#Hoss Cartwright

[melty-artz]

I keep forgetting to post my art! 🤦‍♀️ Here's one of my favorite scenes from Hoss and The Leprechauns ft one of my favorite line deliveries from Pernell Roberts ever.

[skullislandproductions]

Early watercolor sketch from “The Wrath of Canasta” episode of “Duck Dodgers” 2003, with the Cadet and Dodgers enjoying a relaxing vacation in an old west setting, complete with malfunctioning robots. Porky’s costume riffs on Hoss Cartwright, while Daffy heroes-it-up, inspired by the Lone Ranger.

[aunti-christ-ine]

[theyellowapron]

howdy everyone! i recently published a bonanza fanfic! over the next few days, i’ll be posting it section by section here, or if you’re a registered user on ao3, you can read it in its entirety now

cw for underage drinking, discussion of the pressures adam had as the oldest, references to bullying, subtle reference to a liaison of adam’s during college, and discussion of sickness/injury that are pretty canon-typical

if you’re interested and want to give it a read, i’d appreciate it! i hope you enjoy 🏜️

pa (daddy, pappa, father, captain, poppy)

It started because of a conversation Joe absentmindedly, accidentally, eavesdropped on.

He’d been in the general mercantile, trying to catch a glimpse at Addy Bridger and the constellations of freckles on her cheeks, and two little girls, young enough to still be wearing dresses that revealed their shins, seemed to be adamant about blocking his view.

“It’s mighty pretty,” one commented, holding up a ribbon, and Joe squirmed from his place near the shelves to see around it, hoping to catch Addy’s eye. “But I don’t think Pa would buy it for me. He says I already have enough.”

“Just do what I do,” the other argued. “Sit in his lap and put your arms around his neck and sigh into his chest, and then say ‘Daddy, do you know how much I love you?’ It melts him every time.”

“That really works?” she asked doubtfully.

Joe snuck out from behind the shelves and toward the women’s clothing racks.

“Every time. Cause think of it- when did you last call him Daddy? He remembers you as his darling baby girl, and wants to keep it that way as long as he can. It’s infallible.”

The girl adopted an expression of deep consideration, bringing the ribbon with her, but just as they left, allowing Joe his opening, Addy departed in the opposite direction, heading out to the main street, leaving Joe hopeless and rejected, surrounded by racks of calico printed skirts and frilly dresses.

As he left, he was focused on catching up to the beautiful young lady, the girls’ conversation quickly forgotten.

Or so he’d thought.

—

Adam pressed his lips together, attempting to hide his amusement.

Pa was at it again.

Hoss was upstairs; smarter than Adam in that he’d elected to turn in and get some sleep, not as smart as him in that he was now missing out on this prime entertainment.

Pa had gone to bed not long after Hoss, but after a few hours, he’d reappeared at the landing of the stairs, asking if Little Joe was still not home.

“Not yet, Pa,” Adam replied, twisting around and looking up at him from his blue chair by the fireplace.

“That boy,” Pa grumbled, lumbering down into the living room, passing Adam with a pat on the shoulder. “I didn’t hear you come up, so I almost wondered if I’d drifted off before he got back and you two were both down here, him yammering your ear off.”

“I’d have made my escape long ago if that were the case,” Adam replied. He held up his book. “Just me and Dickens down here.”

Pa frowned and hummed, hands in the pockets of his maroon robe.

About a half hour later, he was still pacing, occasionally making busy behind his desk, reorganizing papers or pretending to go over the books. The most recent excursion to the far side of the room had him fiddling with his pipe but not smoking it, having forgotten to add tobacco.

Adam smirked from behind his book.

Pa was immensely predictable.

No matter how old Joe got, he was still Pa’s baby.

Adam didn’t say that out of resentment or vindictive jealousy, chafing at the youngest’s special treatment. After all, both he and Hoss, though they were able to recognize Joe was a young man, still had a tendency to think of him as the baby, too.

