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It was around midday, the hot Lemoyne sun beating down the camp without remorse. Kieran was tending to the horses as usual, brushing Branwen's thick coat, running his hands over the spot almost immediately after, the animal giving a sigh in response. He had no doubt the horses were as bothered by the heat as him and the rest of the gang were, the thought making him smile sympathetically at his horse as he continued to pat the horse's neck. He could hear a few of the other gang members doing their own chores at camp, letting him assume those who weren't around were probably in town or running errands for Dutch. It was all relatively peaceful, a gentle wind soothing the burn of the sun -- speaking of, he could almost feel his skin turning a sore shade of red, the sweat on his brow only making it worse -- but he didn't mind. As long as he was at camp, with the horses, left alone, he'd be fine.
But his peace was quickly disturbed by the sound of heavy footsteps, tensing up when someone called out.
"O'Driscoll!" It was Bill. Kieran stalled for a moment, not even wanting to turn around. Bill had always been...intimidating, to say the least. It was clear he didn't like Kieran, you could even say he hated him, hence why Kieran tried to stay out his way at all costs. But it seemed like they always ended up in the same place.
"O'Driscoll boy, I'm talking to you!" He was right behind him now, causing Kieran to jump at the sound of his voice, slowly turning around to face him.
"I...I ain't no O'Driscoll, sir" He stammered, his voice coming out hoarse at first. Had he really been out for that long that he was drying up? He wouldn't doubt it, as Bill's nose and cheeks were already turning a light shade of pink because of the sun -- or so he thought.
"I'm goin' huntin'." He stated proudly, ignoring what the other man said and instead tipping his hat back and adjusting the collar of his partially unbuttoned flannel. He could see the sweat beading on his face already, the man's brow furrowing as his eyes bore into Keiran, making the other man shiver from his intense gaze.
"That's nice..." He replied, nodding his head in agreement with himself. They stood there, neither of them moving, the only sound between them Bill's heavy breath and the high pitch ringing of silence in Kieran's ears.
"Well I- umm, I wondered if you'd- err, want to come along?" The words seemed to tumble out, like he'd only half-finished the thought. Bill's shoulders were squared and his hands kept opening and closing by his sides, his jaw clenched as he anticipated the other's answer. Bill's invitation was followed by another short period of quiet. Kieran was more shocked than anything, the words catching in his throat. Why would this angry drunk invite him of all people out hunting? Was he going to kill him out in the forest? Was he going to geld him for good? He was more surprised he was asking at all instead of just dragging him along.
"Won't any of the other fellers come out with you?" He asked back, a little less gentle than he would have wished, watching the latter man's expression falter for a moment. He really hoped he hadn't upset him now.
"I...umm..." Bill shifted on the spot, wiping his hands on his pants. "Just- Are ya comin' or not?" He snapped, stepping a bit closer only to make Kieran stumble back a bit.
Kieran paused once more, contemplating. It wouldn't hurt to go out for a bit, maybe he could take Branwen so he could stretch his legs a bit. Maybe it would be a better journey than he thought, like that fishing trip with Arthur. "A-Alright, I'll go with ya." He said, already putting his horse brush away. He saw Bill smile a little out of the corner of his eye, which confused him a little -- scared him even. He was beginning to saddle up his horse, but Bill interrupted him again.
"We ain't takin' your horse," He declared, plodding over to his own, "Ion't trust you enough to not run back to them O'Driscolls." Even though he muttered the last bit, Keiran still heard it, and it frankly hurt a little.
"But shouldn't he stretch his legs a little?" He argued, looking back over his shoulder. Bill paused at that.
"I'll...I'll see if he can walk around camp or somethin'." He mumbled back, his voice not exactly softening by any means, only getting quieter. Kieran slumped a little more, making his way towards Brown Jack instead, sitting himself behind Bill, hesitantly resting his hands on the other man's waist as the horse began to move.
The horse began trotting along, following the faint path that its rider guided it down. The forest surrounded them quickly, small glimpses of Flat Iron lake visible through the dense crowd greenery. Kieran couldn't help but try to hide himself when they passed other riders, his face reddening for more reason's than the heat of the afternoon. It was a little embarrasing to be on the same horse as another man like he was some little lady. He never saw Bill react much though; at least from what he could see. The tall trees gave Kieran some shade at least, relieving him from the sun he had been stuck in since the moment he woke up. It made him relax somewhat, slumping a little more as he let out a small sigh, making the man in front of him shudder. He didn't say anything about it though. They had already rode for a while, still in more insufferable silence. While Kieran didn't exactly mind it, it seemed to keep Bill tense.
