Archive of Our Own

The desert was cold at night. The large expanse of dirt stretched out endlessly across the horizon, only interrupted by far off, rocky cliff faces and scattered plant life. A vast plain of nothingness.

Or it would be nothing if not for the small settlement of Tumble Town. 

It wasn’t a large town, just a few store fronts, about two hundredish residents, and a real lack of anything interesting. 

At least that’s how Jimmy saw it. Life here was boring. They weren’t on the trail to any major cities, there usually weren’t any outsiders, the saloon full solely of townsfolk and its rooms empty besides an occasional night spent by arguing couples. 

Jimmy spent his days working on his father’s ranch, which he’d worked at since he was born and would probably work at till he died. His future, a planned and mundane life that stretched out right before his eyes. He’d marry a random girl in town who was similar in age to him, just like how his brothers had and his father before them. 

At night, Jimmy spent his time alone. There was a hole big enough in the roof of the barn that he could squeeze through, and Jimmy liked to just sit up there and look at the clear view of the sky. Frankly, the stars could be clearly seen from anywhere in Tumble Town, the vastness of the area really helped with that, but the roof felt isolated, making it feel as if Jimmy were alone with the universe.

Jimmy had always liked the stars, they made him feel as if there was more to this world than his father’s ranch, that there was something beyond the desert. One of the few books Lizzie had taught him how to read was one about constellations. She had bought the book when they were little, from one of the few traveling merchants who had come through town. Most of the townsfolk had steered far away from the cart, but Lizzie, whose parents had always been supportive of her curiosity, had spent what few coins she had on anything they would give her. She would teach Jimmy about the book on summer days when the sun was too high in the sky, and his father would give him the afternoon off. 

He had fond memories of his childhood, back when days were simpler and he didn’t feel as trapped as he did now. Jimmy just wished for any chance to see outside of this town. 

—

There was a big hubbub in town the next morning as a small dust cloud followed behind a pair of horses. Outsiders were coming. 

Jimmy wasn’t able to see them arrive, his work demanding his time instead, but he was later informed about it by Katherine, who’d come to sit on the fence and watch him work as she usually did. 

“They’re odd fellas.” She hummed during one of Jimmy’s water breaks. “Came in early this mornin’. Martyn barely had enough time to set up the rooms in the saloon.” 

“Serves him right, he’s gotten too lazy.” 

“Yeah maybe. But the newcomers didn’t look like outlaws, which is good. They’re probably heading west.”

“Then that’s odd for them to come through here. We're not exactly on the way to anywhere.” He mused

“Peculiar isn’t it. Hopefully they won’t be in town for very long, everyone isn’t too keen on them being here.”

Jimmy nodded, the folks here really liked the routine that came with an isolated society and any anomalies made them wary. He wouldn’t have been surprised if the main street was empty when they arrived. 

He leaned back onto the fence, tilting his head back so that his hat no longer blocked his face from the sun. With his eyes closed, Jimmy took a deep breath, the scent of soil filling his lungs. “They’ll probably be gone by tomorrow. I wonder where they’re actually heading.”

Katherine shifted so that she was closer to him. “You could always ask them.”

“Nah. I’ll be out here till evening and I’ve got chores that’ll keep me in the fields all tomorrow.”

“Unfortunate.” She huffed. “I would’ve loved to see you in town.” 

“Guess you’ll have to wait.”

—

“I need you to run some things into town.” Jimmy’s father instructed mid-morning the next day. 

“Didn’t deliveries already get run this morning?” He asked, looking up from the cow he was feeding. 

“Turns out those easterners eat more than Martyn thought they would. And your mother has something she needs delivered as well. You can take the wagon, but I expect you to return by noon.”

“Yes, sir.” Jimmy saluted to the retreating figure of his father. He fed the last bit of feed to Betsy before heading to grab the towing saddle for his horse. 

In the horse stable sat his brown quarter horse, Oron, who was a very good boy. Jimmy ran his hand down Oron’s thicker mane after placing the saddle on his back, and with it tightly secured he led the two of them out towards the wagon. It wasn’t often Jimmy got assigned to take things into town, so he was rather excited, taking off quickly to savor any time he could have in town. 

The journey to central Tumble Town wasn’t very long, taking him maybe twenty minutes to get to the saloon. Jimmy gave a small nod to the young Clarke girl, who was staring intently at his horse, before dismounting. The crate holding supplies was large but it wasn’t too much of an issue. With a little effort, Jimmy carried the box in. 

“Jim!” Martyn called as he entered the saloon. “Fine day we’re having, isn’t it?”

He hummed in response, sliding the box onto the wood counter. “Rather empty this mornin’. Something happen?”

“Ehh. My early morning regulars already came. And well, everyone else is just…shy.” Martyn glanced towards the right half of the room. Jimmy followed his gaze to where two men were sitting. Ah. “Well can I offer you anything?”

“Is it gonna cost me?” The shopkeep shrugged guiltily. “I’ll just have a water then.” Martyn nodded, taking the crate off the counter with a little bit more of a heft, and carried it to the storeroom. 

Jimmy could feel eyes on him as he leaned against the bar. He looked over to where the two travelers were eating. There was a taller man dressed in all black with hair so blond it looked white. He had a bandana covering the bottom half of his face and a scar dragged across his left eye. A pistol sat boldly on his right hip, which made Jimmy raise a brow. Guns weren’t an unusual occurrence in this town, but carrying one was uncommon enough to make people wary. Enough to make Jimmy himself cautious. 

