Re: This Town is Big Enough...

[Sheriff Jones]

Alfred’s eyes widened at Arthur’s words. For a long moment, all he could do was stare at the Brit, his cheeks still dusted pink. Had he really called him cute? Why had he done that? That last time he was called cute was back when he was a child and his mother had let him play with the jackrabbits. Most people nowadays called him loud, obnoxious, foolish, but never cute. For some reason, knowing that Arthur thought he was cute at all made his heart flutter in a way he had never felt before. It was strange, and uncomfortable, but not a bad feeling by any stretch of the imagination. Although he wanted to say something back to the Englishmen, he was too embarrassed and opted to keep his mouth shut. That was certainly a first.

The young sheriff grinned happily when Arthur finally agreed to give it a shot. Yes! This was perfect! A reformed criminal who was helping him, a hero, bring peace and order to the lawless west - who could ask for a better team? This was going to be incredible! “Great! I promise you Artie, give it a year or so and our names will be everywhere for being the best team since... well since ever!” He laughed heartily, mind already whirling with the possibilities. He was already deep into his fantasies when Arthur spoke again. “Huh?” He blinked in confusion and glanced towards the cabinet behind him. “I don’t think so. I bet the inn down the street would, but uh... given the circumstances, I don’t think it would be a good idea to head over there tonight.” Alfred replied sheepishly. Standing up, he shifted through what remained of his rations. “You’re welcome to anything else though.”

Alfred glanced towards the windows, surprised by how late it was. Ah damn... he would have to be up early again. Hopefully he would be able to convince everyone in town that Arthur wasn’t a threat anymore. That would be a daunting task, for sure, but a little booze should calm the townspeople’s nerves. “It’s getting late. I should turn in soon.” He shrugged and began walking to a small closet, pulling out a lump of old blankets. “You can stay here tonight. The bedroom is just down the hall, you can’t miss it.” With that said, he began laying out blankets along the floor for himself. Once he was satisfied, he kicked off his worn leather boots and ran his fingers through his dirty blond hair. This is not how he expected to end his day, but he felt much better about his life then he had when he woke up this morning. Now, he wasn’t completely alone.

[Crocky Kirkland]

Arthur frowned at the fact that Alfred didn't have much else, but he figured based on the bare his house was. He sighed, and figure the sandwich would be enough and finished it up. He smiled at the young sheriff's happiness.

Watching as Alfred collected some blankets and talked about him having the room, Arthur's frowned deepened. His green eyes wandered down the hall as Alfred ready a bed of blankets on the floor. It was obvious there was only one room in the whole house, and Arthur clearly didn't deserve the bed, besides he was already use to the hard floor.

"You should sleep in the bed." Arthur said flatly getting up from the chair taking another drink on his liquor. "If you have to wake you early you should sleep well. You obviously aren't bloody us to the floor." Arthur sat down on the bed of blankets. "I'll take the floor."

[Sheriff Jones]

Alfred fought back the urge to groan when Englishmen spoke again. He had hoped they would avoid the battle of politeness and he would just take the bed quietly without complain. Obviously the other was too stubborn for that and was quite content to plop down on the floor on the bed he made for himself. Why couldn’t he just take his kind offer and leave it at that? Oh well, he figured he would have to get used to many pointless arguments over trivial details in the future. But not tonight. “No, no, no. We are not going to play this game. You’re my guest, you go sleep in the bed. I can sleep anywhere, it makes no difference to me. Now get moving.” He said, nudging Arthur on the shoulder.

To show the Brit that he was completely serious about sleeping on the floor, he unbuttoned his leather vest and hung it on the mantle. Next came the shirt. Here, Alfred hesitated. He had never undressed in front of anyone before. Not because he was uncomfortable with his body, but there was no one who he had particularly wanted to see him in such a state. He frowned, his fingers poised to start unfastening the top button. “I mean it. I’m going to get undressed now, so you better skedaddle to the other room.” The young man paused for a long minute, trying to seem totally comfortable with this situation in order to push the other out of the room with sheer awkwardness alone. However, his pink cheeks showed that he was failing. Unable to proceed in full view, he shifted so that his back was turned and began to unbutton his top.

Please leave. Please leave. Please leave...” He thought to himself, stripping the shirt off his form. He wasn’t sure he had ever been this embarrassed, but he refused to concede and take the bed when he had a guest in the house. It just wasn’t right. Next he undid his belt, and set that on top of his shirt, which he messily folded and placed on the mantle. Here he stopped and glanced carefully over his shoulders, cheeks still very red from embarrassment. “You better be in the bedroom Arthur...”

[Crocky Kirkland]

Arthur groaned, he knew he should take the offer Alfred gave him, that would be the polite thing to do. However he had enough of the American's pity to let his pride take it. He wasn't going to move so easily, even as Alfred started to undress.

He had four brothers who had been forced to share a large room with. They all undressed in front of each other, they were all boys there wasn't a problem with that. The idea of a man undress in front of him didn't seem odd, Arthur simply crossed his arms. What was so odd about it? However, Alfred started taking off his shirt, and it suddenly wasn't like it had been with his brothers.

His green eyes were oddly fixed on Alfred's back. It was a tan color and toned. A blush spread to his ears. Why the bloody hell am I staring!? He panicked in his head. He couldn't easily tear his eyes away. He cursed under his breath and quickly undid his shirt.

He flung it down on the blankets to serves as a pillow. He reached for a blanket, and flung it over himself, curling up on the floor, like he usually did when he was going to sleep. He buried his face in the blanket as well, quite sure his face was red. He was not going to lose this.

