for Oscar, for everythin'.

A strange placid sensation settled in place of the grief. Maybe just over it, silencing it for now. It'd come back, wouldn't it?.
Silly question that was, he knew the answer to that.

When they separated and Oscar looked at him, with that tiny smile of his, Asa looked back with glossy eyes and nodded.
"Anytime, and I'd do it again if ya ever feel like... You need anything. Yeah?, yer... Important to me." Said Asa, his smile widening a little bit before he pulled back completely and stopped hugging Oscar fully.
 
"Wait," Oscar said, some strange kind of impulse taking over him as they separated. "Don't." When Asa turned to look at him, his cheeks pinked, and he turned his head slightly to avert his gaze. "I... can you- I mean, maybe-" His heart rate spiked, the words dying on his tongue. Perhaps it was the emotional outburst he'd gone through just moments before that loosened his inhibitions, lent him some courage that he normally would never have dared tap into, or perhaps the prolonged soaking in the rain had muddled his mind - Oscar felt like he was no longer truly in charge of his movements, this unknown impulse coursing through him, bloodrush buzzing in his head.

He grabbed at the blankets wrapped around Asa, pulling the other man closer until they were barely inches apart, and closed the distance between them.

It lasted for a moment, couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but almost as soon as it happened Oscar was scrambling to push himself off Asa, the warmth of the other man's lips barely registering in his mind over his growing horror and fear. The spell that he'd been under broke immediately, leaving him with a sinking feeling in his stomach like he'd been doused in ice water, rudely awakened to the reality of what he'd just done. The sort of things that could get men hanged around here, his own thoughts from days before rattling around in his mind. Oh god, oh god, oh god. If there was some kind of unspoken line between the two of them in their relationship, Oscar had definitely crossed it beyond any point of plausible deniability. This wasn't something he could just lie his way back from, because there wasn't any way to deny what he did. Asa wasn't normally a very forgiving man, had beat up other people for lesser transgressions, but this? He was going to kill Oscar.

"I am- so sorry," the words came tumbling out in a rush, panicked and stuttering. "I didn't mean- I don't know what came over me- I just-"
 
What sort of divinity was playing games with him?, wondered Asa, later that day. He was now hanging clothes and other belongings for them to dry. He'd seen Adam somewhere nearby, but a glare had let that vermin know he wasn't welcome. Asa needed some time to reflect on what had happened, on the door that seemed to have just opened in his mind. It should have been obvious, maybe. That kissing... Men, being kissed by other men, was a possibility in this life. And more so, that he wanted that possibility to become a certainty.

Before, why was Oscar so scared?. Asa's brain couldn't even begin to process what had just happened. It just... Short-circuited, and he sat there for a few seconds. Even after his friend became a mess of apologies and fear, he didn't really do anything for a bit. The only thing that really registered, was that he didn't like seeing Oscar in that much distress over nothing. Only that it wasn't nothing. It was something, but Asa had yet to figure out what had just happened between them.

So he stood up, and grabbed the blankets Oscar had dropped in his hurry to panic and get away from him. He put them over gis friend while saying.
"Shhh, its fine. Just warm up and rest. It's been... I.. I'm going to go put the rest of our things to dry." He said, patting Oscar's leg gently before leaving the barn, wrapped in a blanket himself still.

It was only when he was already outside, having tied the blanket around his waist so he could work properly, that he brought a hand to his lips.

Because Oscar had just kissed him, and he had liked it.
 
They didn't talk about it. Oscar had gone to dinner that day a nervous, jittery wreck, not daring to raise his head to meet Asa's eyes (or anyone else's for that matter) or say anything other than one-word answers for fear of somehow revealing what had transpired between them. Fortunately enough for him, no one else seemed to have noticed - probably passed it off as him being in the bad mood from the ride and getting caught in the rain. Thank goodness for small miracles - the atmosphere was suffocating, and Oscar all but fled after dinner was over. All throughout the rest of that evening he was on edge, watching Asa from the corner of his eye, waiting for what had happened to finally click and for him to start freaking out about it.

