Archive of Our Own

Even in the entourage of irrational thought - or rather, lack there of - the sensation of arms around his forced Tango to stop, momentarily able to quell his rampaging flames, comparable to the the very fire that still ravaged their ranch. The ranch he had built, and the ranch that Jimmy never ceased praising. The ranch that was too far gone to save, only having stood tall and proud for less than a week.

He knew exactly whose arms those were that held him in place, but the comfort they provided was short-lived as the scent of burning flesh quickly engulfed his senses. It took less than a second for Tango to rip himself away from that protective hold, and as he whipped his head around, the sight that met his eyes was of Jimmy recoiling in pain, wrapping his arms around himself as a few people gathered around him. Tango's sight was too blurry for him to be able tell, but it must have been Joel alongside Pearl, who was the quickest to help the rancher. 

Tango's head ached, his senses fuzzy. He barely felt in control of his own body before he made the senseless decision to run. Part of him wanted to run to Scar - to Velvet Keep. He wanted desperately to burn it down right there and then, because oh, how very tauntingly flammable it was. He wanted Scar to suffer for the pain he'd caused his soulmate, even though he was the one that...

Tango wasn't sure where he'd ended up. Surrounded by trees, he made an effort to quell his fire for good so as not to leave any sign of him behind for someone to follow. For Jimmy to follow, even though he wanted that so badly. Even in such a bad outburst, it took so little for Tim to calm him. Tango was just no good on his own at a time like this, but he'd hurt his partner. Why did Jimmy wrap his arms around him, knowing it'd burn him? Because he wanted to be there for his rancher. Tango shook his head, patting out the fire on the tip of his tail, trying to stop himself from imagining what an awful sight he must have been in that moment for Jimmy to do what he did. He absolutely couldn't blame his soulmate, not for a second; he could barely even fathom the thought. Rather, Scar had started it with his petty overreaction. He'd burned down their ranch, yet... a base hardly compared to his partner in importance. Jimmy's wellbeing came before their ranch's any day of the week. After all, Tango mused, his brow furrowing in guilt - Jimmy had done nothing but his best. It took their first deaths to even find each other, Tango couldn't have possibly voiced any uncertainty about Jimmy as his soulmate then, not after he was the one to get them killed. Tango realized then that Jimmy hadn't voiced any displeasure with him, either.

He wondered then what he could possibly do to make it up to Jimmy, only to run into a blank every time. He knew that all Jimmy would have wanted was reassurance that he's alright, but Tango desperately justified to himself that he already knew, seeing as Tango hadn't been taking any damage. At this thought though, Tango realized that it wasn't the aftereffect of his fire that pained his arms, but Jimmy's very recently acquired burns. Tango hissed at himself. He had to return to his partner, however daunting it was.

The sun was beginning to set, making way for a night that'd only introduce the danger of hostile mobs, and with that, Tango had finally found himself back in their land, surveying the damage with dread. Pitiful repair attempts were evident - seemingly random materials had been used to patch the building, even if mostly in a rush in the extinguishing process. And yet, despite this, it would offer little to no shelter for the night. Still, Tango trusted his partner to be here. If he was waiting for Tango, he had to be here.

Tango's hope was soon confirmed as he could already see Tim and his distinctly yellow wings as he walked closer to the ranch. He didn't bother using the door (it might have collapsed anyway after what it'd been through), effortlessly entering through one of the large cavities instead where their walls had once stood. Jimmy's head whipped around from the other side of what remained of the room, his face immediately overtaken by the purest possible relief.

"Tango? Hey! My rancher!"

Jimmy approached as if to embrace his partner but then stopped himself, his headwings recoiling, seeing how distraught his partner still seemed to be. Tango's eyes had immediately fallen to Tim's arms and hands - they were almost completely covered in bandages. Tango couldn't even feel relieved that Jimmy was fine otherwise despite his general proximity to him when he was having his moment. Regardless, Jimmy smiled.

“Feeling better?”