[Sheriff Jones]

There was the sound of blankets rustling behind him, but no footsteps which meant Arthur had yet to give in. Alfred couldn’t help but groan softly at his stubbornness. “Really Arthur?” He said, sighing to himself. Turning back around, he stared down at a lump of blankets on the floor in front of him. Small tufts of the Brit’s blond hair were sticking out, but his face hidden away in the depths over covers Alfred had laid out. Fine. That was the way he was going to be? Then Alfred had enough of playing nice. If Arthur wasn’t going to go on his own free will, he would just have change the game a bit.

Carefully tiptoeing over to the lump on the floor, he crouched down and stared at the blond locks. For a few minutes, he didn’t say anything, just frowned at the strands of hair that remained uncovered in the cool night air. “So that’s it, right? You won’t go?” He sighed dramatically and rocked back on his heels. “Fine then, but remember, you forced me to do this.” That was the only warning he gave. Leaning down, he hooked his arms underneath Arthur and yanked him against his chest, blanket and all. He had always been strong, having to lug the drunkards of this town home every night kept him from losing his strength, but even he was surprised by how light the Englishmen was. Huh, maybe all that running from the law kept him from gaining weight. Ah well, it wasn’t important now.

Alfred tightened his grip on the other man, so he couldn’t squirm around as much and happily made his way down the hall into the bedroom. “Sorry about this Artie, but you refused to listen to me.” He gave the green-eyed man a grin as he crossed the threshold and dumped his lithe figure onto bed. “Now, goodnight. And I don’t want to hear you sneaking out of this room until morning.” With that said, Alfred happily closed to door into his bedroom and went to lay down on what was left of his blankets. No that the other man was safe in his room, he easily stripped out of the rest of clothes and folded them up messily beside him. He stuffed his shirt underneath his head and covered his naked figure with a thin blanket before curling up on the hardwood floor. Not exactly the most comfortable position in the world, but he could made due for one night. Tomorrow he would talk about getting Arthur a room of his own. Once he cleared his name of course. The sheriff sighed and let his eyes drift closed. Too much to do... But it would be worth it. A small smile broke across his face and he slowly fell into a light slumber - dreaming about the adventures that awaited him and Arthur.

[Crocky Kirkland]

Arthur yelped when Alfred suddenly picked him, stirring him from the light sleep Arthur had strangely fallen into. He struggled slightly in the hold, which only tightened. The blanket didn't help in the struggle, it tied him down.

"Bloody git, put me down!" Arthur grumbled out.

Alfred suddenly dumped him on the bed, making him yelp again. He shout the door before Arthur could untangle himself from the blanket. The Briton pouted at the door. He fell back on the bed defeated.

No good, bloody...Sheriff Arthur thought as he noisily flopped around in the bed. He's a bloody twit, ungrateful git. Arthur snuggled into the bed, finding it smelt strongly of someone else, as well a mixture of leather and a liquor smell. It was comforting to him.

He nuzzled into pillow, curling into his small ball, and drifting off into a deep sleep.

[Sheriff Jones]

Alfred awoke just as the hot sun began creeping into his windows. Groaning a bit, he flopped over onto his side and rubbed his head. What was he doing on the floor? Normally he never got drunk enough to wind up passing out like this. He brushed the thought off and yawned, combing his fingers through his messy blond hair. No use thinking about that now, he had to get up and face another day. The sheriff pushed off the thin blanket he wore and grabbed his jeans, slipping them on his form. He didn’t bother to button them yet, instead opting for the more comfortable option of letting them rest loosely on his hips. Alfred yawned once more and stumbled up to make himself some breakfast. Had he overslept? That was odd, but he must have needed it. Despite spending an entire night on the floor, his body felt more relaxed and rested then it had in years. Strange, but he wasn’t going to complain.

He began to whistle cheerfully as he moved around the small space. Lighting a fire, he began to cook up some eggs and bacon for himself, stomach rumbling at the prospect of food. He dished the small meal out onto a tin plate and was just about to dig in when he heard a knock on the door. Alfred frowned a bit, but stood up anyway. Usually nobody bothered him this early in the morning, but he shook off the strangeness of the situation and made his way over to the door. “What can I do you for?” He asked pleasantly, as he greeted the man who stood there. Whoever he was, Alfred couldn’t recall seeing him before, yet he looked somewhat familiar. When he said nothing, Al frowned, his eyes slowly traveling to the gun in his hand and the bandage around his leg. “Sir? Is there something...” Suddenly, it all came rushing back to him. The saloon, the fight, and Arthur.

Alfred’s reaction was immediate. He managed to let out a sharp yelp and jump back, but the bounty hunter’s knee meet his gut before he could restrain him. The sheriff curled over, clutching his stomach as he received a punch to the face. Al stumbled back into the table, blood trickling down from his eyebrow. “Listen, back off! I saved you from getting shot, last time! You really want to tempt fate again?!” He shouted, reaching down to grab his pistols off his waist. Feeling nothing, he swore when he realized they were still on the floor. He began to scramble around for something else, but the man already had his arm raised. Alfred tensed his body, ready to drop to the floor in order to escape the bullets, but to his shock, the bounty hunter did not fire. Instead, his arm snapped down and he felt the blunt metal hit the back of his head with a dull thump. Then, everything went black.

[Crocky Kirkland]

Warmth was circling around him, stirring him away. He grumbled, cursing Victoria for not waking him up before it started to get to hot. He groaned, feeling strangely relaxed and lazy. His head had a dull throb to it. he stretched, his body stretching over what felt like a nice size bed.

He remembered everything that happened the night before and nuzzled more into the pillow with a silly grin. Why was he so happy? Alfred was giving him a chance to turn around.