Besides, Adam had seen this type of worry over Hoss, as well, Pa sitting at his middle son’s bedside and frowning worriedly after he’d been injured on a drive or during branding. According to stories from his brothers, the frantic fretting was often over Adam too, but he’d rarely seen it. Pa apparently didn’t allow himself to be caught doing so.

The only time Pa’s worry was completely open and unrestrained was when it was over Joe.

A clatter on the front porch viscerally jerked Adam out of his amusement and he lowered his book, uncrossing his legs. Pa’s anxiety seemed to increase tenfold, his eyes widening in concern. He hurried for the door, and as soon as it opened, Joe- who’d apparently taken up residence there, leaning against it- fell inside.

Pa caught him by the shoulders, carefully lowering Joe the rest of the way to the ground, preventing him from slamming into the floorboards. Pa knelt before him. “Little Joe? Are you injured? Where are you hurt?”

Joe mumbled something incoherent under his breath. Adam rose and slowly made his way toward them, nerves springing up in his chest despite his previous unworried state.

“Are you sick?” Pa asked, tilting Joe’s head up by his chin. He swiftly removed Joe’s hat, tossing it onto the credenza.

“Hi!” Joe’s face, pink and sweaty, suddenly developed a large grin, delight in his eyes. He clutched at Pa’s chest. “I was already sick in the flower bed. I hope Hop Sing ain’t too mad at me tomorrow morning.”

Adam halted, quickly ascertaining the cause of his brother’s state, huffing and rolling his eyes. Meanwhile, Pa remained as he was, gripping Joe’s arms and eyes flittering all about him, looking for wounds. He frenetically cupped Little Joe’s cheek and then lifted his hand to his forehead, checking for fever.

Joe lent into it and sighed, which was his undoing. The smell of liquor on his breath was undeniable.

“Are you.. drunk?”

The grizzly-like growl could almost be described as confused. It was an odd juxtaposition, perhaps, but Adam recognized the tone well enough to realize the danger of the situation. Joe, however, was unaffected, and continued on as if he hadn’t heard the question. He was busy, seemingly enamored with the collar of Pa’s robe and utterly fascinated by the streaks his fingers made in the velvet.

“Joseph, have you been in a saloon all this time? You know I’ve told you I don’t want you going there, especially not alone! You shouldn’t be drinking at all! You’re barely seventeen, boy-!”

The yelling was not quite all for naught, as it seemed to draw Joe out of his trance. He looked up again at Pa, and an expression of gleeful surprise developed, as if he had just realized or remembered who it was he was clinging to.

“Daddy!” he yelled, sounding pleased. Excitement radiated from him, and he leaned further into Pa, nose at the junction of Pa’s neck and shoulder. “Hi, Daddy.”

Immediately, all of the anger that had been building in Pa- all of the outrage and frustration that had him puffed up and getting ready for a lecture- it all dissipated. Adam saw it as soon as it happened, like a balloon deflating, the anger lost to the wind.

Adam watched, eyes wide and jaw slack, as Pa rose, lifting Joe up with him and keeping a hold of him, allowing the teenager to cling to his chest.

“Daddy,” he repeated, his euphoric smile never dimming, and he hugged Pa tightly.

Adam heard Joe sigh into Pa’s chest. It was a sound of complete contentment, trust, and safety.

Any minimal remnants of disappointment or upset that may have still lingered immediately disappeared, and Adam saw his father soften, wrapping his arms around the boy.

“Let’s get you to bed, hmm?”

Adam, still agog, pulled himself out of his stupor and moved forward to meet them. He reached out, a silent offer to support Joe’s other side.

“It’s alright,” Pa said to Adam, not taking his eyes off of Joe. “I’ve got him.”

They passed by Adam, Pa missing his shocked expression and Joe missing the presence of his brother altogether.

Adam watched as Pa attempted to help Joe up the stairs. Pa’s efforts were hindered slightly by Joe’s constant efforts to nuzzle into his shoulder and snuggle up against his chest.

There was a moment of struggle on the landing before Joe was finally able to hold himself upright and tall enough to kiss Pa on the cheek, henceforth eliciting an embarrassed but pleased flush from the elder and delighted giggles from the boy.