Not even an inquiry as to where he'd been, Tango thought with shame. He knew Jimmy chose not to ask.

“Y…Yeah. I just…”

Tango gestured with his hands before halting. He could have so easily gone into an elongated rant about the ways they'd been wronged, and how he'd get back at Scar for what he'd done, and yet… Even if he wanted to, he couldn't. That kind of thought appeared momentarily only to be clouded by the image of those bandages that'd already burned into Tango's mind, even as he avoided looking directly at them again. Maybe him refusing to take another look was only making it worse. It wasn't the first time he'd burned his partner but it had never been even close to this bad before. He was frankly horrified by the extent of his injuries.

Gaze averted and thoughts much too occupied, Tango didn't notice Jimmy getting closer before the taller man spoke.

“Let's just think about it and take it slow, yeah?”

“Yeah… I can't afford another, uh, outburst.”

Tango glanced at Jimmy's arms for a split second, his tail flicking with his spiked anxiety, though the other man seemed to remain oblivious to just how much it weighed on Tango.

“Right. Well, we'll have to take this down,” Jimmy started, looking around the ruins of their ranch, Tango refused to follow his gaze.

“But not all's lost! The ‘R’ survived!”

Tango thought of the large R that they'd carved from stone, now on the ground “outside”, almost buried in ashes as its supporting wall had gone up in flames.

“The 'R' survived because it isn't flammable.”

Jimmy's brow quirked, clear enough indication that that's not what he was trying to get at, though Tango already knew that. He hated seeing that dopey apologetic smile on Jimmy's face at a time like this.

“The ranchers survived, and they always will!” 

Even as Tango had expected this response, he found himself at a loss for words, his tail twisting uncomfortably.

“Don't they?” Jimmy continued, coaxing Tango to try and see anything positive in all this.

“...They do.” It was hard to stay sulking with Jimmy's attitude, but Tango's smile was terribly brief, faltering as soon as he registered that the arm Jimmy raised so triumphantly was still in bandages.

“Yeah?” Jimmy chirped awkwardly, thinking up a storm for how to possibly salvage the situation without Tango deflating at each of his attempts.

“Look, Jimmy, I'm sorry… I should have expected Scar to retaliate tenfold after we stole his horse, and... That's on me.”

“What? No! That was me who had ridden it here! And we made that decision together!”

Tango thought with great bitterness how he'd conversed with Scar about fooling Jimmy, then claiming that their whispering was meant to be a distraction for Jimmy to steal Scar's horse all along. And how Jimmy clearly knew he was lying to his face.

“But…”

“No but's in this ranch! We're in it together, in everything.”

“So, we'll inevitably just drag each other down. And die just like that?”

Jimmy was too taken aback by Tango's words to reply. Not once had he ever expressed such a thought, not even after their first unceremonious death. Not even after finding out that he was linked with Jimmy of all people. Not even after neither of them could build, or when they could barely keep themselves fed and starvation at bay.

With no response, Tango took it as an opportunity to leave. He wanted to be here with Jimmy, even if the ranch around them was in ruin. He wanted to hug and hold the half-avian, but the bandages on his arms served as a stark reminder of how much pain he could cause his soulmate, who had only ever shown unrelenting support for him. Well, this is where that got him, Tango thought with a sour taste on his tongue as he felt ashes beneath his feet, moistened by their extinguishing attempts. He cared not to look behind him.

He cared a lot.

He navigated around the goat penthouse that had survived. He should have been glad, yet it only seemed to mock him, standing tall and tidy with not one goat inside. 

The walk was short but still a slight distance from where their ranch once stood. Tango slumped down on the ground near the cliff, choosing not to dangle his feet over the edge. With dismay, he let his eyes trace the cliffside right along to the ravine where multiple establishments stood out - clearly occupied and scornfully intact.

Hardly had the chill of the late evening made itself known before a pair of warm arms wrapped around him from over his shoulders.

“Aren't you cold?”

Yet again, Tango had expected - hoped - for Jimmy to follow him, but he still wasn't sure how to react despite this.