"Comfy?" A rough voice asked, and Arthur froze where he was. His green eyes snapped open staring at a bare wall. Someone grabbed his hair and ripped him from the bed. "You're coming with me and I'm getting that damn bounty."

Arthur cringed in pain, being turned around to face the bounty hunter. He felt the coolness of the barrel of a gun pressed into his chin. He was suddenly stirred roughly towards the door.

His green eyes suddenly noticed the figure on the floor and he froze, suddenly rooting himself. The bounty hunter gave a sharp tug, but Arthur didn't move. There was the sound of a gun cocking and Arthur smirked.

"You won't bloody shot," Arthur said, because he honestly knew his own bounty. "I'm not wanted dead or alive. Kill me, no bounty."

The man growled, tugging hard on Arthur's hair. Arthur lunched for the gun without warning, shoving it up in the air and out of the man's hand. Arthur twisted out his grip, feeling some of his hair being lost to the man's hold. Arthur kicked him away, shoving hard with his foot.

"Now listen here, twat," Arthur said aiming the gun perfectly for a one shot kill. "Leave this town and go back to whatever bloody hell hole you crawled out of. You tell them all Arthur Kirkland changed his ways, is going after every little criminal out there."

"You're coming with me Kirkland whither you like it or not." The bounty hunter snarled, suddenly whipping another pistol out, Alfred's pistol and firing. Arthur narrowly avoided it, it brushed his arm. He fired the gun in his hand, his aim true.

[Sheriff Jones]

The first thing that Alfred became aware of was the pain in his head. This wasn’t the usual headache he would get if he was hungover - this was a dull throb that was persistently pounding against his skull, making it difficult to formulate any thought at all. Slowly pushing through the foggy pain, he began to grow more and more aware of his surroundings. He was on the floor, but nothing seemed to be broken. His jaw was a little sore, but it was nothing he hadn’t dealt with before. Still, Alfred let out a low, painful groan. What on earth had happened? The last thing he remembered was sitting down to eat breakfast when... Dammit, Arthur!

He snapped up into a sitting position, instantly banging his head against the low table above him. “Dammit!” He swore, rubbing his now aching forehead. That certainly wasn’t helping his situation any. Struggling to his feet, his eyes began wildly searching the room for any sign of the bounty hunter or Arthur. Whipping around, he was just about to burst into the bedroom when he caught sight of Arthur standing there before him. “Arthur! The guy from last night, he...” The sheriff stopped, finally seeing the body on the floor. The words on the tip of Alfred’s tongue froze as he took in the gruesome sight. The bullet had pierced his heart in a single shot, blood seeping into his already stained shirt. The worst where his eyes - unseeing, with an unnatural gleam to them that he knew would haunt him until his last days.

“I should have had him locked up.” He mumbled, tossing a rag over the bounty hunters face to avoid staring into his eyes. “He wouldn’t have tried to do this again.” Alfred turned towards Arthur, eyes apologetic. “Are you okay?” He asked quietly, looking him over, both for injuries and if he would start going into panic mode. A small cut on the Brit’s arm caught his attention, and he gently took the other’s hand, leading him away from the body. Once he was back in the bedroom, he sat Arthur down and rummaged around for some bandages, whiskey, and washrags. He sat down beside the older man and began dabbing an alcohol soaked cloth against the cut skin, looking thoughtful. Although his mind was whirling with the events of the morning and what to do now, he said nothing and focused entirely on the task at hand. A few minutes later, Arthur’s wound was cleaned and bandaged, leaving Alfred with little to do but stare out his bedroom window with a faraway look in his eyes.

[Crocky Kirkland]

Arthur didn't register anything after the man fell to the floor. He didn't notice the gun topple out of his hand, or the pain in his arm. Nothing, the scene just kept playing in his head. I just killed someone. Run wild in his head.

He tired to remember a time when he didn't do as such. His mind strangely wandering back to the over turned carriage he had stolen clothes and food from. The man inside the carriage had been dying painfully, and begged Arthur to just end him, but he couldn't.

It probably would have been different if had. But the two deaths would have been different as well. The bounty hunter was threatening his life, Alfred's and his life, and for the sake of living he shot. But the man was perfectly healthy and not in the least bit dying.

Suddenly it was like the world come crashing down on him and registered a bedroom. Bed, small side table, window, Alfred. He gasped suddenly, gripping his bare torso and curling into a ball.

"I-I-I-" Arthur sputtered about for words. "I-killed-I-" He was freaking out in his head, when his father's business crashed he freaked out, but not like this. "Didn't mean." He felt like crying, curling in a tighter ball and closing off to the world. "I-I"

[Sheriff Jones]

Arthur’s broken voice was the first thing that alerted the other that something was wrong. The noise tore through Alfred’s own painful thoughts and shot directly to his heart, making it ache uncomfortably. This hadn’t been Arthur’s fault - he had only been protecting himself. That bounty hunter was obviously not going to stop his pursuit until somebody else had. Besides, he had already tried to kill Alfred once for getting in the way, who was to say he wouldn’t have done it again. “Arthur?” He murmured, gingerly placing a hand against his shoulder.

From the cracking in his voice, it was obvious that the Englishmen was close to tears. Alfred didn’t have much experience dealing with crying people - his only memory of comforting someone, was the day he and Matthew had been separated. That had been one of the most difficult times of his life. The only thing he recalled doing was clinging to his quieter sibling and sobbing for hours until their skinny arms where torn apart. Although the two brothers had yet to meet again, having been held in that strong embrace had assured Alfred that his twin would always be there for him, no matter what distance kept them apart. Perhaps that was what Arthur needed - a silent promise that everything was alright. The thought of holding him so intimately made the younger man nervous, but he couldn’t think of another option. Comforting Arthur was more important than his own stupid embarrassment.