Next to him sat a man wearing tan chaps over dark jeans, a matching handgun sat on his left hip. Tucked into his jeans was a dark red button up which sat under a black vest. A black bandana was tied loosely around his neck, and a pair of tinted goggles rested on top. Blond hair sat under a dark brown hat, and just past the brim was a pair of brown eyes staring intently at Jimmy, who tipped his hat in response. Odd fellers, Jimmy wasn’t surprised people were avoiding them.

“You folks from the east?” He asked from across the bar. The one dressed in red’s eyes widened and the one in black looked up, seemingly surprised that they were addressed at all.

“Uh.. Yeah. Missouri.” The red one answered.

“And you’re heading to California?” They both nodded. “And you’re coming here by horse? We’re much too south for you to be heading to Sacramento.”

The one in black responded. “Oh. We aren’t going to California for gold.”

“...Interesting.” Jimmy hummed as Martyn returned from the back with a glass of water, saving Jimmy from whatever that conversation was. 

“You got any other deliveries today?” 

Jimmy swallowed the swig of water he’d taken. “I’ve just got to bring something to Lizzie and then I’m back to the ranch.”

“Well, tell her I said hello then.”

“I’ll be sure to do that.” Jimmy pushed off the counter towards the door. He gave one more look at the two easterners, tipping his hat. “It was nice to meet you gentlemen. Good luck on the rest of your journey.”

The distance from the saloon to Lizzie’s shop wasn’t far, so Jimmy elected to walk. As he crossed the street, goods in hand, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

Lizzie’s dress shop wasn’t the most popular in town, considering that a majority of the population knew how to darn their own clothes, which left her to making new clothes –which people rarely bought – or hemming the clothes of people who were either too busy or for the people who pitied her; like Jimmy’s mother. 

A bell jingled when he came through the door. Lizzie’s head peaked around the corner, her eyes lighting up as she noticed the boy. “Oh, Jimmy! What brings you in today?” 

“Ma needs some things patched.” He said, handing a small wrapped bundle of clothes over to her. Lizzie held up a skirt from the pile, inspecting it. 

“I don’t know why she keeps sending stuff like this to me. I know she knows how to mend this.”

“But she sees you as family, so Ma’d rather give it to you.” He shrugged.

“She doesn’t have to, but I’m happy for her business regardless.” Lizzie pushed the clothes to the side, settling her elbows down on her counter. “So what have you been up to today?” 

“Made a delivery at Martyn’s before this and I’m back to the ranch after.”

“Ooh Martyn’s? Did you see those cowboys?” Lizzie’s eyebrows raised at the mention of the bar.

“I don’t think they’re cowboys.”

“Ehh close enough. So did you meet them?” She pressed.

“Kind of. They’re a little odd.” 

“Not surprised. They’re from the east, right?” 

“Missouri, I think.”

“Hmm, I wonder if they know anything about the fashion out there. I’m so curious about their embroidery style.” She mused, leaning back in thought. “Maybe I’ll go over and ask.”

“I don’t think Joel would be too happy about that.” Jimmy teased.

“Don’t say that!” Lizzie flushed as she hit his arm. “I don’t think he’d mind.”

“I think he would, but what do I know? I think those guys at Martyn’s would appreciate the company. They might not be the most talkative though.”

“But I’m extremely likeable so it’ll be fine.” She said confidently, which caused him to laugh. Once Jimmy got a hold of himself, he realized it was about time to say his goodbyes. With a farewell to Lizzie, he made his way back to Oron, who snorted excitedly at his return.

And as Jimmy rode back to the ranch, he could feel a gaze follow him.

___

When they were little, Joel told him that thunderstorms came from a mighty god who lived in mountains and liked to terrorize Tumble Town. While it was a childish tale, Jimmy always thought back to it whenever the valley got storms, like the one they were in currently.

Storms were hectic on the ranch. As soon as it rolled in, his father had all of them out, half reigning in cattle and the other half checking the storm drain in hopes of preventing flooding even if it was only in the slightest bit. 

It was a long morning trying to take care of everything, leaving Jimmy both tired and cold as the afternoon rolled around; rain always wore him out like this.

Jimmy wondered how long the storm would last. He wondered how those easterners were fairing. 

…

It was still raining the next morning, meaning he’d still have to do work, just the livestock would be a bit more uneasy, which spelled out a long day for Jimmy.

He sat at the table, enjoying the small meal his mother prepared before he had to work, when there was a knock at the front door. Jimmy’s father huffed as he got up to answer it, clearly miffed about the disturbance. He could hear some of the conversation from where he was sitting.

“Aren’t you one of the boys staying at Martyn’s?” His father asked.

“Yes, sir. I was wondering if you had any work you needed done?” The person at the door responded.

“..Uhh sure,” Jimmy’s father hesitated. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to pay you like I do my boys.”

“That’s fine.”

“Well then, you can help Jimmy today. JIMMY!” His father called. Jimmy got up, making his way into the room.

“Yes?” He asked, as if he wasn’t listening to their conversation.

“He’s gonna be helping with your chores today.” His father pointed at the short man standing in the doorway. It was the blond one with goggles, who upon further inspection, still had them. 

“Nice.” Jimmy turned to the boy. “I’ll just need to grab my boots. You can wait here or on the porch.”

It was a quick jog to grab his boots before making his way back to the door. Goggles was nowhere to be seen, so he presumably had gone outside.

Jimmy stepped through the door to see “A horse?” He asked as he stared at the mare that stood about five feet away from the porch.

“Oh. She’s mine, sorry.” Goggles moved from where he was leaning against the house.