“I don't think the ranch will be offering much warmth right now.”

“Mm, but I can!” Jimmy proclaimed with a hushed tone as he unfolded and curled his wings to further shield Tango from the night breeze.

The both of them were acutely aware that Tango would almost never have to fear being cold - obviously. But right now, Tango wanted to indulge in this, even as half of him still wanted to run and leave so that he couldn't hurt the other rancher.

It was impossible to ignore what was bothering him the most though - so much more than their destroyed ranch - especially when it had been put right in front of him. It wasn't much easier since earlier, but at least he was now able to look at the bandaged arms around him without cringing away at even the thought of it.

Jimmy adjusted his position, allowing his arms to extend further around Tango's body, his head resting on Tango's, chin tickled by his partner's hair.

“Don't rest your head there.”

“I'm not afraid.”

At that statement alone, Jimmy could feel a rise in temperature from the man before him, but didn't hesitate.

“I don't want to hurt you.”

“It'll take a lot to hurt me, and you haven't.”

“I burnt your hands!”

Tango's tail flicked in agitation, but the rest of him, with great effort, remained relatively still as he very carefully took one of Jimmy's hands in his, cradling it ever so gently whilst inspecting it with immense intensity. Jimmy's skin screamed at the slightest touch but the pain soon subsided, Tango would have been well aware even without the phantom pains on his own skin with how gentle he was trying to be despite his lingering shock.

“They'll heal...” Jimmy tried to reassure, drawing out the last word in a lighthearted manner.

“Jim… I-I told you not to touch me when I'm like that!”

“You said ‘hold me back’...”

“I… You should have known better?!”

A noticeable spark escaped the tip of Tango's tail this time, and as his voice broke, so did Jimmy's heart. He could feel the heat under his chin, but he could also tell Tango was doing everything he could not to get fired up. Outside of his outburst, and maybe a few other solitary times, Tango was terribly conscious of his fire when he was around Jimmy. He did a good job at keeping it at bay even when he was struck with strong emotions… most of the time, at least.

“I just wanted to be there for my rancher.”

Tango grit his teeth at hearing Jimmy voice the exact reason he had predicted Jimmy giving him earlier. His trembling hold tightened on Jimmy's hand, causing a decent tinge of pain to his partner's sensitive skin, but it was a pain Jim refused to show. He'd been through worse and he could put up with worse, too.

“Some rancher I am - the ranch is gone ! We have no home!”

“Right, enough of that.” Jimmy put on the softest voice he could manage even if it wasn't his strong suit to comfort people in such fragile silence. He so desperately wanted to stop Tango's entourage of these horrible thoughts though, nothing else mattered right now.

“Jimmy-”

“Shhh.” Jimmy shushed, forcing Tango to pipe down. He wasn't about to let him talk again, not if it was thoughts like this that he knew served only to make Tango feel worse. He needed his partner to think rationally for a minute. 

It was only meant to soothe Tango when he perked himself further up to angle his head down, planting a kiss in the ruffled hair. Another scarily quick rise in temperature, so quick that for a split moment, Jimmy thought his lips would get singed, but he didn't move. It was hardly the first time he'd received such a reaction after showing Tango affection, and nothing bad had happened yet, aside from earlier. The heat fell soon after as Tango once again made a strong effort to stop himself from lighting up.

“The ranch is in us , so it has survived!”

Jimmy felt brief embarrassment at the corny statement, but Tango didn't comment. Jimmy even thought he felt his partner loosen up a little bit, so with newfound confidence, he continued.

“You're my home, so… I hope you can find home in me, too. My home is wherever you are!”

Tango curled in on himself momentarily before taking a long breath, tension leaving his body. Jimmy stayed quiet as he felt and observed the changes in Tango's posture. It was evident that he was in a more sound state now, thinking, before shifting to turn around and face Jimmy with no resistance from his partner. A little sadness lingered in Tango's eyes, but they were more hopeful than anything as he smiled.

