[Fanfic] Red West III. - Chapter nineteen
Title: RED WEST III.
Author: Kasumi
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Western, Drama, Romance, Adventure, Historical fiction
Warning: AKame pairing - AU; vulgarisms, violence, explicit content
Beta-reading:
atago4
Summary: A direct sequel of Red West II. - Masterpost
A strange company of three young gunslingers and one Indian is on their way to Montana, while the infamous Black Riders continue their fight against Silver King of Colorado… Will they succeed or fail in the clash with the cruel environment and heartless Governor? Will their friendship, brotherhood and love persevere or be destroyed by greed, bloodshed and vengeance?
Thank you: To Kamenashi Kazuya and Akanishi Jin, because this story wouldn´t have existed without them.
A/N: For anyone still out there reading this story - the next chapter...
I´m grateful for any opinion or advice, you help me hone my writing skills with them.
Thank you for taking time to read this story. I´ll be happy if you reward me with a comment for it.
Previously:
Prologue // Chapter one // Chapter two // Chapter three // Chapter four // Chapter five // Chapter six // Chapter seven // Chapter eight // Chapter nine // Chapter ten // Chapter eleven // Chapter twelve // Chapter thirteen // Chapter fourteen // Chapter fifteen // Chapter sixteen // Chapter seventeen // Chapter eighteen //
Word of God
“God bless you, my child,” an emotionless voice spoke right behind her and coldly resonated in the empty nave. A bit startled, since she had missed the sound of footsteps, which would have warned her about someone´s arrival; Lena stopped wiping the pews and turned around.
“Oh… Good morning, Reverend,” she greeted the man and dropped the dirty cloth into the bucket of water.
“You´re very early today,” the Reverend glanced over the still wet surface of church furnishings. “Our Lord will be pleased with your diligent effort.”
Lena dried her hands with the apron anxiously: “I´ve got also some other duties today, so I had to come sooner than usually.”
The truth was that she didn´t particularly enjoy helping out in the newly renovated church, or more precisely - she didn´t like Reverend Kapner. But when her parents personally offered him their daughter´s selfless help, as a properly behaved young lady, she could not simply say ´no´ and embarrass them. So at least, she kept trying to avoid this servant of God as much as was possible. Unfortunately, she was not always successful.
Lena was not even able to say why exactly she felt this kind of aversion towards the man. The Reverend was maybe a little persistent in preaching practically to everyone around, but always polite and he never did anything what could be considered rude or strange. She just did not feel well in his company.
Reverend Kapner nodded nonchalantly: “Your parents can be proud of you.”
“Um… Thank you, Reverend,” she replied sheepishly. “And excuse me, I´d like to finish this soon and I need to change the water,” grateful for such a good excuse to leave, she grabbed the bucket.
“Wait a moment, my dear,” the Reverend raised one of his pale hands in the air. “I would like to ask you about something.”
Hardly hiding her reluctance, she put the heavy bucket down again: “Yes? About what?”
“Sometime last week, I saw you talking with that likeable young man… Kamenashi, I think.”
Hearing the name and moreover in connection with a compliment, Lena loosened up a little. If the Reverend had any idea how much likeable Kame was according to her, he might have chased her out of the church. She nodded with a smile: “Yes, he´s my good friend.”
“I figured that much, you seemed close. How long do you know each other?”
“Ever since he had moved back to Bozeman with his mother, so… Almost three years,” Lena replied, kind of happy she could talk about her favorite man.
“Kamenashi settled in this city only such a short time ago? Official records indicate that he was born in Bozeman.”
Lena hesitated before replying: “Yes, but for many years he lived in the mountains with Indians.”
The Reverend raised his eyebrows in great surprise: “My child, you´re saying that he was raised by those faithless savages?”
She didn´t like such a statement at all: “Not all of them are the same, Reverend. Blackfeet Tribe is peaceful and they saved Kame´s life, when he was a child. Please, don´t talk about them like this.”
The Reverend placed both hands behind his back and stared at her, his expression serious: “Based on my countless experiences with them, it´s very hard for me to have such faith in those wild people, my dear. I´d rather not imagine what kind of habits Kamenashi might have picked up from them.”
Lena felt tense under the Reverend´s look, which was suddenly very cold. Before she could say something in Kame´s defense, the man continued: “So, I suppose you know him well? And his… house-mate, too?”
Not so eager to continue this conversation, Lena nodded again slowly: “Yes, I do.”
“Great. Then could you please remind the two of them about my invitation to the Holy Mass?” the man requested her urgently. “It´s been a while since I visited them, but they haven´t appeared yet.”
Lena pressed her lips together, partially confused and partially anxious. Why would the Reverend care so much if Kame and Jin go to church or not? He even seemed to be quite upset about it.
Feeling somewhat nervous, she replied very carefully this time: “Well, as far as I know they´re both quite busy, Reverend. I´m sure they mean no offense.”
A strange smile appeared on the man´s lips: “I do not allege anything like that. Can you just tell them I look forward to seeing them soon?”
“Of course, I can,” she agreed hesitantly. “I´m usually in contact only with Kame, but he´ll tell Jin.”
“Ah, yes, naturally... How long do they live together?” the Reverend asked suddenly.
Lena was more confused with each question: “I´m not sure… A couple of months now, I think.”
“Are they relatives?”
“No... Although, it might seem like that sometimes,” she added, remembering the last time she was thinking about those two.
“So, they are not related at all?” he asked again, as if he didn´t hear her correctly.
Lena frowned, already really unhappy with all those questions: “No, Reverend. I´m not aware of it.”
“And still, they live like this? Openly?” he raised his eyes up to the ceiling and shook his head in disbelief.
Lena took a deep breath: “Reverend… Why are you so upset about it?”
“My dear child, I´ve already met stray souls like them. It´s always so hard to lead them on the right path again. However, I´d have never expected that they could be so obvious about it.”
Lena gaped at the indignant man: “Obvious about what?”
“They even live together under one roof!” the Reverend threw his hands up in an agitated gesture.
She still didn´t get what was so wrong about it: “Yes, naturally. They can save the costs like that. It´s quite convenient for both of them, don´t you think?”
“But they live in sin!” the man in black exclaimed.
Lena´s eyes widened, her stomach squeezed: “I don´t understand… What do you mean, Reverend?”
The man of God suddenly calmed down, stepped closer and placed both hands on Lena´s shoulders. She almost flinched away, but somehow managed to remain still.
“My dear, precious child, you´re too young and your heart is too pure to understand,” the man spoke softly, with a creepy smile.
Lena gulped down heavily, not able to react. Even though she also thought that the arrangement on Kamenashi´s property was a little unusual, in that moment, she started wondering if the Reverend was actually the one being not pure and in need of some very humble prayers. It didn´t feel right that he talked about Kame and Jin in such a way, especially when he hardly knew them.
***
It was more than convenient for Kame that he didn´t have to care about anyone else but himself for once. The unexpected talk with Beara made him think - and also dream - about many things as he traveled through the Rocky Mountains´ foothills.
Grateful for the rare opportunity, he intentionally avoided all human settlements on the way and let himself be surrounded by nature. He could not remember the last time he had a chance to peacefully admire the breathtaking wilderness of Montana, which was still untouched by the hands of white settlers from the east. It greatly helped him to organize his thoughts.
After the long argument with his more proud inner self, Kame realized that he had behaved selfishly and quite unfairly to Jin. He should have regarded their job positions as equal, no matter the circumstances. They both earned money for their household for living together. And most of all, he shouldn´t have been upset at Jin for just wanting to be with him more often.