As much as he imagined that scenario in his mind, to the extent that he could almost mistake it for a memory rather than some figment of his overactive imagination - it never came to pass, not on that evening, not the next day, nor the day after that. Asa seemed to be determined not to bring it up, and soon the tension between the two of them faded away. Oscar didn't want to be the one to bring it up, so he too kept mum about it. It wasn't something that he could just forget, and he still had questions as to how Asa actually felt about it, whether he thought any less of him for doing that. However, he figured that the silence from Asa's end was the other man's way of giving him a cop out, his form of mercy, and Oscar wasn't about to squander that chance. Some things, after all, were better left unknown.

The days passed. They finished the first five days of work that they were required to complete for Mr. Fern, and were assigned a small cabin on the edge of the stables as a more permanent living arrangement. They continued working there, getting more familiar with Anthony and Conor, to the point where they could easily be called friends now. It was a small reprieve from the lost camaraderie of their gang, and though not much could truly replace the loyalty of brothers in arms ready to shed blood for each other, this was a nice alternative, if nothing.

A few weeks after they first came to the stables, Mr. Fern dismissed them after a slow day, not wanting to keep them any longer than they had to.

"So I was thinkin'," Conor said, as they walked out of the stable together.

"Can't be nothin' good," Oscar said, drawing a round of laughter from the others and an indignant glare from Conor.

"Shut up, you don't know nothin'. Like I was sayin', I say we go to town tonight - get some drinks together. How 'bout that?"
 
"Sounds good to me, Mr. Fern's boys are going out tonight." Said Asa with a laugh, putting his arm around Oscars shoulders.

"And you're also comin'. It don't matter that you can't drink much. You'll have somethin' else." He said, pointing at the other, smirking.

"Can't?, what do you mean he can't drink?" Said Conor, ever so subtle when it came to personal questions.

Asa let go of Oscar and turned to face him.
"His liver can't take much alcohol, he got real sick one time, almost died on me. We took 'im to the doctor. Turns out he just can't have more than a glass or two or else..." He made a sign, putting his hand in front of his neck and tracing an invisible line on the air. Meaning Oscar might die. Of course this was all a lie, but it was better than them hounding Oscar for not joining them and being annoying for the rest of their time at Fern's.

Anthony and Conor looked convinced enough, the latter even saying a quiet.
"Oh man... Sorry that happened". Now they'd just pity him instead, it seemed.

There was a moment of silence before Anthony spoke up.
"Alright then, lets meet by the road to the town in half an hour. Got to get out of these work clothes and freshen up, or else we'll scare off even the bartender." He said with a hearty laugh, joined by Asa and Conor.

Hopefully, Adam was busy and would stay busy, thought Asa, walking to his and Oscar's cabin. It was at the back, and they had two wonderful beds that were not made of hay, a wardrobe, and a kitchen. They could shave if they wanted, for washing up they had to go get water from the main well or ride to the river. Asa preferred the second option, but they didn't have time now. So he went to get a full bucket from the well to they could wash some of the dirt and sweat off before heading out.
 
"Really?" Oscar asked as he followed Asa back to the cabin. "So I have liver disease now? Some imagination you've got there, Davis." There was no bite in his words as his eyes shone with mirth. He wouldn't blow the cover Asa made for him, obviously, but it was more than a little amusing that the others now assumed that there was a real possibility that he could drop dead just from some beer. "Now you're gonna make 'em get nervous the moment I stand next to the bar."

At their cabin, Oscar waited for Asa to finish using the bucket, then washed and towelled himself dry, changing into a clean set of clothes. He'd been due for a change of clothes anyway, and like Anthony said - he didn't want to turn up to the bar reeking of sweat and stable muck. Not that anyone there would be able to tell, probably - the alcohol fumes should cover pretty much any scent up. He wondered briefly if he should shave, but decided against it since it - he'd do it when they returned from the bar, probably. By the time he finished buttoning up his vest and fixing his tie, Asa was already waiting at the front door, and together they went to fetch their horses from the stable.

They rode out to the front of the stables onto the road leading into town, finding Anthony and Conor already waiting for them.