“Then welcome home, honey.”

Even if he tried, Jimmy couldn't in a million years stop the smile that instantly stretched across his face, both sets of his wings briefly spread with a few tiny flaps like a dog wagging its tail, before settling on his back again awkwardly. He was much too struck by happiness to comprehend the action of folding his wings properly. Jimmy so dearly loved Tango's voice like this - he loved it regardless, and whatever other noises a netherborn like him seemed to have an endless supply of to continue accidentally revealing to his soulmate, but there was something about the rasp of his voice at such a low, gentle tone that Jimmy held so close to him. It might have been because he was almost the only one to get to hear it. Jimmy just couldn't find the right words to respond with though. Tango started to become anxious as to what to say when Jimmy offered him no verbal reply, and so with minimal thinking (if any at all), Jimmy pulled him closer and unceremoniously planted a kiss on the other man's warm lips.

They lingered for a second at the longest before pulling away, Jimmy's shocked eyes met even more shocked ones. 

“Uh.” Jimmy uttered stupidly. His first instinct might have been to apologize or to excuse himself, but he wasn't able to voice any of that.

Tango stayed frozen in place for a few long moments before pushing his hands against Jimmy's chest, propelling himself back to put distance between them a split second before his hair caught on fire. His tail was in no better state but he'd been keeping it away from Jimmy this whole time anyway in fear of this exact thing happening (even as he had to stay conscious of it and fight the urge to curl it around his partner). It took Jimmy a brief moment to react before he squinted his eyes shut in a snicker.

“What's so funny!?” Tango demanded, trying to calm his flames to little avail.

“I-I… Sorry! I… I should have expected this.” Jimmy had a bit of trouble getting his sentence out between laughs.

“Yeah!? You kissed me on the lips!!” Tango defended, leaning forward in spite of himself, dramatically pointing at his mouth.

“You didn't like it?” Jimmy asked, his tone playful after quelling his laughter just a little bit.

“No, no, that's not what… I could have burnt you! You should have asked first! O-or given more indication! Or…!”

“Sorry, sorry! I wasn't really thinking.”

“Of course not, when do you?”

“Hey!” 

Tango's flame had put itself out by now, just a slight smell of burning lingering in the air before being overtaken by the scent of the piles of damp ashes not far from where they sat as they both fell quiet, Jimmy pretending to be offended though the tug on his lips gave him away, and Tango pouting slightly, though his mouth was also quivering into a smile mirroring Jimmy's. Tango didn't really get all the jokes that went around at Jimmy's expense, so he didn't partake much, but he did find his reactions to such lighthearted remarks very lovable.

“Okay, okay, so…” Jimmy started, pulling Tango closer to him again, and the other let him, seeing as his fire had calmed. 

“You didn't not like it?”

“Wha-, I liked it. I liked it, yeah! I-It was nice!” Tango proclaimed, voice increasingly rising as if he was defending himself again, clearly embarrassed yet trying not to let it show (pathetically so).

Jimmy could only laugh again, relishing in Tango's endearing response before tightening his hold on him, pulling him in the rest of the way to hold him close. If his hands or arms hurt at any point as he continued to hold Tango, Jimmy did a wondrous job at not showing it. Maybe Pearl or one of the others had had pain resistant potions on them, because Tango hadn't been feeling anything but relatively easily ignorable tinges in his own hands.

“I'm glad.”

Tango's heart fluttered at the gentle statement as he allowed himself to relax, nuzzling his face into Jimmy's shoulder, his arms wrapping around his soulmate's body. Jimmy's wings stretched and curled around them once more, and all Tango could think was that they could use some preening. Something he wasn't good at but still helped Jimmy with upon his partner's insistence. In response, Tango finally allowed his tail to curl around his partner. It hardly compared to the magnificence of a pair of wings even when they weren't fully grown, but he remembered Jimmy fondly recounting at some point that he liked how Tango's tail involuntarily curled around his legs, even as it'd almost caused him to trip more times than he could count.