The closer he got to home, the more determined he was to make amends. Just as he told Liwan´s little sister, he had many reasons to be happy. So, why should he focus on the bad things and internally magnify them to see all their issues worse than they actually were? He should let Jin know how much he appreciated to have him on his side. Ever since they really got to know each other during the dangerous grizzly hunt, they had been always fighting together, against everything what was thrown under their feet or even punched them in the face. Absolutely nothing gave Kame the right to take Jin as granted and he hated the feeling of acting that way before.
Upon his arrival to Bozeman in the early afternoon, Kame returned the borrowed horse to Harada first. Then he had to promise to persistent Mike to come by more often and did some shopping at Franko´s. And - he also met Lena there.
The girl was excited to see him again, but also a bit anxious. Quite grudgingly, she informed him that their Reverend asked her many questions about him and Jin and also had some weird comments, which she did not understand. She even looked angered about it, but refused to give him any specifics about what exactly the Reverend had said. Anyway, Lena´s words only confirmed to Kame that he was right about the visit of the man in black to be suspicious and that they should beware of Reverend Kapner.
Since the turn of Sunday and Monday was the only time during the week when Cora´s place was closed, Kame knew he was about to find Jin home. Therefore, he just picked up the correspondence at the post office, for the moment not caring about the content of envelopes and already impatient to see his lover, he left the city.
Gloomily wondering, what would be the best approach to confuse dear sneaky Reverend, Kame strode on the well-known road in an eager haste. Only the sight of their house between the trees made him slow down his steps.
As he heard the hammer pounding from the back yard, he just dropped all his things and purchases on the veranda and followed the loud sounds. When the figure of his dark-haired lover came into Kame´s view finally, all the solemn thoughts were forgotten right away.
Jin was apparently working on the new walls for their precious animal friends, since they had only simple roof on four pillars over their noble heads up until now and their shed was not properly protected from all sides.
Kame walked closer, with a soft smile playing on his lips without him even realizing it. Stabled Ukushi snorted softly to welcome him and Kuro chewing on some grass nearby also raised his head. This slight change of their behavior made Jin look up from the focused work on the boards. And in that moment, Kame was already there, eagerly kissing him, before Jin could even say ´hello´.
The hammer was dropped onto the grass, as Jin moved his arms to circle them around Kame´s waist and pressed against him with his whole body, repaying the kiss no less willingly. For a long while, they both lost the track of time and space in the loving welcome.
By the time they tore apart, Kame felt foolishly light and warm. He realized just how much he had missed this safe, happy feeling.
Jin looked at him and then - with a wide smile - pecked Kame´s lips one more time before releasing his hug around him.
“Finally…” he breathed out. “I was already tempted to ride off to meet you half way.”
“It´s good that you stayed. We might´ve missed each other,” Kame replied, his fingers squeezing the older one´s shoulders. “And I couldn´t bear to wait any longer…”
“Or… We would meet up and could play on a perverted ambush,” Jin mused meaningfully.
Kame chuckled: “That sounds interesting. But who would be ambushed by whom?”
Embodied self-confidence, Jin grinned and sneakily pinched Kame´s butt: “You think I´d let you have a choice in that?”
Kame pouted objecting: “That´s selfish.”
“I don´t think so,” opposed Jin.
“Um… And what would you do if you wanted to ambush me then?”
“Well…” Jin leant forward suddenly and softly nibbled Kame´s earlobe. “First, I´d have stripped you of all weapons and dragged you to the nearest proper tree,” he whispered huskily into his ear.
With a hot flush creeping up his cheeks, Kame gulped down: “And then?”
Jin moved his hot mouth over his cheek and nose to the other side: “I´d order you to strip your pants and pushed you against that tree…”
The younger one hummed something incomprehensibly.
“And then, I´d fuck you so hard, it would make you scream for mercy,” Jin finished with the dark promise in his deep voice.
Kame felt himself almost burning with sudden desire.
“Well…” he attempted to clear his tight throat. “That was… very descriptive.”
Jin looked into his eyes: “I can move on to the practical demonstration anytime. For example - I could just drag you into our bed right now.”
“Jin…”
His lover cut in playfully: “What´s that tone for? Don´t say you´re too tired.”
“No…” Kame breathed out, pressing closer against him again. “The opposite. What about right here?”
“Wow…” Jin observed his expression with wide eyes. “And I was being told to be the perverted one. They´re looking at us!”
Kame looked around confused: “Who?”
“Those two,” Jin gestured to the two calmly standing animals.
It was Kame´s turn to laugh: “All right, since you´re so sensitive to others´ eyes, then let´s move away from their sight,” and already started dragging Jin away from the shed.
“Wait,” Jin seemed to be a little perplexed by his eagerness. “You mean it?”
Kame swiftly reached down to press his palm against the growing bulge under Jin´s pants: “Well, a proper wall could work out just fine as well, could it not?”
Jin took a shaky breath: “You know… I could use such distractions from work more often.”
“But in such a case, you wouldn´t get much done, right?”
“I guess not,” Jin agreed willingly and pressed Kame against the wall of their house.
Their lips united in a heated kiss once again, their hands already on the way under the other´s clothes, and… Something made them stop.
Realizing someone´s approaching presence, they hastily pulled away from each other just when a sturdy horse appeared on the corner of the house. Jin cursed quietly and stepped aside, his hands slipping of Kame, whose eyes widened in surprise at the young man who dismounted and rushed to them in a crazy speed.
“Kame-chan!!”
Kame found himself in a completely different type of hug, which was still very warm and friendly. The firm hands patted his back a couple of times, before the man pulled further away, giving him the brightest smile ever.
“Welcome home!”
Even though Kame was a little confused by his appearance, he could not mistake that cheerful voice with anyone´s else.
“Koki? Is that really you?” he eyed the unexpected face in front of him curiously.
“You bet! Happy to see me again?” the Black Rider grinned.
“Well, I´m certainly surprised,” Kame replied, still taken aback. “What are you doing here?”
“Living here!” Koki announced as if it was clear over the bright sun. “Jin didn´t tell you yet?”
Kame´s jaw dropped: “What? How can you…?”
Happy Rider shook his head: “Never mind! I can imagine Jin-Jin was about to welcome you with something entirely different than talking,” he assumed winking at him.
Kame blushed, realizing only now in what a sensitive situation Koki almost caught them.
“Will you ever learn when it´s better to shut up?” Jin uttered growling, his eyes sending daggers at that embodiment of disturbance.
“No, why should I?” Koki assumed haughtily.
Jin made a face and hissed another question at him: “Did they already fire you that you´re back so soon?”
“You´ve lost the notion of time, my dear friend. I´m even a bit later than usually.”
“And I´m lost in your conversation,” confused Kame cut it sharply. “Just what are you talking about?”
“I´ve started working, you know,” Koki informed him proudly. “I´ve got a real job. Just coming back from the morning shift.”
Kame stood there even more surprised and also - with a bad hunch: “Wherefrom…?” he asked faintly.
“In the mine, of course!” Koki declared.
“In the gold one?” stunned Kame wanted to make sure.
Koki snorted: “Is there any other operating nearby?”
Kame stared wordlessly at the so-suddenly appeared friend, then at his lover.
Under that reproachful look, Jin raised both hands in self-defense: “Hey, don´t look at me, Kame! It was his idea!”
Kame took a deep breath, trying to hold onto his good mood and composure: “So… You arrived to the city and started working for Henderson right away?”
Koki shrugged recklessly: “Naturally. It´s the fastest earnings I ever get by working honestly around here.”
“Are you kidding me?” Kame snapped after all. “It´s too risky, Koki! Do you even realize Henderson knows you?”