“It’s all good. Do you want to move her to the stables? Get her outta the rain.”

“Yeah, that would be nice.” He grabbed the reins to the horse as Jimmy trudged through the storm towards the stables. Once they had gotten into the wooden shelter, Jimmy grabbed a few towels, handing two to Goggles, one for him and one for the horse.

“We’re mucking out the stalls in the barn today.” Jimmy explained as he ruffled the towel over his hair. It wouldn’t do much since they’d be back in the rain heading towards the barn, but the less time he had to be wet the better. “Have you ever worked with cattle before?”

“I, uh, have not?” He admitted.

Jimmy sighed, today really was going to be a long day. “That’s fine, it’s not too difficult.” He picked up the reins to Goggles’ horse, leading her into a stall. “Oh by the way, I’m Jimmy.”

Goggles’ eyes widened. He stuck out his hand. “I’m Tango!” Jimmy looked down at his own hand holding his towel and his other hand holding the reins. Tango followed Jimmy’s gaze, pulling his hand away to nervously scratch the back of his head. “It’s nice to meet you.” He said hesitantly.

“Likewise.” Jimmy nodded in response. After securing the gate on the stall for Tango’s horse, he returned to gather the towels to throw them into the already stacked pile in the corner. “Barn’s not far from here.” He said with a nod towards the door.

“Right.” Tango turned to the door and moved to let Jimmy show him the way. 

The walk to the barn wasn’t bad, even with the rain. Despite his grievances, Jimmy liked the rain. It didn’t rain often, especially this early in the summer. He took a moment to breathe in the dusty smell of the rain that pattered around them as he waded towards the barn.

He gave a glance over his shoulder to check on his companion, to see the man cowering beneath his hat as if he would melt if the rain touched him. Jimmy chuckled. “Don’t like the rain, huh?”

“I hate getting wet.”

“You didn’t have to come here today.”

“I hate doing nothing even more.” The evident distaste on his face made Jimmy laugh heartily. Tango’s brow unfurrowed at his reaction.

“Let’s get you inside then.” Jimmy tugged open the door to the barn, motioning the man in.

Warmth radiated from the humidity trapped inside the barn. The light smell of manure mixed with the sound of cattle, which grew louder at the noise of the barn opening. 

“Woah. That’s a lot of cows.” Tango said, earning a snort from Jimmy in response. 

“Yeah, it’s sort of what we do here.” He walked over to where the pitchforks hung on the wall, taking off two, tossing one to the blond. “Here.” The bar of the pitchfork bounced off of the palm of Tango’s outstretched hand, clattering to the ground. The two of them just stared at it on the floor. “You were supposed to catch that.”

“That’s my bad.”

“You’ll get it next time.” Jimmy assured.

Tango nodded as he ducked down to grab the tool. “So what exactly are we doing?”

“Just mucking out the stall. Essentially we just scoop up all the shit and hay and put it in that wheelbarrow to be taken out once the storm ends.” 

“Nice, that doesn’t sound too hard.” He followed along.

“It’s not hard at all.” Jimmy pulled open the gate motioning Tango in. The blond did not go in, but instead stood there with his eyes wide.

“We have to go in?” 

“Well we can’t muck from out here.”

“…We go in there with the cows?” He asked warily.

“We can’t exactly let them out with all the rain. So yeah they’ll be in there.” Tango slowly nodded, his eyes still wide; he seemed scared. Jimmy sighed. City boys. “Have you ever seen a cow before?”

His head snapped over to where Jimmy leaned against the fence. “O-Of course I’ve seen a cow before, don’t be ridiculous.”

“Have you ever touched a cow before?” Tango averted his eyes, giving Jimmy his answer. He hopped down from the gate, grabbed Goggles’ hand and pulled him into the stall. With Tango being tugged along, Jimmy pulled him right over to the nearest cow and pressed his hand into her coat. The tension in Tango’s fist released as his fingers spread out.

“It’s so smooth.” He said, amazement evident from his expression.

“Yep.” Jimmy gave him a moment to just pet the cow. Tango smiled as he ran his hand over her hair. He cleared his throat. “Well now that we have that out of the way, you ready to get to work?”

Tango shot up from where he had practically melted across the cow. “Yes! Right. Can we muck with them in the way?”

“Nah, we’ve got a fence to hold them to one half. C’mon.” Jimmy leaned out of the stall, to grab a couple clumps of hay, which caught the attention of all of the cattle. He shoved it into Tango’s hands. “Alright just take this and go over there.” He said pointing to the other end.

“What?! I can’t-“

“Nope.” Jimmy gave him a push. “Real easy, just gotta stand on that end and I’ll do the rest.”

Tango tripped slightly as he moved to the other side, Jimmy got to work closing the fence as the cows flocked behind Tango.

Jimmy locked the fence after one good final tug.  He scanned through the cattle for the blond man, finally spotting him in the center. Tango had an even bigger smile spread across his cheeks, laughing as the cows pressed into his side trying to steal the hay from him. Jimmy felt a weird twinge in his stomach. Seeing someone enjoy something he loved so dearly wasn’t something he got to see too often. And that was clearly what he was feeling. 

Jimmy shook his head to clear his thoughts, moving to hop the fence of the stall. On the outside, he moved closer to where Tango was surrounded. “Tango!” He called.

Tango looked up at him, his cheeks slightly flushed from all the heat and his smile wide. “Jimmy! This is great! I love cows!” 

“We all do. Now come on!” He motioned. Tango patted the cow closest to him’s head before trudging through the wall of cattle. He stopped at the fence. 