Alfred threw all caution to the wind and pulled the smaller man into a tight embrace. Instead of filling the silence with meaningless words of empty comfort, the sheriff began stroking Arthur’s choppy blond hair. He still felt nervous about behaving this way, but he slowly fell back into the mindset of holding a person who needed it. He kept one hand buried within his soft blond locks while the other moved down and began rubbing gentle circles against the Brit’s back. Although he never said a word, his actions spoke loud volumes of what he wanted the other to understand. Everything is fine... He hooked an arm around Arthur’s torso, holding his half prone form against his chest. I’ll take care of everything... Alfred leaned in, his lips brushing softly against the skin just below his hairline. I’m here for you...

[Crocky Kirkland]

Warmth surrounded Arthur and it made all the fact go away and just left raw feelings. He was comfortable with just silence and warmth. The feeling of a hand in his hair made him think of his mother back in England, the one who always loved on him when his father was too harsh. The hand rubbing circles on his back made him lean into the warmth more.

Arthur had been comforted by his mother and brothers, but it had never been like this. His brothers usually cheered him up as best they could, they all knew Arthur was the victim of their father the most because he didn't want to always be extremely boyish and go into business. His mother knew Arthur was a scholar, someone meant for writing and study, but his father always saw it differently. Arthur had always been searching for comfort, something that was very similar to what he was getting. Victoria had been some, she always knew when his emotions were getting the better of him or he was on the edge of a break down.

However she wasn't like this. Arthur felt safe, and with all the raw emotions spinning around he strangely didn't mind letting them out. He was crying silently, something he had picked up as a child when he didn't want people to notice him. He could feel this was more than just his emotional confusion from killing the bounty hunter, it was that and so much more. He felt Alfred's lips on his forehead, and he couldn't bring himself to care much about it.

[Sheriff Jones]

Alfred was a bit surprised when instead of pulling away in disgust, the Englishmen leaned in closer and began to quietly cry. The sound tugged at his heartstrings, but he did not pull away or ruin the silence with any unnecessary chatter. Right now, the only thing that mattered was holding Arthur as he let his emotions out. So, that’s precisely what he did. Alfred pushed away everything else - his own feelings, the fact that there was a dead body laying in his front room, and focused entirely on comforting Arthur. One hand continued to rub small circles against the former criminals back, while the other soothingly played with his choppy blond locks.

He lost his sense of time as he gently held the shaking form, but after what must have been a half and hour due to the painful tension in his back, he pulled away slightly. Keeping one arm loosely hooked around the Englishman's waist, he used his free hand to gently tilt Arthur’s chin up. “Any better?” He asked, blue eyes staring kindly down at him. Without waiting for a response, he took a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped away the excess tears. Once that was taken care of, he leaned in and pressed a feather light kiss against Arthur’s forehead, like his own mother would do after a particularly long crying session. He knew he should be embarrassed about having kissed a man he barely knew so freely, but he could not bring himself to care at this moment. His mind only seemed to register the fact that he needed to comfort Arthur in anyway he possibly could.

Giving the Brit another gentle squeeze, he pulled back entirely and stood up. Now he had to take care of the body in the front room. Inwardly he sighed, but in order to keep Arthur from worrying unnecessarily, he shot another kind smile his way. “You stay here, alright? I’ll take care of everything.” With that said, he left the room, making sure to close the bedroom door behind him. Alfred dressed himself quickly and rushed down the dusty street to call on people to remove the bounty hunter's body first. Then he checked up on the doctor (who he had found knocked out cold, much like he had been), and had the innkeeper watch over him in case his injuries needed attention. The last thing he did was file a report, telling what happened and posting it up for the town to see. No doubt rumors were already circulating since he called to have the body moved, so it was better to let the truth be known early on. Of course, he modified the story a bit to say he fired the bullet that killed the man to save further damage to Arthur’s reputation. A sheriff could get away with killing a criminal, but a highway robber would gather less sympathy. Once everything was taken care of, he returned to his home and immediately collapsed onto a chair. It was barely mid-morning and already the day was turning out to be stressful.

[Crocky Kirkland]

Arthur hadn't cried like he had. He felt relieved, but he still didn't want Alfred to leave. Yet everything was comfortable, winding down to a nice close. He blushed at Alfred's actions. "I'm better, thank you." Arthur said, wiping his eyes, he wasn't going to let Alfred get away with treating as him so.

Green eyes watched as Alfred left, closing the door behind him. He sighed, he didn't want to say, but it was probably best. He wanted to fall back asleep and forget the rest of the world. However he should get ready of the day.

"Bollocks!" Arthur groaned, remembering he didn't have clothes and his shirt from the day before in the living area. Arthur wasn't sure if he should enter leave to get it. He would hate to be walking around Alfred's house with no shirt and someone came walking in. There were some Bible beaters out here, and Arthur would hate for a misunderstanding.

He glanced a small dresser. Surely Alfred had a shirt he could borrow. Alfred blushed at the thought, but it would only be until he got his clothes. Arthur just went and filed through the clothes, there wasn't much he wanted to wear.

He found a gray shirt and put it one, finding it was big on him. He groaned, before finding all he could do was looking around the bare room, and there wasn't much that insisted him. He went to making the bed, he figured it was the least her could do as he heard voice out the door and then disappear a while later.

Eventually he heard someone come home and peeked out the door. "Alfred?"