“Nah, do you really think he´d recognize me like this?” Koki rubbed his fingers through the dark stubble all over his face.
Kame had to admit, adding the Rider´s unusually dark hair to the picture, it was the combination which even made him doubt at first. But he still disliked such a crazy idea.
“I certainly don´t think that´s enough to…”
“And also!” Koki didn´t let him talk further. “Isn´t it convenient for you two to have someone, who can sneak around a bit, right under Creepy Cam´s nose? Huh?”
Jin just frowned and Kame sighed, still hesitating: “Well…”
“You must admit that my presence there can be advantageous, right? Stop worrying so much,” Koki patted Kame´s shoulder again. “Come on! Let´s drink something to celebrate your homecoming! And eat! I´m starving!”
“Only if you add a proper explanation for all of this,” Kame murmured not very enthusiastically.
“Hell, yeah! Look forward to The Story!” Koki agreed suspiciously willingly.
*
Sometime later, the chill in the air was growing stronger with the setting sun, but not enough to chase the three young men away from the comfortable chairs. One of them had just finished talking, his expectant look focused on the other, who stared at him wordlessly, while the third one was smoking a cigarette with a kind of amused expression.
The deep silence took over the small veranda for a while.
Jin was the first one to break it: “Not even a bit better than when I heard it the first time. Just what about this all is so great?”
Koki grimaced: “Not nice of you, grumpy guy… Kame-chan liked it, right?”
Kame sat there for a couple of long seconds, before he spoke, summarizing what he just heard out from Koki: “You had fought with your family again regarding ranching and decided to earn money in a different way to prove them wrong. You left and followed our track to Bozeman. By chance, you encountered my sheep breeding neighbor and he told you where we live because he thought you mean troubles for us. You confirmed that you´re at the correct house thanks to Ukushi stabled on the back yard and then stole Jin´s lunch. He was not happy about it when he came home. To my great surprise, he agreed that you can stay here temporarily nevertheless.”
Koki gaped at him: “Hey! You make it sound so boring!”
“It´s exactly as Kame said,” Jin confirmed gleefully.
“You´re awful friends!” the agitated Rider fussed.
“Is that so? Then move your ass away from our awful house,” Jin challenged him right away.
“Next time just try to beg me for the story,” Koki grumbled.
“Don´t worry, we won´t,” Jin assured him.
Rather than continue listening to their bickering, Kame got up and went for something to drink. He returned to the veranda carrying the bottle of whiskey, three glass shots and also the envelopes he had almost forgot about.
“Kame-chan! You read my mind!” Koki beamed as he spotted the alcohol in his hands.
Jin snorted: “That´s quite probable since it´s so simple. I´ll pour it for us, sit down,” he gently pushed Kame back to the chair, ignoring Koki´s sour face.
“Thanks,” Kame appreciated with a smile and tore up the first envelope.
While Koki was sulking, Jin poured three drinks and then eyed his lover´s frowning expression: “What´s up?”
Kame sighed: “Just a reminder from the Indian Office… They won´t let me slack off for even a day.”
Jin´s hand closing the bottle froze in the midair. Kame looked up from the letter: “They require the written reports for the recent issues from me… No new tasks for now.”
“Ah, so…”
“Yeah…”
“Good.”
Kame lowered his head to cover his smile and focused on the other envelope with a telegram. Jin pushed one of the shots toward him and another to Koki.
“Don’t think I´ll forgive you that easily,” the insulted Rider snorted.
Jin shrugged: “Then leave it, more will remain for us.”
“Okay, okay…” Koki could be stubborn sometimes, but it never lasted long. “Can´t refuse a drink brought by Kame-chan. So? Let´s toast on our reunion?”
Jin turned to silent Kame and frowned: “Kazuya? What is it?” he asked seriously.
“Guys…” Kame took a deep breath. “We´ve got a message from Denver.”
“What?” Koki´s eyes widened.
Jin stiffened: “Something with Leo?” he asked hoarsely.
“Read it yourself,” Kame stretched out his hand and handed the paper over to Jin. Koki could not hold still, so he jumped up to read it from behind him at the same time:
To: KAZUYA KAMENASHI, BOZEMAN CITY, MONTANA TERRITORY
From: JACK, DENVER, COLORADO
KING COOPERATES WITH CREEPY MAN STOP BE CAREFUL STOP WE ARE OK STOP DID OTHERS ARRIVE YET STOP
“Bloody hell…” Koki commented the interesting content of the message quite aptly.
Jin seemed to be reading it once again, before he raised his head: “That´s some telegram, damn it.”
“You two nailed it,” Kame agreed.
“Others…” Koki murmured surprised. “Does he mean Leo´s coming here?“
“When did this arrive?” Jin asked.
Kame rubbed his forehead, trying to remember what the telegrapher said: “Two days ago…”
“And what´s up with that first sentence? Do you copy that, guys? It´s…”
Kame cut into Koki´s excited reaction: “Hey, let´s take it gradually, okay?” he pulled the telegram out of Jin´s hand and placed it on the table between their drinks. “It was written by Jack and he mentioned ´we´, so at least one Black Rider member remained with him in Denver. And by ´others´ he probably means Leo, Jane, Cullen and Ryo.”
Koki gaped and Jin also eyed him surprised: “How did you figure that out?”
“Well, if they wanted to leave Colorado for a while, to let the things over there calm down, Leo is the first on the list. I doubt he´s planning to return shortly, so he´d take Jane with him. And Cullen? It´s clear that he wouldn´t leave Leo to travel alone without his supervision. And if they were to choose between Ryo and Nick, who´s constantly complaining about his aching joints…”
Jin raised one open palm: “Right. I see your point.”
“Wow,” Koki breathed out kind of amused. “You sound like a detective.”
“And then there´s the part I like the least,” Kame frowned.
“King cooperates with Creepy man,” Jin read the words again aloud and chuckled caustically. “If I only knew that this nickname will catch with everyone.”
“Somehow, this change of circumstances doesn´t surprise me,” Kame assumed cheerlessly.
“Me neither,” Jin agreed.
“So, Tabor and Henderson conspired against us, huh?” Koki huffed, sat down again and swallowed his dram of whiskey without hesitation.
“It´s troublesome, but it doesn´t affect the situation much for us,” Jin noted.
Kame shook his head: “We must presume that everything happening here will be delivered to Tabor in Colorado. Koki, did you already face Henderson directly, ever since you started working in the mine?”
“Not yet,” Koki waved his hand recklessly. “Though, I heard he´s coming around to check on the progress in the mine quite often.”
“Be careful then and don´t promenade under his nose,” Kame recommended him urgently. “He´s not an idiot and I´d rather not imagine what he´d do if he recognized you.”
“Not to mention it could alert him that the other Riders are, or will be, here as well,” Jin added his remark as well.
“Yes, yes, don´t worry, darlings. I´ll be careful,” Koki promised with a grin, which didn´t exactly calm the two of them down.
Then Kame realized something else: “There´s one more person, who could know who you´re… Danny McFly, you remember him?”
Koki shook his head and snatched the bottle from the table, earning the lethal stare from Jin: “No, who´s that?”
“He´s quite young and sticks almost always by Henderson´s side. McFly manages most errands for him,” Kame explained.
“Ah, yeah, that boy. Met him already, no big deal.”
“Keep him on mind as well anyway,” Kame insisted.
“Roger that!” Koki saluted with his glass already filled again.
“And what will we do about that announced unexpected visit?” Jin mused, glancing at the telegram again.
Kame shrugged: “Since we have no idea when Leo and others set off, nothing much. We can just wait if they appear or not.”