“How do I get out?”

“What? Never climbed a fence before?” Jimmy teased.

Tango scoffed in response. “Of course I’ve climbed a fence before.” He grumbled as he began to climb, after a moment he hopped off, landing next to Jimmy. “See? Easy.” 

“Wow, impressive.” 

“Mhm, I’m very talented.”

“Yeah okay let’s put those talents to work.” Jimmy picked the pitchforks back up from where they had been discarded to on the floor. He tossed one to Tango and this time the man caught it. The man’s eyes went wide as he stared at it, making Jimmy laugh. “See, I told you you’d get it next time.” He pulled open the fence, beckoning Tango in.

Mucking wasn’t much different than it normally was, and Tango figured it out quickly. They worked in the relative silence of a cattle barn. Jimmy was fine with the silence, but it would be a waste to not get to know the foreigner, right?

“So…” Jimmy started. “Since you clearly weren't a cattle farmer, what did you do out in Missouri?”

Tango perked up. “Me? I was an engineer. I worked on trains.”

“Woah….wait then why didn’t you take the train to California?”

“Oh, well, uh…Etho’s not a big train guy.” 

“That’s…thoughtful. What’s out there for the two of ya?”

“I’m hoping to find work once they expand the railroad southward. Etho…wellll…he’s got an idea he’s trying to pursue.” Tango vaguely explained.

“An idea?”

“He’s got a dream to open a hotel out there in Los Angeles.”

“That’s certainly an idea.”

“That’s what Etho’s known for,” Tango shrugged. “He had some pretty ambitious plans back in Missouri. In fact it was his whole idea to move west.” 

“And you dropped everything to follow him?” Jimmy stopped shoveling to fully question him. 

Tango slowed, looking up at Jimmy who was staring at him. “Well I… I didn’t really have anything out there. I think I’m just looking for something and Etho’s giving me the chance.”

The blond nodded as he went back to shoveling. “Nice, nice. I hope you find something.” 

While Jimmy focused on his task, he missed the look Tango gave him. With a soft smile he said “I hope so too.”

The rest of their few chores went quickly as they chatted, but since there was only so much they could do due to the rain meaning Tango was back on his horse towards town before noon. As he rode away, Jimmy couldn’t help to feel a little down that he was leaving, but that feeling was pushed away by the call of lunch from inside the warm house.

Later in the afternoon, Jimmy sat in his room, unable to focus on the book in front of him. It was one of Lizzie’s, which he could understand most of the words of but he just couldn’t get over how quiet it felt in his room. And it was by no means quiet, rain still pelted against his window and he could hear his mother clattering round the kitchen, it was just that he missed having someone else with him. He missed Tango. Which was crazy because Jimmy was used to usually being alone. Was one day of conversation with a stranger enough to make him this uneasy? 

Maybe Jimmy’s mother was right, maybe he should get married soon, just as a way of soothing his loneliness. But that was its own problem, he didn’t like anyone. Not in the way Joel liked Lizzie or the way his father loved his mother, and there was no one in town he was interested in either. And it wasn’t like he was against marriage, it was just that Jimmy didn’t want his life to be boiled down to just marrying someone and working on the ranch till he died. He still wanted to see beyond the town. 

Perhaps that’s why Jimmy liked talking to Tango, maybe he was just jealous of the man. Maybe he too wanted to see Missouri and California, or ride on the train, or pack up his whole life and leave to somewhere unknown. Or maybe he didn’t want any of that and just wanted to have company when he did his chores. Who knows, certainly not Jimmy.

Why was it so hard to figure out why he liked talking to Tango? And why was it so hard to think about anything else?

—

It wasn’t raining the next morning, the storm most likely clearing out during the night. Jimmy had gone to pull on his boots on the porch when a certain blond rode up on his horse. “You still need help this morning?”

Jimmy couldn’t help but smile, an underlying fear that Tango would’ve left already dissipated before he could even acknowledge that it was there. “Only if you’re up to it. Harder without all the rain. Be humid too.”

Tango chuckled, dismounting his horse as well. “I think I’ve got the hang of it.”

“Well, we’ll see.” Jimmy placed his hat on his head before heading out towards the stables. Tango would acclimate, right?

The morning was grueling. The air was heavy with moisture along with the summer sun beating down on them. It would get hotter as the summer went on, but the humidity was a rare addition. Jimmy had already sweat through his shirt by mid-morning, and he couldn’t imagine the smaller man was faring much better. The only thing that was really keeping the rancher going was the reminder that it was Friday and that tonight he could have a cool beer at their weekly meet ups at Martyn’s.

Speaking of, “Tango, are you going to Martyn’s tonight?” The man in question looked up at Jimmy from where he was practically bent over the fence resting, weakly cocking his eyebrow. “Oh I uh…just mean that every Friday a few of us get together at the bar and well I.. uh.. was wondering if you wanted to come?” Jimmy continued, he turned away as his face flushed, but now from something other than the heat. Jimmy didn’t understand why asking Tango was making him so nervous. Wasn’t it just a simple invitation?

“It’s at the bar?” Tango tilted his head.

“Yeah- Oh god.” Jimmy pushed his palms into his face as he inhaled as he realized. Peaking through his fingers, he sighed. “You’re staying at the bar. Well, will you be there?”

“Are you gonna be there?”

Jimmy shifted his hands so that they were still cupping his own cheeks, but his eyes were fully in view. “Yeah.”

“Then I’ll be there.” Tango smiled.