"Sure took your sweet time, fellas," Conor called out to them as they approached. "Did your whole beauty routine n' everything, didn't ya?" He laughed at his own joke, then stopped when he realised no one else was laughing along with him. Oscar had to bite his lip to prevent himself to from smiling at his exasperated expression. Though his ego had clearly taken a hit, Conor quickly recovered, sitting up straight and urging his horse into a walk. "C'mon, let's go."
 
He'd never admit it, but Asa actually found Conor's joke a little bit funny. Luckily, he managed go contain himself before even smiling. The face be made right after was enough, and he shared a knowing look woth Anthony. The two of them always spent time together almost every day, and even though they hadn't been at the stables for long, Asa felt a sort of pride in knowing him better than others.

Luckily, after a couple of supply runs, Asa and Oscar became just stable hands. Just two more neighbors that worked at the stables instead of the talk of the town.
When they arrived, not many looked at them twice and most greeted the four of them. Conor was reminded to check in with the post office to retrieve him and his brother's mail, too.

They all hitched their horses just outside the main saloon, which at this time was not very full. But people would start arrivinf after a bit. Until then, they had time to talk and banter while sitting at the bar with their first drink.

It was amusing, thar Anthony kept looking at Oscar in case he... Dropped dead, or something, once they started drinking.

"He'll be fiine for now" Said Asa, with a hand on Anthony's shoulder.

"Hey boyss" came the delicate voice of a woman. She was a beautiful blonde, dressed enough that she could not be a working girl at all. With her were another woman they didn't know about and Anne. That was the girl from the hotel, so asa waved at her with a smile.
 
Oscar nursed a glass of water, lolling about leisurely at the bar, watching the other patrons stream in through the door of the saloon as the night heated up. He caught the nervous looks that Anthony and Conor were throwing him, smirking a little in amusement. It was nice like this, he supposed, being able to take a night off to relax, though he'd never really understood the appeal of going to the bar, himself. Maybe it was because he was afraid of getting drunk - maybe you had to let yourself go in that way to be able to fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere and experience of bar-crawling. Maybe he was missing out (the gang certainly thought so back in the day), but Oscar didn't mind that much. He might not get it, but it didn't mean he wasn't having a good time.

Oscar turned when the women greeted them. He recognised the girl from the hotel, though he'd never been able to get her name, so he just settled for a polite wave and nod. The other women he hadn't seen before in town, but one look at their clothes told him all that he needed to know of their social status. Normal working folk couldn't afford the soft silks and laces that adorned their dresses, freshly perfumed and scented such that they left behind a whiff of flowery scent wherever they went. He wondered why these women were in a saloon at all - more importantly, why had they noticed them, of all people?

"I haven't seen you gentlemen around town before," the blonde purred, and her brunette companion giggled, delicating putting a hand up to cover her mouth - a deliberate, learned gesture that no working woman would perform. Oscar didn't know what to make of them - he could count the number of upper-class folk he'd interacted with on his fingers, and suddenly he felt uncomfortable, not knowing where to put his hands or look at. They were beautiful, certainly, but in such an intimidating way that Oscar felt like it would be rude to stare. "What could possibly bring you here to our little town, hm?"

"Uh," he said, eloquently. He could hear Conor snickering at him in the back. "Just - passing by. To work."

"You're the silent type, aren't you?" The brunette teased, no malice in her words, which elicited some laughter from the others at the bar. "I like that in a man. What about you here, hm?" Their attention turned to Asa, leaving Oscar's face burning as he contemplated some life choices.
 
Watching Oscar interact with strangers in bars shouldn't have been half as funny as it actually was. His friend looked so awkward, drinking water of all things.
It was almost cute.

"Same as him, we're travellin' together" He answered, smiling at the girl.

"I'm David Asher, can I get you anythin' to drink?“ He continued, ignoring Conor's comments behind him.

"Elizabeth Hagenson, and I'll have a Martinez, thank you" She said, smiling back at Asa. From her age, she must be Mr. Hagenson's daughter or other young relative. A woman with good taste, thought Asa, those drinks were good. And they weren't outrageous levels of expensive.