“I bet they will,” Jin snorted. “I´ve got a feeling my little brother wants to repay me for how I came to check up on him before.”
“That fits,” Koki agreed, drank up the second glass and got up. “Well, I´m gonna leave you two doves to have some privacy here. I must wrap it up early, since I need to get up with the sun. And don´t worry, Kame-chan - Jin didn´t let me anywhere near your bedroom,” he added grinning. “Night!”
With that, their talkative tenant disappeared in the house.
“Always a clown,” Jin murmured and finally reached for his glass, tinkling it over Kame´s. “Cheers?”
Kame nodded, not really listening. Only a hand on his thigh made him finally aware of the drink on the table in front of him and Jin leaning to him: “Hey… Why are you so sullen, Kazuya?”
He looked into the worried eyes and sighed a little: “I need to talk to you, Jin.”
The hand soothing his leg stopped moving: “I don´t like this tone. What happened? Something in the reservation?”
Kame shook his head a little surrendered: “Problems up there will never end… But that´s not it. It´s about the Reverend.”
“Ah, yeah… I´ve got something about him too, actually,” Jin remembered. “He keeps going all around the city annoying people with his preaching, but only those who´re not so eager to visit his Sunday Masses. It seems we´re not the only ones on the black list.”
“You´re even more right than you think.”
Jin straightened up, leaning back into his chair, his look focused and intense: “What do you mean by that, Kame?”
“I´ve met Lena in the city and she told me that he had asked her many questions about us. Weird questions, she said.”
“And so what?”
“He´s definitely at least suspicious of us, Jin.”
“And?” Jin threw both hands up in the air in just indignation. “Screw him and his assumptions.”
“We should at least try to distract his attention,” Kame insisted.
“With what?”
“I´m not sure… I was thinking about it, but I can´t figure anything sufficient out. Maybe… What about you´d move to the city for a while?”
Jin froze.
“What?” his voice became ice cold with anger. “What would be the point in something like that?”
“Only for some time…” Kame pleaded. “I just hope the Reverend would stop trying to dig some dirt on us, if he realized that we´re not glued together.”
“Do you really think that it´d help if I moved away?”
“Well… I can´t think of anything else.”
“No way!” Jin jumped up from his chair. “Even if we didn´t sleep together - which I´d love to start practicing with you again, thank you very much - and we´d be just friends living in the same house, would you want us to live according to some fucking preacher´s rules?”
“You don’t have to be so rude,” Kame reproached him quietly.
“And you don´t have to be such a coward!”
The accusation made also Kame angry and he stood up as well: “We cannot risk that he´s going to expose us!”
“Let me laugh. There´s no way he would, since we´re so damn careful I cannot even touch you in public!”
“Jin! I don´t want to end up hanging next to you with ropes around our necks!” Kame exclaimed hoarsely.
A long, kind of dark silence fell upon them.
Jin stared at Kame for a long while, before he turned his back on him. He stood on the edge of veranda, his back all tense with suppressed emotions.
Kame took a deep breath and stepped a little closer to him: “Listen to me, Jin… I love you and I want to be with you, but I´m so damn worried. I´m worried about us, about our lives. If you have any other idea… Anything that would help us to get rid of the Reverend´s suspicion, so that he´d leave us alone and we could live here together in peace, I´m all in.”
Jin turned back with the soft expression soothing his features. He looked so handsome in the light of the kerosene lamp, Kame hold his breath.
“I think I haven´t ever heard any more lovely confession,” Jin stated with his eyes shining.
Kame smiled gently: “Did it do the trick?”
His boyfriend sighed: “Kazuya… Sometimes you really overdo thinking about things. Don´t you realize that me moving away right after that black crow was here and then talked with Lena can have the opposite effect?”
“What? Why?”
“Wouldn´t it seem that we just try to be less suspicious at all costs?”
“Well, yes, but that´s what we want…”
“And you think that dear Reverend wouldn´t figure it out?”
Kame looked in his lover´s eyes for a while, before his shoulders slackened in defeat: “You think it will be better if we continue behave the same way?”
“Definitely. Just adding something maybe…” Jin replied, obviously hesitating.
“Like what?”
“You will not like it.”
“Just tell me,” Kame insisted.
“I can start behaving more… You know - more openly to women in town, or so,” Jin proposed slowly. “It´s not like they´re not interested, it´s me who shut them down every time. So, that shouldn´t be a problem.”
Kame remained silent for a while, his eyes focused on Jin first, but then he looked away: “I must admit it makes more sense.”
“See?” Jin reached for Kame´s hands, pulling him closer. “Like that we can both stay here and do whatever the hell we want behind the closed door.”
“Yeah… But you were right. I hate it already,” Kame said gloomily.
Jin laughed and encircled his arms around his adorable lover: “It will be just an act,” he assured him.
“I know…” Kame´s hands moved as well, to hug Jin´s neck. “And it´s a good idea, Jin.”
“Thank you. Any reward?”
Kame pushed himself against him, but avoided Jin´s attempt to kiss him: “One more thing…”
Jin huffed: “Anything else beside the hot sex in our bed is unacceptable.”
“That Mass visit. We must appear there at least once in a while…”
“Fine. You will go there. I´ll wait in the saloon meanwhile.”
“Jin… I´ll be grateful if you go with me.”
“Oh? Really? How much grateful?”
“Very.”
***
Bozeman citizens stood up from the pews, welcoming his arrival to the modest altar. He turned to them with his head humbly bowed and made the Sign of the Cross: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
The assembly in the church copied his gesture, replying: “Amen.”
Reverend Gilbert Kapner looked up and spread his arms greeting the crowd, which was obviously growing with every week: “Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“And with your spirit,” everyone replied obediently.
He blessed the gathering and then carefully observed them as they sat again. Some in fear of God´s Wrath, some nonchalantly, trying to cover their nervousness, some very piously and some, some of them looked even militantly. Just as that young man Akanishi standing in the back part of the nave, as far as he only could from the altar. The Reverend´s eyes narrowed as he searched in the crowd and he found also Kamenashi - sitting in the pew with Brices.
The short smile spread his thin lips. Seeing them, he immediately knew which verse from the Holy Bible he should focus on that day. With his mood high, he invited all the faithful to the repentance - the Penitential Act: “My brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries. Have mercy on us, O Lord.”
“For we have sinned against you.”
“Show us, O Lord, your mercy,” the Reverend continued.
“And grant us your salvation.”
“May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.”
“Amen.”
It was really satisfying to hear more than half of the people gathered for the Mass replying properly and the Reverend was sure the rest of his believers will catch up to it soon as well. Even though some of them did not look very willing to learn the correct responses…
Kame motionlessly listened to the people praying and singing. It had been a long time since he attended any Catholic Mass. He almost forgot the uncomfortable feelings he used to have during it as a child. He remembered them more than well now.
He noticed Reverend Kapner´s expression when he looked him and Jin up in the crowd and that satisfaction he saw didn´t make him feel any better. The ceremony hardly begun and it already felt never ending to him.
The Brices invited both of them to join them in the middle part of pews, but Jin insisted on staying near the exit. And when it came to the Liturgy of the Word part, Kame wished he was standing in the back as well. He could not help but perceive that the Reverend´s words were calculating and targeted. It was difficult to listen and remain calm. And he could imagine that it felt the same for Jin.
Right at the moment the Reverend turned his back to the people in the nave, to prepare for the Eucharistic prayer, the main door clicked softly. Kame didn´t need to look back to know that it was Jin who left. With a heavy heart, he remained sitting, the words from the sermon echoing in his head with a bad foreboding.