“Aghh!” Jimmy suddenly half-yelled, startling Tango and leaving him wide-eyed. “I'm so happy!” 

Tango remained confused for a moment before sighing. Of course, he knew how hard of a time Jimmy had staying still. Tango himself wasn't much better, but he found it very doable when he was this close to his soulmate, whereas Jimmy acted more like a dog than anything else despite being half-avian - always struggling to contain his excitement.

“I'm happy too!”

It was pretty contagious as well.

“I'm so happy I could cry!” Jimmy continued, and suddenly Tango was very alert to the exact tone of Jimmy's voice and other noises that might escape him. 

“...You're not actually crying, are you?”

A sniffle.

“No!”

And so, Tango left it be, knowing that any further inquiries would be fruitless. Instead he just tried to tighten his hold further, moving one of his hands around Jimmy's back, on the spot between his wings in what he hoped was a soothing manner. He realized then that Jimmy hadn't shown almost any sadness towards their ranch burning down, even though Tango knew it meant a lot to him. He'd been angry in the heat of the moment but afterward, it was nothing but a smile on his face, if even a pained one as he tried to calm his rancher. For Tango, he remained smiling as if to assure him through that alone that things were going to be okay. 

He felt Jimmy’s shoulders hitch.

Tango didn't doubt that Jimmy would shed a tear from sheer happiness, but he also felt that it was only now that his partner allowed himself to dwell on everything that had transpired just hours prior. Jimmy was terribly selfless though and Tango knew that, above everything, he was just that relieved to have his partner in his hold again, unharmed. Tango felt a tinge of guilt and shame, yet almost automatically pushed those feelings aside, knowing Jimmy wouldn't have wanted him to feel that way.

“So, um,” Jimmy spoke again after a while, voice hushed, “if I wanted to kiss you again, I just have to ask?”

“Y… Yeah, no surprise kisses!”

"Aww, what about other kisses? Not on the mouth?" Jimmy inquired with a pout. Kisses on the cheek or forehead had been commonplace for them by now, but it would be hard to resist surprising his soulmate. Jimmy would have done anything for the funny sounds Tango made when he was caught off guard.

"Uhh... Debatable?"

“I make no promises. It's all up to you!”

“Wh-, how's it up to me!?”

Jimmy pulled away in order to take Tango's face into his hands.

“Well, how can I resist my big rancher man when he's being so adorable?” he spoke, almost as if he were baby-talking, a wide infectious smile still on his face.

“Stop! You're gonna make me burn up again!”

Tango took the opportunity of Jimmy's loosened hold to quickly stand, fleeing as if he really was afraid of burning Tim again, even though he was well in control of himself now. Jimmy was quick to follow as they playfully ran around their ash covered grounds, both of them in fits of laughter.

“Come on Tango, just one more kiss!”

“No! One kiss is enough for tonight!!” 

The ranch, indeed, provided little to no shelter. The previously mocking goat pen had quickly become a blessing in disguise as the ranchers settled there for the night, even if the absence of goat bleats felt deafening. Their makeshift bed was decent at best but the same could be said for most anything they put their hands on, and that's just the way Tango liked it, as did Jimmy. It mattered very little as long as they had each other, just as the quality of their rest was not decided by the bedding but by one rancher next to the other.

“I might have said something I'm not proud of earlier…” Tango started as they finished making themselves comfortable, careful in their positioning to not put stress on Jimmy's arms. With wings also being part of the equation, they were left with no good options with Jimmy forced to sleep on his side. And there most definitely wasn't going to be much cuddling, let alone Tango sprawling himself over his partner in his sleep. He would have to try his best to stay alert to that fact, though there was little he could do whilst asleep.

“Oh yeah?”

“That… we would drag each other down and both fail.”

“Hey now, don't worry about that. It's tough competition out there, but with you by my side, I feel like we have a chance to outlast all of them!” 

Tango smiled sadly at Jimmy's positive spin on it, if even a far-fetched one, relieved that he seemed to have known better than to take Tango's words to heart.

