Night Fears Pt. 2

        By Justine (Chensuu@aol.com)

        Shanghai Noon/Knights Fandom

        Roy/Chon

        Rating: NC-17

        Summary: When a nightmare from Roy’s past comes back to haunt him he needs Chon by his side. This is the second in a two-part story dealing with Roy’s past. It would be better to read the first installment, Night Fears, before proceeding. This story contains elements of non-consensual sex.

         

        Go back to part 1...

        Night Fears Part 2

         

        The town of Red Gulch loomed in the distance, a barren brown dot on the landscape of the unforgiving West. Chon imagined the spectacle of Imperial China with its gold and marble buildings and fine elegant designs with a heavy heart. It had taken him a long time to get used to the idea that in all probability he would never again set foot in the land of his birth. His life was here, in Nevada, as sheriff in a violent new world that Chon realized with a small amount of surprise he would find great difficulty in leaving. China was his past…Roy and the West his future.

        "Chon?"

        The familiar nasal twang immediately erased his melancholy regret.

        Chon turned his head to the left as Roy rode up alongside him. The sun was bright in the noonday sky highlighting Roy’s blonde hair aflame. He smiled at his friend’s pained expression. "Are you all right Pawdner?"

        "Am I all right? Hmmm…let me see. That’s a good one Chon." Roy winced and pulled his horse to a stop. "We’ve been riding for eight hours."

        "It has not been that long."

        "Well it seems like that long." Roy tossed one long leg over the other and bounced off his horse. The tired ache in his body that seemed pleasantly satisfying earlier in the morning now throbbed hard enough to make him miserable. He watched Chon’s curious expression and sighed. "Remember last night…the two of us? I’m surprised I survived." The memories flooded back in a rush so strong it made his legs weak. He blushed as red as a reformed hustler and turned away.

        Chon smiled. Of course he remembered last night…how in the world could he ever forget it? "We can stop when we get to the city." He remembered waking up before sunrise with Roy snuggled tightly in his arms his skin glowing ivory in the moonlight. He brushed the hair out of his friend’s eyes and kissed him softly on the forehead. Roy stirred but didn’t waken and Chon pulled him closer overcome by a tenderness he hadn’t felt in forever. "Is that okay?"

        Roy bent over and stretched, exercising in a minimalist fashion. A quick wash in the stream upon waking just wasn’t enough. "I can’t wait for a hot bath." It wouldn’t do any good to tell Chon why, to press the issue and let him discern how sticky and weird Roy felt after the evening’s sexual proclivities. Hell, It might even hurt his friend’s feelings and the thought of making Chon feel guilty after the best sex of Roy’s life really wasn’t what he had in mind. He stretched again and cringed as a streak of pain edged his spine. Damn…it really had been a fucking long time. "Just five minutes okay?"

        Chon nodded and surveyed the landscape. In spite of himself he’d been nervous for most of the morning, paranoid with dread envisioning Harmon jumping out of a gully with his new gang guns all a blazing. He watched Roy stretch and felt a calm peace wash over him. Roy was his responsibility now and he would do anything to keep his new lover safe. If Harmon came within an inch of him, Chon would kill him as quickly as possible. If the man were anything like Roy described he would probably be doing the state of Nevada a great big favor.

        Roy stretched some more and took a sip of the last of his water. He glided back upon his horse and pulled up the reigns. "Red Gulch here we come." He noticed Chon’s focal point and sighed. "He’s not here Chon…I think he went the other way." Chon’s diligence was amazing. He never seemed to tire of doing everything all at once but sometimes Roy wished he could cut himself a break, learn to relax and enjoy life a little.

        "You are probably right." Chon wasn’t completely convinced but he didn’t think Roy noticed. ‘Let’s go."

        Although Red Gulch with its lure of a proper bed and breakfast was enticing and Chon really didn’t have a good reason not to go into the town the bad feeling growing in his gut was difficult to ignore. He chalked his fear up to hunger and paranoia and set his horse in motion.

         

        *****************************************

         

        "Now this is what I call nirvana." Roy stared at the bar dreamily. Whiskey, definitely whiskey and then a long, hot soak in the tub…he couldn’t wait.

        "It is all right." Chon tried hard not to smile. Roy never met a saloon he didn’t like. He followed his friend to the bar and stood next to him while Roy ordered a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. Chon sniffed…it wasn’t his personal favorite but you certainly didn’t admit that anywhere in the West.

        "Chon." Roy raised his glass in a silent salute and was rewarded with a grateful smile. He and Chon had to take time tonight to pause and evaluate their relationship…hopefully on a large comfy bed. Roy was a bit surprised that they didn’t have the "talk" already but Chon had seemed a bit edgy this morning so he decided to let it slide for a bit. After all they had all the time in the world.

        "Roy." Chon looked longingly at his friend. One night with Roy wasn’t enough -- he wanted to bed him again already. He wondered if the sleeping arrangements for the night would include separate rooms and if so whose room they would end up sleeping in. Chon had no intention of letting his lover nap alone tonight…no matter what kind of appearances Roy said they had to "keep up."

        Roy swallowed a shot of whiskey in one gulp and sighed for emphasis. He knew Chon was watching his every move, knew his lover wanted him now, immediately, whenever the fuck they got to their rooms. He smiled happily. It felt so damn good and comfortable to be wanted by the China man that sometimes he allowed himself to ignore any obvious problems with their romantic situation. He stared his partner down and sensually licked across his full bottom lip. "Yes Chon."

        Chon threw up his hands. "You make me crazy."

        "I aim to please." Roy smiled, finished off another shot and yawned.

        Chon’s eyes surveyed the bar. He remembered another bar at another time and place while he stumbled erroneously toward Carson City. The memory of Roy housing some wacky contraption up his sleeve holding a pair of run down chopsticks while happily admitting to giving Chon "wrong directions" was an image he’d never forget. It seemed more than a lifetime ago. He turned back to his partner and his face softened. Chon knew without a doubt he would never find another lover like Roy…he was a true original…and whenever he remembered abandoning that familiar blonde head to the hot desert sands it made Chon sick. But he’d been so grief stricken about his uncle and worried about the princess that he’d blamed Roy for all his problems. For the second time today his friend’s voice shook him out of his reverie.

        "Hey, earth to Chon. Are you with me buddy?" Roy was watching him concerned, his arm outstretched, elegant fingers snapping, waiting. "Chon?"

        "I am okay." Chon tapped Roy’s hand brushing his fingers across sun burnt knuckles. "Just tired."

        Roy smiled. "Not too tired I hope."

        Chon shook his head. Roy’s tone held promise. He picked up his whiskey and swallowed in one gulp wincing at the burn. "Let’s get our rooms."

        "Finally you’re making sense."

         

        ***************************************************************

         

         

         

        The rooms weren’t bad by Western standards with dark mauve curtains, a dresser and a nice comfy bed with a thick velvet comforter.

        Roy dipped his hands into a nearby water basin, splashed cool water on his face and surveyed his reflection in the mirror. "Perfect."

        He flopped onto the mattress with gusto and waited for Chon. Roy wondered if they’d have sex now, before dinner, and thinking of the planned intimacy made his body stir in response. He sat up and took off his jacket and started to pull off his boots when Chon fumbled into the room with his head down.

        "You can look at me Chon…I’m decent."

        Chon looked up as Roy continued.

        "Besides, you’ve seen it all before." Roy finished removing his boots and pulled Chon onto the bed. "Come to bed cowboy."

        They kissed softly, without hurry, savoring each touch, delighting in the nearness and warmth of each other.

        Chon reached under Roy’s shirt and squeezed his tit until Roy moaned into his mouth and thrust his chest against Chon’s hand, begging for more of the same but faster, harder, more and again. They were just getting started but already Roy could feel the burn in his gut, the unforgiving ache that made him want to be taken by Chon over and over until his body demanded release and his mind rebelled at the delight in his soul. Roy wasn’t accustomed to being fucked senseless unless he was silently begging his abuser to stop causing him pain and the shock of memory hurt far more than he thought it should at this point. He shuddered, tried to get past it but couldn’t and pulled away from Chon with a barely audible murmur of apology. "Sorry."

        "Are you okay?"

        "Yeah, I’m fine, if you can call being screwed up fine." Roy picked up his boot and flung it into the door with a satisfying thump. "Sometimes I just want to scream."

        Chon lay his hand on Roy’s knee. "It is all right to scream Roy."

        "Grown men don’t do that Chon. Not in the west anyway."

        Chon couldn’t wait to beat the shit out of Roy’s nightmare. "It will be okay."

        "Yeah," Roy flopped back on the bed and Chon flopped alongside him. "He took something from me that I’ll never get back. Sometimes all I feel is fear." He laid his hand across his eyes and breathed deeply.

        Chon leaned in and kissed his chin. "Did that feel like fear?"

        "No, it didn’t." Roy agreed with a smile.

        Chon moved to his lover’s Adam’s apple and sucked roughly. "And that?"

        "No, that didn’t feel like fear either." Roy sat up on his elbows and observed his partner. Chon was breathing hard, on edge but holding steady, and Roy knew exactly how much he was loved by the tempered passion and concern in Chon’s gaze. "I want you." He opened his mouth, eager for a kiss and Chon did not disappoint. He felt himself covered, gentled to the bed, Chon’s mouth open and hungry. Roy pushed upward and groaned when Chon’s hand edged into his jeans and took hold of his cock. "Oh…god…"

        The heat between their bodies rose to a fevered pitch. Chon opened his pants and joined his cock with Roy’s, rubbing hard along both lengths, skimming the soft velvet skin in his palm. He watched Roy watching him. His lover’s deep blue eyes were hazy, warm and sparkling. Chon kissed harder and thrust against the slighter weight beneath him.

        Roy shuddered through the kiss and touched Chon’s shoulder. "We…ah…better get undressed first don’t cha think?

        Chon murmured his decent into Roy’s mouth and twisted his nipple until the blonde man groaned. Chon squeezed Roy’s cock harder, rubbing it furiously in the palm of his hand, joining their throbbing erections together as Roy gasped a litany of "Oh, Ah, God, fucks…" against his neck and bit him roughly to quell his rising passion. Chon pushed his body to Roy’s, trapping their cocks tight against Roy’s belly and thrust hard until his vision blurred.

        "Roy…" he murmured into soft damp hair and moved to his lover’s mouth to suck heartily on full inviting lips. Chon kissed deeply, fighting for dominance, shoving his tongue into warm heat and taking all that was offered. Below him Roy trembled and it felt good to pleasure his lover so completely. "So beautiful…"

        Roy suffered an immediate bout of claustrophobia. Chon’s grip on him tightened mercilessly until breathing was out of the question. Chon was everywhere, surrounding him, covering him, and milking his cock until he felt ready to explode. He reached out and held fast to his lover’s shoulders, the friction of contact branding fast on his skin, and dug his nails into Chon’s flesh until the China man growled.

        Fuck…fuck…fuck…god…please don’t let me panic…fuck…please…

        Chon noticed the change in Roy immediately. His lover’s body grew taught, his breathing labored. Roy’s eyes were closed and Chon touched his face gently to open them. "Roy?"

        Roy squeezed his eyes shut tighter and pushed his cock forward into Chon’s stilling palm. "No…please no," he begged in vain. Chon was stopping. Chon wasn’t fucking him anymore and it was all Roy’s fault. It didn’t make sense for him to freak. What the fuck was wrong with him? Why now, on semi-clean bordello sheets and not last night in the desert? It was confusing as hell. Roy whimpered and opened his eyes to glare at Chon. His body felt tingly, aroused and completely unsatisfied. He swallowed once for control.