The blond fully removed his hands, his embarrassment now replaced by a smile. “Great!” Jimmy turned back towards his work, a new found vigor and anticipation filled his effort. The night was going to be fun.

.-.-.-.-.

Jimmy knew he was late, and as he rode up to Martyn’s he could see the horses tied up outside that confirmed that. He was never usually late, so this was weird for him. It was just that Jimmy couldn’t decide on what to wear, which again was odd because he’s never been prissy like that before. 

Jimmy did not understand what was going on with him. There was nothing strange about tonight, well except Tango being there. 

Just the thought of Tango made him blush. Which he ignored. What was happening, why was getting chummy with a fella making Jimmy act all strange?

He shook the thought off as he entered Martyn’s. Instantly he spotted Tango across the bar, the man’s face lit up as he and waved him over. Jimmy moved to wave back but was pulled away.

“Jim!” Joel cheered as he pulled the blond into a hug, which the other reciprocated. “It’s not like you to be late, the ranch keeping you busy?” Joel started as he pulled Jimmy towards the counter and away from Tango. The rancher sent a sorry smile towards him before giving in to Joel.

“You could say that. What about you? Sheriff Ren keeping ya occupied?” Jimmy signaled Martyn for a beer.

“Hm there's really nothing here to keep us too busy. Except those fellers over there.” He motioned over to Tango and Etho. “I don’t trust ‘em. ‘Specially that blond one.”

“They’re both blond Joel.”

Joel rolled his eyes. “You know what I meant, the Eefo guy.” Jimmy decided to ignore that it was obvious that Joel did know Etho’s name but was choosing to pretend that he didn’t. The blond looked over to where the man in question was sitting. At their table was Tango, who looked to be zoning out, and Etho who was sitting there intently listening to Lizzie, who was happily chatting with the man. Ah.

“You just don’t like that he’s taking up all Lizzie’s attention.” Jimmy laughed.

The brunet scoffed. “As if. He’s suspicious. All shifty.” 

“Whatever ya say. Just wouldn’t be surprised if she went with them, lotsa interesting people out in California.” Jimmy lied, and pretty obviously too. Lizzie wouldn’t leave like that, ‘specially not without Joel. But the man didn’t seem to pick up on that. 

Grumbling Joel charged towards the table. Jimmy could hear him mumble, “I’ll be damned if I let him...” as he walked away, making his presence known to the two by sliding into Tango’s empty chair.  Speaking of Tango, where was the man?

Jimmy looked around trying to spot the blond, but he wasn’t anywhere.

“You looking for someone?” 

Jimmy inhaled sharply as he turned around to see Tango standing behind him. Clutching his chest he responded. “Scared me.”

Tango snorted. “Sorry about that. You have a good talk with Joel?”

“About as good as it goes. He’s caught up in his own head.” Jimmy picked up the beer that Martyn had placed in front of him, thinking as he savored the first sip. “You know Joel?”

“Etho talks about him. Apparently that’s who he's been around the last few days.” Tango took a sip of his own beer, which was much emptier than Jimmy’s. “And that Lizzie girl, she seems nice.” The man paused, a questioning glance was thrown back at their table. “Are the two of them…” Tango brought his two fingers together to finish his sentiment.

Jimmy chuckled. “Pretty much.” Tango nodded, accepting that answer. The two sipped on their drinks, occasional comments passing between them, before eventually Jimmy worked up the courage to voice the sentiment that had plagued his mind since the morning.

“So, you two haven’t left town yet.” Tango looked a little caught off guard by the statement, turning away shyly from Jimmy.

“Ah well Etho said the horses would fare better if we waited for all the mud to dry. We’re leaving tomorrow.”

“Oh.” Jimmy couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed about that. Which he didn’t understand why. Tango was always going to leave and he wasn’t even supposed to be here that long, but Jimmy just wanted to get as much time with him as he could. The man glanced over to the table where Lizzie, Joel, and Etho were chatting. They seemed occupied and probably would spend the whole night there. Jimmy turned back to Tango. “Do you want to just go somewhere and talk? Just the two of us? I know it’s your last night but-”

“Yes. I do.” Tango cut him off firmly, which brought a smile to Jimmy’s face.

“Nice nice. I think I know a spot.” He pushed off from the counter and motioned Tango to follow him. Jimmy waved goodbye to Martyn before heading out the doors, the blond following swiftly behind him. 

The chilled breeze outside felt nice against his skin, cooling the sweat that came from being in a crowded bar. Jimmy wandered towards Oron who stood curiously looking over at the two of them. He absently stroked his muzzle softly as the horse nuzzled in closer. “Is that your horse?” 

Jimmy looked back up, taken from the moment he was having with his horse. “Yeah! I guess you two haven’t met.” The rancher pulled the other man closer, placing Tango’s hand on the horse as well. 

“He’s a beautiful creature.” The blond remarked, to which Jimmy nodded in agreement. He always did have one of the prettier horses on the farm in his opinion. Jimmy glanced back at Tango and, upon realizing how close he was to the other man, took a step towards the left away from him. 

The horse next to Oron moved, nuzzling into Jimmy’s arm, catching his attention. He could only stare, Jimmy definitely recognized the horse, but it was taking him a moment to know exactly from where. After a second of contemplating, it finally hit him. “Hey! Isn’t this your horse?” He asked, looking back at the other blond.

“Yep.” Tango nodded.

“Well that’s funny. Two of us, two of them. Oron and…. what’s the name of your horse again?” Jimmy asked as he scratched behind her ears. 

“That’s Toma.”