“A lot of people probably wouldn't have been thrilled to be linked with me…”

He thought back to distant memories of a different lover's distrust in him, and to others voicing their relief upon confirmation that they weren't the ones soulbound to him.

“Definitely not.”

“Hey! I'm pouring my heart out here!”

Tango could only snicker, barely able to stifle it. Jimmy knew perfectly well he didn't mean it anyway. Fitting revenge if anything, Tango thought, after having Jimmy laugh at him earlier.

“You already know that I'm happy with you, and proud-”

“-You're proud of me?”

“Yes, very! But, uh. Of the two of us, I've caused more harm anyway.”

“No way!”

Tango ignored the lighthearted response in favor of cradling one of Jimmy's hands in his.

“I'm sorry about your hands.” he whispered raspily, voice close to breaking again.

“Hey, I said they'll heal, so enough of that! And, you know, they'll heal even quicker when I'm happy!”

“I don't think that's how that works.”

“That's exactly how it works.”

“...You might be right. You should let me do the work tomorrow and rest your hands.”

“No no no, there's still plenty I can do, I won't let you do all the heavy lifting!”

“I'm serious little man.”

“Fine... We can discuss it in the morning!”

Tango could only offer a half-heartedly stern stare, partly because he was frankly exhausted, partly because he'd been debating getting something off his chest all night. The exhaustion made his decision easier.

"I've burnt people before, Jimmy. More than tiny singes, to a crippling extent. It's just... It hasn't happened in so long because I've learned to restrain myself over all these years, and you never feared being hurt by me. You always trusted me, and today, I saw what I'd done to you, and I... I ran, I didn't know what to do so I ran. And I caused you to worry."

Tango couldn't meet Jimmy's eyes, even as he felt the care with which they bathed him. Jimmy used his other hand to allow his fingers to grace Tango's temple, tracing their way along his hairline to tuck strands of hair off his face and behind the ear that twitched upon his touch.

"I figured." He started. "So, I didn't want to draw attention to it. I was hoping that somehow, you'd feel better that way, but... I understand that... It must be hard on you. I understand that you're shaken up and maybe disappointed that this happened, but it wasn't your fault. And, Tango - this doesn't change anything. I'd still give up the World for you if I could, and I'll still hold you a-and shower you with kisses at the slightest excuse to do so. ...I still don't fear you in the slightest, alright? There's no trust that you've betrayed."

Tango's eyes had long drifted over to Jimmy's by now, feeling like they could blind him even in utter darkness as they burned with indescribable sincerity.

Tango could only hope that his crimson eyes shined with equal clarity of his feelings, seeing as he failed to utter a word. If Jimmy's lopsided smile was anything to go by, then he had nothing to worry about. He knew well that sometimes a moment of silence could say more than he could verbally voice. Tango sighed through his nose, just about ready to pass out as his eyelids finally gave way and they both fell quiet. Alas, the silence was doomed to be broken by the still very excited Jimmy eventually.

“Hey, Tango?”

“Yeah?”

A shy yet wide smile quickly overtook Jimmy's face, his headwings expanding slightly.

“Let's kiss again when we win!”

Tango had to really adjust to Jimmy being so hung up on this. Had it been with someone else, he might not have felt much of a difference after a mouth-to-mouth kiss. That still held true - he and Jimmy had always been this way, yet this one small new show of affection was getting Jimmy more fired up than Tango, and it was his reactions that made Tango's heart flutter and his voice stutter. Or so he reasoned, desperately trying to figure out why he also felt so strongly about it like an intricate redstone contraption. To Jimmy, who was so very affectionate, this was as good as a death weapon, so Tango was amazed that he would be willing to wait that long to do it again, if they even made it that far. Not that Tango trusted him not to try anything any sooner than that.

“Yeah, fine, okay!” Tango submitted with a small laugh, finding himself excited for the following day in spite of the task of taking down and rebuilding their ranch looming over their heads.