"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination and they shall surely be put to death."
- To be continued -
Author: Kasumi
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Western, Drama, Romance, Adventure, Historical fiction
Warning: AKame pairing - AU; vulgarisms, violence, explicit content
Beta-reading:
atago4
Summary: A direct sequel of Red West II. - Masterpost
A strange company of three young gunslingers and one Indian is on their way to Montana, while the infamous Black Riders continue their fight against Silver King of Colorado… Will they succeed or fail in the clash with the cruel environment and heartless Governor? Will their friendship, brotherhood and love persevere or be destroyed by greed, bloodshed and vengeance?
Thank you: To Kamenashi Kazuya and Akanishi Jin, because this story wouldn´t have existed without them.
A/N: For anyone still out there reading this story - the next chapter...
I´m grateful for any opinion or advice, you help me hone my writing skills with them.
Thank you for taking time to read this story. I´ll be happy if you reward me with a comment for it.
Previously:
Prologue // Chapter one // Chapter two // Chapter three // Chapter four // Chapter five // Chapter six // Chapter seven // Chapter eight // Chapter nine // Chapter ten // Chapter eleven // Chapter twelve // Chapter thirteen // Chapter fourteen // Chapter fifteen // Chapter sixteen // Chapter seventeen // Chapter eighteen //
Word of God
“God bless you, my child,” an emotionless voice spoke right behind her and coldly resonated in the empty nave. A bit startled, since she had missed the sound of footsteps, which would have warned her about someone´s arrival; Lena stopped wiping the pews and turned around.
“Oh… Good morning, Reverend,” she greeted the man and dropped the dirty cloth into the bucket of water.
“You´re very early today,” the Reverend glanced over the still wet surface of church furnishings. “Our Lord will be pleased with your diligent effort.”
Lena dried her hands with the apron anxiously: “I´ve got also some other duties today, so I had to come sooner than usually.”
The truth was that she didn´t particularly enjoy helping out in the newly renovated church, or more precisely - she didn´t like Reverend Kapner. But when her parents personally offered him their daughter´s selfless help, as a properly behaved young lady, she could not simply say ´no´ and embarrass them. So at least, she kept trying to avoid this servant of God as much as was possible. Unfortunately, she was not always successful.
Lena was not even able to say why exactly she felt this kind of aversion towards the man. The Reverend was maybe a little persistent in preaching practically to everyone around, but always polite and he never did anything what could be considered rude or strange. She just did not feel well in his company.
Reverend Kapner nodded nonchalantly: “Your parents can be proud of you.”
“Um… Thank you, Reverend,” she replied sheepishly. “And excuse me, I´d like to finish this soon and I need to change the water,” grateful for such a good excuse to leave, she grabbed the bucket.
“Wait a moment, my dear,” the Reverend raised one of his pale hands in the air. “I would like to ask you about something.”
Hardly hiding her reluctance, she put the heavy bucket down again: “Yes? About what?”
“Sometime last week, I saw you talking with that likeable young man… Kamenashi, I think.”
Hearing the name and moreover in connection with a compliment, Lena loosened up a little. If the Reverend had any idea how much likeable Kame was according to her, he might have chased her out of the church. She nodded with a smile: “Yes, he´s my good friend.”
“I figured that much, you seemed close. How long do you know each other?”
“Ever since he had moved back to Bozeman with his mother, so… Almost three years,” Lena replied, kind of happy she could talk about her favorite man.
“Kamenashi settled in this city only such a short time ago? Official records indicate that he was born in Bozeman.”
Lena hesitated before replying: “Yes, but for many years he lived in the mountains with Indians.”
The Reverend raised his eyebrows in great surprise: “My child, you´re saying that he was raised by those faithless savages?”
She didn´t like such a statement at all: “Not all of them are the same, Reverend. Blackfeet Tribe is peaceful and they saved Kame´s life, when he was a child. Please, don´t talk about them like this.”
The Reverend placed both hands behind his back and stared at her, his expression serious: “Based on my countless experiences with them, it´s very hard for me to have such faith in those wild people, my dear. I´d rather not imagine what kind of habits Kamenashi might have picked up from them.”
Lena felt tense under the Reverend´s look, which was suddenly very cold. Before she could say something in Kame´s defense, the man continued: “So, I suppose you know him well? And his… house-mate, too?”
Not so eager to continue this conversation, Lena nodded again slowly: “Yes, I do.”
“Great. Then could you please remind the two of them about my invitation to the Holy Mass?” the man requested her urgently. “It´s been a while since I visited them, but they haven´t appeared yet.”
Lena pressed her lips together, partially confused and partially anxious. Why would the Reverend care so much if Kame and Jin go to church or not? He even seemed to be quite upset about it.
Feeling somewhat nervous, she replied very carefully this time: “Well, as far as I know they´re both quite busy, Reverend. I´m sure they mean no offense.”
A strange smile appeared on the man´s lips: “I do not allege anything like that. Can you just tell them I look forward to seeing them soon?”
“Of course, I can,” she agreed hesitantly. “I´m usually in contact only with Kame, but he´ll tell Jin.”
“Ah, yes, naturally... How long do they live together?” the Reverend asked suddenly.
Lena was more confused with each question: “I´m not sure… A couple of months now, I think.”
“Are they relatives?”
“No... Although, it might seem like that sometimes,” she added, remembering the last time she was thinking about those two.
“So, they are not related at all?” he asked again, as if he didn´t hear her correctly.
Lena frowned, already really unhappy with all those questions: “No, Reverend. I´m not aware of it.”
“And still, they live like this? Openly?” he raised his eyes up to the ceiling and shook his head in disbelief.
Lena took a deep breath: “Reverend… Why are you so upset about it?”
“My dear child, I´ve already met stray souls like them. It´s always so hard to lead them on the right path again. However, I´d have never expected that they could be so obvious about it.”
Lena gaped at the indignant man: “Obvious about what?”
“They even live together under one roof!” the Reverend threw his hands up in an agitated gesture.
She still didn´t get what was so wrong about it: “Yes, naturally. They can save the costs like that. It´s quite convenient for both of them, don´t you think?”
“But they live in sin!” the man in black exclaimed.
Lena´s eyes widened, her stomach squeezed: “I don´t understand… What do you mean, Reverend?”
The man of God suddenly calmed down, stepped closer and placed both hands on Lena´s shoulders. She almost flinched away, but somehow managed to remain still.
“My dear, precious child, you´re too young and your heart is too pure to understand,” the man spoke softly, with a creepy smile.
Lena gulped down heavily, not able to react. Even though she also thought that the arrangement on Kamenashi´s property was a little unusual, in that moment, she started wondering if the Reverend was actually the one being not pure and in need of some very humble prayers. It didn´t feel right that he talked about Kame and Jin in such a way, especially when he hardly knew them.
***
It was more than convenient for Kame that he didn´t have to care about anyone else but himself for once. The unexpected talk with Beara made him think - and also dream - about many things as he traveled through the Rocky Mountains´ foothills.
Grateful for the rare opportunity, he intentionally avoided all human settlements on the way and let himself be surrounded by nature. He could not remember the last time he had a chance to peacefully admire the breathtaking wilderness of Montana, which was still untouched by the hands of white settlers from the east. It greatly helped him to organize his thoughts.
After the long argument with his more proud inner self, Kame realized that he had behaved selfishly and quite unfairly to Jin. He should have regarded their job positions as equal, no matter the circumstances. They both earned money for their household for living together. And most of all, he shouldn´t have been upset at Jin for just wanting to be with him more often.