        "I do not wish to hurt you." Chon’s voice held an edge of concern.

        "I’m not a rag doll Chon. You can’t fucking pull me apart."

        The words didn’t ring true. Roy, damp, sweaty, and tousled looked every inch the rag doll in Chon’s eyes. "You are upset."

        "I’m not upset!" Roy shouted and pulled away with a flourish. "If you don’t want to touch me that’s fine. I don’t need you to screw me." He hated the venom in his voice. It wasn’t Chon’s fault he was a fucked up mess.

        "I love you Roy."

        Roy brought his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. He rocked slowly, his eyes shut, his body closed to further contact. When he spoke it was barely a whisper. "Oh shit Chon."

        Chon moved closer to Roy, careful not to touch. "Look at me." Roy shook his head. "Come on, you trust me Pawdner, right?"

        Blue eyes peeked out defensively. "Yes, of course I do. It’s just that…" How could he possibly explain his feelings to Chon? He’d freaked out during sex with the man he loved. Normal people just didn’t do that. Roy took a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders. "I’m not in the mood Chon…it’s not you." It’s me! His mind screamed.

        "You were in the mood five minutes ago? What happened?" Chon’s ebony eyes showed confusion.

        "I don’t know." Roy stood up and buttoned his pants. He walked to the door and back, pacing rapidly, hands on hips. He touched the doorknob and pulled back as if burned. Throughout his tirade the China man sat quietly on the bed watching his every movement. Chon had the patience of a saint but he could also be a very stubborn bastard. And god knows Roy was enough to try anyone’s endurance. He shook his head and tried to think. If he left now it would be a very big mistake. With a shaky sigh Roy sank to the floor on his knees before Chon. "I’m sorry…" He leaned forward and sobbed silently into his lover’s lap.

        Chon felt his heart break. He kissed the blonde head softly. "Hush…everything will be okay. I promise you." Roy looked up at him with tears in his eyes, water pooling on soft hazy glass. Chon’s fingers traced along his cheekbone and the blue orbs closed.

        "I want to believe you Chon." Roy brushed his lips across Chon’s palm and lay once again on his lap. "I need to believe you." He once told Chon that he wasn’t Roy’s savior. The words haunted him now and Roy wondered how far away he’d been from the truth. "But you don’t know me like you think."

        "I do know you Roy. I know the type of man you are."

        Roy groaned. "How can you say that?" He took Chon’s callused hand in his and squeezed harder than he’d intended. "I’m a whore Chon. And whether I wanted to be one or not doesn’t really figure into the scheme of things."

        "You are not…"

        Roy whispered over Chon’s denial. "Just stop it, okay?"

        "I will not stop until you take back those words." When Roy remained silent Chon continued. "You are Roy O’Bannon. You are a good man. You are my friend and my lover." He touched Roy’s jaw in a silent plea and was gratified when after a few moments of silence Roy smiled.

        "You’re really something you know that?" Roy moved up to the bed and with a sigh he flopped backward pulling Chon with him.

        "And you are something too." Chon’s lips joined Roy’s for a long slow kiss. He turned inward and tugged Roy against his chest, deepening the contact, enjoying the wet slurping sounds of Roy’s hunger for his touch. He lay Roy on his back and kissed him hard and fast, holding his lover steady. With a flourish Chon tossed back the covers and awkwardly rolled Roy beneath them. He decided to keep his clothes on for a bit and cherish his partner…after all Roy was now almost completely dressed. A wavering sigh drew his attention. "What?"

        "What are we supposed to do now Chon?" Roy sat up on his elbows and surveyed his body buried under the covers on the bed.

        "We will relax."

        "Relax?" Roy’s laughter was sweet music.

        "You are tired."

        "I’m not that tired Chon." He started to unbutton his shirt pausing when Chon’s large hand covered his. Roy winced but recovered quickly. "I know what you’re thinking."

        "You do?" Chon gave him the courtesy of not sounding surprised. Roy looked pale and shaky and Chon didn’t want to bed his lover if he wasn’t absolutely sure. "Tell me what I’m thinking Roy."

        I guess I set myself up for that one Roy thought miserably. Leave it to Chon to put the ball in his court right from the get go. "You’re thinking I’m crazy." Before Chon could answer Roy jumped in again. "I may have acted crazy but I’m not crazy. "

        "You did not act crazy Roy." Chon lay down next to his friend and sighed. "You are wounded." He considered briefly. "But I will care for you until you are well."

        Roy cursed under his breath and rose from the bed. "Fuck you Chon." He grabbed his jacket and opened the door. "I don’t need a nurse."

        ***************************************************************************

        Well that was embarrassing Roy mused as he ordered a drink. What the hell good did it do him to slam the door in an angry flourish when his boots were still inside scattered across the bedroom floor? Real cowboys didn’t wear stocking feet into the saloon. Chon’s gaze followed when he returned to finish dressing, silent and stalwart as ever, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed. It made Roy uncomfortable and he’d turned to Chon exasperated, his eyes imploring his lover to try and understand.

        Roy hated the image of himself as a wounded animal. Weak and vulnerable, he nearly laughed out loud. If he were a horse or a raccoon someone would have shot him dead by now. Chon made him sound like a basket case and Roy cringed to think his friend really saw him in such a needy light. He was a man god dammit. Not some woman in need of protecting. Sure he was blonde, but so what? Being blonde didn’t mean being fragile. Outlaw, waiter, adventurer…he saved the Royal Family for god’s sake…Roy O’Bannon didn’t need someone to take care of him. He needed a partner who considered him an equal, not some offbeat Chinese defector who wanted to hold his hand. The Asian man’s overbearing concern was really starting to piss him off.

        Roy swallowed. That wasn’t really fair to Chon. After all it wasn’t Chon’s fault that his new lover turned psycho during foreplay. And Chon certainly wasn’t responsible for Harmon hurting Roy so bad some days he thought he’d rather die than suffer the bastard’s attentions one more night.

        He shuddered hard and downed some whiskey. "Jesus…" Roy’s hand shook and the glass rattled against the wooden table. Harmon’s disgusting touch and wet slobbering mouth stinking of tobacco haunted his dreams. One time the monster blew him…just to make Roy react…and he couldn’t erase the stench from his body for days. The filthy bastard…if Roy ever saw him again, just once, he’d do his best to destroy the evil fucker forever and make sure he never hurt anyone again.

        "Let me have another bottle." Roy gestured. Getting drunk sounded like a damn good idea.

        He watched the saloon happenings with vague interest. Poker was definitely out of the question. His mood sucked too badly for that. A scantily clad woman leaned into his space and winked knowingly while her polished fingers gave his groin a squeeze. He met her eyes with a tight smile. "Not today sweetheart." The woman frowned and moved away.

        "Suit yourself."

        "Jesus." Roy muttered under his breath. He followed the woman’s path with his eyes. Maybe she was just what he needed to start acting like a man again. He could bed the woman and feel better about himself. Maybe then he and Chon could get their relationship in order. "Yeah, right." He muttered. That would go over well. He didn’t think Chon would ever understand Roy’s unique brand of logic. The woman met his gaze with hopeful eyes but Roy just shook his head. "Sorry."

        "You got that right." The woman sauntered away with a final swing of her wide shapely hips.

        Roy poured the bottle with a shaky hand and closed his eyes. Maybe getting drunk wasn’t a good idea after all. His head was already starting to feel foggy and he was achy from head to toe. Hell, he hadn’t even had his bubble bath yet. Maybe the best thing for him to do now was to go back to his room and try and explain his feelings to Chon. Try and let the China man know how badly Roy was hurting.

        "Roy?"

        Roy nearly jumped out of his skin. "Jesus Chon. You don’t sneak up on a person in a saloon. What if I pulled out my guns and shot you?"

        "You would not do that." Chon hated the uncertainty in his voice, but Roy looked so lost and forlorn he wasn’t sure how to approach him. "I thought you might be here." He took a seat next to his friend and paused to consider his wording.

        "Oh yeah, right. You know me so well."

        Chon sighed. "Come back to the room." He reached out to stroke Roy’s hand but pulled back before making contact. He saw his lover watching him out of the corner of his eye. He wasn’t sure if Roy approved of public displays of affection between them and he didn’t want to cross any more lines, both real and imagined. Chon folded his hands and placed them discreetly on his lap. Sometimes abstinence was a struggle unto itself.

        "Chon…" Roy’s quiet voice held no warning. He was weary and confused. Life just kept tossing him one curve ball after another and right now he wasn’t sure he could deal with this new problem, even if he and Chon’s relationship depended on him figuring out a solution. "I can’t."

        "You must Roy." Chon leaned forward, gesturing rapidly. "This is no good. This…fighting."

        Roy’s responded quickly. "I didn’t think we were fighting."

        "You walk out of the room and slam door. That is fighting."

        "Not always Chon." Roy reasoned. "We’re arguing. It’s different."

        "How is it different?" Roy was an enigma and even if Chon had three lifetimes to spend with his partner he didn’t think he’d ever figure out the blonde man’s mental wanderings.

        "Fighting is…I don’t know…angry I guess."

        "Then you are not angry?" Chon’s voice sounded hopeful.

        Roy paused. "Yes Chon I am." He sipped another drink of whiskey. "Hell, maybe we are fighting."

        "I do not wish to fight with you Roy."

        Chon’s earnest face was hard to resist but he damn well tried his best. "I don’t want to fight either." Roy squeezed Chon’s hand hard under the table. "But god dammit Chon…" It was impossible to quell the tremor in his voice. "I want you to fuck me…not heal me."

        "Can I not do both?" Chon watched Roy digest his question. Perhaps he’d been condescending to his lover earlier, assuming that Roy would accept his help along with his love. Roy was an eclectic puzzle, a gunfighter without aim, a quick talker with an intelligent mind who was always thinking ahead, and a vulnerable and enthusiastic lover who owned Chon’s heart.

        "I don’t know." Roy answered honestly.

        "Why is it wrong to need me?" Chon broke free of Roy’s grasp and stared into his eyes. Doubt and need fought a turbulent battle in the deep ocean depths and Chon continued without pause, determined to break through his lover’s barriers and discover the truth in his pain. "I need you."

        "You don’t know what you’re saying." Roy tried to keep his voice level. "Life is too uncertain to depend on somebody. Even you." Roy shrugged off his liquored nostalgia. "You have to trust yourself out here first Chon. The desert doesn’t forgive."

        "We are partners. And partners depend on each other."

        Roy held firm. "I know that Chon. But I’ve survived out here without you for a long time. And now you want to bundle me up in steel wool and nurse me back to health."

        "I want to help you Roy." Chon knocked the glass out of Roy’s hand. "Whiskey will not solve your problems."

        "Good thing it’s not whiskey’s job." Roy pulled the glass back and downed another shot. "But it’s not your job either."

        "Come back to the room." Chon repeated.

        "No Chon." Roy noticed the woman from earlier giving him a second chance with a slight wink and shuffle. "I’m gonna finish the bottle and get laid." He stood up and gave Chon one final glance. "I’ll see you in the morning."

        Roy walked away and wondered if Chon would follow. The woman moved toward him, black lace, boobs and bundled hair, and all he could think of was Chon. He looked back for his lover but Chon no longer sat at the table. How the hell could he just let Roy go off and screw someone else? Maybe he didn’t care for him as much as Roy thought. Maybe he was glad to be rid of the mess he’d fucked in the wilderness last night and would leave the saloon and be on his way back to Carson City before Roy even had a chance to drop his pants at the foot of the bed. The image bothered him to the point of despair. The only person he wanted to be naked with was Chon. The day’s earlier promise had turned to shit in the blink of an eye.