Joe then whispered something into Pa’s ear, resulting in a smile that Adam could only describe as jubilant. Pa quietly responded, his radiant joy never dimming, and they continued onward. When they finally disappeared down the hallway, Adam jolted as if struck by lightning and tossed his book on the settee, Dickens plot long forgotten, and bounded up the stairs after them.

In the doorway to Joe’s room, he watched as Pa unbuckled and removed Little Joe’s gun belt, placing it on top of the dresser. He pulled back the blankets and set the boy down at the side of his bed, before kneeling in front of him, beginning the process of pulling off his boots.

“Little Joe finally back?” Hoss asked, coming up quietly behind Adam, holding a dimly lit oil lamp.

Adam hummed. “They wake you up?”

“I didn’t hardly even get to sleep a’tall,” Hoss replied, his voice hushed. “You know what a restless sleeper Pa is. Every time he’d shift or get up to check his window to see if Joe’d rode in, his old four poster would creak and he’d wake me up again.”

Hoss watched over his shoulder as Joe attempted to halt Pa’s ministrations, grabbing at his hands or trying to force Pa’s face in his direction so as to look at him.

“Hi Daddy,” he kept repeating, and Pa kept repeating the hellos back, looking at him with a fond smile and giving his hand a squeeze each time.

“Pa, is he fevered?” Hoss asked, keeping his voice low.

The inquiry caught the attention of Joe, however, instead. “Hossie! Adam! Hi!”

“Hiya, punkin,” Hoss replied, the worry and confusion in his voice hidden well enough to keep Joe content, but Adam could hear the notes of concern.

Joe squirmed a moment, trying to rise to meet Adam and Hoss, but Pa held him back, an act the boy clearly had no qualms with, his entire focus and attention easily shifting back to Pa. Joe clumsily cupped both of Pa’s cheeks. “Hi, Daddy.”

His boots finally removed, Pa tucked them under the bed to prevent Joe from tripping over them the next morning- a smart move, Adam thought, as Joe was already clumsy enough without any new obstacles. Pa pulled Joe’s hands away from his face and began to rise. He pushed Joe away, having the boy lay back in bed.

“Daddy?” Joe questioned, concerned, his eyebrows developing a nervous peak.

“Bedtime, Little Joe,” he said, giving his hands a final squeeze. He pulled up the layers of quilts, tucking them tight around his shoulders.

“Okay, Daddy,” Joe said, obediently closing his eyes and relaxing into the pillow. Looking down at him with immense tenderness, Pa carded his fingers through Joe’s hair, brushing back his curls, and the boy smiled, leaning into it. “G’night, Daddy,” he said, mumbling but very obviously pleased.

Almost immediately, Joe drifted off to sleep, the liquor running through him finally taking hold.

“He alright, Pa?” Hoss questioned, nudging Adam forward, and they both entered the room. Hoss went to Joe’s bedside next to Pa, holding the lamp up to better illuminate Joe’s peaceful slumber. Adam held back, hovering in the background by the desk.

Adam crossed his arms, bemused at Hoss’ ability to always give Joe the benefit of the doubt, never considering the worst or the possibility that Joe had simply made a fool of himself. Perhaps he was like Pa in that respect, so worried about an injury or illness that the rather high potential of Joe sneaking into a saloon didn’t occur to them.

Admittedly, however, that sense of grace and trust was something Hoss extended to all he met, and not just their little brother, his ability to see the best in everyone quite literally extending to everyone.

“Oh, he overdid it at the saloon,” Pa said, giving Joe a rueful smile. “He may have a rough morning, but he’ll be just fine.”

Personally, Adam was appalled at Pa’s easy acceptance of Joe’s state. This time, it was petty jealousy of his youngest brother that controlled Adam. When he’d done the same as a teenager, he hadn’t farred so well. Pa had by no means accepted it with resigned fondness, and Adam seriously doubted that Hoss would’ve had it so easy, either.

But of course, Little Joe could get away with this. All he had to do was play up the baby of the family act, and he had Pa wrapped around his finger.

