Chapter Text
Andres pulls his hat lower down his face. The fading sun was still shining bright; his clothes covered in a thin sheen of dust. He didn’t mind the heat that beat down on them, preferring it to the cold. The river running beside them provided its comforting sound. He watches the horizon ahead of them as they ride. It was one of the clearer days of the summer, the sun piercing through the rain clouds.
They had been riding for a day or two downstream. Normally they wouldn’t have needed to ride so far downriver but the prospects of a quick job drew them in. Besides, he and Cassidy weren’t exactly the most law abiding citizens. Let the mess blow over before heading back.“Still have a bit farther to go. Plannin’ on getting farther downstream before setting up.” Andres makes a noise of agreement at Cassidy’s words.
The daylight was dipping slowly below the horizon as they rode. It wasn’t quite a sunset yet, the sky still a pale blue and the landscape bathed in warm sunlight. Andres doesn’t break the silence that builds as they continue onward. He pats Otis as the horse snorts, a fond glint forming in his eye. He and Cassidy cast large shadows across the ground as they ride along the river.
Andres always knew he likes men. Back then it was more appropriate for him too. Every so often whenever his father took in a new apprentice he’d hide like a bandit in the shadows and watch. His mother always told him how he’d be married off once he was of age. He always despised the thought of being married off to some unknown man.
Cassidy had entranced him when they first met. He was everything he wanted to be and have. He’d tried to convince himself in the beginning that his interest in the man was simply thankfulness for saving him. Though, lying to himself became harder as the months passed. An ache would grow whenever he thought too hard about the other as there was no way a man like Cassidy would like him the same. He was convinced he was dreaming the first time Cassidy kissed him.
He admires the way Cassidy’s hair almost glows in the sun, the man riding in front of him. He glances away once Cassidy turns to look at him, feeling his eyes on him.He admired Cassidy probably more than a normal man should. The way the sun caught on his hair, the color of his eyes. It wasn’t normal for a man to look at another like he did. A part of him still feels guilty of the way he looks at the man. Like he’ll bring even more shame upon his family with his thoughts alone.
He knew his thoughts were unfounded. His parents, back in Spain, wouldn’t ever find out the kind of life he was living now. There was almost a small comfort in knowing he could do whatever he wanted without issue. He didn’t have to be their daughter anymore or bring any more shame to their name. Still, the lingering shame that came eyeing Cassidy still persisted even with that knowledge.
Andres pulls off his hat and runs a hand through his sweat-damp hair. He casts another glance at the sky, the pinks and golds of the sunset coming in. His cheeks were still rosy from the midday sun and sweat was drying on his forehead. The bandages that were wrapped tightly around his chest were damp with sweat and were starting to chafe. It’d been a few days since he’d last changed them but he couldn't bring himself to take them off for even a moment. The sight of his own chest made him sick to his stomach even if it was just to wash himself. Another reminder of what makes him so different, so alien, to the rest of the world.
Both he and Cassidy made the mistake of wearing the darkest and heaviest clothes in the middle of summer. A small price to pay for fashion. Cassidy still wore the shirt with the tiny fish embroidered into the cuff. It was something Andres had added after their first fishing trip as partners. The act of making something kept him sane in between jobs. He’d been banned temporarily from playing cards with Cassidy after his most recent bout of cheating.
“S’gonna be a good sunset. With the clouds and all.” Cassidy’s voice startles him out of his thoughts. The outlaw ahead of him was staring at the sky and the colors the sun left behind. “After all that rainin' it's bound to be a good one." He pulls to a halt and grins back at Andres. He chuckles as he stops beside Cassidy. The small moments of peace always brought a warmth throughout him, whether it was simply sitting silently beside Cassidy or laughing together at the bar.
“Reminds me of you.” Cassidy sounds genuine, or at least Andres thinks he does. He hopes he is. He shifts in his saddle and pulls out a pack of cigarettes. He hands one over to Cassidy as he outstretches his hand. His hand was dry and calloused against his as they touched fleetingly. He holds out his lighter for Cassidy before lighting his own. The landscape around them was all golden and pink now that the sun was properly setting. Andres took a long drag of his cigarette as he stared out at the land ahead of them. The river was sparkling below them, prodding a background noise.
“You’re better to look at in the end. The view lasts longer.” Cassidy says after a few moments of silence. His voice is a mix of thoughtfulness and his normal roughness. He flicks the dying remains of the cigarette onto the ground below before he fixes Andres with his gaze. His lips quirk into a faint grin The various scars highlighted his shadowed face making him look all the more perfect in Andre’s eyes.
His words cause Andres to pause, his heart fluttering embarrassingly in his chest. Cassidy’s pretty words always had a hold on him. His brain completely stops as Cassidy leans forward and presses a quick kiss to the side of his mouth. The man smells like whiskey and cigarette smoke. He pulls away as soon as he does, his eyes glinting with a promise to come once inside camp.
“C’mon, we still have ways to go.” Cassidy doesn’t give him a chance to respond before he’s off again. Andres sits there as his mind catches up with his body. A grin that matches Cassidy’s spreads over his face as he shakes his head, setting off after the man.
The kiss burned away some of the shame, replacing it with a burning desire. Maybe there’s a hope for him. Even if they could never be considered normal by those they met, maybe there's a chance that this could become his normal.
“Hey Cassie,” Andres laughs, a flame burning in his eyes. “I'll race you.” He speeds off past Cassidy, a disgruntled sound coming from the man before they're both speeding off.