“Toma. That’s a cute name, you seem like someone who would name something cute like that.”

Tango chuckled. “Do I? Well what’s the name of your horse?” He leaned closer to Jimmy as he asked.

“His name is Oron.” Jimmy said proudly. “Like the constellation.” 

“Like the constellation?”

“Yeah! I read about it in one of Lizzie’s books. See.” Jimmy grabbed Tango’s arm and tugged him farther into the road so that he could point it out in the sky. “That one. The one with the belt.”

“Oh that one…Orion.” Tango said hesitantly.

Jimmy paused. “...what? What did you call it?”

“Orion.”

“O-oh” Jimmy stood there, stunned. “Is that how it’s pronounced?” He dropped Tango’s hand. “I guess I’ve never heard it said out loud before.”

“I like your name better!” The blond interjected quickly. “Oron I mean. It fits him better. Both the horse and the constellation.” Jimmy could see straight through the man’s attempt to make him feel better.

“..thanks.” 

Tango grabbed his arm. “Do you still want to go talk?” He sounded a little desperate and Jimmy did still want to talk to him.

“Yeah.” He plastered on a fake smile. “It’s your last night here after all. Can’t let it go to waste. C’mon!” Jimmy hopped back on his horse, his heart still hurting over the information he had just learned, and led the two of them back to the farm.

The back of the barn was near the edge of the property, next to a fence where they could tie up their horses. The journey to the barn’s door wasn’t long, just like it hadn’t been long the first day that they met, how long ago that felt despite only being a day prior. 

There wasn’t much stirring from the cattle as Jimmy brought Tango towards the ladder up to the storage platform. 

After they climbed up, Tango grabbed onto Jimmy’s arm. “Aren’t we a little high up?” He asked.

Jimmy cocked his head. “Are you bad with heights?” Tango’s hesitance gave him his answer, he chuckled. “Don’t worry it isn’t too noticeable once we're up there.”

“...Up where?” Jimmy just smiled. He detached himself from Tango and moved over to where a couple hay bales set up a makeshift staircase. Once he reached the top, Jimmy pushed open the weak spot in the roof, exposing the night sky.

“Up here. C’mon.” Jimmy held his hand out to the blond, helping the man climb. Then he helped pull Tango through to the roof. 

The pitched roof of the barn was sturdy, or at least sturdy enough for people to sit on it, something Jimmy had found himself doing for years. 

“Woah.” Tango’s eyes were wide as he stood, staring out beyond the ranch. “You can see so far up here.” 

“Isn’t it amazing?” Jimmy affirmed as he sat down in his spot. “I like to come up here to think at night. When it’s just the desert, the stars, and me…it makes me feel like there’s actually something farther than what I see in town.”

“Do you like the stars then?” Tango moved to sit next to Jimmy. It was the first time anyone had ever been up here with him. Their arms brushed together, making him all too aware of how close Tango chose to sit to him. “Especially since you named your horse after them.”

Jimmy felt a little pull in his stomach at the mention of his horse’s name, but he pushed on. “Yeah, I would say I do. When Lizzie taught me how to read, one of the books she used was  about constellations and the stories around them. She gave me that book for my fourteenth birthday.” He smiled remembering how excited and shocked he had been to receive it, worried that Lizzie would regret giving up one of her precious books. She had smiled then, saying that he read it more than she did. It was probably his most prized possession. 

“Lizzie taught you how to read? Did you not go to school?” Tango looked at him, head cocked.

“Well not really, I had work on the ranch I needed to be doing. I went a few times but never enough to really pick anything up. Learned most of what I know from Lizzie and Joel.” Jimmy watched Tango as the man stared out at the desert, his expression contemplative. “What about you? Did you go to school?”

“I did, pretty much for my whole life too. I don’t think I’ve really considered that some people never went. So much of my life was just school.”

“Really?” Jimmy had known that there were definitely people who went to school more regularly than he had, and that there were definitely better schools than the one in town–educated people wrote books afterall–he had just never thought it was that average of an experience. 

“Yeah and it sucks, I highly wouldn’t recommend it. Except for the fact that I met some of my closest friends there.” 

“Like Etho?”

“Mrm well, no actually. I met Etho after college. But our other friends, the ones who are coming to California with us, I met them in school.”

“Wow.” Jimmy didn’t exactly know what college was, but he assumed it was some type of school. “So what are those friends like?”

“Who, Imp and Skizz?” Jimmy just stared at Tango questioningly. “Oh right you wouldn’t know. The two who are meeting us are Impulse and Skizz. I think you would like them.”

“And why’s that?”

“Well, they’re both very nice, but Impulse is reliable, and Skizz is, well, Skizz, and when we're all together we like to meddle. We used to get into all sorts of trouble back when we were in school.” 

“I didn’t think you’d be much of a troublemaker.” Jimmy mused.

“Depends on the situation, but I’m not afraid to be rowdy.” Tango flashed him a sly smile that made Jimmy’s heart pound a little. 

“Good to know.” He shifted a little away, which made Tango laugh.

“Nowadays it’s Etho that’s really dragging us into things. He thinks he’s so slick sometimes, but things generally catch back up with him.”

“What do you mean by that?” 

“Well…” Tango glanced around to check for listeners, as if they weren’t on the roof of a barn. “And don’t tell him I told you this, but the reason he and I are going by horse is because his wife came to Missouri after him and he was worried that if we took the train she’d find him.”

Jimmy could only stare at him in disbelief. “Etho’s married? And he’s abandoning his wife?” 