At Pa’s explanation, Hoss simply made a noise of assent, but a line had developed between his eyebrows, revealing he had deeper thoughts upon the subject; and Adam didn’t think it was for the same reason he was perturbed, either.

Adam knew that Hoss was a lot smarter than most people presumed, and was a far deeper thinker than they, or he himself, gave him credit for. Hoss had realized something, and made a connection that Adam- and potentially Pa- hadn’t.

“Well, now that all my boys are home, I suppose I’ll head back to bed.” Pa didn’t yet move from Joe’s side. A hand still lay atop his head, fingers tangled in the curls. His eyes flickered in Hoss and Adam’s direction. “You two plan on staying up?”

“Not for more than a few minutes, Pa, and then we’ll be turning in, too,” Hoss said.

An expression that was half-suspicion, half-concern- of or over who, Adam did not quite know- developed on Pa’s face. He glanced at Joe again.

“You’ll just let the boy sleep?”

Adam bristled at the unspoken accusation, at Pa’s assumption that he and Hoss were inevitably going to upset or bother Joe.

But Hoss accepted the inquiry without upset or offense.

“Sure, Pa, we’ll just keep an eye on him for a mite,” Hoss explained peaceably. He had always been more understanding, and had a greater ability to offer grace when words were poorly chosen, whether by Pa, Joe, or Adam. Hoss could work like an interpreter, finding the family member’s true intent in their words and overlooking anything that could be perceived as a slight.

Pa looked back at Joe, concern still in his eyes- whether that worry was over his other sons upsetting the youngest, or was just a general anxiety, Adam still didn’t know. But he conceded, giving Joe’s hair a final tousle.

“Pleasant dreams,” he whispered. “Always.”

He patted Hoss’ arm and gave Adam a nod before departing, heading down the hall and back to his room.

“I don’t think he’s said that to any of us since we were little enough to still be tucked in,” Hoss commented.

Adam could only recall the mumbled phrase coming from the hallway and seeing his Pa’s silhouette in his bedroom doorway, pausing there after kissing Hoss, and eventually Joe, good night. He only hummed, considering Hoss’ analysis in relation to all else that had developed that night.

“I’m mighty glad he ain’t sick,” Hoss said, rubbing one of his eyes with the back of his hand and then fiddling with the collar of his plaid nightshirt.

“He was hours late after meeting up with friends in town- the possibility of him getting roostered never occurred to you?”

Hoss chuckled slightly. “No, with him as late as he was, I figured it was pretty likely he was three sheets to the wind. But,” he said, heaving a sigh, “Pa wasn’t fit to be tied. I didn’t hear him yell once, and he was so gentle with Little Joe.”

He shrugged and looked back at Adam.

“I see your point.” Adam’s tone wasn’t bitter, exactly, but he said it entirely cognizant of how different Pa’s reaction- and volume- was from the first and only time Adam arrived home inebriated. His ears still ached just remembering the scolding. “It was nothing like this when I came back drunk, let me tell you. Sure would’ve gone differently for us.”

“Well, maybe- I don’t remember your getting in trouble, and I never did this a‘tall, so I couldn’t say what I think,” Hoss explained, carefully deferring from making a judgement on Pa’s behavior and Joe’s special treatment.

Adam raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised at the fact that Hoss never went out to get drunk as a teenager, but didn’t comment on it.

“Seeing him like that, though,” Hoss continued, “sure did remind me of when he had typhoid.”

“That was when I was back East?” Adam asked, only having heard the occasional recollection or vague reference to Joe’s illness.

The question was somewhat relative, given he already knew he was away at college when Joe was sick, but he asked anyway, not wanting to reveal how uncomfortable the comparison made him.

“He came down with it not even a week after you left,” Hoss told him.

Adam barely suppressed a flinch. He had barely been gone, and already, his family had undergone a terrible upheaval. He hadn’t been there to support his father, to assuage his worries and help him care for Little Joe. He wasn’t there to look after Hoss, to comfort him and ensure he didn’t have to witness Joe’s pain and carry the burden of those memories.

