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Billy wasn’t entirely sure how long he’d been laying in the snowbank when Black Hawk showed up. All he really knew was that his fingers were probably frostbitten and he was starting to feel hot, which wasn’t a great sign… He’d seen men strip off their clothes and run naked into the snow, only to die a few hours later.
He clumsily wrapped an arm around his best friend’s neck as Black Hawk picked him up and then immediately started lecturing him, really only absorbing about half of the words.
“- time and time again not to go out alone in the winter!”
He blinked, and suddenly Black Hawk was on another sentence.
“-horse came trotting back without you, William!”
Aww. He was mad enough to use his full name. He clumsily patted the other man’s shoulder.
“M’fine, Kêhkêhkwa.” He muttered, lifting his other hand to rub away the snow encrusting his eyelashes as the lights of their cabin steadily grew closer. “Take more’n that to kill me.”
“You would’ve died if I hadn’t come looking for you, you dumbass!” His eyebrows were knitted as he glanced down, voice pitching up as he talked, and Billy almost felt bad for making him worry.
Almost.
“Pshhh. Nah. Woulda been fine.” He was shivering now, stuttering through his words as his teeth chattered, and very aware that Black Hawk was probably right.
“Whatever you say, William.” He pulled the door open and stepped in, and Billy sighed as he was enveloped in the smoky warmth of the room. All right. He would admit that it felt pretty damn good in here.
He flailed a bit as he was dropped unceremoniously on the bed, still shivering as Black Hawk stripped him of his wet clothes and then bundled him up in a blanket. His best friend looked him over and sighed.
“I’m gonna heat you up a bath. Stay in the damn bed, or I’ll finish what the hypothermia started. Got it?” He asked sternly, and Billy gave him a thumbs up, snuggling up in the blanket as best he could.
He wasn’t sure how long it was before Black Hawk came back- he was pretty sure he had fallen asleep at some point- but the next thing he knew, he was being picked up again, then set into a nice, warm bathtub.
“Thanks, Kêhkêhkwa.” He said through a yawn, and was met with a shrug.
“Yeah, well, even if you are really stupid, you’re still my best friend and I don’t really want you to die right now.”
“Aww.” He managed a grin. “Knew you loved me.”
“Whatever.” The other man looked down at the water of the tub, then frowned. “Are you bleeding?”
“Uhhh…” Billy took a moment to take stock of his body, then held his leg up, showing Black Hawk the cut running along his calf. “Yeah. Little bit. You gonna kiss it better?”
“Fuck off, Billy.”
“Aww, you’re gonna fuck me, Hawky?”
“Guess I can stop worrying now that you’re being a smartass again… Also, don’t call me Hawky.”
He pouted. “No nicknames?”
“Nope. None. But especially not Hawky.”
“Aw. But you’re my boyfriend ! So… you should have a pet name.” He sighed.
Black Hawk turned bright red, sputtering for a moment before he found his words again. “I think you hit your head.”
“Mm. Nah. Didn’t. You love me… Ain’t blind.”
He pushed away from the tub with a slightly hysterical laugh. “Funny. Very funny. You just… stay there and I’m gonna-” With that, he promptly backed towards the door, pausing when Billy sniffled and teared up.
“You ain’t my boyfriend then???” He asked, voice quavering a bit.
“Well-” He took a step towards Billy. “I didn’t say that …” Shit. Fuck. His best friend was hypothermic, concussed, and crying, and apparently also in love with him. And if he was honest with himself, he had feelings too. Right now though, all he was feeling was overwhelming panic. “I mean-” He shoved his fingers through his hair as his stomach tied itself in knots.
“You do love me!” Billy’s face lit up and his stomach suddenly flipped itself the other way. Fucking hell…
“Yeah. I do.” They could have a serious conversation about it once Billy was coherent, but for now, all he wanted was to make him smile.
“I knew itttt.” He relaxed back in the bath with that. “I mean. We live together. That’s pretty gay.”
“Guess it is.” Black Hawk finally relaxed and smiled. Yeah. All right. He could live with having a boyfriend, especially if it was one William Bonney. The idea was still terrifying, though, and brought up some very complicated emotions, especially since he had only lost his wife a few decades earlier. Though, those were probably emotions for later. He took a deep breath and sighed, then pulled up a chair next to the tub, a smile on his face again. “You feeling better now?”
“Mmm. Yeah. Lot less like a popsicle. Thanks, dude.”
“No problem. Like I said, I kinda like you better alive for some weird reason.” He joked, and Billy grinned.
“Yeah, I dunno why you hang around me either. Been told I’m kind of an idiot.” He moved so that he could put his head in Black Hawk’s lap, looking up at him and letting out a content noise as he started running his fingers through his hair. “Tha’s nice.” He mumbled through a yawn.