Tango woke up by his lonesome in a spacious room with scattered decor, his bedsheets an affectionately chosen yellow. It wasn't a color that described his hair anymore, and his flames were blue now, but he loved it just the same. The comfortable color of nostalgia, of fields of wheat, of canary feathers…

This warm feeling distracted him from his usual morning thoughts though. It was already too late when he'd realized his mistake in the middle of trying to get out of bed, unable to plant his feet on the ground, instead falling off the edge with a thud against the floor before he could do anything to prevent it. 

Tango tended to move a decent amount in his sleep when he was having nightmares or otherwise eventful dreams, which wouldn't have been a big deal in itself, especially on his own, were it not for his tail. It was second nature to Tango to untangle his tail from around his feet or body before he even attempted standing up. With this kind of start to his morning, maybe today just… wasn't his day.

Hardly had he had the time to register the sound of someone climbing the ladders when a very familiar pair of eyes met his, followed by a very familiar voice.

“Tango! You alright!?”

Jimmy was next to him in an instant, or so it seemed to Tango at least. He was in a bit of a haze from just having woken up. And from falling off the bed.

“Y-yeah, all good! Just fell off the bed like an idiot.” Tango quickly reassured, properly untangling his tail now.

“Aww don't say that! I'm glad you didn't get hurt, though.”

“What were you doing here anyway? You're always welcome, of course, but I figure there's a reason you're here so early?”

At least, Tango assumed it was early.

“Oh there's a reason alright! You'll have to come downstairs to see!”

And at the sight of that beaming smile, Tango changed his mind. How could today not be his day?

He hadn't yet finished climbing down the ladders when two things stood out to him - a distinct smell and a distinct sound, but he tried not to get ahead of himself in favor of not spoiling Jimmy's surprise for him.

Jimmy stood at the bottom, allowing his hands to hold onto Tango's sides momentarily, making sure he made it down safely. In response, Tango's tail brushed against the sheriff's legs - just hard enough to be felt without becoming a tripping hazard. Tango had become - or at least tried to be - more conscious of his tail ever since he'd caused Jimmy to trip and land flat on his face once. He'd stopped curling his tail around Jimmy at all at that point, but continued after his partner's request to do so, reaffirming that he liked when Tango did that.

These brief touches were entirely unnecessary but very welcome. It felt like they'd never left the ranch (or rather, never been forced to leave) to begin with with how naturally this casual physical affection came to them.

Jimmy walked a few feet towards the pen adjacent to the ranch, a slight bounce in his step, proudly presenting two cows and a calf now inhabiting the space alongside a solitary chicken, which in itself harkened back to the old days when one chicken was all they had for a short period of time.

“I haven't gotten any more chickens yet, but hey! Cows! That's what the ranch is all about, baby!”

Jimmy's smile was as infectious as it'd always been, Tango thought with significant fondness, unsure if it was just his cheeks warming up or his body entirely, like it had the tendency to around his partner.

“Jimmy-, that's amazing, I love them! It really is just like the old days!”

“Uhuh! And…!”

Jimmy drew out the last word, waiting for the other rancher's gaze to return to and follow him. Tango had already forgotten about the whiff of food that he caught onto moments prior. On a newly built table, Jimmy presented a pie, still accompanied by lingering steam.

“Awh-, look at you - baking! For me?”

“Yep! We never got to eat one together, but after Ren gave me some, I really wanted to try it! Pumpkin pie just for my beautiful rancher! Unless you feel like sharing, of course.”

“Naw, what kind of rancher would I be if I didn't?” 

“You're exactly right!!” 

Jimmy removed the gloves that he'd been used to wearing for the longest time now, presumably in preparation to eat, but as he did, bandages caught Tango's eye. He couldn't stop the immediate reaction to cringe, his body tensing up.

He could just feel Jimmy's inquisitive gaze on him, silently asking what the matter was, but no words were spoken. It took a mere moment or two for Jimmy to catch on, quickly hiding his hand behind his back.