"S-so d'ya like huntin'?" He asked, making Bill jolt slightly.
The other man opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, struggling to find the words for such a simple question. "I guess..." He began, "more of a chore than somethin' I wanna do, I'm real good at it either way." Keiran nodded, shifting his grip on Bill's hips uncomfortably. Bill shifted his weight on the horse, clearing his throat. "What d'you think a' huntin'...?" He grumbled lowly, the question barely reaching the other man's ears.
"I prefer fishin', sir." he responded, "Not exactly the huntin' type." the admission seemed to make the other man perk up a bit, his posture straightening.
"Well, if you ain't good at huntin', yer gonna have to learn from someone." Bill stated, his horse slowing to a stop before he made his way down, swinging his leg over the other side of the saddle and making a dull thud as his boots met the floor. "Or you could jus' sit there lookin' pretty..." The mutter escaped him quickly, but it lacked the usual malice his tormenting usually held. It sounded more like a wish rather than a dig at him. Either way, Bill took his rifle from his back, adjusting his grip on the gun as he began to trudge forward, leaving kieran to hurriedly scramble off of Brown jack as well, hesitantly taking the bow on the back of the stallion and weakly jogging after the other man.
"Y'know, yer lucky I'm a good hunter, I'm real good with guns and stuff." He boasted, clumsily loading his rifle as he continued to march forwards, probably scaring away any potential game they couldv'e come across. Kieran could only anticipate being blamed if they came back with no meat after their trip, either that or Bill's tactless idiocy; which he was showing off proudly right now, bragging about his hunting skills loud enough for the whole forest to hear. He started fidgeting with the bow in his hands, plucking at the string and scraping his fingernails against the wood as he nervously followed, his own gaze fixed on the floor. He knew it was pretty stupid of himself to let Bill keep talking, but the other man was nice enough to let him take a breather from camp for a while, the least he could do is let him talk, even though he wasn't exactly listening. But it was only when he came to the realisation, the other man put an arm out in front of him, letting him walk into it.
"Stand still, O'driscoll!" He shouted at him, slowly but steadily crouching behind a rotting tree stump, rifle gripped hard in his hands. Kieran stood behind him for a moment before shuffling beside him and copying him swiftly, kneeling down on the muddy underbrush, clutching the bow to himself as if he'd grown attached to it. He hadn't even registered that Bill was already readying himself into a firing position. Bill clenched his teeth, trying to steady his tense breathing, "Now we wait." he murmured, "Watch closely, boy..."
Kieran sat idly with him, an unsure look on his face. He'd overheard others talk about their hunting techniques, even gone one or two times himself before, and from what he knew nothing about Bill's method seemed very well thought out "Sir, I reckon we should maybe go somewhere with game, i-instead a' just waitin'..." He only got a glare in response, as if Bill was going to shoot him next. "A-and Mr. Morgan said you outta use a bow for 'em animals." he mumbled, shrinking back when the latter man's face scrunched up into a scowl.
"Don't you listen to Arthur, he don't know what he's talkin' about." He muttered, shrugging off the other man's hand. "But I know what I'm doin'. Just remember I'm the one teachin' you how to hunt, not Morgan..." He hissed, already facing the direction his gun was once again. "Y'know, That feller's always talkin' to me like I'm some moron when he's the one usin' that stupid bow. Ain't no better than Charles..." Bill muttered to himself, fidgeting with his collar again as he squinted at the clearing ahead.
That made Kieran pause for a moment. He would rather speak up and bring something back to camp than say nothing and let the deer be scared off. "Well I'm sure n-not all the folks at camp think that." He whispered, his body going rigid when he gets stared at once again. "I-I mean, I certainly don't think yer a moron, s-sir..." he stammered defensively, giving the man a shy smile as if it would persuade him completely.