        "My names Sarah…and I’ll give you a bonus." She ran her hand over his ass and pinched firmly.

        Roy sighed. Why did all the charmers come along when he was spoken for?

        ******************************************************************************

        Chon sat on the bed in his room and counted the floorboards. The thought of Roy with some cheap woman was painful and made his stomach clench in knots. He ground his teeth, shook the image out of his mind and continued counting.

        "Three hundred and forty-one…three hundred and forty-two…" Chon gazed absently into the mirror and stopped counting. What the hell was he thinking? It was foolish of him to let Roy leave with that woman. Roy was vulnerable and defensive and Chon should have been a little more patient and willing to talk things out instead of demanding Roy come back to the room.

        He winced sadly. That was silly. Chon had talked and Roy had listened and argued like he always did, neither man willing to give an inch when their opinion and ideals where in question. Why couldn’t Roy understand that need and love were mutual in a relationship and Chon’s desire to help him through the nightmare of his past was only natural because he loved him? Maybe because Roy was as stubborn as Chon himself.

        The China man shook off his stupor and made a decision. He’d go to Roy and talk to him and do his best to make his friend understand and accept Chon’s love. He paused at the door. Roy’s response would be anything but favorable if Chon busted in on him in the act of lovemaking. The thought of Roy’s mouth on someone else still stung but it helped make up his mind. Chon would wait for Roy and talk to him in the morning. And he would do his best to convince the man he wanted and loved more than anything in the world that they were meant to be together and that Chon would give his soul to ensure Roy’s safety and happiness. He returned to the bed and lay back on the pillow. Tomorrow would come soon enough and he wanted to be well rested to greet the day. With a deep breath he drifted…

        Thwapp…thwapp…bam…

        Chon opened his eyes with a start. The sound had come from outside in the hallway. He jumped to his feet and ran out the door. A large man in faded black leather was standing with his back to Chon, holding Roy by the collar and shoving his floundering body against the doorframe.

        "Roy!" Chon moved forward quickly. Blue eyes met brown and with a groan Roy stopped struggling.

        The man tightened his grip and turned around to Chon. "Mind your own business China-man." He flung Roy to the floor unconscious.

        Chon’s voice was steely and cold. "That man is my business. He’s my friend."

        "Then you should learn to keep better friends than this piece of shit cowboy." He kicked Roy in the stomach and moved menacingly toward Chon. "He bedded my girlfriend tonight."

        Chon grabbed the man by the throat and slapped him hard twisting his arm behind his head. The quick snap of bones made the bigger man scream. For a moment Chon had thought the man was Harmon. Instead he turned out to be just another big ox needing to settle problems with his fists. And Roy was barely half his size. "Just let this go…"

        He heard a voice scream, "Stop hurting him!" and turned in time to see the woman from the saloon bash him in the head with the wash basin from Roy’s room. Chon crumpled to the floor and the lights went out.

         

         

        *****************************************************************************

         

        "We really are a pair, aren’t we?" Roy’s southern drawl greeted Chon when he opened his eyes. "Trouble must follow us around."

        "What happened?" Chon looked around the room and saw bars. "Why are we in jail?"

        "It might have something to do with the fact that you nearly pulled that big jerk’s arm off."

        "I broke his wrist!" Chon defended. "He could have killed you."

        Roy rubbed the bruise on his neck absently. "I guess the deputy didn’t see things that way." He yawned. "We get to talk to the sheriff in the morning. I guess we just have to wait it out Chon."

        "But that is not right. We do not deserve to be here." Chon noticed Roy’s pale complexion and softened his voice. "Are you okay?" His lover barely smiled, exhaustion rimming his deep blue eyes.

        "I’ve felt better." Roy lay on the bunk and closed his eyes as Chon continued.

        "For a moment…I thought that man was going to kill you." Chon watched Roy intently. "And that I didn’t keep my promise to keep you safe." Roy’s eyes opened warily.

        "I’m so sorry Chon." Roy wished he felt stronger. His body ached when he moved to sit by his partner. "The woman who hit you? I didn’t sleep with her." He said faintly.

        "You didn’t?"

        Roy shook his head. "I wanted to. I thought it would make me feel better about myself." He yawned again and put his head on Chon’s shoulder. "But all I could think about was how much I would hurt you. And that’s the last thing I wanted to do."

        Chon’s tan fingers entwined in Roy’s. "Do not worry about it."

        "But I have to worry Chon. I care for you more than I’ve ever cared about anyone in my life and I was willing to chance that for a quick role in the hay." Roy swallowed hard. "I mean, sure she was a looker and that body…whoa…but dammit Chon some things are worth fighting to keep."

        "I thought you did not like fighting."

        "I don’t Chon…but I like you." Roy yawned. "A lot."

        "I like you too Roy."

        "You do?" Roy frowned. He searched Chon’s steady features and found a deep passion he hadn’t expected. Roy shuddered. If only they were safe in their rooms right now cuddled up under a nice fluffy quilt instead of bruised and beaten, sitting in a dark, damp jail cell things would be perfect. "Damn…" He messed everything up again.

        Chon wrapped his arm around Roy’s thin shoulders. When they returned to Carson City he would see to it that his partner put on a few extra pounds. "In the morning we will explain everything to the sheriff. But for now we will sleep, okay?"

        Roy nodded slowly and settled into Chon’s embrace. Moments later he succumbed to his dreams.

         

        *********************************************************************************

        Roy was the first to rise the next morning. He stood, stretched and groaned, "Shit" at the soreness in his body. The sun shining through the paned window at the top of the cell emblazoned Chon’s sleeping face. Roy smiled and touched him gently to hasten his waking. "The deputy says the sheriff’s coming."

        Chon sat up with a start. He was momentarily at a loss and confused about his surroundings, but very sure of the blonde man standing concerned by his side. "Roy?"

        "Yeah partner, I’m here." Roy sat next to Chon on the cot and smoothed back his ebony hair. "Looks like you have a pretty bad bump." He leaned in for a closer look and winced when Chon grabbed his hand. "What?" Roy turned around quickly. Two men stood on the other side of the cold metal bars. He gasped.

        "Sheriff…we can explain." Chon gestured amicably. "We are on our way to Carson City." He tugged Roy’s arm. "That man attacked my friend…"

        "You’re about five days from Carson City." The sheriff continued at Chon’s nod. "And I know all about what happened. Avery can be a bit of a fuck when someone makes a play for his woman." The sheriff leaned against the cell door and nearly reached the top of the bars. He took his hat off and smiled. "You should know better O’Bannon."

        Chon looked at his friend. Roy’s face was pale and tired, the bruising on his neck highlighted in blue and gold marks against his soft white skin.

        "Harmon." Roy shuddered.

        "What?" Chon spun around fast as lightening and grabbed the bars so hard his knuckles turned white. He could not deny the need, the overpowering urge to sail through the metal cage and choke the life out of the sheriff’s body and make him suffer for the pain he inflicted on Roy. "You." Harmon’s eyes were dark like the devil himself and the marked sneer on his face made Chon’s skin crawl. So this was the man who haunted Roy’s dreams, the man who hurt and abused him, forcing him to fight for his very life. Chon hated him instantly.

        "I see no introductions are necessary." Harmon taunted.

        "What do you want?" Roy’s voice sounded dead.

        "Other than you I can’t think of a thing." Harmon frowned at Roy’s reaction. "I’m starting to think you’re not happy to see me." He stroked the cell bars lovingly, pointedly observing the anger building across Roy’s fine features. Although the pretty blonde man never quite relished his attentions Harmon couldn’t deny that the struggle for possession was always half the fun. The best nights he ever spent screwing into the tight hot flesh of the man standing before him where the nights when Roy fought him off like a wildcat kicking and scratching. Other nights, bruised and beaten O’Bannon didn’t seem to care.

        "Well there is the little thing about me nearly killing you." Roy offered.

        "Is that a problem for you Roy?" Harmon laughed again, cold and hard.

        "Only because you didn’t stay dead." Roy took a step forward and was stilled by Chon’s gentle hand. "How the fuck did you ever become sheriff?"

        "The west is a land of opportunity. And they don’t care about credentials." Harmon’s smile was like ice. "I hear they’ll let just about anybody do it these days." The implication was clear. "Oh, I’ve been keeping tabs on you my friend."

        "Roy is not like you." Chon protested. "You are a bad man. A murderer."

        Harmon continued with a relaxed air. "What kind of stories have you been telling?" He gestured to the deputy. "Leave us." The man nodded once and left the room shutting the door behind him. Harmon spoke to Chon but his eyes never left Roy’s face. "We were once more than partners China man."

        "His name is Chon." Roy interrupted wearily. "Chon."

        "Oh yes…the Shanghai kid. " Harmon turned his attentions to Chon. "Well, well. Trading up, huh? I hope you’re giving Roy exactly what he needs."

        No fucking way is this happening…Roy felt lightheaded and worn, his head pounded. Chon didn’t know what this man was capable of but Roy knew the damage the monster could inflict and he didn’t intend to stick around long enough to let Chon in on the secret. He watched the fire rage behind his lover’s placid glare and knew without a doubt that Chon would defend his honor or die trying. Roy shuddered. Chon being dead was not an option

        "This is between you and me." Roy gestured towards Chon. "Not him. It’s our past Harmon."

        "My, my, my. Are you offering to draw against me?" Harmon sneered. "I don’t want you dead Roy. Not yet anyway."

        "I don’t want to draw against you." Roy said hastily, noting Chon’s inhaled relief. "I just want you to let him go."

        "No Roy. I will not leave you." Chon pulled Roy toward the back of the cell. "Do not do this."

        "Chon…don’t…I’ve thought about it long enough." Roy pulled away.

        "When? He’s only been here for three minutes." Chon tried for another solution. "We have to stay together."

        "Dammit Chon!" Roy rubbed his temples roughly. He felt like puking. Booze and near strangulation definitely didn’t mix. "He’ll kill you just to hurt me. Or he’ll use you to make me…" He swallowed hard past the lump in his throat. If Harmon touched him again… "Fuck." Roy swore quietly.

        Chon grabbed Roy’s hand and held tight. "I will not let him harm you." He wished he felt as confident as he sounded. Roy was his responsibility and Chon had messed up royally. He watched Harmon watching them calmly.

        "It’s okay." Roy brushed his face against Chon’s ear and whispered. "There are some things even you can’t fix partner." He moved to stand at the front of the cell and took a deep breath. Harmon looked much the same as he remembered, big, lean and angry. "Just tell me what you want from me."

        Harmon considered. The blonde man was still quite lovely, a little thinner perhaps, but the wavy gold hair and addictive mouth were still intact and fuck if that wasn’t all that really mattered. He frowned. There was no one quite like Roy. "Give me a minute O’Bannon. You’re so eager."

        "Fuck you." Roy spat.

        Harmon smacked the bars and made them rattle. "Good to see you haven’t lost your spark." He watched Roy pace back to the cot. His old lover looked exhausted and the bruise around his neck made Harmon angry as piss. He was the only one who could mark Roy like that. He’d beat the shit out of Avery when he saw him. "Flirting isn’t a crime Roy." He moved to unlock the doors. "I think I’m gonna have to let you boys go."

        "What?" Roy and Chon spoke in unison.

        "Step back now. Don’t try anything." Harmon pulled his gun. "Just for my protection." He opened the door and waited for Roy and Chon to step through. "Best thing to do would be to get the hell out of my town."

        "That’s it?" Roy couldn’t hold back the suspicion. "We just walk out of here."

        Chon moved to the front of the cell and stood in Harmon’s space. Roy tapped his shoulder. "He’s the law in this town Chon. Let’s just go."