“Oh-, I'm so sorry, I forgot… It was just from the cooking! It's not something I do often, I was just being clumsy, you know me…”

“Did you burn it?”

The answer shouldn't have mattered. What caused the rush of old horrid memories were the bandages - whether it was because of a bruise or cut or burn, Tango wasn't responsible, and yet, the need to know was killing him for reasons he couldn't have deciphered if he tried.

“Tango, it's alright. My hands have long healed since then.”

Tango could tell that Jimmy was trying to avoid certain words in favor of not potentially triggering his partner, however janky the end result sounded. Were he not so hung up on that image of Jimmy's arms wrapped in all that dressing because of him, Tango would have been grateful for the thought.

“Would it be okay if I see it?”

“I promise, I did everything I had to!”

It wasn't that Tango didn't trust Jimmy to treat his wounds correctly - by now, Jim should've known exactly what to do. He just so, so desperately wanted to make sure it'd heal as quickly as possible. Though back then, Pearl had taken care of Jimmy's arms the first time, afterward, Tango made sure to supervise his recovery every step of the way.

“But… If it'll help you feel better, I'll come by before bed when it's time to change the bandages?”

A small, sad smile graced Tango's features.

“I would like that.”

Jimmy's relief was plainly evident in his eyes, even as some nervousness surfaced with his next statement.

“We can also sleep together, if that'd also help.”

Tango's smile spread, a little less sad now. Just at the thought of sharing a bed again, he found everything a bit surreal all of a sudden - to stand in a recreation of their ranch, put together so lovingly with intent to keep things the same as they were before, down to the minimal flooring beneath their feet. It hadn't hit as hard yesterday when he'd just arrived - it was a lot to take in. It was also way different, of course. It'd require some getting used to, but Jimmy had done a good job at harkening back to the feel of their old base, and… With a pair of cows here, it easily reminded Tango of their shared past. With food on the table, Tango reminisced of the times of celebration they held at the prospect of being able to feed themselves to any degree. But more than anything, with Tim standing by his side…

Tango's tail had wrapped itself around Jimmy and in response, the sheriff inched closer, unfolding the wing closer to Tango to let it rest against Tango's back, curling around him protectively.

Even four months later, this endearment hadn't gone anywhere. Jimmy remembered growing a bit anxious after their reunion, pondering how far he could go - if things were different or not - and how different. He wondered if it was a good idea to embrace Tango then, or to build him a ranch. Tango had reacted well but was inevitably reminded of painful memories, much to Jimmy's dismay, even if it was very reasonable. Alas, he reassured Tango that history was not going to repeat itself and even if it took Tango time to fully believe that, he smiled happily just the same. It was all so much easier with Jimmy telling him these things.

Tango took a step closer, directly opposite of Jimmy before tip-toeing as much as he possibly could just to be able to reach his partner's face. He took it in his hands, pulled him in closer and without further thought kissed him.

It had been rather chaste when Tango inevitably pulled away, the tiniest well-controlled flame appearing atop his head, though it wasn't the slightest bit comparable to the fire inside him. 

Jimmy's wide grin fell into a smaller but equally genuine smile as he watched Tango fondly, before his headwings subconsciously curled around his face, partially shielding it, as if to hide his blush. Jimmy made a conscious effort not to block his view entirely though - he wanted to see Tango. 

“Just a thought… But maybe you should also warn me before you do that.” he half whispered.

Tango couldn't help but laugh affectionately at the reaction.

“No promises - it's up to you!”

Jimmy didn't get a chance to reply as Tango wrapped his arms around his waist, careful not to disturb the wings - the wings that in a moment's notice, further shielded him, now both stretching out around him like an extra pair of arms in addition to the ones that were already pulling him in closer. Tango wanted to drown in the familiar sensation - this kind of warmth that Jimmy provided, different from the fire that engulfed Tango's body. It never ceased to soothe him.

The house, the cows and the pie were fragments of a loving, comfortable place, but with Jimmy here, he was home.