“Your stupidity is endearing, most of the time. Do wish you wouldn’t get yourself chucked into snowbanks though.”
“You n’ me both. That was cold.” He wrinkled his nose.
“I bet it fucking was. Your hands were blue.” He held out a hand, and Billy handed his over for Black Hawk’s inspection. “Guess I got to you quick enough though. Looks pretty normal now.”
“Nope. Gonna have to cut my whole arm off.” He laughed. “Ain’t no saving it.”
“Guess I’ll pull out my bone saw once you’re out of the bath then. We’ll have to get you a hook.” He let go of the other’s hands and went back to running his fingers through his hair.
“Yup. I’ll be blondebeard. Most feared pirate on the great lakes… or something like that. I’ll find some booty to plunder.” He looked up at Black Hawk again, eyes sparkling with mischief, and grinned wider. “I mean, or I could plunder your booty.”
Black Hawk groaned and shoved him off, dunking him in the tub and standing up. “No. Absolutely no bad pirate jokes. That’s where I’m drawing the line. Gods above and below, that was awful.” Though, he was glad that Billy was now underwater and couldn’t see the outline of his half-erection under his trousers.
Billy surfaced, splashing and pushing his hair back out of his face. “Hey! I’m injured, remember? Can’t go pushing me around like that. So mean to me…”
“Don’t tell awful jokes and I won’t. We should probably get you into dry clothes now, though.” He stepped out of the room into the bedroom they shared, giving himself a chance to calm down as he rounded up a towel and nightshirt and pants. This was fine. There was no reason to get worked up. They’d been sharing a bed for the last 3 years now. This wasn’t any different… Except it was. He stood there in the middle of the room as his thoughts chased themselves around his head, only shaking himself from his reverie when he heard Billy call for him. “Coming!” He called back as he made sure he had everything, then stepped out into the other room again.
“Was starting to think that you’d died in there.” Billy joked as he sat on the edge of the empty tub, holding a hand out for the towel and starting to dry off once Black Hawk handed it over. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Let me get a look at your leg once you’re dry, okay?” He said as he set the clothes down on the chair.
“Yeah… it’s still bleeding. I think it was frozen earlier.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. I’ll stitch you up though.” He held up the pouch that contained his needle and thread, and a bottle of whiskey.
“Oh, are we drinking away the pain? Excellent.” Billy set the towel aside and pulled on the shirt before reaching for the whiskey bottle, which Black Hawk promptly held to his chest.
“No alcohol when you have head trauma. This is to make sure you don’t die from infection.”
“God, such a spoilsport. Guess I do prefer to keep all my limbs though.” He propped his leg on the chair, staring up at the ceiling as Black Hawk wiped out the cut, then started stitching it close. “Kinda hurts.”
“No shit it hurts. You have a 4-inch-long gash in your leg that I poured whiskey in and am now sewing up. You’re being a model patient, though.” He smiled a little, and Billy huffed out a laugh.
“Had plenty of practice at it.”
“Believe me, I know. Remind me how many times I’ve stitched you up?”
“Dunno. Think we’re probably in the dozens though now.”
“At least.” Black Hawk shook his head. “You can’t go two days without hurting yourself unless you’re unconscious, and even then…”
“Hey! Rude! I’ve gone a whole week without getting hurt before!”
“Not since I’ve known you, William.”
“... Fair point, but still rude.”
“How is telling the truth rude?”
“Dunno. Just is. You done?” He looked down at his leg finally.
“Yes, all finished. Let me help you up though.” He wiped his hands as Billy pulled his pants on, then helped the other man to his feet and back to the bedroom, helping him get settled in bed. “There. Go to sleep, now.”
“But I’m cold still…” Billy pulled the blankets up around himself, watching him. Some cuddles would be really nice- and Black Hawk was his boyfriend, after all.
He sighed, a fond smile on his face. “Is this all just a ploy to get me in bed with you?”
“Maybe. Now come warm me up.” He stuck his hand out, making a grabbing motion at Black Hawk.
“Fine, fine. You’ve twisted my arm enough.” He changed into his sleep clothes and then crawled into bed, pulling Billy close to him and resting his chin on the other man’s head. “You warm now?”
“Mhm. You’re a good heater.”
“Glad you think so. Now go to sleep.” He laid there as Billy drifted off, listening to him breathe and keeping him wrapped up in his arms, his heartbeat just barely palpable against Black Hawk’s chest as the fire crackled in the fireplace and the wind howled outside, bringing more snow with it. There was something cozy and warm and soft about this, and he had to say that it wasn’t bad at all- and he wouldn’t mind if it continued for the next several years, or decades. Or centuries… which was a strange thought. But they both had all the time in the world now.