[Sheriff Jones]

Alfred looked up at the sound of his name being called, smiling at the sight of the Arthur peeking around the corner at him. Good, he looked much better after having cried, although perhaps a little bored considering how long he had been gone. The sheriff smiled and waved his guest out from the hallway. “Artie! Sorry I was gone so long. I hope you weren’t too bored.” He said, now going through his cabinets to find something to eat. Too bad that bounty hunter had broken in right as he was starting to eat breakfast. Now those eggs he made were no good, and all he had left was tough bread. Oh well, beggars can’t be choosers. He shrugged a bit and took a bite out of a slice of wheat bread, chewing it thoughtfully as he leaned against the table.

Today had gotten off to a rough start, but he could hopefully find a way to salvage it. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Arthur was willing to mend his ways, but not everybody would be convinced. It would take a long time for news to spread throughout the west that the former robber was no longer at large. This could cause some problems for them in the future, if they were forced to travel, but hopefully Alfred’s status as a sheriff would help ease the tension. He finished off his slice of bread before turning his attention back to Arthur. He raised an eyebrow when he realized he was wearing one of his old shirts, but shrugged it off when he realized that he probably didn’t feel comfortable walking shirtless around his house. Still, the fact that it hung so loosely on Arthur’s body amused him a bit. Despite being a former criminal, he was still kind of scrawny compared to the American. Although, it was more cute then anything else. Gah! Not cute, not cute! Alfred’s cheeks flushed when he realized what had just crossed his mind. What was wrong with him? Ever since he had met the strange man, unusual thoughts had been creeping into his thoughts that he simply couldn’t explain. Perhaps he was coming down with something?

“Um so...” He coughed awkwardly into his hand and looked away, trying not to dwell on the fact that Arthur still looked adorable in that shirt. “I was thinking we should go out for a ride. I know Liberty would enjoy getting out of town for a while and I thought since this morning was kind of stressful, maybe it would be nice.” Plus it would give Alfred’s memo about what really occurred his morning a chance to circulate so no one within this town would cause Arthur any problems at least. Alfred turned back to the Brit, his blush having died down. He gave the other man one of his sunny smiles and nodded towards the window. “What do you say? You want to get out of here for a bit?”

[Crocky Kirkland]

Arthur growled slight, There he goes shorting my name again. He couldn't help but pout a little bit at the name. His mother use to call him that when he was a child and he was being cute. When he got old though she used it sparingly. Some of his female friends called him "Artie" for similar reasons as his mother, and they were good friends.

He wondered over to a the table, watching as Alfred fiddled around in the cabinets. He noticed the eggs on a tin plate, they had long gone cold. Arthur could help but notice Alfred was a little frustrated with his lack of food in the house. Thinking about what he had in his saddle wasn't much to be pleased with. He had a can of beans, some hard bread, and maybe a bit of jerky. Other than that Arthur knew he was bare.

Alfred's awkward cough, brought Arthur to look up at him, catching a dying blush on his cheeks. "I don't think Victoria would mind." Arthur said in thought. He didn't see why she wouldn't want to go. Now that she was feed and relaxed she would probably want to go around for a bit. Though she might want to trot and not gallop around. "I still have my clothes and things in the stable, and I think I might have a can of beans and some jerky."

Arthur was more that happy to leave Alfred's house, it wasn't complex or filled enough for him to find things overly interesting. "I think some change of scenery wouldn't be bad either."

[Sheriff Jones]

Oh why did Arthur have to pout like that? Now he looked like a child who had just been told he couldn’t have any candy before dinner. It was an expression far too adorable to be worn by a man who had three successful train heists under his belt. How on earth had he managed it? Did he simply walked up the the passenger's and politely asked for them to surrender their goods and money? If he had been wearing that cute little pout, and over-sized dress shirt, with his blond locks uncombed, he might have been able to pull it off. “Gah!” Alfred slapped his cheeks, face burning from embarrassment for coming up with such a scenario. Then of course, he realized he was still in the same room as the man he had mentally put into a cutesy situation, which caused his cheeks to flush even darker. “Sorry...” He mumbled, shifting awkwardly and hoping his little outburst would be dismissed for him acting like the moron he was at times.

Alfred nodded, glad that the other had agreed to an outing. He hated being stuck in the town for long periods of time, and he knew Liberty would appreciate the exercise. “Alright. Why don’t you head out to the stable and get Victoria saddled up? I’m going to run and grab us some lunch for later.” Yes, lunch out in the vast emptiness sounded much more appealing then hanging around this place. Alfred gave the shorter man a wave and headed out the door and down the street to pick up whatever food he could find. Ten minutes later he had replenished his supply of jerky, bread, and he even picked up a few vegetables for Arthur (although he himself wasn’t found of them). Then he filled up a couple canteens of water for the trip, along with a bit of liquor if they decided they were in the mood for that. He headed towards the stable, quite pleased with his haul and settled in get Liberty ready for the journey.

Once he reached the stable, he immediately went over to Liberty’s side and rubbed her neck lovingly. “Hello there ma’am. Would you like to take a stroll with me?” He asked, tipping his hat playfully. The mare just nuzzled her nose against his hand and stepped closer so he could fit her saddle on. Alfred packed up the food (tossing one of the canteens over the Arthur) and checked to be sure his pistol’s were still strapped to his waist. When everything was ready, he lead Liberty out of her stall and into the hot sun. “Perfect day for a ride, huh Artie?” He chuckled and swung himself easily onto the horse. It had been far too long since he had the opportunity to take a long rides - too many petty problems he had to assist with. At least today, gossip kept the townspeople away long enough to slip out unnoticed. He walked Liberty forward down the street and pointed off to the North. “Up about a mile and a half has a good view of the mountains. We’ll head that way,” he said, lightly tapping Liberty’s side with his stirrup. Then he was off. Not to a full on gallop, but enough to feel the wind in his hair and the cause the world to blur as he passed. Alfred grinned and raised his head up high, letting out a noise that could only be described as sheer joy as he road off into the wilderness.