The closer he got to home, the more determined he was to make amends. Just as he told Liwan´s little sister, he had many reasons to be happy. So, why should he focus on the bad things and internally magnify them to see all their issues worse than they actually were? He should let Jin know how much he appreciated to have him on his side. Ever since they really got to know each other during the dangerous grizzly hunt, they had been always fighting together, against everything what was thrown under their feet or even punched them in the face. Absolutely nothing gave Kame the right to take Jin as granted and he hated the feeling of acting that way before.
Upon his arrival to Bozeman in the early afternoon, Kame returned the borrowed horse to Harada first. Then he had to promise to persistent Mike to come by more often and did some shopping at Franko´s. And - he also met Lena there.
The girl was excited to see him again, but also a bit anxious. Quite grudgingly, she informed him that their Reverend asked her many questions about him and Jin and also had some weird comments, which she did not understand. She even looked angered about it, but refused to give him any specifics about what exactly the Reverend had said. Anyway, Lena´s words only confirmed to Kame that he was right about the visit of the man in black to be suspicious and that they should beware of Reverend Kapner.
Since the turn of Sunday and Monday was the only time during the week when Cora´s place was closed, Kame knew he was about to find Jin home. Therefore, he just picked up the correspondence at the post office, for the moment not caring about the content of envelopes and already impatient to see his lover, he left the city.
Gloomily wondering, what would be the best approach to confuse dear sneaky Reverend, Kame strode on the well-known road in an eager haste. Only the sight of their house between the trees made him slow down his steps.
As he heard the hammer pounding from the back yard, he just dropped all his things and purchases on the veranda and followed the loud sounds. When the figure of his dark-haired lover came into Kame´s view finally, all the solemn thoughts were forgotten right away.
Jin was apparently working on the new walls for their precious animal friends, since they had only simple roof on four pillars over their noble heads up until now and their shed was not properly protected from all sides.
Kame walked closer, with a soft smile playing on his lips without him even realizing it. Stabled Ukushi snorted softly to welcome him and Kuro chewing on some grass nearby also raised his head. This slight change of their behavior made Jin look up from the focused work on the boards. And in that moment, Kame was already there, eagerly kissing him, before Jin could even say ´hello´.
The hammer was dropped onto the grass, as Jin moved his arms to circle them around Kame´s waist and pressed against him with his whole body, repaying the kiss no less willingly. For a long while, they both lost the track of time and space in the loving welcome.
By the time they tore apart, Kame felt foolishly light and warm. He realized just how much he had missed this safe, happy feeling.
Jin looked at him and then - with a wide smile - pecked Kame´s lips one more time before releasing his hug around him.
“Finally…” he breathed out. “I was already tempted to ride off to meet you half way.”
“It´s good that you stayed. We might´ve missed each other,” Kame replied, his fingers squeezing the older one´s shoulders. “And I couldn´t bear to wait any longer…”
“Or… We would meet up and could play on a perverted ambush,” Jin mused meaningfully.
Kame chuckled: “That sounds interesting. But who would be ambushed by whom?”
Embodied self-confidence, Jin grinned and sneakily pinched Kame´s butt: “You think I´d let you have a choice in that?”
Kame pouted objecting: “That´s selfish.”
“I don´t think so,” opposed Jin.
“Um… And what would you do if you wanted to ambush me then?”
“Well…” Jin leant forward suddenly and softly nibbled Kame´s earlobe. “First, I´d have stripped you of all weapons and dragged you to the nearest proper tree,” he whispered huskily into his ear.
With a hot flush creeping up his cheeks, Kame gulped down: “And then?”
Jin moved his hot mouth over his cheek and nose to the other side: “I´d order you to strip your pants and pushed you against that tree…”
The younger one hummed something incomprehensibly.
“And then, I´d fuck you so hard, it would make you scream for mercy,” Jin finished with the dark promise in his deep voice.
Kame felt himself almost burning with sudden desire.
“Well…” he attempted to clear his tight throat. “That was… very descriptive.”
Jin looked into his eyes: “I can move on to the practical demonstration anytime. For example - I could just drag you into our bed right now.”
“Jin…”
His lover cut in playfully: “What´s that tone for? Don´t say you´re too tired.”
“No…” Kame breathed out, pressing closer against him again. “The opposite. What about right here?”
“Wow…” Jin observed his expression with wide eyes. “And I was being told to be the perverted one. They´re looking at us!”
Kame looked around confused: “Who?”
“Those two,” Jin gestured to the two calmly standing animals.
It was Kame´s turn to laugh: “All right, since you´re so sensitive to others´ eyes, then let´s move away from their sight,” and already started dragging Jin away from the shed.
“Wait,” Jin seemed to be a little perplexed by his eagerness. “You mean it?”
Kame swiftly reached down to press his palm against the growing bulge under Jin´s pants: “Well, a proper wall could work out just fine as well, could it not?”
Jin took a shaky breath: “You know… I could use such distractions from work more often.”
“But in such a case, you wouldn´t get much done, right?”
“I guess not,” Jin agreed willingly and pressed Kame against the wall of their house.
Their lips united in a heated kiss once again, their hands already on the way under the other´s clothes, and… Something made them stop.
Realizing someone´s approaching presence, they hastily pulled away from each other just when a sturdy horse appeared on the corner of the house. Jin cursed quietly and stepped aside, his hands slipping of Kame, whose eyes widened in surprise at the young man who dismounted and rushed to them in a crazy speed.
“Kame-chan!!”
Kame found himself in a completely different type of hug, which was still very warm and friendly. The firm hands patted his back a couple of times, before the man pulled further away, giving him the brightest smile ever.
“Welcome home!”
Even though Kame was a little confused by his appearance, he could not mistake that cheerful voice with anyone´s else.
“Koki? Is that really you?” he eyed the unexpected face in front of him curiously.
“You bet! Happy to see me again?” the Black Rider grinned.
“Well, I´m certainly surprised,” Kame replied, still taken aback. “What are you doing here?”
“Living here!” Koki announced as if it was clear over the bright sun. “Jin didn´t tell you yet?”
Kame´s jaw dropped: “What? How can you…?”
Happy Rider shook his head: “Never mind! I can imagine Jin-Jin was about to welcome you with something entirely different than talking,” he assumed winking at him.
Kame blushed, realizing only now in what a sensitive situation Koki almost caught them.
“Will you ever learn when it´s better to shut up?” Jin uttered growling, his eyes sending daggers at that embodiment of disturbance.
“No, why should I?” Koki assumed haughtily.
Jin made a face and hissed another question at him: “Did they already fire you that you´re back so soon?”
“You´ve lost the notion of time, my dear friend. I´m even a bit later than usually.”
“And I´m lost in your conversation,” confused Kame cut it sharply. “Just what are you talking about?”
“I´ve started working, you know,” Koki informed him proudly. “I´ve got a real job. Just coming back from the morning shift.”
Kame stood there even more surprised and also - with a bad hunch: “Wherefrom…?” he asked faintly.
“In the mine, of course!” Koki declared.
“In the gold one?” stunned Kame wanted to make sure.
Koki snorted: “Is there any other operating nearby?”
Kame stared wordlessly at the so-suddenly appeared friend, then at his lover.
Under that reproachful look, Jin raised both hands in self-defense: “Hey, don´t look at me, Kame! It was his idea!”
Kame took a deep breath, trying to hold onto his good mood and composure: “So… You arrived to the city and started working for Henderson right away?”
Koki shrugged recklessly: “Naturally. It´s the fastest earnings I ever get by working honestly around here.”
“Are you kidding me?” Kame snapped after all. “It´s too risky, Koki! Do you even realize Henderson knows you?”