“He was delirious all the time. He was calling out for me, calling for you, but most of all, for Pa. Even when Pa was holding him in his lap, arms around him, he was still crying for Daddy,” Hoss said with a shake of his head.

Adam swallowed something that easily could have become a sob. Hoss had been thirteen when he’d observed this, and clearly hadn’t missed or forgotten a single detail; it had affected him greatly, and continued to, if the shaking tremor in his hands was anything to go by.

It was moments like this that Adam doubted he could ever leave again, no matter what dreams and ambitions he had- I can’t leave them again.

“Well,” Adam said, tugging uncomfortably at his ear, “at least he wasn’t going through that this time. He was giddy and happy. Really excited to see Pa.”

Hoss carefully reached out and lightly tousled Joe’s hair, a hesitant imitation of Pa’s act before. “Right, Little Joe was different. But Pa was the same. Patient. Gentle. Tender, even.”

“Well, he wasn’t at first,” Adam said. “When Pa smelled the whiskey on him, it was obviously building up to be one of his all time great ones. The granddaddy of all tongue lashings.”

“Right up there with the time the three of us almost burned down the barn,” Hoss said with a wince and embarrassed laugh.

“Or when you and Little Joe tried to raise a baby goat under your bed.”

“Or the time we told Joe the truth about St. Nicholas and almost ruined Christmas for him.”

“Or when he found me and you playing hooky and fishing instead of at school,” Adam added with a smile. “Anyway, I figured Joe’d be hearing it, ears aching for a while, but he called him Daddy, and that was all it took to take the wind out of Pa’s sails. He fell right into babying him, just like Little Joe wanted.”

Hoss had a thoughtful, curious expression, looking down at Joe and then glancing at Adam. Once again, Adam felt as if there was more Hoss knew, more that he realized and was keeping to himself, but he decided to not ask. If Hoss wanted more time to think about it, he’d give it to him. Instead, recognizing a wave of weariness and exhaustion coming over him, he decided to change the subject.

“Do you think one of us should stay up to keep an eye on him, make sure he’s not sick again?”

“Sick?” Hoss asked worriedly, furrow in his brow. “He was sick?”

“Afraid Hop Sing’s marigolds got the worst of it,” Adam replied idly.

Hoss offered a sympathetic wince- whether for Joe, Hop Sing, or both, Adam wasn’t sure- and returned to the original inquiry. “I don’t think we’ll need to. In fact, you’re pretty adorable in thinking Pa won’t be checking on him every half hour.”

Adam blushed a little, slightly flustered, but didn’t take offense, only offering a small huff of laughter. Hoss was just about the only person he would allow to call him cute without getting reprimanded.

“Hop Sing will have enough to be disappointed with tomorrow morning, I think he’d be even further hurt if we all fell asleep during breakfast,” Adam said, heading toward the hallway and pausing halfway to the door, waiting for Hoss to join him.

Hoss remained at their little brother’s bedside a minute longer, before departing.

“Ought to have at least one fresh pair of eyes going over the books and counting cattle,” Hoss said, following Adam out to the hallway. “See you in the morning, big brother.”

“Good night, Hoss,” he replied, offering a slight smile when he received a pat on the back. Hoss disappeared into his own room while Adam continued on to his own. He was grateful for the heaviness of his eyes, the utter exhaustion an easy reprieve from the many confused and conflicting thoughts running through his head.

Even with it, however, it took him far longer than he’d have liked to fall asleep.

—

When Joe finally came down the stairs the next morning, Adam and Hoss were alone at the table, sipping coffee and sharing meaningless conversation. The two of them, Adam would guess, had slept better than Pa.

Pa had drunk about half the coffee pot on his own, and any time inquiries were made of him, he had to ask for clarification or for the questioner to repeat themselves multiple times. Eventually, annoyed with himself and his exhausted confusion- and likely at Adam and Hoss’ obvious amusement- he gave up and went out to the kitchen, intending to ask Hop Sing if he’d mind starting another pot of coffee.

