ASJ Ficlet
For those who were nice enough to help me come up with inspirational quotes from all my fave fandoms, here's a little ASJ piece. You know the drill. Slash. PWP. Happy Ending. about 1500 words. Carry on...
Heyes’ Last Scheme
By the time Heyes had patched him up and they made their way back to the Hotel, Kid could tell something was wrong. It wasn’t what Heyes was saying, but rather, his silence that was so disconcerting to his partner.
This is bad, he thought.
Once inside their room, Kid watched as Heyes busied himself looking out the window, to street below, then propping a chair back against the doorknob and then starting to throw their things -or, more precisely, Heyes’ things- in saddlebags, as if making to leave.
Yup. This is very bad.
Unable to stand the silence, or Heyes’ frenetic activities, another minute Kid finally, tentatively, laid a hand on his arm.
“You mind telling me what’s goin’ on here? If you’ve got some scheme, I’d like to be let in on it.” Kid thought he’d get sarcastic remark or at least a little chuckle out of his partner with that.
What he wasn’t prepared for, when Heyes met his eyes for the first time since they got back to the Hotel, was the pained look on his face. And the tears that were being rapidly blinked back.
“Heyes. You’re scaring me here. I’m askin’ you again, what’s goin’ on?”
“Couldda’ lost you,” he whispered, then quickly tore his gaze away and went back to his packing.
“Well, it was a little closer than I wouldda’ liked, but we came out alright. We always do. Look, we’ve got another night paid for at this Hotel. How ‘bout getting’ some shut-eye, and thinkin’ about where we go next in the morning.”
Suddenly, Heyes wheeled around on him with an almost furious speed, and grabbed him by his shoulders and held him at arms length.
“No. Not this time. My last scheme almost cost us your life. That’s a price I’m not willing to pay. I’ll turn myself in, before I let that happen,” he said decidedly.
“What the hell are you goin’ on about? Turn yourself in? Look we’ve been straight for goin’ on three years now. Lom says the Amnesty is practically in the bag. Don’t be an idiot.” Kid hoped the insult would force his partner to rise to the challenge, but Heyes refused to take the bait. He began pacing their room as he started to lay out his plan.
“Don’t you see? If I turn myself in, I can tell them that you’ve been killed and I decided I couldn’t make it on my own. They’ll believe that. Everybody knows the only reason I’m able to avoid getting’ killed, is that no one dares draw on your partner.”
Kid just stared. Now he understood that period of drawn out silence from earlier. He would’ve laughed, if Heyes didn’t look so goddamn broken up. And determined.
Well, The Kid was pretty determined, himself. Determined to keep his fool partner from making the biggest mistake of their lives.
Heyes continued,“You can lay low down in Mexico for awhile. Pretty soon, they’ll forget all about you. You could probably even come back here in a coupla’ years. They’ll have plenty of fresh outlaws to chase by then. You just need to wait…”
“For what, Heyes? For some bounty hunter who knows that he can get as much for you dead as alive, or for some crooked judge to overlook the fact that you’ve never hurt anyone, in all your outlawin’, and decide he wants to make an example outta’ you and hang you? You’ve come up with some damn fool schemes, but this one…”
“That’s what I’m tryin’ to tell you Kid. Me and my schemes always end up gettin’ us in trouble. And this last one…I’ve made up my mind. You’re my best friend. I want what’s best for you. And that’s a long life without me messin’ things up for you,” Heyes was pleading now.
“And you claim to be the brains of this outfit,” Kid said gently, as he shook his head.
“Not anymore,” Heyes said in a resigned voice that broke Kid’s heart.
“Not tonight, that’s for sure. Heyes, I could find plenty of trouble all on my own, with no help from you, and you know it.”
Heyes appeared as if he was about to say something, but Kid silenced him with a look and continued, “Hell, I never wouldda’ thought about goin’ straight if it hadn’t been for you. But now that I’ve had a taste of it, with you by my side, I’m findin’ I kinda’ like it. I never heard of amnesty and never wouldda’ thought I’d have a chance at it, but for you convincin’ me, and puttin’ me on the straight and narrow. You say you want what's best for me. You gonna’ take away that dream now that you gave to me?”
“Ah hell. I’m sorry Kid. I didn’t mean to say you couldn’t still get the amnesty. ‘Course you could still do that. When I turn myself in, I’ll tell ‘em that I wanted to do another bank job and you refused to go along with it and we parted company…”
“You’re not hearing me. I want the amnesty, sure. But only if we can earn it together. Don’t know if you realized this, but I’ve gotten pretty used to having you around. Maybe I’m crazy, but I thought we’d start our ‘new lives’ together. Partners. Like always. Unless that’s not what you want,” this last was said with a raised eyebrow.
Heyes’ body crumpled onto the nearby bed. He looked defeated.
Knowing he had won the battle, but that the war was not over, Kid crossed over to him and stood directly facing where Heyes sat. He reached out and knocked Heyes’ hat off is head, gently stroked his hair and brought his hand down to caress the stubbled cheek and, with two fingers under is chin, lifted his partner’s face so as to be able to look into his eyes.
And suddenly he knew what he had to do.
“I need you to tell me, Heyes. What is it you want for us? Don’t try to figure what’s best for me, for once. Just tell me. Instead of using this,” he said tapping Heyes’ forehead with his index finger “How ‘bout goin’ with what’s in here,” said as he placed his palm on his partner’s chest.
He felt Heyes’ quickening heartbeat under his fingers, as a black-gloved hand reached up to cover his own. Strong. Holding on. Saying more than words ever could.
But, Heyes was Heyes. So there would be words.
“Those few times, I actually let myself dream,” he spoke wistfully; “It’s about us. Always us. Together. Seems like it’s all I’ve ever wanted. But you deserve…”
“Hush. Didn’t ask you about what you thought I deserve. I asked what you wanted. And it seems to me we’re both on the same page here. So here’s what we’re gonna do. We’re gonna’ get some shut-eye like I suggested before. First thing tomorrow we’re gonna head to the telegraph office and see what the latest word is from Lom, and we’ll see what happens from there. How’s that for a scheme?”
Upon saying this, The Kid divested himself of boots, hat, gunbelt, gloves and most of his clothes and settled onto the bed, encouraging his partner to do the same. As Heyes complied, he seemed to find his voice.
“Well, as schemes go, it’s not the most complicated is it?” he said in that patented Heyes know-it-all tone that Kid always found irresistible. “But sometimes, simple is good too.”
“Heyes?”
“Yeah?”
“Shuddup and c’mere,” he said reaching out to pull the weary form close.
Heyes allowed himself to be pulled, thus.
When he was thoroughly enveloped in The Kid's embrace, Heyes turned within the circle of those strong arms and asked, “You gonna’ kiss me now?” The assuredness faltering slightly.
“Thought I might. Among other things. I got plans for us Heyes. And I guarantee you’re gonna like ‘em.” Kid said in a husky voice.
“I expect you’re right about that, Kid. Go ahead. Scheme away,” he said with a wink. Something else that The Kid could never resist.
And now he wouldn’t have to. Not anymore.
The smell, and feel and taste of his partner were as familiar as they were brand new. Kid always knew it would be like this.
He laid out his plans for them in great detail that night, twice, without further words being spoken. Except for promises of unwavering devotion and assurances of unending love.
Heyes offered his own version of the scheme the following morning. As usual their plans were very much in synch.