“Nah, do you really think he´d recognize me like this?” Koki rubbed his fingers through the dark stubble all over his face.
Kame had to admit, adding the Rider´s unusually dark hair to the picture, it was the combination which even made him doubt at first. But he still disliked such a crazy idea.
“I certainly don´t think that´s enough to…”
“And also!” Koki didn´t let him talk further. “Isn´t it convenient for you two to have someone, who can sneak around a bit, right under Creepy Cam´s nose? Huh?”
Jin just frowned and Kame sighed, still hesitating: “Well…”
“You must admit that my presence there can be advantageous, right? Stop worrying so much,” Koki patted Kame´s shoulder again. “Come on! Let´s drink something to celebrate your homecoming! And eat! I´m starving!”
“Only if you add a proper explanation for all of this,” Kame murmured not very enthusiastically.
“Hell, yeah! Look forward to The Story!” Koki agreed suspiciously willingly.
*
Sometime later, the chill in the air was growing stronger with the setting sun, but not enough to chase the three young men away from the comfortable chairs. One of them had just finished talking, his expectant look focused on the other, who stared at him wordlessly, while the third one was smoking a cigarette with a kind of amused expression.
The deep silence took over the small veranda for a while.
Jin was the first one to break it: “Not even a bit better than when I heard it the first time. Just what about this all is so great?”
Koki grimaced: “Not nice of you, grumpy guy… Kame-chan liked it, right?”
Kame sat there for a couple of long seconds, before he spoke, summarizing what he just heard out from Koki: “You had fought with your family again regarding ranching and decided to earn money in a different way to prove them wrong. You left and followed our track to Bozeman. By chance, you encountered my sheep breeding neighbor and he told you where we live because he thought you mean troubles for us. You confirmed that you´re at the correct house thanks to Ukushi stabled on the back yard and then stole Jin´s lunch. He was not happy about it when he came home. To my great surprise, he agreed that you can stay here temporarily nevertheless.”
Koki gaped at him: “Hey! You make it sound so boring!”
“It´s exactly as Kame said,” Jin confirmed gleefully.
“You´re awful friends!” the agitated Rider fussed.
“Is that so? Then move your ass away from our awful house,” Jin challenged him right away.
“Next time just try to beg me for the story,” Koki grumbled.
“Don´t worry, we won´t,” Jin assured him.
Rather than continue listening to their bickering, Kame got up and went for something to drink. He returned to the veranda carrying the bottle of whiskey, three glass shots and also the envelopes he had almost forgot about.
“Kame-chan! You read my mind!” Koki beamed as he spotted the alcohol in his hands.
Jin snorted: “That´s quite probable since it´s so simple. I´ll pour it for us, sit down,” he gently pushed Kame back to the chair, ignoring Koki´s sour face.
“Thanks,” Kame appreciated with a smile and tore up the first envelope.
While Koki was sulking, Jin poured three drinks and then eyed his lover´s frowning expression: “What´s up?”
Kame sighed: “Just a reminder from the Indian Office… They won´t let me slack off for even a day.”
Jin´s hand closing the bottle froze in the midair. Kame looked up from the letter: “They require the written reports for the recent issues from me… No new tasks for now.”
“Ah, so…”
“Yeah…”
“Good.”
Kame lowered his head to cover his smile and focused on the other envelope with a telegram. Jin pushed one of the shots toward him and another to Koki.
“Don’t think I´ll forgive you that easily,” the insulted Rider snorted.
Jin shrugged: “Then leave it, more will remain for us.”
“Okay, okay…” Koki could be stubborn sometimes, but it never lasted long. “Can´t refuse a drink brought by Kame-chan. So? Let´s toast on our reunion?”
Jin turned to silent Kame and frowned: “Kazuya? What is it?” he asked seriously.
“Guys…” Kame took a deep breath. “We´ve got a message from Denver.”
“What?” Koki´s eyes widened.
Jin stiffened: “Something with Leo?” he asked hoarsely.
“Read it yourself,” Kame stretched out his hand and handed the paper over to Jin. Koki could not hold still, so he jumped up to read it from behind him at the same time:
To: KAZUYA KAMENASHI, BOZEMAN CITY, MONTANA TERRITORY
From: JACK, DENVER, COLORADO
KING COOPERATES WITH CREEPY MAN STOP BE CAREFUL STOP WE ARE OK STOP DID OTHERS ARRIVE YET STOP
“Bloody hell…” Koki commented the interesting content of the message quite aptly.
Jin seemed to be reading it once again, before he raised his head: “That´s some telegram, damn it.”
“You two nailed it,” Kame agreed.
“Others…” Koki murmured surprised. “Does he mean Leo´s coming here?“
“When did this arrive?” Jin asked.
Kame rubbed his forehead, trying to remember what the telegrapher said: “Two days ago…”
“And what´s up with that first sentence? Do you copy that, guys? It´s…”
Kame cut into Koki´s excited reaction: “Hey, let´s take it gradually, okay?” he pulled the telegram out of Jin´s hand and placed it on the table between their drinks. “It was written by Jack and he mentioned ´we´, so at least one Black Rider member remained with him in Denver. And by ´others´ he probably means Leo, Jane, Cullen and Ryo.”
Koki gaped and Jin also eyed him surprised: “How did you figure that out?”
“Well, if they wanted to leave Colorado for a while, to let the things over there calm down, Leo is the first on the list. I doubt he´s planning to return shortly, so he´d take Jane with him. And Cullen? It´s clear that he wouldn´t leave Leo to travel alone without his supervision. And if they were to choose between Ryo and Nick, who´s constantly complaining about his aching joints…”
Jin raised one open palm: “Right. I see your point.”
“Wow,” Koki breathed out kind of amused. “You sound like a detective.”
“And then there´s the part I like the least,” Kame frowned.
“King cooperates with Creepy man,” Jin read the words again aloud and chuckled caustically. “If I only knew that this nickname will catch with everyone.”
“Somehow, this change of circumstances doesn´t surprise me,” Kame assumed cheerlessly.
“Me neither,” Jin agreed.
“So, Tabor and Henderson conspired against us, huh?” Koki huffed, sat down again and swallowed his dram of whiskey without hesitation.
“It´s troublesome, but it doesn´t affect the situation much for us,” Jin noted.
Kame shook his head: “We must presume that everything happening here will be delivered to Tabor in Colorado. Koki, did you already face Henderson directly, ever since you started working in the mine?”
“Not yet,” Koki waved his hand recklessly. “Though, I heard he´s coming around to check on the progress in the mine quite often.”
“Be careful then and don´t promenade under his nose,” Kame recommended him urgently. “He´s not an idiot and I´d rather not imagine what he´d do if he recognized you.”
“Not to mention it could alert him that the other Riders are, or will be, here as well,” Jin added his remark as well.
“Yes, yes, don´t worry, darlings. I´ll be careful,” Koki promised with a grin, which didn´t exactly calm the two of them down.
Then Kame realized something else: “There´s one more person, who could know who you´re… Danny McFly, you remember him?”
Koki shook his head and snatched the bottle from the table, earning the lethal stare from Jin: “No, who´s that?”
“He´s quite young and sticks almost always by Henderson´s side. McFly manages most errands for him,” Kame explained.
“Ah, yeah, that boy. Met him already, no big deal.”
“Keep him on mind as well anyway,” Kame insisted.
“Roger that!” Koki saluted with his glass already filled again.
“And what will we do about that announced unexpected visit?” Jin mused, glancing at the telegram again.
Kame shrugged: “Since we have no idea when Leo and others set off, nothing much. We can just wait if they appear or not.”