        Chon winced but stood his ground. This man raped Roy. He couldn’t just walk away. "No."

        Harmon tapped the door for his deputy. "Better do what he says Kid. Before I change my mind."

        "Please Chon." Roy stood silent, ready to beg if necessary, to do just about anything really to be allowed to walk out the door without suffering Harmon’s touch. He hoped his voice didn’t shake when he said, "It’s all in the past."

        Chon accepted with a nod and spoke clearly to Harmon. "This is not finished. If you come near us I will kill you."

        "Having your new lover threaten the sheriff isn’t the smartest move in the world is it Roy? Especially when you’ve just been freed." Harmon chuckled coldly. "You’re lucky I’m a forgiving man." He pointed to the deputy. "Greenfield will give you back your guns. Still packing the ivory handles huh? Some things never change." He gestured toward the door. "Gentlemen."

        Roy frowned when Chon grabbed his arm but let his friend lead him out of the jail. Once on the street he pounced. "Can you believe that guy?" He hooked his gun belt low on his hips. "God dammit Chon. God dammit." His ran a shaky hand through tousled blonde hair. "Why the fuck did he let us go? I don’t like it." He sped back and forth, forcing Chon to catch up, then back track, until the Asian man stilled him in place by grabbing his shoulders. "Don’t do that. Don’t…don’t grab me Chon."

        "I will kill him." More than ever he wanted to touch Roy’s face, to stroke his lips until they were puffy and utterly, unbearably kissable, but his lover needed more than just a stray caress, he needed Chon to be strong and make the decisions Roy was temporarily incapable of making.

        "No. That’s not going to happen because we’re leaving now." Roy shrugged free. "Harmon’s not the type of guy to just let everything I did to him pass out of existence. He’s a madman Chon. You heard him. He wants me." He rechecked the buckle on his guns to make sure it was secure and looked behind him for the tenth time since the cell doors opened. Roy hated feeling so rattled but dammit all to hell, Harmon, come on, sweet mother of god, how the fuck?

        "How can we leave when so much is unsettled?" Chon felt a rush of confusion.

        Roy’s self-preservation kicked in, "How the hell can we not?" He closed his eyes and breathed in and out five times. "I’ve got to calm down and just relax. In and out…that’s good." He shuddered. "This is crazy." He turned back to the jail. "Why…how…god. I just don’t know what to think."

        Chon waited observing the nervous charade. He didn’t blame his lover in the least. Five minutes in his company was all the time Chon needed to decide that Harmon was an evil man who had not given up on claiming Roy. He bristled at the thought and clenched his fists, making an important decision. "You are right."

        "I am?" Roy’s surprise was evident.

        "You will leave and go back to Carson City." Chon chose his words carefully. "And I will go after Harmon."

        "Go after him? He’s right here Chon. It’s not like we have to hunt him down." The remainder of Chon’s words sunk in and Roy shook his head angrily. "No."

        "Roy, listen…"

        "Not on your life." Roy pulled away. His blood boiled. It had been a very long time since he’d felt such a bizarre mix of hate and anger and it frightened the hell out of him. He tried to regain a little control. "I will not be put out of harms way so you can get yourself killed defending my honor."

        "I do not intend to die." Chon moved closer, touched Roy’s arm, and spoke quietly, without hint of worry. "I will come back to you." Roy stared over his shoulder at the blossoming sunrise. Chon wondered if any of his words were getting through.

        "We’re both going back to Carson City." Roy pushed Chon gently out of the way and walked towards the saloon. No way in hell was he letting Chon stay behind and fight Harmon. It was damn near suicide to even think about it. He turned slightly as Chon came up behind him and spoke through tightly clenched teeth. "I can’t lose you." He walked through the swinging doors, past the bar and up the stairs.

        Chon followed. "Roy..." He tried to reason. "Harmon knows where we are going. That means he knows where he can find you."

        "Dammit Chon." Roy couldn’t ignore his logic. What the hell good would it do to return home if Harmon were waiting?

        "We should stay and fight…not run." Chon spoke quietly and followed Roy into his room.

        "Is that what you think I’m doing?" Roy collapsed on the bed and lay back with a sigh. "This isn’t your battle Chon."

        "You are my friend Roy…" Chon found his voice. "And also my lover." He considered. "Your heart belongs to me and your pain belongs to me." He rubbed Roy’s stomach. "Your battles are also my battles."

        Roy stared at his friend. "That’s beautiful."

        "We are a team." Chon touched Roy’s face, smoothed his tanned finger across the deep crease in Roy’s bottom lip. When he leaned in to kiss Roy the blonde man closed his eyes with a wistful sigh. "And I will always be here for you."

        "You see that’s the difference between us Chon. You’re able to let me share your life." Roy winced. "I have a bit of trouble in that regard." His list of faults was growing day by day. If Chon had any common sense he’d pack his things and adios.

        "It is okay." Chon squeezed Roy’s fingers. "You will learn."

        "You sound so sure but I don’t have the faith that you do. I’ve always been alone, always taken care of myself." Roy’s hands shook, his heart pounded. Why the hell did Chon have to look so damn earnest? "I don’t think I can live up to your standards." He hated feeling so sick, hated the way his eyes lowered to the dusky red carpet. If he lived to be a hundred Roy would always regret the damage caused by Harmon in his life. He bit his lip and looked up to face his partner with tears hanging glossy and still in his eyes. "And I don’t know what to do."

        It hurt Chon to sense Roy’s frustration and doubt. He sounded so lost, so helpless and without recourse. Chon smoothed the soft blonde hair and smiled. He kissed Roy, thrilled when his lover’s lips parted hungrily beneath him, and covered the slender body from head to toe with caresses, patting gently at the growing bulge in Roy’s groin that trembled and grew at Chon’s soft touch.

        Roy closed his eyes and relaxed his body into Chon’s care. His friend would make everything all right with the world. He murmured Chon’s name lovingly, felt the China man’s response, a hard pinch to his tit, and groaned at his continued ministrations. It felt so good to be touched and cherished. Why had fate waited so fucking long to let them hook up? Knowing his lover would die to protect him both aroused and terrified Roy. He didn’t want to lose Chon, not now, not ever and the idea of something bad happening to his partner was terrifying enough to induce Roy to panic, hysteria even, a trembling mass unable to function. He’d been alone for so long looking out for number one and then suddenly there was Chon and before Roy knew it the crazy Asian karate fighting former Imperial guard bastard had made an honest man of him…so much for best-laid plans. He opened his eyes and frowned at Chon’s concern. "I’m all right."

        "Do you want this?" Chon gestured to himself, to Roy and the bed.

        "I’ve never…needed you more." Chon looked surprised as Roy continued. "I know what I said in the past about needing and stuff Chon but I was wrong okay?" He put his hand on Chon’s chest, felt the muscles ripple at the contact, and shuddered. "You make me crazy…I make me crazy…everything makes me crazy lately. Seeing Harmon…god Chon he’s my biggest nightmare come to life. I couldn’t believe his attitude…saying he wants me then letting me go. I don’t trust him. I hate him. He makes me feel like shit." He squeezed his hands together to stop them shaking. The sun was shining bright and steady through the window across from the bed. Its warm rays stung Roy’s blue eyes and made him wince. "Nothing makes any sense."

        "We make sense." Chon offered. He loved the way Roy reclined on the bed, ready yet hesitant, his blonde hair shimmering in the sunlight his long legs stretched flat and inviting. His instinct to protect this man was as strong as his desire to possess him. Roy’s body sang to Chon, his whimsical mind and alluring features drove him wild. Chon was accustomed to being stoic and proud in the face of danger and for the sake of honor he obeyed without hesitation. But lately, with Roy, his demeanor had changed. He was still proud and honorable, such ingrained tradition never faded, but now he looked forward to life and living as much more than just a day to day responsibility. Roy was his anchor to the West, his lover and friend, his reason for being, and Chon knew that somehow their futures were entwined. Fate had given this slight blonde man to him first as a punishment then as a present…and he had every intention of honoring destiny’s gift.

        "Do you think so?" Roy sat up and removed his boots.

        "Yes. We are different but alike."

        "Different but different." Roy tossed his boots to the floor. " For god’s sake I can’t imagine any two people more different than we are." He looked quickly at his lover. Chon’s eyes never left his face. "But regardless of all that…despite the fact that I’m a cowboy and you’re a Chinese immigrant…I…I love you Chon."

        Chon smiled. "I love you too."

        "And I want to accept your help. I just don’t want you to think I’m not a man…that I’m not strong enough or quick enough to defend myself. Because I am Chon." Roy sighed. "You can take care of me…but just don’t tell me that you’re doing it okay?" He unbuttoned his shirt and hoped his words didn’t sound as ludicrous as he suspected they did. "It’s important to me that you think I’m an equal." Chon grimaced. "All right, sure I can’t do all your kung fu stuff but that’s not what I mean." He unbuckled his belt.

        Chon considered Roy’s words and was surprised to find they made sense.

        "Remember how you felt when you overheard me at Goldie’s? You were hurt and all bent out of shape because you thought I considered you inferior. I didn’t of course but I guess it sounded that way." Roy undressed completely and scooted under the sheets.

        "Yes, I remember, " Chon swallowed hard. Roy’s body, intoxicating and pale against the dark burgundy sheets made his body ache. "It hurt." He crawled into bed and kissed his lover’s shoulder then mouthed Roy’s nipple, licking the rosy nub until Roy groaned and clenched his hair.

        "Damn!" Roy howled. His fingers found refuge in Chon’s ebony mane, the jet-black strands securing his sanity until Roy could catch his breath. The China man’s touch enflamed Roy to the point of madness, his mouth burned Roy’s skin. He longed for Chon to touch him, to take him with passion and strength as he’d done before but Roy didn’t want to sound desperate. He didn’t want his lover to see the desire imprinted on his soul challenging the moment to go beyond sex and fucking and transform into something more meaningful, more god damn heartbreakingly fragile.

        "I do not wish to hurt you." Chon stared into Roy’s eyes. "I love you."

        "I know that." Roy soothed with a smile and lay flat on the bed. He reached for Chon, found his embrace, and kissed him gently on full ready lips. His lover responded, wrapping Roy in his arms and hugging him tenderly. He inhaled Chon’s scent, incense and leather, and opened his mouth to suck his lover’s heated tongue.

        Chon pulled Roy against him, gasping as long nimble fingers freed his throbbing cock. It shot up like a rocket, poking Roy in the stomach, proof of his need and desire. Chon kissed him hard, forcing his mouth open licking and biting Roy’s lips, pushing his cock forward until Roy moaned and shuddered helplessly in his arms. Chon settled his lover beneath him, spreading the long pale legs apart and lowering his mouth to taste the soft blonde curls gently surrounding Roy’s cock. Chon buried his face against Roy’s swelling member, biting the golden strands, pulling them gently, rubbing his nose in Roy’s groin and tugging and sucking his balls. He tasted a hint of himself on Roy and smiled at the vibrant trace of last evening’s contact. Chon purred against Roy’s flesh and felt the slender body contract and Roy’s stomach muscles ripple. He lifted Roy’s legs and caressed his balls, kissing the heavy sack, and smoothed and licked across the puckered pink opening before quickly darting his tongue inside.