Tango hesitated, “Hmm, I guess when I put it that way it sounds very bad. Cleo’s technically his ex-wife. And I think she actually just wants to kill him, which is understandable. He’s meant to be sending her money, but no one will hire him because he’s too shifty. So he thinks he’s got a better shot out in California.” Jimmy was still in shock, and his expression showed that too based on Tango’s laugh after looking at him. “Trust me, if he was mistreating his wife in any way that we knew about, Etho wouldn’t be able to walk.”

“That’s good to hear at least.” Jimmy raised his arms, stretching out. “Gah, your life just sounds so interesting. You guys do so many things and you’re traveling coasts, or you go to schools or you get to see trains. It's just something I could never even imagine.” He leaned towards Tango, eyes wide with wonder. “What’s it all like?”

Tango leaned back slightly, his eyes still meeting Jimmy’s. “Well to me it’s just normal. But I guess compared to here, it’s loud. In the city there’s always something making noise, whether that's people or the trains. Everything there is a lot closer together and there’s not too many places like this.” Jimmy’s eyes followed his hand as Tango gestured to the rooftop. “I think I like a lot about here a lot more.” Jimmy looked back at him to see that the man was staring very deeply at him. “I like you a lot more than anything back in Missouri.” 

Jimmy felt his face flush from the words, his heart pounding against his chest, as he stared into Tango’s eyes which were full of sincerity. He could barely bring himself to speak. “Y-You do?”

“I do.” Tango reached out and gently cupped his hand around Jimmy’s face. “I like you a lot Jimmy.” The blond felt all too aware of everything at this moment. He liked the warmth that came from Tango’s hand on his face and from the two of them sitting so close together. He liked that he could see all the details on Tango’s face. Jimmy had never been close enough to see the deep brown in his eyes, or notice the slight color difference on the skin around his eyes that came from wearing his goggles, or the slight freckling on his cheeks. He especially had never really taken notice of Tango’s lips before but now they were at the forefront of his mind. 

His lips looked chapped, with some indents from where Tango had run his teeth over them in thought – something Jimmy had noticed he’d done in the last couple of days. He couldn’t help but wonder if they would taste like the beer they had at Martyn’s or if the lips would have a different flavor. Jimmy wondered what they would feel like against his own lips. Which was crazy, because he never thought about kissing. 

Jimmy obviously knew what kissing was, because his parents kissed. But it was a thing between couples, and Jimmy had never really thought about marriage. And he had certainly never thought about someone’s lips before. But he had also never had someone’s hand on his face like this before either, nor had he ever brought anyone up to the roof. 

“Can I kiss you?” Jimmy asked.

This time it was Tango’s turn to be caught a little off guard. “You want to kiss me?”

He nodded. “Can I?”

“Yes-” Before he could finish, they both rushed forward, their lips crashing together. 

Tango’s lips were softer than Jimmy expected. There were still areas where the skin peeled up a little, but they were generally smoothed over from the alcohol from earlier. 

As they kissed, Jimmy let his teeth run against the indent on Tango’s lips. The action made Tango gasp, opening his mouth and pushing the kiss in further.

Tango did taste like the beer from earlier.

Jimmy liked kissing. Or at least he liked kissing Tango. It was more intense than the kisses his parents usually shared, and frankly the only time he had even seen someone kiss as intensely as this felt was back when his brother first got married and Jimmy caught him and his wife pressed against the wall of the stables. And now he was starting to understand why they liked doing this often.

He didn’t know how long they had kissed for, but when they finally broke apart Jimmy’s lips stung, tingling with the sensation from repeated contact. Separating from Tango felt painful, all he wanted to do was kiss him again, but a glance out towards the dark town in the distance, told him it was late enough that others would be concerned. 

He put his hand against Tango’s chest slightly. “You should head back to town. You two are leaving at dawn. At least try to get some sleep in.” Jimmy could feel the man go stiff under his hand at the mention of him leaving, which was understandable, Jimmy was also having a hard time thinking about how he would never see Tango again. 

The shorter man nodded solemnly. “You’re right, I should head back into town.” Both of them hesitated to get up, but in the end they made their way back through the hole in the roof, and down the hay bales and the ladder. Out of the barn where they had first bonded, and back to the chill air that blew around the fence where their horses sat. Where they would say goodbye. 

Tango put his hand on the fence, getting ready to hop over it, when he turned around, grabbing Jimmy’s hand and staring at him with eyes wide with the same sincerity from earlier. “You should come with us.”

“What?”

“Come with us. To California.”

“I don’t-“

“You could come. It could be you, me, and Etho in the desert. You could meet Impulse and Skizz, and see more of the world. We could set up a life out in California together.” Tango rested this hand on top of Jimmy’s, giving it a light squeeze.

Leaving Tumble Town had been something Jimmy had always dreamed about, and to have to say goodbye to Tango really confirmed that for him. He didn't think twice.

“Yeah okay. I’ll come with you.” Jimmy smiled as he nodded, causing Tango’s smile to spread  across his face. 

“Really?!” He excitedly asked, pulling Jimmy into another kiss. This one was shorter than they had done before, but Jimmy liked it just as much. “We’re leaving at dawn, so meet us at Martyn’s a little before then. Then we’ll head off together.”

Jimmy nodded, moving to pull away but Tango’s hands kept him where he was. “Wait.” He pulled around under his collar and pulled out a silver necklace from under his shirt. He rotated the clasp to the front, unclasping it, and held it out towards Jimmy. “I want you to have this.” The blond took it from him, immediately inspecting the charm. It was an ornately carved silver oval that at the very bottom had the word Tek inscribed into it. Jimmy could only give Tango a questioning stare. “It’s my family crest.” He explained.

