Work Text:
Jon couldn't sleep. Insomnia was usual thing for him, when at night he went to different places in the Wild West, looking for his family and collecting the necessary information, or helped sheriff catch criminals, and then walked with him on horseback on a starry quiet night, finding peace in his company, and after falling asleep in his arms, and he wasn't tormented by nightmares. However, now, Jon was laying alone in bed, wrapped in warm blankets. The lamp wasn't burning in the room, Jon put it out in advance, not waiting for the one he missed. Usually, Richie put out the lamp after he went to bed, and Jon rarely did this unless Richie was around. Jon heard a little noise from the rustling of papers and from the burning sparks of the lamp in the next room, and he knew that Richie was there, but Jon felt that he was so far away from him, like all of Jon's family. He didn't hope to find them anymore, but he wasn't going to stop. Jon knew that Richie was busy looking for mobsters who were connected to Jon's missing family. They had been moving towards this goal for so long, and now it was impossible to retreat, but in Jon's goals there was no desire to win another title in the capture of bandits, unlike Richie, who was a very famous sheriff, and also quite young. Sometimes Jon felt that the day when the two of them would go down two sides and never meet again would come soon.
Jon could have left a long time ago if he hadn't become attached to Richie. Although, it is not an attachment. Richie was able to become his friend, his salvation, his lover. During all the time of his wanderings, Jon saw many people, and he lost many of them. He didn't stay in any city for long, except where he was now, in a place where he made new friends, where he found love. All the people here… have become his new family. Jon couldn't fully admit it, because none of them could be a new mother for him, and none of them would become a new father for him, and none of them would become his younger brothers. Even Richie, whom he was afraid of losing. Jon sighed and got out of bed, heading into the next room. Richie sat with his bare back to him, massive and scarred from bullet and stab wounds. Jon hated those scars, reminders of the days when Richie's life hung in the balance. The sheriff did everything to save him. At times, it seemed to Jon that the sheriff cared about him more than anyone in his town. Jon wanted to gently kiss each of his scars to make the pain subside, because even when Richie said that he wasn't in pain, he was lying. Jon knew this because, remembering his father, he knew perfectly well what a mortal wound meant. Jon slowly approached Richie. The man stared at the map with the dots marked on it on the table. Nearby lay documents on various criminals, who, most likely, were involved in the disappearance of Jon's family. Richie sighed heavily, his head almost falling on the table. Dark shaggy hair covered his eyes, which were tired, Jon knew it. For a while, Jon looked at the motionless Richie, not daring to touch his beautiful strong hands, fastening their palms and slowly leading him into the bedroom, putting him to bed. Jon hasn't done this in… a long time. Perhaps now there is a chance to fix everything?
"Richie?" Jon asked quietly, coming closer.
The man slowly straightened up and looked at Jon. Oh, how Jon hated to see that. Richie's eyes were dimmed, there were noticeable bags under them. His lover's gaze was more lifeless than tired. But despite everything that had happened between them, Jon still loved him, and he knew that Richie hadn't lost his feelings for him.
"Still not sleeping? "Richie asked hoarsely, stretching.
"I can't sleep without you." Jon shrugged, looking at the desktop. "How is the work going?"
"Slowly, but I almost figured it out." Richie looked at the map again.
"You meant to say that we found out, didn't you?" Jon's eyes changed.
Richie, looking at Jon, saw the stern, living look that Jon was usually used to seeing in the first days of their acquaintance, and now Richie was experiencing a very strange deja vu, and he can't help smirking.
"Sorry, you're right, I really devalued your work, because this is your family, and their safety is more important to you, unlike me, the sheriff of this city, part of the Wild West, which has recently been more important in the fight against crime, and not the safety of the inhabitants of our city..." Richie sighed heavily. "I know why we are not so close lately, and I know what people in the city say about me. I'd like to make things right, not just for the residents, but for you, and I'll understand if one day you're gone forever."
Jon was devastated. He had never heard those words in all his time with Richie. His lover was always sincere with him and Jon never thought about being alone around him. Leaving forever, he will lose everything and everyone, including Richie. He wasn't enough when he lost his father. A lot of time has passed since his mother and brothers were stolen. Jon felt like he didn't have anyone, and he didn't want that feeling to happen to him again.
"Richie..." Jon took his face in his hands, making him to look at himself. "You are doing a wonderful job, people in this city have always relied on you, including me, you work for the good of everyone, and we all appreciate it. But… you don't do it alone, you have your friends, you have people in this city, you have me. We are all worried about you and we will all stand up for you like a mountain, just like you do it for us every day. I just want you to know that leaving you, not only I will be lonely, but you too. I see you die everyday Richie to help me and I owe you my life in gratitude for all you have done for me. But... to see how every day you become closed and not your own... makes me think that I returned to the past, where I had no one. I'm here, Richie. You are all I have now. You don't have to kill yourself every day to save everyone, including me. Just know it."
Richie's eyes widened and he looked at Jon for a long time, as if he were in a trance. He saw nothing but Jon in front of him. He didn't hear anything, just what Jon said now. Jon's palms were soft, warm, and Richie wanted those touches to stay with him for a long time. And sitting here, he lost them, just like he lost Jon.
"I'm going to bed." Jon sighed heavily, going back. "I'm sorry to disturb you."