[Crocky Kirkland]

The Sheriff's sudden outburst startled Arthur a bit. Alfred's apology through just threw him a bit. He figured Alfred remembered what he said about his name. He was somewhat proud of himself and grinned a bit. Arthur noticed the blush on the Sheriffs cheeks. "Are you okay?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

He didn't wait for Alfred to answer and headed for the stables of his as he had been asked. He wanted to be in his own shirt and now swimming in Alfred's. It was wasn't that huge on him, but he wanted to have one more his size. However even some of his own clothes had grown a bit large on him as well. He cursed his situation of little food as he walked towards the stables. He walked quickly in case anyone noticed him walking down the street or recalled that the shirt he was wearing was Alfred, which he figured would be weird but it was a small town.

Entering the stables, Arthur greeted Victoria, quickly walking into her stall and filing through his things for a reasonable shirt. He found a tan colored shirt and quickly took off Alfred's and put on his own shirt.

He walked over to the corner where Victoria had shoved her saddle. He shot her a glare, before dusting at the saddle with his hand. "You think your so funny," Arthur said as he eased her saddle on. Victoria kept moving away, and Arthur growled. "We're just going for a quick ride. Now settle down."

Arthur rolled his eyes, Such gentleman when it matters. He thought, as Alfred bowed and flattered Liberty with his charm. Does he only use in on horses? Arthur eased the reins Victoria's head, and fumbled around with the canteen Alfred tossed him before he tied it on to her saddle.

He lead her out of the stall and into the Western sun, pulled down a spare hat he had in his back. He pulled himself up on to the saddle. Gripping the reins, finding it odd he would be coming back to the town. He looked at where Alfred pointed and figured his word was good. Arthur had never really looked at the beauty of the west, aside from the night sky when he could sleep. It would be nice to be riding and looking around at the land. He clicked his tongue and tapped Victoria's side, easing her on after Liberty.

[Sheriff Jones]

Alfred road smoothly across the desert, enjoying the hot sun beating down on him combined with the breeze that cooled the sweat on his face. He glanced over at Arthur, who was keeping pace with him and Liberty. This must be a different experience for him entirely. When must have been the last time he took a ride for the sake of doing it, rather then having to escape due to a crime he had just committed. The American frowned at the thought. How could anyone stand to live like that? He loved his freedom far too much to ever do something that could potentially put it into danger. Even if he was living off nothing in the middle of nowhere, he would remain free until his dying day. And hopefully, he would be able to save Arthur entirely from a life in jail. Once he had cleared his name, he would be sure to help the other man get back to England - if only to rub it in his father’s face that he became a success story on his own.

They had road at a comfortable pace for little over then a half an hour when Alfred pulled Liberty’s reins, slowing her down to a walk. Just ahead was a small collection of desert trees located on a small ridge. They were standing on one side of tiny canyon, although the water had long since dried up. “This is one of my favorite spots,” he admitted, slipping off of Liberty’s back. “You should see it at night. If you look up, you could see every star in that sky.” Alfred lead the mare over to the shaded area and began to unpack the lunch he had brought. Waving the Englishmen over, he began to set out portions of meat and bread out onto tin plates. “Oh, I got your vegetables.” He said, setting a collection of carrots, and a small tomato out for Arthur to take. “It’s not much, but I thought you might like it.”

Alfred leaned back against a tree, chewing his food thoughtfully as he stared out into the canyon. It was breathtakingly beautiful out here away from all the noise of human kind. He would sometimes stay out here for hours, listening to the sounds of the wilderness. He could never understand how people could not see the beauty of this untouched land. Everything was so raw, so pure - yet all people seemed to care about was spreading their influence to every stretch of this beautiful country. He shuddered to think about how the west would look once settlers began pouring in. The wild beauty would fade away into nothing but a forgotten memory. “I wish the west would stay like this forever.” He said suddenly, his eyes never leaving the scene before him. “Railroads are taring up the countryside, people are pouring in to snap up cheap land; sooner or later, all of this will be gone.” Alfred sighed and shook his head. “Ignore me, I’m just rambling.”

[Crocky Kirkland]

Arthur could tell the difference in Victoria that they were just trotting along and no fleeing. She was almost showing off her walk. She caught up with Liberty fast, but the ride was quiet, as side from the sound of hooves on the ground. Arthur was somewhat glad, it didn't distract him from looking at everything.

The West was so different from England. It was dusty and hot (Arthur remembered fainting like a woman from the heat countless times when he arrived), but it was beautiful. The colors were different from the usual greens and browns he usually saw back home, or the gray. Arthur got lost in looking he almost didn't notice Alfred stopping. Arthur grave a gentle tug on Victoria's reins and followed Alfred example of sliding off the saddle. Before following after him.

"I like the stars," Arthur said mindlessly looking at the place, before Alfred said something about vegetables. Arthur dried to contain his happiness, he somewhat missed them because he had them so rarely. "Thank you Alfred." Arthur said as he took a plate and a carrot and sat in the shade of the tree.

He munched on his lunch while listening to Alfred, his green eyes looking over the sight. He was right though, in Arthur's mind, people would ruin it, though Arthur quite liked the trains.