        "Holy fuck!" Roy gasped and rallied, twisting his hands in the sheets, arching his body, begging Chon to go deeper. Despite the danger outside he felt safe in Chon’s company. Sure his thinking was fucked but what the hell, so was most of Roy’s life. With Chon he wanted much more than sex and whiskey. He wanted trust and security and love. "Damn…" Chon’s tongue twisted deep in his ass and Roy grabbed the sheets tighter, his mind whirling his thoughts passing just this side of heaven. He trembled and touched and his body churned until his toes curled and his cock exploded in sharp uncontrolled bursts spurting semen until he was spent. Roy closed his eyes and flopped his legs back onto the bed when Chon removed his tongue. "Whoa…" That was fast…he was obviously more tired than he’d thought. That or he needed to get laid more often.

        "Yes whoa." Chon kissed Roy’s stomach and licked his cock dry. "You okay?" Roy tasted of salt and sweat, an addiction that burned Chon’s gut, and he knew in a hundred years he would never get enough. He moved atop Roy, and kissed him again delighting in the tired eagerness of the open caress.

        "Yeah, I’m good, I’m…I…god Chon." Roy spread his legs and squeezed Chon’s member between them, holding him, keeping him never letting him go. His mouth moved, slammed against his partner, their teeth clashing, their bodies groping and melding together. Chon’s cock pulsed hot and ready burning Roy’s skin on contact. He sighed, "Sweet Jesus…" and arched up, still keeping Chon trapped between his thighs.

        "Ahhhh…" Chon forced himself to breathe. His need for Roy was staggering. He flashed on Harmon, what his lover must have suffered at the bastard’s hands and Chon had to close his eyes for a moment to erase the image from his mind. Harmon wanted to fuck Roy. He wanted to own the blonde man who had captured Chon’s heart. The thought of anyone else ever claiming his lover made him grimace and Chon knew without remorse that he would be only too happy to kill Harmon if he dared try. "You are beautiful…" Roy shuddered and clung to him, tossing wavy hair in all directions, baring his throat to Chon’s perfectly timed kiss. The only person that mattered now was lying in his arms. Chon stroked Roy’s prominent rib cage and kissed him softly before digging his fingers into Roy’s slender hips and flipping their positions with the blonde straddling him and the head of Chon’s thick cock vibrating just below his tender nipples.

        It seemed absurd to view Chon lying beneath him still wearing his denim jeans falling just below the hips. Roy laughed lightly and wrapped his fingers around the hot throbbing flesh leaking pre-cum all over his chest and squeezed the length in sure determined strokes, over and over, controlling Chon, tempering him with love and aggression. His lover moaned and undulated his hips grabbing at Roy and thrusting forward into the erotic embrace. Roy pushed him down gently with a soft kiss to the tip of his erection, rubbing harder and faster, and shuddering when the moisture from his lover’s cock coated his knuckles. He knew Chon was close, that he wouldn’t last for much longer, and Roy willed the Asian man’s body to completion with a final swift jerk and twist of his wrist.

        Roy loomed above him, yellow hair sweaty and damp, and Chon reached out to tug his face forward, to capture his mouth in one last futile kiss before orgasm hit and swept him away. Chon bit his lip and cried out in ecstasy. "Yessss…" He touched Roy’s mouth weakly, wrapped him in his arms, and tossed the sheet over the both of them. Chon’s body was barely functioning and although he’d wanted to do so much more, one look at Roy’s sleepy eyes was enough to tell him that any more exertions could wait until both of them had a quick nap and something substantial to eat. "Sleep, okay?" He smiled at Roy’s mumbled agreement and held him tighter tucking the familiar blonde head under his chin and settling his embrace in the small of Roy’s back. With a satisfied sigh he drifted to sleep.

         

        ************************************************************

        The midday sun was hot and glistening, its harsh rays bombarding the glass window and bathing Roy’s body in golden light. Chon stood up with a sigh and pulled the curtain shut before rejoining his lover in bed. Tomorrow they would face Harmon together. He touched Roy’s face and grinned when the blue eyes opened.

        "What?"

        "I thought you might like a bath. There is water waiting for you." Chon caressed Roy’s cheek and kissed him. "And I have ordered food."

        "Someone brought water in…here? Did they see us Chon?" Roy sat up with a start and surveyed the room. The tub in the corner was steaming. "I’m sorry…"

        "It is okay. They only see your hair. They could not tell you are a man."

        "That’s really funny Chon. You can see how much I’m laughing." Roy tried his best to frown. "I’ll have to remember that one." The idea of a bath was downright intoxicating. He moved slowly from bed, aware of Chon’s eyes watching his every move. Hot water would do a hell of a lot of good to ease his aching body. Roy wondered if he’d ever fully recover from he and Chon’s first night together. He mumbled, "I hope not" under his breath and sank one long leg into the steaming vapors. "God this feels good Chon. Maybe you should…" He noticed Chon staring at him strangely. "What?" Roy gazed down at his hips and swallowed hard. So Chon was blaming himself for the bruises. "It’s okay."

        "It is not okay." Chon moved to the tub and touched Roy’s chest. "I did this too you. I am no better than Harmon."

        Roy slapped his hand away. "Don’t ever fucking say that? Do you hear me?" Wet and naked he had never felt more vulnerable. Goddamn Chon and his high handed Asian morals.

        The discolorations dotted Roy’s pale hips black and blue…Chon’s hands. How the fuck could he have been so careless? And why the hell didn’t he notice the markings until now? "I did this. I hurt you."

        "No you didn’t." Roy wrapped his arms across his chest. "It happens Chon."

        "I was too rough with you!" Chon paced to the bed and back. "I should have been more careful." He wished Roy would yell at him, condemn him or refuse to let Chon bed him again, anything but the passive refusal that he now employed. It made Chon angry to think that Roy trusted him so poorly. And it sickened him to think that his lover did not seem surprised at the bruises. They were probably nothing to Roy compared to what Harmon inflicted upon him. But they were everything to Chon.

        Roy groaned. He reached for a towel and tied it securely around his waist. "We should talk about this." He sat on the edge of the tub. "My skin’s very pale. I bruise easily…always have." Roy rubbed his eyes. Chon’s concern struck a chord deep in his soul. No one had ever cared for him or held him in very high regard before the China man came into his life. With Chon, Roy mattered and his past didn’t even figure into the deal. "Harmon hurt me Chon…he hurt me so bad sometimes my stomach churns just thinking about it." He rubbed his belly absently. "These," he gestured to his hips "show your passion for me. They’re not violent."

        "They should not be there." Chon remained stubborn.

        "Have you checked your shoulder lately partner? I bit you a good one there last night." Chon’s shocked expression made Roy smile. "And I did it because I just couldn’t help myself. Fuck Chon, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing or what you were doing to me. I just know I didn’t want it to stop." He smiled when Chon sat next to him on the tub’s edge. "You care for me." Chon nodded. "Harmon used me." Roy shuddered and closed his eyes. Sometimes the past really was overwhelming.

        Chon’s face turned to stone. "I will kill him."

        "Sure, but not right now…okay Chon?" Roy rubbed his face. His brain was on meltdown. The steam from the tub was addictive. "Right now I want a bath. And then you promised me something to eat." He stood up and dropped his towel. "You can join me if you want." He hoped he wasn’t blushing. "We’ve shared a tub before."

        Chon’s expression softened and some of his worry drained away. There was something about seeing Roy naked that gentled him. "Okay. But only if you wash my back first."

        Roy perked up immediately. "Now you’re talking."

         

        *********************************************************************************************

        Roy raised the fork to his mouth and swallowed his steak without tasting. Chon bristled next to him, edgy, a mere lap away from racing across the restaurant and flooring Harmon with a swift kick to the jaw. Roy sighed. "Just relax okay?" This is a public place. He’s not gonna try anything here."

        Chon nodded. "Yes but I do not trust him."

        "I don’t trust him either partner but staring at him isn’t going to fix things." Roy looked up, met Harmon’s eyes and glanced back at his plate.

        Chon frowned. The sheriff was undressing Roy openly with his eyes, smiling luridly and gesturing to his dining partners. He sensed his lover’s discomfort and shook his head. "We should leave now." Apprehension was heavy all around him, people in the restaurant eating and observing yet trying their best to be inconspicuous. It made Chon uneasy. He nodded when the waiter refilled his coffee.

        "Leave? I’m not finished eating." Roy took another bite. "It’s not that bad. You should order something more. You’ve barely touched whatever the heck that was." The remaining food on Chon’s plate hardly looked appetizing. "Come on…I’ll call the waiter…"

        "How can you stand to sit here in the same room with him?" Chon bit back his words at Roy’s hurt expression. "I’m sorry Roy." He winced and wished to god his headache would vanish as quickly as it appeared. His head pounded without mercy.

        "Forget it." Roy wiped his mouth and washed down his meal with a shot of whiskey. He tapped Chon’s arm until the other man met his eyes and spoke in a low throaty voice. "What the hell do you want me to do? Run out the door without paying? Shout across the room and tell him to look the other way? Suck him off? Shoot him? Fuck him. What Chon, huh? What do you suggest I do to make him leave me the hell alone?" Roy trembled. "Of course I can’t stand sitting anywhere near him but Red Gulch isn’t exactly a tourist haven. This is the only place in town and I’m hungry."

        Chon nodded and sipped his coffee. What the hell was the matter with him? The wear and tear of the past few days must be starting to take their toll. His body ached. His head fell forward to his chest and his eyes popped open in shock. Damn he was weary. He looked up. Blue eyes watched him carefully. "I’m all right." Chon shook off the grogginess and reached again for his coffee. The taste was terrible but all in all it was probably a better choice than whiskey tonight. Chon sipped the hot beverage. He found it very hard to savor Roy’s alcohol of choice.

        "I think we both need some shut eye." Roy pushed his plate away and tossed his napkin on the table. "Let’s go." He noticed Chon’s indecision and frowned. "You sure you’re okay pal? You look like you’re about to drop."

        "Problem O’Bannon?"

        Roy winced at the familiar voice. "Nope." He felt Harmon’s strong grip on his shoulder and shrugged him away. "My partner’s tired. I’m just gonna get him back to the room."

        "Woy…" Chon’s voice slurred and he fought back the urge to panic. Something sure as hell wasn’t right. "Woy…" he tried again with no success. His legs fell out from under him and he toppled onto the table and face up on the floor. When he found Roy’s eyes he saw fear there, and acceptance. Chon looked at the coffee cup with a growing sense of dread and following a rush of nausea blacked out face down on the rumpled carpet.

        "Why don’t you let me and my friends help you Roy." Harmon smiled. "The Chinese can never handle their drink." He gestured to his men and they lifted Chon to his feet. "There you go. Room 17 wasn’t it?" He smiled again at Roy’s look of surprise.

        "What did you do to him?" Roy clenched his fists. There was only one way this night would end. And whatever happened he hoped both of them were still alive in the morning. Harmon touched his chin and turned his face until Roy met his eyes. The cold dark orbs were compromised by guilt but uncaring. "Damn you." Roy swore under his breath.

        "Why don’t we save the anger for later?" Harmon grabbed Roy’s arm and moved him towards the door. "Your friend is alive…for now." He’d waited a very long time to meet up with the blonde man again and everything had to be just perfect. God but Roy looked fine. He hissed at some townspeople staring their disapproval, "Keep your eyes to yourself," and pushed his ex-lover roughly onto the street. His men took Chon in the other direction.

         

        *********************************************************************************

        The walk back to the saloon was the longest of his life. Harmon left him once for just a minute and Roy tried to formulate a plan. He watched the sheriff talking to his men, gesturing and cursing loudly. Roy didn’t know what the hell to do. In the end he didn’t struggle, didn’t put up any fuss at all. It was senseless to even try to get free when Chon would still be a prisoner. If he fought they would kill Chon. Harmon had him over a barrel. Roy swallowed hard and said a silent prayer. He felt alert and that bothered him more than just a little bit. Roy wished to hell he could face his rape drunk and unknowing rather than wide-eyed and able.

