Chapter Text
Bill never imagined that he would let a boy sleep with his head resting on his shoulder. It would be told for hours that when the camp organized a party in the campsite, Kieran ran around and brought wines to the gentlemen. Bill made him to sit down next to him when others had signs of drunkenness.
Shivering, Kieran took a seat beside him on the wooden surface and was forced to sip from the unfinished wine bottle. Then he laughed when he saw how much he could drink. Bill forced him to finish one bottle, then another, until Kieran began to feel inebriated.
"Drink it!" Bill said and handed him a wine bottle. However, he attempted to put it out with some strength.
"I can, sir!" Was the final words he could utter before lowering his head to look over Bill's shoulder. Bill paused and encircled Kieran's waist with his arm.
Within an hour, Bill heard Kieran's breath gently brush against his ear next to him, accompanied by the crackling sound of the campfire. "Keiran!" Bill whispered his name. Replied him, just a 'Huh?" Full of sleepiness.
"I love you." Bill was either too sober to acknowledge that he attempted to keep it hidden deep down inside or was unaware that it was because he was intoxicated. Whenever he fed Brawen or took care of other horses, he would always glance at him. As he had time to go fishing at the lake near campsite. Everywhere, every times.
"Uh!" With a still-drowsy voice, Kieran answered. Bill moved closer, nudging him with a whisper.
"I love you, Kieran. But I don't know how to made you know about it." Bill cackled, like in the following morning, he wouldn't forget it. With heavy eyes, Kieran opened them, glancing at Bill and then falling into his lap and whispering as though he was still asleep.
Holding him, Bill allowed him to drift off to sleep on his lap. Letting his heartbeats pounded in his chest, went to Kieran's dream.
All of the others went to sleep, with the exception of Bill, who remained motionless on the wood so that Kieran would not wake up or fall out. Javier also stroked the guitar resting on his arm. Gazing up at Bill, he could see that the wine or the one on his lap was causing his cheeks to flush like beets.
"Ya don't go to sleep?" Javier asked gently, his mouth full of wine.
"To let him fall here?" He rolled his eyes, shooked head.
"Ya can carry him with ya, right?" Bill suddenly understood; he wrapped his arms around him, picked him up, and carried him to his bed like a princess. As quickly as he could, he placed him on the bed. Bill looked at the boy in front of him, who was hugging himself, trembling in fear. Bill took off his shoes, climbed into bed and pulled him into his arms.
"I'm here. I'm here." He patted his thin shoulders, shaking and eventually calming down. After a while, he fell asleep, dreaming of a house with just him and Kieran.
*****
Kieran awoke to the sound of Mrs. Grimshaw screaming his name. She angrily called Mary-beth to ask, but even the girl who talked to him yesterday didn't know. He suddenly felt a pair of heavy, hairy arms embracing his waist, an unshaven, bearded chin pressed against his shoulder.
"Sir," Kieran whispered, he gently tapped Bill's arm, "Mrs. Grimshaw is calling me." Bill shook his head behind him, he groaned.
"Don't call me sir, just call me by my first name." Kieran pursed his lips, he called softly.
"Bill!" He answered in a groggy tone.
"Huh."
"I love you."
"I love you too!"