"thank you!, Mr. Asher." She said, starting a rather meaningless conversation right afterwards. It wasn't interesting, but she was nice. They had a good laugh here and there. Anthony talked about Genoveva and how he ought to bring her sometime soon. Elizabeth suggested going out for lunch the next week, the lot of them. Something about the few young people in Strawberry getting together.
It wasn't a bad idea, really. Asa hummed along, drinking whiskey.

Conor bought a drink for Angela, the blonde woman that had initially talked to them first. They seemed to get along, except for how the girl rolled her eyes from time to time.

Anthony didn't buy drinks for any girls, it'd be inappropiate since he was married.

Anne was pretty quiet, and she stayed near Oscar.
"Where'd your friend go?" She asked him gently after a bit, not knowing what to say to him really. It seemed like she was a bit shy as well.

A man had come talk to them too, just strangers, more and more drunk as time passed. Him and Asa had left at some point after discussing poetry. Which was... Strange, because anyone who knew Asa well enough was aware the man didn't care much for poetry.
 
"My- huh." Oscar looked up, only to find Asa missing from the bar. He'd been quietly drinking some kind of juice and making small talk occasionally with Anne, and hadn't noticed Asa's disappearance. Anthony was still sitting beside them together with Conor and Angela, who seemed to be much more amenable with each other now that they were both significantly drunk, laughing together uproariously at some bawdy joke Conor just told. The saloon by now was fully alive, rowdy with customers high on alcohol and the atmosphere. A quick scan of the faces around the saloon yielded no results for his friend.

The din was starting to get to Oscar, who was feeling the beginnings of a headache starting to form at his temples. Besides that, there was the slightly more pressing matter that Asa was missing from the group. He wasn't much worried about his friend's safety - he had faith that Asa could handle most anything thrown his way. What he was concerned about, however, was if Asa decided to pick a fight with whoever crossed him in a back alley. The townsfolk had just accepted them cautiously into their community, and it would undo much of their progress if Asa decided to start a drunken fight in the back of some alley.

"I'm going to go find David," he said to Anne. "Excuse me," he said out loud to the rest of the group, catching their attention. "Going outside to catch some fresh air- bit too suffocating in here. Be back in a while." He started walking to the door of the saloon, pushing past several drunken patrons stumbling into his path.

As he pushed open the door of the saloon, Anne caught up to him with quick steps. "I'll follow you, if you don't mind."

"Sure, if you want to." Oscar shrugged. An extra pair of eyes never hurt.

They looked through the alleys surrounding the saloon and through the adjacent dirt roads sandwiched between buildings. It was well into the night, and the further they got from the saloon the less people they saw, most which regailed them with a guarded look and gave them a wide berth - as far as was possible in those narrow passages, anyway.

"Don't seem to be around here," Oscar concluded after wandering down a few more of the alleys with no success. Given how small Strawberry was, they were now in the far side of town, the noise of the saloon far enough away that all seemed to be silent around these parts. "Y'know what, it's fine. We'll just wait for him to turn up later-" he started to turn away, but the bit-off sound of a man's voice came from a dark corner that turned into a narrow alleyway, and he stilled. Anne seemed to have heard it as well, and with a look at each other they both crept closer to investigate.

As they approached, Oscar could faintly make out Asa's voice intermingled with another stranger's - it seemed to be pained, and Oscar sighed internally. He was thinking of how to break up the fight when Anne stilled, slapping a hand to her mouth to keep herself from making a sound, and Oscar jerked to a stop in front of her, a million questions forming inside his head. Anne looked back to stare at him with wide eyes, putting a finger to her mouth silently as though to caution him against making a sound. Now confused, Oscar nodded and moved forward to peek around the corner, curious as to what she had seen, and-

Immediately he jerked his head away, blood rushing to his head. He felt Anne tugging at his hand and he followed in a daze, letting himself be led away. His heart was beating so quickly in his chest that it felt like it was going to burst out of his ribcage. It had only been a split second, but the mental image of Asa pressing another man into the wall, pressing their mouths hungrily to each other and one hand disappearing down god knows where had been seared into his mind, the worst part of all being the strange jealous feeling that flared up in him with an intensity that alarmed him.
 