“I bet they will,” Jin snorted. “I´ve got a feeling my little brother wants to repay me for how I came to check up on him before.”
“That fits,” Koki agreed, drank up the second glass and got up. “Well, I´m gonna leave you two doves to have some privacy here. I must wrap it up early, since I need to get up with the sun. And don´t worry, Kame-chan - Jin didn´t let me anywhere near your bedroom,” he added grinning. “Night!”
With that, their talkative tenant disappeared in the house.
“Always a clown,” Jin murmured and finally reached for his glass, tinkling it over Kame´s. “Cheers?”
Kame nodded, not really listening. Only a hand on his thigh made him finally aware of the drink on the table in front of him and Jin leaning to him: “Hey… Why are you so sullen, Kazuya?”
He looked into the worried eyes and sighed a little: “I need to talk to you, Jin.”
The hand soothing his leg stopped moving: “I don´t like this tone. What happened? Something in the reservation?”
Kame shook his head a little surrendered: “Problems up there will never end… But that´s not it. It´s about the Reverend.”
“Ah, yeah… I´ve got something about him too, actually,” Jin remembered. “He keeps going all around the city annoying people with his preaching, but only those who´re not so eager to visit his Sunday Masses. It seems we´re not the only ones on the black list.”
“You´re even more right than you think.”
Jin straightened up, leaning back into his chair, his look focused and intense: “What do you mean by that, Kame?”
“I´ve met Lena in the city and she told me that he had asked her many questions about us. Weird questions, she said.”
“And so what?”
“He´s definitely at least suspicious of us, Jin.”
“And?” Jin threw both hands up in the air in just indignation. “Screw him and his assumptions.”
“We should at least try to distract his attention,” Kame insisted.
“With what?”
“I´m not sure… I was thinking about it, but I can´t figure anything sufficient out. Maybe… What about you´d move to the city for a while?”
Jin froze.
“What?” his voice became ice cold with anger. “What would be the point in something like that?”
“Only for some time…” Kame pleaded. “I just hope the Reverend would stop trying to dig some dirt on us, if he realized that we´re not glued together.”
“Do you really think that it´d help if I moved away?”
“Well… I can´t think of anything else.”
“No way!” Jin jumped up from his chair. “Even if we didn´t sleep together - which I´d love to start practicing with you again, thank you very much - and we´d be just friends living in the same house, would you want us to live according to some fucking preacher´s rules?”
“You don’t have to be so rude,” Kame reproached him quietly.
“And you don´t have to be such a coward!”
The accusation made also Kame angry and he stood up as well: “We cannot risk that he´s going to expose us!”
“Let me laugh. There´s no way he would, since we´re so damn careful I cannot even touch you in public!”
“Jin! I don´t want to end up hanging next to you with ropes around our necks!” Kame exclaimed hoarsely.
A long, kind of dark silence fell upon them.
Jin stared at Kame for a long while, before he turned his back on him. He stood on the edge of veranda, his back all tense with suppressed emotions.
Kame took a deep breath and stepped a little closer to him: “Listen to me, Jin… I love you and I want to be with you, but I´m so damn worried. I´m worried about us, about our lives. If you have any other idea… Anything that would help us to get rid of the Reverend´s suspicion, so that he´d leave us alone and we could live here together in peace, I´m all in.”
Jin turned back with the soft expression soothing his features. He looked so handsome in the light of the kerosene lamp, Kame hold his breath.
“I think I haven´t ever heard any more lovely confession,” Jin stated with his eyes shining.
Kame smiled gently: “Did it do the trick?”
His boyfriend sighed: “Kazuya… Sometimes you really overdo thinking about things. Don´t you realize that me moving away right after that black crow was here and then talked with Lena can have the opposite effect?”
“What? Why?”
“Wouldn´t it seem that we just try to be less suspicious at all costs?”
“Well, yes, but that´s what we want…”
“And you think that dear Reverend wouldn´t figure it out?”
Kame looked in his lover´s eyes for a while, before his shoulders slackened in defeat: “You think it will be better if we continue behave the same way?”
“Definitely. Just adding something maybe…” Jin replied, obviously hesitating.
“Like what?”
“You will not like it.”
“Just tell me,” Kame insisted.
“I can start behaving more… You know - more openly to women in town, or so,” Jin proposed slowly. “It´s not like they´re not interested, it´s me who shut them down every time. So, that shouldn´t be a problem.”
Kame remained silent for a while, his eyes focused on Jin first, but then he looked away: “I must admit it makes more sense.”
“See?” Jin reached for Kame´s hands, pulling him closer. “Like that we can both stay here and do whatever the hell we want behind the closed door.”
“Yeah… But you were right. I hate it already,” Kame said gloomily.
Jin laughed and encircled his arms around his adorable lover: “It will be just an act,” he assured him.
“I know…” Kame´s hands moved as well, to hug Jin´s neck. “And it´s a good idea, Jin.”
“Thank you. Any reward?”
Kame pushed himself against him, but avoided Jin´s attempt to kiss him: “One more thing…”
Jin huffed: “Anything else beside the hot sex in our bed is unacceptable.”
“That Mass visit. We must appear there at least once in a while…”
“Fine. You will go there. I´ll wait in the saloon meanwhile.”
“Jin… I´ll be grateful if you go with me.”
“Oh? Really? How much grateful?”
“Very.”
***
Bozeman citizens stood up from the pews, welcoming his arrival to the modest altar. He turned to them with his head humbly bowed and made the Sign of the Cross: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
The assembly in the church copied his gesture, replying: “Amen.”
Reverend Gilbert Kapner looked up and spread his arms greeting the crowd, which was obviously growing with every week: “Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“And with your spirit,” everyone replied obediently.
He blessed the gathering and then carefully observed them as they sat again. Some in fear of God´s Wrath, some nonchalantly, trying to cover their nervousness, some very piously and some, some of them looked even militantly. Just as that young man Akanishi standing in the back part of the nave, as far as he only could from the altar. The Reverend´s eyes narrowed as he searched in the crowd and he found also Kamenashi - sitting in the pew with Brices.
The short smile spread his thin lips. Seeing them, he immediately knew which verse from the Holy Bible he should focus on that day. With his mood high, he invited all the faithful to the repentance - the Penitential Act: “My brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries. Have mercy on us, O Lord.”
“For we have sinned against you.”
“Show us, O Lord, your mercy,” the Reverend continued.
“And grant us your salvation.”
“May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.”
“Amen.”
It was really satisfying to hear more than half of the people gathered for the Mass replying properly and the Reverend was sure the rest of his believers will catch up to it soon as well. Even though some of them did not look very willing to learn the correct responses…
Kame motionlessly listened to the people praying and singing. It had been a long time since he attended any Catholic Mass. He almost forgot the uncomfortable feelings he used to have during it as a child. He remembered them more than well now.
He noticed Reverend Kapner´s expression when he looked him and Jin up in the crowd and that satisfaction he saw didn´t make him feel any better. The ceremony hardly begun and it already felt never ending to him.
The Brices invited both of them to join them in the middle part of pews, but Jin insisted on staying near the exit. And when it came to the Liturgy of the Word part, Kame wished he was standing in the back as well. He could not help but perceive that the Reverend´s words were calculating and targeted. It was difficult to listen and remain calm. And he could imagine that it felt the same for Jin.
Right at the moment the Reverend turned his back to the people in the nave, to prepare for the Eucharistic prayer, the main door clicked softly. Kame didn´t need to look back to know that it was Jin who left. With a heavy heart, he remained sitting, the words from the sermon echoing in his head with a bad foreboding.
"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination and they shall surely be put to death."
- To be continued -