“Why are you giving it to me then?”

Tango thought for a moment before answering. “Maybe as a token…of the start of something new. I’m not sure, it just felt right.” Tango took the necklace in his hands and pulled it around Jimmy’s neck, attaching it together. He left his hand over the charm on Jimmy’s chest, reaching up and kissing him one more time. “Alright, I should go but I’ll see you in the morning, right?”

“Right. I’ll see you then. Goodbye.” Jimmy waved as Tango got back on his horse and rode out towards town. 

As soon as the man was out of view, Jimmy squeezed the necklace around his neck as he breathily laughed, overcome by the excitement of what had all happened. He was going to leave, and he was going to leave with Tango. And they were going to start a life together out somewhere neither of them knew. Somewhere new for the two of them. 

After a moment, when Jimmy’s excitement had calmed down, he untied Oron, leading him quietly back to the stables. The horse would need some rest before the trip and Jimmy needed to pack.

The house was dark when Jimmy entered, the snoring of his father echoed across the halls, he would be asleep for the next few hours before the start of the next work day and hopefully Jimmy would be gone before then. 

His room was on the second floor, at one point Jimmy shared it with his brothers, but once they got married they moved to smaller houses on the property. Jimmy missed when they all were together, it was never quite in the house like it had been lately. Would his and Tango’s place be quiet? Jimmy hoped it wouldn't be. 

Jimmy grabbed his pack from his wardrobe, along with various clothes he thought could be useful. What did people even bring for a move like this? Surely clothes, and probably some food he could bring from the kitchen. How much stuff would Tango and Etho already have? Jimmy started shoving clothes into his bag as he continued to think about what he might need.

His book! The thought came to him suddenly, making Jimmy immediately abandon the bag to grab his book. It sat on a little shelf next to the other books he had borrowed from Lizzie. Jimmy stopped as he looked at Lizzie’s books, would his parents return those to her when he left? He wouldn’t have time to bring them to her, she generally wasn’t up in the mornings. That meant he wouldn’t get to say goodbye either. But she would understand…surely. She also wanted to see beyond town. Lizzie would be glad he got to go. Jealous even. His parents would definitely return the books.

He grabbed his book, moving back to the bag, shoving it in as best as he could. How people packed bags properly he would never know. Generally when Jimmy went on trips he never had to bring much, leaving it up to either his father or Joel to take care of it. Not that Joel was great at that either, Jimmy thought, chuckling at the memory of Joel ripping the strap of Jimmy’s bag trying to get it off the horse. The two of them had panicked about it but Lizzie was there to fix it. She only had brighter colors, meaning that the stitching ended up being a red thread on his tan bag. It was one of the first times Jimmy had seen Joel be truly apologetic. 

Jimmy looked down at where he had been softly running his thumb over the red stitching. He wouldn’t get to say goodbye to Joel either. Or his parents, or brothers, or Martyn, Ren, Kathrine, or anyone he had ever known. Jimmy stared at the clothes poking out of his bag, every piece with odd stitching from where either Lizzie or his mother had patched it up after Jimmy ended up tearing it. 

Moments and memories ingrained in every part of his room sat around him, the evidence of a life. His life. His life that he was just going to abandon for what? The world beyond the desert? But Jimmy’s world was here, in Tumble Town. 

It would be Tango’s world he was joining, but Jimmy wasn’t sure he belonged in Tango’s world. Tango was smart, he went to school, he had friends in this new place already, and work lined up to do. And Jimmy? Jimmy was wrong about the one thing he had ever been dedicated to. Jimmy wasn’t smart, he wasn’t as articulate as Tango and he didn’t think he’d ever be. 

As Jimmy continued to think he felt his breathing speed up, the room around him felt so small, and the necklace around his neck felt tight. The necklace. His hands jumped to the clasp, the chain feeling tighter and tighter as Jimmy fumbled to get it off, the weight of the charm felt heavy against his chest. As soon as it was off his neck he dropped it to the ground, Jimmy falling with it. 

He sat against his bed, his breathing still shallow just not as quick. The necklace stared at him and Jimmy could bring himself to look away.

Jimmy couldn’t leave. He would never be able to leave, not when he had already had a life here. Whatever was beyond the horizon wasn’t something he would see.

It wasn’t long before Jimmy watched color begin to spread across the sky. It wasn’t long before the sun began to rise. Not long before Jimmy knew that they were no longer there. That Tango had left and that Jimmy didn’t go with. 

His vision of the window began to blur as Jimmy felt the tears swell in his eyes. He had wanted to go, but want wasn’t something Jimmy had ever given in to. 

The sky was brighter when someone knocked on his door. Jimmy did his best to shove down the hope filled his heart. “Yes?” He croaked out.

“Are you okay in there Jimmy?” His mother asked through the door. He ignored the disappointment that came from it being his mother’s voice. 

“I’m sick. I can’t work today.”

“Okay sweetie.” Jimmy could picture his mother’s soft smile as he listened to her walk away. Something he would’ve left behind.

He could vaguely make out the conversation his parents were having downstairs, but he couldn’t be bothered to give it any real thought. 

With a deep inhale, Jimmy finally brought himself to move, picking up the necklace from off the floor. He stood up, slowly dragging himself to a drawer, which Jimmy shoved the necklace into. Where it could be out of sight, so that he could hopefully forget. Forget the time he thought he was special enough to leave.

To forget the person who thought he was special enough to bring with.