Anne had to walk Oliver, her hand on his wrist to lead the way, practically back to the saloon. They didn't get back inside, though, stopping instead by the butcher's stand. He always kept barrels full of water there to wash his hands and stuff, and they got replenished at night. She thought Oliver might want to wash his face there or something.

"That was... David, right?" She whispered to the the other, nervous as a rabbit smelling blood. What were they suupposed to do, or say?. If they did or said, if they told anybody, it was a death sentence for David. And they were the ones that went looking and stumbled into that scene. It hadn't been meant for their eyes.

By the time Asa returned, later that night, Anthony had already left. Conor was sweet talking a drunk Angela, telling her he'd walk her home. The saloon was still full of people.

His clothes were roughed up, his hair messy, and he looked like he had taken a couple of hits to the face. He looked around for Oscar and found him with Anne.
 
Oscar dipped his hand inside the water barrel and splashed his face with water, the shocking coldness hitting his skin like a slap to the face, breaking him out of the haze he'd been in. Only then did he notice how heavily he'd breathing - he must've looked a fright. He pressed a hand to his forehead, trying to regulate his breathing. Calm down, he snapped at himself. He was faintly aware that Anne was still standing beside him, and he was half grateful that she was there, though it was mingled with the embarrassment of being seen in a state like this and with undercurrents of fear and confusion.

"It was," he forced himself to reply, the answer coming out in a strange strangled tone. He didn't dare to raise his head to meet Anne's eyes, afraid of what he might see. "Anne... we... we can't talk about this to anyone." Within his statement was an implicit plea to Anne, pleading for her to not reveal what she'd seen to anyone else. Oscar didn't know how she felt about queers or anything of the sort, but that didn't matter right now - he needed to make sure that the news didn't get out that Asa had been in a back alley doing unspeakable things with a man.

"Please," he added, after a moment of silence passed between the two of them, an ever-growing sense of dread creeping up on him. "You know what folks would make of this, don't you? He'll hang for it. I can't-"

"I know," Anne replied, her voice small. "I won't tell anybody, not a soul- I promise."

"Alright," Oscar said. He didn't know who he was addressing, himself or Anne. "Alright." The dreadful weight in his heart had not yet lifted, but Anne's words brought him some comfort, no matter how small it was. He didn't know if he could trust the girl - words, after all, meant very little - but at this point there wasn't much he could do but to have faith in her. He straightened himself up, wiping the wetness off his face with a sleeve, trying to school his expression back into something presentable. "Let's go back."

They didn't speak again on the way back to the saloon, but Anne's hands were firmly on Oscar's wrist, and to his surprise he found that he hardly minded. They saw Anthony right outside the saloon getting ready to leave, presumably to catch an early night before the next morning. He spotted Oscar and Anne coming down the street from their search and waved at them, calling out a "goodnight" to the both of them. Oscar waved back weakly and managed a shaky smile, which Anthony mercifully didn't seem to notice - thank the dim lighting. They headed back into the saloon, which seemed to have quietened down a little as patrons streamed out to retire for the night, joining Conor and Angela back at the bar. The two in question seemed to be completely enamoured by each other at this point - all the better for Oscar, since he probably looked like he'd seen a ghost and didn't want to answer to anyone as to why. He silently paid for a glass of juice for both himself and Anne, and together they drank in somber silence.

Oscar didn't know how long he was standing there for, spacing out into the distance, before he felt a tap on his shoulder. Startled, he turned around only to come face to face with Asa, looking like he'd been through a proper fight. He felt Anne tense beside him. Forcing himself to stay calm, Oscar started to feign obliviousness.

"Where'd you go? Thought you went back to the stables without telling us." He didn't dare to meet Asa's gaze, pretending he was inspecting the other man's dishevelled clothes. "What happened to your clothes? Looks like you took a tumble through the mud or something."
 
"I did, bumped into some feller from out of town just outside... It got a bit nasty" Said Asa with a shrug. They looked a bit weird.

"What's up?, did something happen while I was gone?" He asked then, with a raised eyebrow. Oscar wasn't meeting his eyes. And Anne was really tense.