"You have a point though. London is very beautiful as well, bit its a big city and everyone wants to go there." Arthur said, of course he lived in a nice part of London, but he had seen it all. His brothers had him would out exploring, and they saw it all. "However, you can't see all the stars, unless you go to the countryside. But here you see them almost anywhere."

[Sheriff Jones]

Alfred was relieved when instead of telling him to accept the changes that mankind would inflict as a necessary evil, Arthur agreed that the untouched land held more beauty the one of the greatest cities in the world. It made him smile to know that at least somebody else would remember the west before humans overtook it completely. “I guess folks want to experience this place for themselves, but no one seems to know how to preserve any of the natural beauty,” he sighed a bit and pressed his fingertips against the dirt beneath him - he could feel it burning, even beneath his gloved hands. “I’m just hoping western expansion will take a break. Too many people are moving out here all at once.”

With his peace said, he decided to dismiss thinking about it any further. Nothing he said or did would prevent whatever was about to come. With the promise of cheap land and gold to the west, nothing would slow the steady flow of people traveling out to find their fortunes. It wasn’t his job to deal with the politics - he was simply a symbol a justice. Or, he will be, once his name starts getting around for being the hero that he is. And with Arthur’s guidance, the young sheriff is convinced that it wouldn’t be long before the two of them would be known throughout the world for their acts of justice. Alfred smiled happily at the thought and rested his head against the rough trunk of a mesquite tree, turning his attention to the two horses standing a few feet away. He watched in silent awe as Liberty gave the other mare a slight nuzzle before trotting towards the collection of trees where her owner sat. “That’s incredible!” He exclaimed, giving the horse a pat on the back of the leg. “This one is so picky, but I guess she likes your Victoria.” Alfred continued to chuckle and shake his head in disbelief as he rubs Liberty’s back legs until she walks off again.

Alfred’s good mood continued as he leaned back and enjoyed the slight bit of shade the trees provided. He had never been out here with another person, and although they hadn’t said much, he enjoyed having another person present. He wasn’t particularly close with anybody in town, so it was a welcome change to be sitting with someone whom he felt comfortable with. Strange how the first person he felt any sort of connection to was a former criminal. The world definitely had an odd sense of humor. Alfred shrugged it off and pulled the hat from his head to further enjoy the cool breeze that had decided to appear. His blond hair remained fairly messy from his slumber (considering he rarely bothered to comb it), but one strand in particular had always managed to stand straight up in the air, no matter what he did. It was just as well too. After having trying to comb it down had caused some strange reactions from his body (as well as being flat out unsuccessful), he vowed to avoid touching it whenever possible.

Once his hat was out of the way, Alfred was free to tilt his head up and watch the sky through the tree branches. “What’s England like Artie?” He asked curiously. He had mentioned London before, did that mean that he was from there? What about his family? He mentioned his father, but what about his mother? Did he have any siblings? He didn’t know. Heck, he wasn’t even sure of his age. Alfred frowned when he realized there was still so much he had yet to uncover about his new partner. That wouldn’t do, but he couldn’t very well just jump in and ask Arthur about everything that popped into his head - there was a chance there were subjects that the other man wanted to avoid for now. So, he went for the question with the least chance of offending him. “How old are you anyway?” He asked, hoping he wasn’t too old and would be upset at him for asking.

[Crocky Kirkland]

No one really knows how. Arthur thought as he nibbled on his sandwich. People were always concerned with their greater good. It's hard not for people the think that way, and Arthur had heard about all the things the West had been going.

The American went quiet again, and Arthur turned his attention back to the view before him. Or at least until Liberty came trotting over and made him wonder if Victoria was a little to happy with social interaction with another creature other than Arthur. She was usually very socialable, but not always fond of people, and if she liked someone, Arthur most likely could keep their company. Arthur remembered when he purchased Victoria, and the person selling her was shocked at how well she liked Arthur. Nuzzling him and being calm when she usually threw people off, and bit them or just violently expressed her dislike with people. He grinned as Victoria quickly went after Liberty when she walked away, trotting about happily. "Victoria usually get along with other animals well, I'm not that surprised." Victoria looked at him, her eyes perked up and happy, before she turned back to Liberty.

A silence sat on the too, and Arthur was comfortable with it. Arthur was use to silence and he often feared that he would become so disconnected from people he would chattered endlessly with someone just for some form of contact.

Alfred's question made Arthur turn suddenly. Instantly he eyes noticed a stray piece of hair that stuck up. He wondered why he hadn't noticed before. Maybe because you were worrying about so much more. He though to himself. Arthur oddly wanted to shove it down, even though Alfred's hair was a bit messy and wild to begin with. He was so annoyed and caught up in staring, he only heard the last half of what Alfred asked him.

"I'm 23, I'll be 24 in the spring." He informed, setting his plate down on the dirt and shifting a bit closer to his company. "How are you since were asking?" Arthur said before reaching forward for the cowlick that was annoying him so. "Hold still for a second." His fingers attempted to get the stray hair to lay flat.

[Sheriff Jones]

The interaction between the two horses was rather sweet in Alfred’s opinion. He knew from experience that Liberty was a rather shy creature by nature. When he was first looking to purchase her, it had taken weeks to convince her of his worth. She would shy away from him and ignore any treats he offered - unsure of whether to trust him or not. But, the day when she decided to accept a soft pat on the nose had changed everything, and he never regretted the time they had spent getting used to one another. If anything, they had formed a stronger bond then most horses and riders could boost of. Still, it was nice to see her getting along with the bolder Victoria. “Maybe she could teach Liberty a thing or two about social interactions. I can’t tell you how long it took me to convince her to let me even touch her.” Alfred said, laughing as the spotted horse stole another quick nuzzle before trotting back.