        "Daydreaming Roy?" Harmon squeezed his arm and opened the bedroom door.

        "We’re here boys. And he just can’t wait." Harmon gestured across the room to three very well dressed men. "How many you think you can service Roy?" He continued. "Two…maybe three? All four of us?"

        Roy felt sick. He recognized them as the men from the restaurant dining with Harmon. "Don’t do this." He twisted helplessly in his aggressor’s arms.

        "Stop embarrassing me." Harmon tossed Roy forward. "These men have paid a lot of money to have a chance at you. I told them all through dinner what a magnificent lay you were." He loved the anger that flared Roy’s crooked nostrils, the toss of blonde hair, and wild blue eyes that surveyed the room for the quickest exit. "You killed me once."

        "I didn’t do a very good job of it." Roy tensed.

        "You’ll start with me of course. And if you please me who knows…" Harmon spoke innocently. He knew Roy was afraid. He’d be a fool not to feel that way. Harmon stroked the golden hair until Roy pulled away.

        "I’m not your god damned whore."

        "Not yet." Harmon countered.

        Roy’s head was spinning. There was no way he could survive this and still be the same person when the sun rose in the morning. It was too much. His stomach quaked with dread. Chon was nowhere to be found. "Please."

        It shocked Harmon to see Roy beg. His chin was raised, arrogant yet weary, and his graceful hands shook. "You nearly destroyed me."

        "I didn’t come out of our relationship unscathed either!" Roy released his anger. Nights spent holding his belly and praying to pass out still haunted his sleep. Harmon wasn’t a fool. Roy couldn’t hide his terror.

        "Well, well…" Harmon’s fingers clenched tight to Roy’s arm. He squeezed until the smaller man groaned and pulled Roy against him with one forceful tug. "You look fine to me." He kissed Roy roughly opening his mouth with a cruel edge, and biting down sharp to draw a small dollop of blood from his lips. "Gentlemen." Harmon remembered his guests. "Leave us for now."

        The small group nodded their consent before being ushered out into the hall.

        Harmon stared at Roy considering. With his lover in danger O’Bannon wouldn’t fight. He’d just lie there, stoically, and take cock after cock inside his slender body sweating and moaning away to orgasm. That wasn’t the way he liked screwing Roy. Harmon wanted a wildcat. But if Chon were out of the picture things would change…his mouth twisted. He took a chance. "Your China man is dead."

        "What?" Roy spun in a flash. "No." Please god no please god no, no, no.

        "Sorry about that Roy…he just cramped up and seized on us. My men told me before we came up the stairs. Probably too much of the laudanum we put in his coffee." Harmon flopped on the bed. "Shame. I was looking forward to some fancy karate kicking." Roy was falling apart before his eyes and it felt real good to see it. He was no longer shaking, but silent, his face contorted into grief and hatred. "I’ll get you the body if you want."

        Roy couldn’t breathe, he felt cold and sweaty his eyes burning with unshed tears. He wouldn’t cry, he never cried, and Roy wasn’t about to start now, in front of Harmon and give the evil fuck the satisfaction of seeing the unbearable hurt he’d caused. He bent forward and gasped, hard, nearly a howl, but not, more a cry of pain and sadness then despair and when he raised his eyes to Harmon Roy’s loathing wore a mask of stone. "You bastard."

        "Well now. That’s the O’Bannon I remember." Harmon snickered, then growled when Roy’s spittle landed just below his left eye. "You fucker." His first punch found Roy’s ribcage, the second his stomach and the smaller man doubled over and fell to the floor on his knees. "I’d beat the shit out of you now if I didn’t promise those men a pretty face to go along with the fucking." He pulled the weary blonde man to his feet. "We’re gonna have a little fun now." He handcuffed Roy’s left hand to the bed and opened the door to two of his deputies. "You’ve got five minutes to get Mr. O’Bannon out of his clothes." He turned back to Roy. "You’ve had this coming for years." Harmon went into the hall and slammed the door shut behind him.

        Roy shuddered as two pair of cold detached hands held him facedown on the bed and stripped him naked. He buried his face in the pillow, inhaling Chon’s scent from earlier that morning, and wept without tears for his lost lover…his lost friend. How odd that only yesterday they’d made love in the cold desert night holding and cherishing each other until the dawn broke free over the horizon. It was beautiful, almost other worldly to Roy; the best day of his life and now Chon was dead. It didn’t seem possible. So much had happened in so little time. He thought of Chon lying cold and alone in an unmarked sandy grave. The image made him sob aloud and earned him a swift knock to the back of the head from one of the deputies. There was nothing to live for now. Harmon had effectively ended Roy’s life.

        He heard the door open and trembled when Harmon sat on the edge of the bed. Strong hands caressed his body, flowing over the curve of his ass and settling on Roy’s pale shoulders.

        "You’re even more beautiful than I remember." Harmon sighed in appreciation and turned Roy on his back careful to reposition the handcuff firmly around his left wrist and attach it to the headboard. "I gave you this scar the last time I saw you."

        Roy closed his eyes. The feeling of cold metal grating into his flesh was a memory he didn’t have the stomach to recall. He swallowed past the lump of coal in his throat and gazed at Harmon, noting the soft gray strands tinting his hair and the worn and deep etched lines in his face. Roy didn’t speak. He didn’t have a clue what to say.

        "We can make this hard if you want, or pleasant. But that’s up to you." Harmon watched Roy’s eyes narrow. The younger man detested him with a passion bordering on obsession. He would never submit quietly. He smoothed one finger across Roy’s full lips and dipped carefully inside, pulling out quickly when Roy nipped him. "Neither of us wants you to die Roy." Harmon licked his finger and waited.

        "I hate you." Roy said simply.

        Harmon nodded as he removed his jacket first, then the shirt, both folded neatly on the chair near the bed, and finally his pants creased and placed alongside them. He couldn’t take his eyes away from Roy’s face. The magnificent crumpled nose called to him. He kissed it once, moving slowly to Roy’s chin before devouring his mouth in wet eager slurps. Harmon sucked hard at Roy’s tongue before placing his hands under the slender body and raising the unwavering form tight against his chest. Their cocks touched. Roy’s groan of denial was unmistakable. Harmon tugged harder, spreading Roy’s legs with his knee, pushing him to hurt, to make Roy fight and scratch, to cause anguish and pain and the best fuck possible. His cock surged toward Roy’s belly. Shocked blue eyes widened, and then narrowed.

        The change in his former lover was anything but subtle.

        Roy lunged forward and kicked Harmon hard in the chest, twisting his body away from his touch. He pulled at the bedpost but the wood didn’t give. The handcuff dug into his wrist, holding him firm, and keeping him prisoner. Roy snarled and bared his teeth when Harmon laughed at him indulgently. "Fuck you!" Roy shouted and kicked again and again not stopping until Harmon smothered his body and bit Roy’s neck until he screamed. The pain quieted him temporarily and he stared at Harmon through hazy eyes. "Let me go."

        "What? So you can try and kill me again?" Harmon considered. "How close are you to hitting the broad side of that barn O’Bannon?"

        Roy smarted. "What’s that supposed to mean?" He shrugged as best he could. "Anyway, I am gonna kill you." He squeezed shut his eyes when Harmon sucked his tit and took a firm hold on his cock. Roy thought of saying please again, wondered if it would help or if Harmon would just take it to mean that he was anxious to continue. An image of Chon floated into his thoughts and Roy sunk his teeth into his bottom lip to keep from crying out. Chon didn’t belong here, chained to this miserable bed, alone with Harmon, and Roy wouldn’t deface his memory by welcoming the China man into his own private hell despite his deepest wish for just one more chance to see Chon again. He felt Harmon’s cock skim between his thighs, felt his body lifted slightly, and a blunt push against his opening. "No…" Roy scratched Harmon’s back and reached for his eyes to stab and prod but no defense he could mount was enough to stop the thick head from wedging inside him. "Uhhh…oh…" Roy struggled wildly, thrashing and kicking and cursing, but it was all for nothing. Harmon was twice his size, a mountain of solid bone and muscle, and he bore into Roy like a man on a mission, determined to own his very soul.

        "You want it Roy…tell me you want it…" Harmon slapped him hard and chanted. He watched Roy bite his lip and forced his mouth open to make him stop. He grabbed Roy’s sweaty blonde hair and pulled his face forward for a hard wet kiss. It was every bit as amazing as he thought it would be. Roy, pale and fragile in his arms, fighting tooth and nail to escape when he knew it was impossible. He felt a pang of hatred toward the Shanghai Kid for screwing Roy. No one had that right except Harmon. He alone knew how to please O’Bannon. Only he knew how exactly how the blonde liked to be fucked.

         

        Slam…thud…thwapp…boom…crash…

         

        "Fuck it all…" Harmon hesitated for a moment before tearing himself out and away from Roy and pulling on his pants. "Wait for me O’Bannon…we’ll get to more of the good stuff when I get back…"

        Roy gasped, "shit." His stomach cramped. He closed his eyes and waited. When Harmon returned it would all be over.

         

         

         

        ********************************************************************************

         

        Chon watched the two men guarding him with a practiced eye. Although some of his grogginess had dissipated the China man still felt sluggish. The situation irked him. Despite all of his best attempts Chon still couldn’t think of a way to escape the rope bindings digging into his wrists and around his body to bind him to a sharp metal fence. Harmon, it seemed, didn’t like to take chances.

        Harmon…the bastard’s name filled Chon will an overwhelming hatred and he forced himself to calm down, to think and plan around the muddiness filling his brain. The larger of the two men approached him and sneered.

        "You don’t look so dangerous." He poked Chon in the forehead.

        "Untie me and find out." Chon taunted. His body ached for revenge. All he needed was a chance.

        "Your blonde partner’s gonna have his hands full tonight." The man kicked Chon in the ribs. "Shame I don’t have the kind of money you need to have a go at him."

        "What do you mean?" Chon was near his breaking point. He wasn’t innocent enough to think that Harmon would not bed Roy if given the chance but if he got away there was still time to stop the monster’s hands away from hurting his lover.

        "I can’t afford a high priced whore." Both men laughed at the comment. "Ain’t that right Cleetus?" The smaller man laughed.

        "Roy is not a whore. You do not know him." Chon felt his anger build.

        In the fading daylight Chon could make out four more men approaching, giant shadows on the setting sun. Probably just more of Harmon’s men out for a good time, he mused. Chon swallowed hard. The nausea returned and he felt more than a little sick.

        If Roy were hurt Chon would never forgive himself. If Harmon touched him… I should have been more vigilant. I should have protected him…

        Chon shook his head. Thinking that way would not help Roy. He needed a plan…or a miracle.

        Cleetus pulled him to his feet and Chon’s head spun like a kite when he was jerked along the grating.

        The four men in the background approached and nodded. There was something vaguely familiar about one of them but Chon couldn’t figure it out. The man wouldn’t meet his eyes and that meant he was up to something.

        "Harmon wants the Kid brought to the room." The familiar man spoke in a monotone. He wore a small brown hat and a woolen coat that seemed far to heavy for the humid weather. He gestured briefly but barely took notice of Chon.

        "Yeah? And who the fuck are you?" Cleetus demanded. He turned to his buddy. "You know him Ross?"

        Ross shook his head. "Nope."

        "I’m just his messenger." The man in the coat grinned. He had yellow teeth rotted out on the bottom and a day old growth of beard.

        "Yeah? Well I’m not taking him anywhere unless I hear from Harmon first." Cleetus slapped Chon again. "He’s busy bedding down with that cowboy."