"N-no. I was just telling Oscar, maybe you two could walk me back to the hotel?. I'm tired, and it seems like it may be dangerous outside". Said Anne, what both of the men agreed with.

They were walking out when Conor and Angela joined them. Apparently she was staying at the hotel with Elizabeth, who had left earlier while Asa was gone.
It was a short walk back to the hotel, and they said goodbye to the girls before returning to get their horses and finally head home.

"Ey David what happened to ya?, you looook tiired" Said Conor, a bit too drunk to process his words correctly.

"Got in a fight with some traveller. I'm just fine though, dun worry." Said Asa, dismissive. It had definitely been quite a - fight-. An experience he wanted to repeat, he enjoyed himself. He knew he'd be going to bed with a smile and a secret of his own.

They went to their cabins once they arrived to the stables, dropping off drunk Conor with a very tired Adam who tried to start something over not being invited. It died fast, though, as Asa told him to quite literally fuck off.

"Don't have the mind for it, McGrath. Fuck off" Were his exact words.

Adam cursed at them, a moment after Conor vomited on his shoes though. That kept him busy enough for Oscar and Asa to leave and reach their cabin. Once there, Asa just threw himself in bed after discarding his boots and hair tie.

"G'nite" He yawned, and started snoring a moment later, smiling as he curled up in bed.

On the other side of town, two women argued about where their missing friend, Elizabeth Hagenson, could be.
 
Oscar silently thanked Anne and her quick thinking. He'd have to find a way to repay her later for covering both their asses, but for now he settled for a quick grateful glance thrown her way as the they made their way down the street towards the hotel, soon after joined by a spectacularly drunk Conor and Angela. They bid farewell to the girls in front of the hotel, watching as Anne steadied Angela as the two stumbled up the steps.

The trio rode back to the stables, with Conor's drunken ramblings accompanying their journey. Oscar probably would've been more tolerant of it, had it not been for the night's events leaving him in a mess of his own emotions that he didn't have time to properly untangle. The entire way back he strayed behind the other two, putting a little more distance between himself and the rest than he normally would. As soon as they got back to the stables, Oscar hitched Houyi without a word, paying little attention to the skirmish between Adam and Asa, eager to be left alone away from the petty ego slights or whatever the hell Adam was on about.

Back at their cabin, Asa fell onto the bed and went to sleep almost instantaneously after mumbling a goodnight to Oscar. Oscar couldn't help but smile a little at that, unfolding the blankets and tucking Asa in properly, before undressing and doing the same for himself. He'd feared that he wouldn't be able to sleep, but thankfully the drowsiness caught up quickly this time and he fell asleep before getting the chance to ruminate on the events of the night.

He dreamt of strong hands roaming over his own, a warm body pressed against himself, brown eyes crinkled in laughter on a warm summer's day.

When he woke up, it was not to the sound of the rooster, or Asa shaking him awake for that matter - someone was knocking on the front door of their cabin. Immediately he sat up in his bed, seeing that Asa had been awoken to the noise as well. Throwing a puzzled look at each other, they quickly stepped into his boots and went to answer the door, grabbing their firearms as they went just to be safe. It was still wholly dark outside, too early for even the rooster to start calling - whoever was there better be knocking for a good reason.

Standing in front of their door was Mr. Fern, an extremely worried looking Mr. Hagenson, and an unknown man they'd never seen before with a sheriff's badge on the lapel of his coat. Conor trailed behind them, looking like death warmed over, and the stable hand they'd met a few days ago - Charles, if memory served correctly.

"Mr. Asher, Mr. Lee." The man with the sheriff's badge greeted them, his overgrown moustache twitching. "We're under the impression that you spent time with Miss. Hagenson yesterday night at the saloon, yes?"

"...yes, we did." Oscar answered warily, after sharing another look with Asa, this time apprehensive. "Why?"

"As you might know, Miss. Hagenson was staying at the hotel with her good friend, Miss. Angela Lowell, who'd come for a visit. However, according to Miss. Lowell, her friend never made it back to the hotel room after leaving the saloon. So, in other words... she's gone missing."
 
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