Jon didn't see Richie staring after him, and if he did, Jon would know that Richie cared. But now, John felt that everything he had said was in vain. He needs Richie, he really needs him. The young man went back to bed, but he didn't feel like sleeping at all. He could have a nightmare about his father, mother, brothers, friends, Richie. The moments of the first meeting with Richie flew through his head. It was a rather hot day, and that day Jon was drifted into a deserted steppe area. More precisely, the robbers who were chasing him drove him there, and his poor horse Pearl, in whose leg a bullet was hitted. Jon remembers how his horse fell to the ground with a loud scream, tossing and turning in pain. If Jon hadn't gotten up in time to knock one of the men to the ground, Pearl would have been dead by now. After a long fight, the robbers ran away with nothing, leaving a tired Jon alone. Then he passed out, and if it weren't for Richie passing by with a patrol, Jon would have died along with his horse from the heat. When Jon came to his senses, Richie made it clear who he was and what he was doing in this city, and that any mistake could bring down the lives of the townspeople. Jon just ignored his words, knowing that he would go away and again wander the earth in search of his mother and brothers.
Jon smirked at the thought of meeting Richie for the first time. However, that day he never left the city, because if it were not for the people who stopped him, who were sitting in the bar where David, Alec and Tico were, Jon wouldn't have found new friends who have become his family all this time. On that day, for the first time in a long time, guitar music began to play in the city, people began to dance again, everyone began to sing again. Jon brought life and new colors back to this city. And on the same day, Richie saw it, and something changed in his view of the very frivolous Jon, who didn't even know what it was like to try to save the people you love at the cost of his life. But Richie was wrong. After a couple of days, he learned everything about Jon, as soon as they both left in search of robbers. Richie told him about himself, and Jon realized that Richie understood him like no one else. On the same day, he almost lost Richie, who was seriously wounded in the chest. Richie could have died, but when he woke up he felt Jon's lips on his own, he knew that he had survived, and that next to him was the person who in such a short time managed to become dearer to him than everyone else.
John chuckled softly, remembering what had made him blush and shy, but it was the best day of his life. They caught those criminals, and they had a party in the city. Jon caught Richie's very interested looks, but Jon knew he was looking at him the same way. And when Jon hid from everyone in the room upstairs, he was not surprised when Richie came to him. It was the start of something new between them and Jon will never forget that night between him and Richie. And since then there have been more such nights, and Jon saw Richie in a completely different way, more alive than in the first days of his stay in the city. But, perhaps, there is a more important day, which still brings Jon pleasant memories. Richie had to go far in order to catch criminals, very dangerous for many cities of the Wild West. John thought so when trying to keep the city safe and sound, he almost went crazy, missing his lover. And on the same night they met again, and Jon didn't let him go, not wanting to lose him again. He missed those kisses all his life, but they were like air for Jon, who was dying in those days, and the ring that Richie gave him was still on his finger, Jon never took it off. Jon pressed the hand that had the ring to his heart, covering it with the other. He was not so sad in his soul from the memories. He would have gone back wanting to experience it again, but in the present he had things that brought happiness to his life. Suddenly, Jon heard footsteps next to him. He opened his eyes. The lamp in that room was no longer burning, and soon he felt warm hands on his body, hugging him from behind. Oh, Jon never felt happy, feeling the warmth of a loved one, whose lips kissed his neck and shoulders.
"It took oyou so long." Jon smiled.
"I figured it would be more important to sleep next to someone who was more interesting than some rogues." Richie said softly, snuggling closer to Jon.
"I thought that you were more interested in catching robbers and increasing your status through your work than a cowboy tramp looking for a family and helping you." John turned to him, looking into his eyes.
"You helped me in many ways, Jonny." Richie gently ran his fingertips along his neck. "Even now, when I almost forgot what is really important to me in my life. I won't let you be alone, Jon, just like you didn't let me once."
"This ring that you gave me. "Jon showed him his hand with a ring, inside of which was a diamond, resembling John's eyes as the most precious thing in this world. "This is the best gift, Richie. It's a sign that you're by my side. I shouldn't forget this, Richie."
"Your feelings are important to me, Jon. I was born to touch and protect them. I don't want you to forget them."
"I will never forget."
Jon kissed Richie softly on the lips and Richie pinned their fingers together, feeling the metal on Jon's finger. Richie smiled into the kiss. Richie believed that there was no person in the world for whom he would risk his life to see him happy, and for his happiness to bring him his own happiness. His whole life was in work and in the risk of his life, for the sake of other people's happiness. But…was it sincere from the townspeople? Did they wish him the happiness that the sheriff brought and wished for them every day, helping them with debts and saving lives? Richie didn't think so, but he couldn't leave. He closed himself off from everyone, wanting only to do his job and keep the city safe, because after the death of his parents, responsibility came to him quite early, like the status of sheriff. But then Jon showed up, and Richie had other values in his life, more important than what he was fighting for. Richie opened his feelings to everyone thanks to Jon, thanks to this bright light of the sun, who almost reminds him of a boy who is fighting for his life. Jon reminded him of himself, a man who hid his feelings from everyone. Yes, Jon was open to everyone even then, in the early days of his stay, but he didn't open his problems to everyone, except for Richie. The sheriff appreciated this trust, and since then he has tried to protect Jon's feelings, gently touching them, not harming them, and making him happy and alive, just as Jon did with him. Richie didn't know that feelings were the most important thing in this world. His father once told him about it, and Richie took it very jokingly. But now, years later, lying in the same bed with Jon in his arms, Richie knew what it meant to keep someone's feelings in his hands. Richie was born to touch Jon's feelings, because Jon once touched his own, and brought Richie into a new life, for which Richie is grateful to him. They were both back together, and it would be forever.