        The man’s expression darkened. "Whatever partner. I know what a patient man Harmon is…I’m sure he’ll understand your hesitation." He looked at Chon for the first time and grinned. "If you change your mind he’s in the saloon."

        Cleetus seemed to consider the man’s words. The vein on his forehead throbbed. He cracked his knuckles. "I know where he is!" He turned to Chon. "Looks like you’re going to be in on the fun." He moved to the attached bindings. "Give me a second…"

        Boom…

        His eyes bulged, his face contorted in shock. "What the fuck?" He gasped once, flopped over onto Chon and promptly died. Another shot rang out and the men tossed Ross next to Cleetus in the alley.

        Chon gaped. "Who are you?"

        "Friends." The man bent down to cut Chon loose. "Harmon and his gang came into town last week and killed the sheriff and deputies. His men took over everything. People are afraid."

        "I remember you from the restaurant." Chon rubbed his sore wrists. "Why you help me now?"

        "What they want to do to your friend just isn’t right. I couldn’t just stand by and let it happen." The man sighed. "A few of us got together and then the number grew until we’re about seven or eight strong. Not enough to beat his group but we’ll put up a hell of a fight." He held out his hand. "I’m Paul Richter."

        Chon shook the offered hand hurriedly. "I have to get to Roy."

        Richter smiled. "I know a back way"

         

        *********************************************************************************************

         

        Roy tugged desperately at the handcuff chaining his wrist to the bed frame, praying for the wood boards to bend and creak and disintegrate all to hell. If he could just pull free he’d be able to find his guns, sneak out through the open window and kill the fucker who murdered his lover. Harmon would die tonight. Roy was sure of it. But whether or not he’d join the evil bastard in the grave was anyone’s guess.

        "God…" Roy moaned and bit his tongue to keep quiet. He pulled until his left wrist was raw and swollen then took a breather to collect his strength. The sounds in the hallway were getting closer. Harmon was probably on his way. Roy yanked the cuff once, hard and firm and the metal cut deep enough to tear his flesh open. Dark red blood splashed in rivulets across his bony wrist covering his arm in streaks of crimson. He ignored the sickly wet pain with a slight gulp and swallow. If this was the only way out…then Roy was taking it. He remembered another time, in the desert with sand up to his ears. His only chance then had been Chon and chopsticks and impossibly, somehow, he’d survived to fight another day.

        Crash…boom…swoosh…

        The loud noises in the hallway escalated, the calamity slamming forcefully against the walls and shaking the saloon room rafters. Roy swallowed.

        Chon was dead.

        "Dammit…" He cursed silently and closed his eyes fighting back tears that hovered above his eyelids. Roy sighed resiliently. There was a time and a place for grief and sorrow. And right now that place followed directly behind revenge and murder. Roy’s body ached but he refused to give up. He had to fight for himself …and for Chon. The loss of the China man left him feeling empty…his heart broken beyond repair. It wasn’t right…God…why the hell now when his insane life was just starting to make sense?

        He squeezed his wrist against the cuff’s opening, bending his thumb forward, fingers rigid, pouting when agony erupted in his tired bruised veins. It was impossible to be free. Roy wasn’t strong enough to break out. He fell back exhausted against the pillow and waited. Harmon sure as hell wasn’t going to be happy about all the messy blood. The monster would have to change the sheets before he bartered Roy out as chattel to his wealthy friends.

        He gazed at his arm and winced. High priced whores where one thing…damaged goods another. The men would probably demand their money back when they got a look at him. Harmon’s probable loss gave Roy a brief measure of satisfaction. He remembered Harmon lying naked above him, shoving his cock into Roy’s body and swallowed hard. Roy could still feel the heat of the other man’s skin, the eager smell of sweat he knew all too well.

        Boom…

        The sound from the hallway startled Roy into pulling forward and he nearly passed out from the blinding pain in his wrist.

        "Jesus…that’s gunfire." he muttered. "But what the hell…?"

        The door opened and Roy closed his eyes condemning himself to Harmon’s tirade. There was no way to hide the blood…no way to escape the madman’s anger. He took a breath and steered himself for the worst. "You didn’t expect me to just lie here you fuck…" Roy shuddered hard when a callused hand grabbed his arm.

        "Shut up." Harmon tugged him roughly. "We’re going to have to continue this someplace else." His shaking hands fumbled with the key to the handcuffs. "Damn!" he swore when it fell into the sheets. Harmon pulled at Roy again hoping the sheer force of his strength would break the tattered wood without any need for the key. "Fucking thing." His overeager actions didn’t work and only served to tear a scream from the weak and bloodied man on the bed. Harmon reached into his belt and pointed his gun at Roy. "Find the god-damned key whore."

        "Why the fuck should I?" Roy challenged. "You killed Chon." He felt dead at the statement.

        "Yeah, and I’m gonna kill you too unless you find it!" Harmon was on edge. Outside the saloon the battle raged. That fucking China man…in a minute the bastard would be here for Roy, to rescue his lover from Harmon’s misguided clutches. He nearly laughed out loud. Despite the dire situation Roy going free just wasn’t an option.

        Roy sneered and kneed Harmon in the groin. "I’m not going anywhere with you." Doubt and anger waged on his nemesis’ brow. His face reddened as rage bubbled to the surface. There was no way Roy could prepare himself for the onslaught that followed. Harmon grabbed him roughly, tore him away from the bedpost with the fervor of a madman ripping Roy’s shoulder out of its socket. The wood snapped in time with Roy’s scream of agony. He shuddered once staring through blurry vision when Harmon tossed him to the floor.

        "Get the hell up O’Bannon." Harmon threw a pair of jeans at him and waited. When Roy didn’t react he shook him without mercy rattling the smaller man’s teeth. "Put them the fuck on!" The door shook and Harmon’s head snapped over his shoulder. The bastards were getting closer. He didn’t have much time to hightail it out through the open window and down to his horse waiting along with a companion on the street below.

        "Go to hell!" Roy edged away towards the door but Harmon didn’t let him go far. He picked Roy up and flung him into the wall advancing toward him with fire in his eyes.

        "You’re a piece of shit O’Bannon." Harmon planted a punishing kiss on Roy’s mouth. "But you always were one hell of a great lay." He pulled the blonde man against him delighted with the shivers that wracked the smaller frame. He spread Roy’s legs with his thigh and fought to toss the younger man over his shoulder. Despite his disadvantages his former lover put up one hell of a fight. He felt Roy groping him and was oddly amused. He squeezed Roy’s arm. "They’ll be time for that later."

        Roy moaned into Harmon’s shoulder. His wrist throbbed and his vision blackened. Damn but he was near to passing out. He tried again to reach Harmon’s gun belt without success. The fucker thinks I’m feeling him up. Roy was incredulous. He calmed himself and tried to lift his left hand this time. It was hard to fight the pain in his shredded wrist, harder yet to gather his thoughts and send the proper signals to his agony riddled brain. He took a deep breath and thought of his lover. "For Chon…" Roy mumbled and took one last chance. He didn’t realize that he’d gotten to the weapon until the bullet slammed into Harmon’s chest and the smell of smoke drifted high into the air.

        "Damn…" Harmon swore and grabbed Roy’s shoulders. He stared into intense blue eyes and was surprised at the quiet strength there. The resolve he’d learned to abuse condemned him without remorse and Roy shot off two more rounds without hesitation. "Roy…" Harmon gasped and slid down the length of the other man’s body clinging desperately for one final breath until death took its turn and claimed him for hell.

        Roy stopped struggling and passed out trapped beneath the weight of Harmon’s dead corpse.

        ********************************************************************************

        Chon heard the gunshots, raced to Roy’s room and kicked in the door. Blood dripped in a pattern from the bed across the floor. He swallowed hard and followed the trail with his eyes. "Roy." He looked across the room and his heart stopped beating. The blonde head beckoned but Chon couldn’t tell if his lover was breathing. He tossed Harmon’s body aside and stroked Roy’s sweaty face. "Please be okay Pawdner…please."

        Roy opened his eyes and nearly fainted. A familiar face stared back.

        "Chon." No. It couldn’t be. Oh god. Roy started to shake. "You’re alive?" Why the hell had he ever believed Harmon? He should have known that Chon wouldn’t leave him alone and abandoned.

        "Yes I am here…" Chon gestured to Harmon. "What happened?"

        "Oh…I killed him." Roy shuddered. He squeezed Chon’s fingers. "He’s gone now…"

        "You killed…I am glad." Chon couldn’t stop touching his friend. Roy was a site to behold, bloodied but not beaten, still fighting through his pain. Chon stared in anger at Roy’s torn wrist. If Harmon hadn’t already been dead, Chon would have shred him to pieces. "He did this to you."

        "What? This? No…and yes. I did this to me and he did too." Roy searched Chon’s face, awe and delight covering his weary features. "I tried to escape. He told me you were dead." He paused. "I believed him." He started to shake and hated himself for showing Chon such weakness. "I’m tired…he wanted to… Chon, god, it’s so bad…" Roy closed his eyes and leaned forward into Chon’s embrace. He gestured sleepily toward the handcuff. "I did my best to break free but I couldn’t." Roy paused, considering. "What happened to you?"

        Chon smiled gently, compassion and love battling with fear and rage to control his emotions. Roy needed him now more than ever and Chon would come through for him no matter the cost. "I will tell you later." He reached for the cuff, careful of Roy’s swollen left wrist and examined it with a practiced eye. Chon watched Roy swallow and knew he was in pain. With a few stitches and a lot of care his arm would heal without any permanent damage. Chon kissed the battered palm before positioning it upon Roy’s lap. He hoped the rest of Roy would heal just as quickly.

        "The key’s on the bed Chon…he dropped it there…" Roy’s voice drifted away and he shook himself out of an exhausted stupor.

        Chon searched the bed until he found the key and unlocked the handcuff from around Roy’s thin wrist. He worked carefully, gently, determined not to hurt his friend any more than necessary. "There…everything is okay…"

        Roy nodded. Who the hell was he to argue? His mind kept digging up questions but they sure as hell could wait until later. He closed his eyes and dozed and felt his body scooped forward into Chon’s arms.

        And it felt amazingly right.

         

        *****************************************************************************************

         

        Roy stretched his aching limbs luxuriously across the velvet comforter. Red Gulch sure couldn’t hold a candle to Carson City but without Harmon it was heaven itself. He yawned once and snapped his teeth shut with a sigh. Chon was alive, they had each other and life was grand.

        He scanned the room for his partner and stood on shaky legs. The townspeople were so grateful to Roy for ridding them of their murderous "sheriff" that they put Roy and Chon up in the finest suites at the saloon with all their food and whiskey on the house for the sum of Roy’s convalescence. He yawned again and moved out into the main living area. This sure was a step above his last living arrangements. His face darkened at the memory and he gulped down a cruel bout of panic. Harmon was dead and Roy had been the one to kill him. That’s just the way it should have been he mused. The bastard would never hurt Roy or Chon or anyone else ever again.

        "Chon?" Roy wished he knew where the hell the China man had gotten too. He pulled on his robe, sat on the finely cushioned sofa and sighed. His wrist still bothered him. The doctor said it would be sore and swollen for at least another week. After that, if he kept it clean and the wounds didn’t get infected, he would soon be on his way back home to Nevada even though his favored shooting arm wouldn’t be up to snuff for at least a month. Damn…just when he was getting really, really good at hitting those beer cans. He closed his eyes and started to drift…

        Chon entered the suite quietly and shut the door with a soft hiss. If Roy was still sleeping Chon didn’t want to wake him up. Even though he’d dozed for two straight days, Roy needed all the sleep he could muster. He put the bottle of wine on the table. Later they’d share it together under the satin sheets on Roy’s bed. He turned the corner and stopped in his tracks. His lover snored lightly on the sofa his hair flowing back over the seat his legs flopped open, vulnerable and endearing.