Unexpectedly, Bill pulled his hat lower over his face, the skin underneath the harsh shadow turning a bright red. "Shut up! and...and stop callin' me 'Sir', O'Driscoll." he grumbled,letting the words linger in the air as silence began to close in on them for the hundredth time today. Kieran complied, staring at the same clearing as Bill in the tense, dead air. A wave of regret washed over him, and he couldn't help feeling a little strange after what he said. Maybe he was being a little too friendly. They were hunting, not just sitting around! But while Kieran was still spacing out, he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck start to stand up, Bill's sharp gaze on him once again. He couldn't help but let his own gaze flick to the other man.
The other man's posture was more relaxed, still crouched with his elbows leaning against the tree stump, his rifle clasped firm in his strong hands. His shirt was unbuttoned a little lower than usual, drawing the other man's attention for only a split-second before he looked up at the man's face. His head was turned a little towards Kieran, his gaze flicking over the man like he was trying to be sneaky. However, it was the most calm he'd ever seen the man around him, not yelling or glowering at him. But the moment was cut short once their gaze met, the latter man snapping his head away.
"Were you starin' at me, Sir?" He asked in a shaky tone, surprisingly catching Bill off guard.
"No!" he hissed defensively "And just call me Bill for cryin' out loud" he muttered, taking a flask from his belt and unscrewing the cap, swiftly bringing it to his lips and beginning to drink. Kieran couldn't help but watch, his eyes fixed on how the other man's Adam's apple moved with each sip, his hat tipping forwards when he took the flask from his lips. Before Kieran knew it, Bill was already hunched back over, refusing to even look at Kieran as his ears burned bright again. "I weren't starin' also...I ain't like that" the implications of what he meant hung heavy in the air, sending a shiver down Kieran's spine.
They sat in wordless quiet for a few moments, Kieran uncertainly turning his head towards the other man. "Y'know, when I was with my old gang," He hesitated, swallowing thickly when Bill side eyed him "I...I sometimes looked a little too long at fellers." He admitted shyly, earning a confused look from Bill. "Not- not them O'Driscoll folks, they was mean..." He clarified, Bill's expression softening at that, adjusting his postion to face Kieran, not as hunched in on himself anymore.
"So ya've been with other men before?" He asked hopefully.
"N-no, not exactly, sir-"
"It's Bill." He corrected lowly. Kieran had never had any of the gang want him to call them by their names, of all people Bill. He couldn't help but jump when he placed one of his hands on his shoulder, a steady tremor running through him at the unexpected gentleness of his touch. "Do ya...d'ya wanna be with a man" Bill murmured, seeming uncertain for the first time when talking to Kieran.
"I don't think I'd mind." Kieran whispered in response, frozen in place as Bill continued to lean closer to him. His breath ghosted over Kieran's face, reeking of whiskey when he was only a few centimetres away from the other man. Kieran licked his lips nervously, parting his lips ever so slightly, which Bill took as an invitation to press his lips against the other man's. Kieran paused, his breath catching in his throat when his nose was pressed against Bill's. Kieran slowly weaved his hand through Bill's beard while the other's hand rested on Kieran's chin. Bill tilted his head to the side, pushing forwards to deepen the kiss as his eyes fluttered closed. Kieran let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding, his eyes gently closing aswell as the force of the kiss grew bruising.
The two slowly pulled away after a moment, although reluctantly so. Kieran’s breathing was heavy, his hands trembling ever so slightly. Bill squeezed the other man's shoulder lightly, pulling him out of the daze he'd quickly descended into.
"That was nice, weren't it?" Bill cooed breathlessly, slowly sliding up to the back of the other man's neck, his grip firm but careful. Kieran hadn't yet opened his eyes, slowly blinking them open and taking a deep, shaky breath. When his eyes met Bill's for a brief moment, his chest felt warm and tight and he could feel butterflies fluttering in his stomach, a coy simper pulling at his lips. He could only hope the other man was feeling the same thing, seeing his equally red face and tender touches.
"Yeah...yeah, I liked it" He breathed, his thumb brushing against the other man's cheek. But when a faint rustling came from the clearing ahead, the two quickly pulled away from eachother to face the noise and quickly getting back into hunting position.
Bill readied his rifle, crouching forwards once again, his grip on the gun tightening when Kieran boldly placed an unsure hand on his knee, still leaning a little closer than 'just two guys hunting' would. He could hardly refocus when a herd of deer had stumbled into the clearing, still flushed from the kiss he shared with Kieran.