Arthur’s answer surprised him, and for a moment, he simply looked his companion over. Huh, he figured he was older, but still, that was a bit of an age gap. He vaguely considered the idea of upping his age to make him seem more grown-up, but a pillar of justice didn’t lie (especially about such trivial details), so he opted for the truth. “I just turned nineteen.” He admitted sheepishly. “That’s why I was commissioned to a small town in the middle of nowhere instead of anywhere important.” It hurt to admit, but it was true. He was considered to be far too young to be handling any of the heavy stuff, but he had originally hoped that this position would at least open up opportunities in the future. However, when he arrived, he soon realized that the only reason he had been sent out here was to keep him busy enough to keep from bugging the ‘real’ sheriff’s, yet far enough away from any action. It was an irritation realization, but he took what he could get. At least until he meet Arthur. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, gunfights and dealing with hardened criminals was terrifying to him. Just having another person who had experience by his side to help bail him out made him feel up to taking on the west again. And lord did that feel fantastic.

Alfred was so distracted by his own thoughts (as usual), that he didn’t hear Arthur’s next sentence, nor did he realize that he was leaning forward with a hand outstretched. He did however, feel the sudden shock-wave of pleasure shoot through his body when the Englishman's soft fingers stroked his cowlick. “Ggggahhh...” He groaned and instantly shot backwards, trying to Arthur’s fingertips. Already his body was starting to react, a fierce blush stained his cheeks and his breath began to come out in short pants. “D-don’t bother.” He managed to get out, shifting (in what he hoped was a subtle movement) slightly to find a more comfortable position. “It won’t stay down no matter what you do.” Ain’t that the truth? “Just let it be.” Please God, just leave it alone.

[Crocky Kirkland]

"Bloody hell!" Arthur shouted shocked and stumbled back from the sudden action of the American. Honestly who reacted in such away to having their hair fixed. Sure he could understand if Alfred was a little startled, but not when he freaked out like that. "It's just hair."

Arthur pushed himself so he was squatting in front of the American, dusting of his hands and bottom. He glanced at Alfred with a bored expression. Really did he have to look so aroused? If that was even the right word. Arthur wonder how hair could do that to someone. Might have been a past lover or something he thought.

He looked at Alfred hard, somewhat happy he had placed Alfred in the right age group. He was rather young to be out in such a dangerous job, but he didn't know how many people wanted to be the law. Arthur honestly would be jumping up to do it, but he had already jumped on a dangerous train, might as well switch to one with a good cause attached.

"I'm sure some of the girls don't mind," Arthur said, I don't mind either...wait what?! He shook his head to displace the thoughts. "Besides, you're young and determined, criminals would honestly think twice about running into you. I didn't have much of a choice." Arthur said with a light teasing tone.

[Sheriff Jones]

Alfred let out a relieved sigh when the other man jumped away. Well, he hadn’t planned on scaring him like that or anything, but at least it kept his fingers from stroking that particular lock of hair. “Um... sorry about that Artie.” He managed to say, finally getting a hold of his breathing again, although his cheeks stayed flushed a pretty pink. At Arthur’s comment of it being ‘just hair’, he flinched slightly and turned away in embarrassment. Yes, it was just hair, but it always had such an odd effect on him for some inexplicable reason. God it was mortifying to behave this way every time something so much as brushed against that annoying tuft. He could only hope that Arthur was too shocked by his violent reaction to piece together the clues about how that particular hair affected his body. “I just... don’t like anyone to touch that...” He mumbled, feeling he owed the Brit at least some kind of explanation.

The sheriff flushed a bit at Arthur’s comment about girls and instantly shook his head. “I wouldn’t really know about all that. No girl has ever had much interest in me.” He admitted, looking a tad bit sheepish, but not necessarily disappointed. Even when he lived in a bigger town, he never really noticed the women around him much. His mother would tease him for being a little heart-breaker, but honestly, he never noticed when a women was acting forward. He just tried to be friendly to everybody; he never was looking for anything else. “I bet you have more experience in that respect then I do.” Arthur seemed like the type who could play the part of a suave rich man who had women all over him. Plus, the English accent just heightened the illusion of wealth beyond imagination. He could just picture the string of broken hearts this man had left behind him. Not that he had any interest who had held Arthur’s heart at one point - it was simple, friendly curiosity.

Arthur’s praise continued as he went on describing his good points, causing Alfred to flush again, this time out of pleasure. Did he really think that about him? No one ever saw him as having any potential at all. “You really think so?” He asked, giving the other man a hopeful grin. Wow. Strange how only a few hours ago the Brit could have been seen as his enemy, now he was sitting here conversing like they had been friends forever. “Thank you Arthur. Most people don’t go around saying kind things like that about me.” He said, still grinning happily. “Oh, and you can’t deny you’re glad you ran into me. After all, we’re going to become the greatest team in the west!” He clasped Arthur on the shoulder and pulled him a bit closer. They sat in silence for a few moments, although it was more comfortable then any stretch of quiet Alfred could remember. Liberty came up from behind and nudged her owned lightly, as if to tell him they needed to head back soon. He pouted, but gave her nose a gentle pat. “I don’t want to head back to town yet.” He admitted. “I like being out here with you. You’re much better company.” He said, playfully knocking the Brit with his shoulder. Although his tone was somewhat teasing, the words rang true. For whatever reason, he liked Arthur. He was interesting, strong willed, intelligent, and yet managed to be increasingly adorable at the oddest of times - and Alfred could not wait to discover more about him.

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