        Chon sat on his left but didn’t wake him. The bandage on Roy’s wrist looked clean but the angry red swelling was clearly visible under the bindings. Chon wished he could make the pain disappear. His partner mumbled in his sleep and turned his head toward Chon. He kissed the full lips tenderly and Roy greeted him with sleepy eyes.

        "Where have you been?" Roy sat up. "I got up and you weren’t here." He noticed the anger in Chon’s expression. "I’m okay."

        "He hurt you..." Chon wanted to ask Roy if Harmon raped him but it wasn’t the easiest subject to broach. His lover was naked and beaten when Chon found him in the room…it wasn’t hard to connect the dots.

        Roy blushed. "I really don’t want to discuss what he did to me. It should be enough that I survived everything…and I’m still with you." He stared hard at Chon. "And you’re still with me."

        "It is enough." Chon smiled and kissed his friend.

        "I know…I…" Roy wrapped his arms across his chest and gasped when the pain in his wrist flared up at the contact. He winced. "Dammit!"

        Chon frowned. "Roy…"

        "I’m okay…" Roy repeated…it was now or never time. "Harmon had terrible plans for me. But it was over so fast…he beat me…and kissed me and then he…oh shit." He closed his eyes. "Thanks to you and the ruckus you created he didn’t get much of a chance to bed me." Roy couldn’t meet Chon’s gaze. He didn’t have the resolve to see the sympathy displayed just for him. He still wasn’t sure he deserved it. "I thought you were dead. I should have had faith in you..."

        "Hush…" Chon kissed Roy’s mouth and wrapped a strong arm around his shoulders. The smaller man faded against him, snuggling for contact, desperate for any offered intimacy. Chon had never wanted anyone more but it was too soon after everything to even try to encourage Roy to have sex with him. He loved his partner too much for that. "I will order us dinner."

        "I don’t need dinner Chon." Roy shrugged out of the embrace. He stared hungrily at his friend, watching as Chon swallowed. He felt giddy with want and thrilled to be alive and breathing. His lover was holding him, strong and determined, and he couldn’t hold back the smile seeping happily through his every pore. Life it seemed was a series of chances and damn if Roy O’Bannon hadn’t chosen very, very well. "I need you." He folded his fingers around Chon’s tanned hand and squeezed his love into the warm caress. He stood languidly, stifled an embarrassed yawn and led Chon through the ornate wooden doors to the bedroom.

        Chon nodded. The words "I need you" came easily to Roy this time, without dread or conflict, and the simple gesture was not lost on Chon. Being in love with Roy was difficult at times but in the long run more than worth the price of admission. He pulled his lover into his arms and held him tight. Roy’s heart beat sure and measured, pounding solid against Chon’s chest. This was real. This was the way life should be lived, full and bright, without compromise or malice, just two people in love, expressing with their bodies the sheer delight overflowing their hearts. He rubbed Roy’s back and inhaled the fresh clean scent of his hair, moving his hands to tug the soft curls gathering at the nape of Roy’s long neck. His partner was beautiful, perhaps the most attractive man Chon had ever seen, but his beauty went beyond breathtaking blue eyes and golden hair. Roy had a strong sense of values and an insurmountable strength that was surprising given his oddball nature. He could shock Chon with a word or arouse him with a simple glance. The China man sighed affably. He couldn’t imagine ever being with someone else. "I love you."

        "That’s so nice Chon." Roy angled his mouth for a kiss and wasn’t disappointed. Their mouths touched, at first gentle, then building to a fevered pitch desperate with passion, wild and free, tongues clashing and massaging the warm recesses deep inside. The odds had been against them and once again they’d survived. Roy shuddered. The next time they might not be so lucky. "I love you too…" He was lowered to the bed and reached out for Chon’s strength to shield him.

        Chon opened Roy’s robe, and stroked across his chest until he moaned a breathless sound so intoxicating it made Chon’s desire multiply and his loins throb. Roy’s pale skin beckoned him to touch, and he did so in sure practiced strokes, irreverent and gentle. "You are so lovely."

        Roy hissed his displeasure. "Can’t I be rugged instead of lovely sometimes Chon?" He smiled. "Just don’t stop what you’re doing." Roy closed his eyes with a sigh while Chon’s hands worked their magic. This was heaven, sheer heaven, and to think he’d almost lost everything that mattered…"Whoa…" Roy bit his lip and arched his body high off the bed when Chon’s finger entered him. He stared hard at his friend, his answer simple and sure. "Yes."

        Chon smiled and moved deeper, adding a second finger then a third, stretching Roy in practiced strokes, making it easier for him to bare the bigger intrusion yet to come. Chon waited for a moment after removing his fingers to soak in Roy’s beauty and hold his fiery blue eyes in a glare of passion so intense he shuddered from head to toe. "I have never wanted anyone more than you."

        Roy nodded barely able to speak. "Same here partner." He reached for Chon, stroked his face, pulled the China man’s athletic body atop of his and kissed him hard and possessive without any shred of doubt or hesitation. Chon probed his entrance and Roy moaned his want, spreading his legs, breathless and hungry when his lover pushed inside him. It felt rough at first, then gentle, then urgent, both men trying desperately to find a matching rhythm and ride it out to completion. Chon moved deeper and Roy gasped, shook until his senses faltered and his teeth chattered. His lover moved inside him, deep sure strokes that melted Roy’s senses. Chon searched out every angle, filling him to completion and beyond, forcing his cock, owning Roy, giving and taking until it hurt then numbed their bodies, the fire blossoming and extinguishing over and over again.

        "Chon…" Roy murmured, his eyes closed, his long fingers clutching Chon’s strong forearms. It was good and amazing and he never wanted it to end.

        Chon pushed hard, felt Roy’s body open to him and hold him in tight vibrant heat. He groaned against full lips, tasting Roy’s tongue and sucking, moving his hips in and out, filling the slender body until he thought Roy just might burst. He gasped through each shove, determined to make his friend understand the depth of his love and passion. Roy meant the world to him and Chon would do his best to keep his winsome lover happy for the rest of his days. He watched Roy toss his head, damp blonde strands covering Chon in a soft sheen of sweat and smiled. The blue eyes opened, met his, and closed again when Chon kissed him.

        A deep thrust knocked him senseless and Roy’s thoughts spun out of control. He arched off the bed, his belly full and proud, and Chon covered him again, still inside Roy’s body, and gentled him down to the soft bedding for more intense touches and out of control kisses. He held firm to his lover, willing Chon’s strength to seep through him, to enclose his heart and mind and erase the still too recent horrors of his past. He was beautiful with Chon, and wanted and loved. Roy had no problems accepting the pleasure and nourishing it deep within his heart. He’d waited for Chon for a very long time and he deserved the China man, deserved his trust and love and desire.

        A sharp twist inside made him gasp and Roy churned his body against Chon’s cock, whimpering when the thickness skimmed his prostate and beyond. Roy’s vision darkened and he clenched his fists to gain control. "God…" His breathing staggered when Chon pummeled him, heavy cock drilling strong, and balls smacking rhythmically against Roy’s ass. "Oh…oh…oh…"

        Chon smothered Roy’s mouth with kisses, trailing bites down his elegant neck and sucking his tits until they flushed hard and pink. Roy’s quick and needy reactions put all Chon’s fears to rest. They would survive the memory of Harmon together but Roy belonged only to Chon. He reached between them and handled Roy’s swollen cock, squeezing along the length before settling his touch upon the cum-dripping crown. Roy was eager in his arms, a whirling mass of unspent emotion, and Chon tempered him gently with a soft kiss to his sweaty brow.

        "You are…mine."

        Roy nodded. He didn’t trust his voice, didn’t want to sound as love-struck as he felt. Chon’s cock was doing wild things in his body. Suddenly it was difficult to breathe. His lover was embedded so deeply within him that Roy couldn’t move from side to side couldn’t control the spasms that overwhelmed him. Roy was on overload, his senses vibrating in time to the crushing thrusts of Chon’s cock. He reached frantically to touch his lover and wrapped his fingers in the dark velvet strands of Chon’s hair. "Yes…"

        Chon moved his cock deeper, searching, and was rewarded by a low whimper and growl from Roy when he found his target and rubbed it mercilessly. He squeezed Roy’s swollen member in swift strokes, felt his lover’s body clench him tight, and shoved once more against Roy’s sweet spot until the blonde exploded in his fingertips coating Chon’s hand with sweet sticky cum. Roy lay open before him so vulnerable and trusting it nearly broke Chon’s heart. He kissed Roy’s pouting lips and shuddered into his warmth. He placed his fingers in Roy’s mouth and swore softly under his breath when Roy sucked the semen hungrily, closing his eyes and lifting his hips in a wild lilting motion. Blood rushed to Chon’s cock in a torrent and he flooded into the slender body in thrust after thrust until finally, spent and weary, Chon collapsed atop his friend in a soft sweaty heap.

        Roy watched his lover, touched him and felt Chon’s softening member fill the ache in his soul. When he closed his eyes he drifted, lulled by the age-old hum of his heart and body, and was suddenly struck by a harsh dreamlike memory of Harmon announcing that the China man was dead. Roy gasped hard and woke up with a start. "Chon!"

        "Hush…"

        Chon’s voice stilled him, while his cock stirred inside, and Roy wondered absently if it would be possible for them to fuck again so soon and whether his lover would even bother to take it out first or just start to grow bigger while trapped in Roy’s body. He gasped at the cold sensation when Chon moved and left him empty. "You could have stayed longer…" He trailed one long finger across his lover’s shoulder.

        Chon smiled. "We will do it again soon. I promise you." His grin refused to go away but what the hell. Chon was happy. "Are you okay?"

        "Sure am…" Roy’s soft drawl spoke volumes. He twisted around to face his partner careful of his bandaged arm. "That was…great." His wording was cheap. Sex with Chon was so much better than "great". Roy stared into contented dark eyes and squeezed Chon’s fingers. His lover was alive. He imagined the alternative and trembled. "I thought I’d lost you…"

        Chon silenced Roy with a kiss. "I will never leave you alone again." He smoothed the silky blonde hair tossed across Roy’s creased forehead.

        "Thanks for saying that Chon." Roy swallowed hard. Life could certainly be one hell of a kick in the ass. "It means a lot to me."

        Chon nodded. "You are beautiful." His voice held sincerity and tenderness. He noticed the blonde man blush.

        "What, now? I must look a mess. I’m sweaty, you’re sweaty…" Roy paused. "You look pretty good though, kind of sexy too."

        "Sexy?" Chon smiled. "This is sexy?" Roy could barely keep his eyes open. He pulled his lover against him and kissed his waiting mouth. "You flatter me…" Chon yawned. The events of the past few days were finally starting to catch up with him. "I brought wine for you…" His voice wavered.

        "Mmmm…thanks…" Roy sighed. "I guess we’ll be heading back to Carson City soon."

        "Yes." Chon paused. "Is that what you want?"

        "I don’t know. I used to think Carson City was home but I don’t anymore." Roy lay against Chon’s chest and continued with a weary flourish. "Home is where you are. It’s where we are together. Maybe California…" He closed his eyes and started to drift.

        Chon kissed Roy’s pale shoulder and closed his eyes. He would follow Roy to the ends of the earth if necessary. "Rest now…we will talk tomorrow."

        Roy smiled in his sleep. Tomorrow had a nice ring to it. And with Chon by his side he would face it unafraid.

        The end.


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