Joe, on the other hand, looked to be doing far worse than Pa, shadowy bags under his eyes and wincing at each creak he unintentionally caused as he made his way down the stairs. He kept ahold of the railing the entire time and wavered as he took the last step, attempting to regain his balance on solid ground.

“Good morning, Little Joe!” Hoss called to him, giving Adam a look of delight when their younger brother groaned.

“Please don’t yell,” Joe whined, holding onto the backs and armrests of various pieces of furniture as he crossed the room. He lowered himself into the chair next to Adam, looking both seasick and relieved to be sitting down. “Is there any coffee?”

“We just finished it off,” Adam said, humming sympathetically. “But there is plenty of bacon if you’d like some,” he said, offering him the plate and holding it up to his face.

“It’s mighty good, Little Joe, salty, just the right balance of burned crispy bits and grease,” Hoss continued, barely hiding a laugh as Joe squirmed in his chair and turned away.

“Boys, stop torturing your brother,” Pa said with a sigh, coming back into the dining room. Adam rolled his eyes but desisted, and Hoss merely laughed.

Pa stopped at Joe’s side, putting a hand on his shoulder. Joe looked up at Pa with a grateful expression, relieved at his rescue.

“Hop Sing’ll have a fresh pot of coffee soon,” he told him. He petted the hair at the nape of Joe’s neck before sitting down.

“Thanks, Pa,” Joe said with a tired smile.

Pa adopted an expression Adam couldn’t quite read- eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly, mouth twitching into the smallest frown- before it changed into something carefully neutral.

It bothered Adam when he couldn’t read his father.

He glanced across the table and caught Hoss’ eyes; Hoss, too, had caught the minute changes in their Pa’s disposition, but he didn’t look to be confused by them. In fact, Adam would say he looked validated, as if Pa’s strange response had confirmed something to him. Aware that a silent conversation could easily be held and overlooked by their hungover brother and exhausted father, Adam raised an eyebrow; but Hoss shook his head and glanced in the direction of the door.

Outside, he seemed to say. Later.

Their conversation would have to wait.

“Little Joe, we will have to talk about what you did last night, but it can wait until you’re feeling better,” Pa said.

Adam found himself pathetically pleased at the confirmation that Joe would not get off scot-free, at least having to face some consequences for his actions. True, it wouldn’t be equivalent to the punishment he received or the all out scolding he himself had been given, but Adam understood the fact that, as the oldest, Pa made and realized his mistakes with him. He didn’t just recognize that reality; he was relieved by it. Adam didn’t want Joe to have to feel the weight of shame and disappointment just because he once did, nor have the ranch hands laugh at him because he was so obviously hungover.

“Stay around the house today,” Pa continued, looking at Joe, “and help Hop Sing with whatever he asks. I’ve already spoken with him, but I want you to apologize to him after breakfast.”

Breaking through Joe’s dazed expression came a look that showed he was both pleased and confused at his luck. “I will, Pa. But what am I apologizing for?”

Adam huffed, rolling his eyes. He saw Hoss shaking with barely constrained laughter across from him.

Pa let out a long suffering sigh.

part two is now posted!

[flawlessgems]

okay. seriously. i want to know how many people are still in the Bonanza fandom

you all know the drill. reblog and tag (please?)

[burymeinwillow]

[nessaadraws]

These turned more into a face study than anything else but I love them <3

[biinanzas]

how it feels to join the bonanza fandom in 2024

[thatsprettylane]

The real downside of Bonanza not being a modern show is that there is no beach episode. Can you imagine? Hoss falls in love with a mermaid and Joe starts breeding lobsters for profit. Ben just wants to read his book.

[hesgomorrah]

bonanza + headlines

[melty-artz]

I mostly drew this to teach myself how to draw a "water" effect. And it was another excuse to keep drawing the Cartwrights. Mission accomplished I guess.¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

[jamjjamm]

Bonanza

[aunti-christ-ine]

Hoss don't lie, pardner. 📺🤠

[theyellowapron]

adam and hoss

-Adam, you do me a favor? -Yeah, sure. What is it? (Bonanza, The Jury)

maurice sendak, life, death and children's lit with npr // bonanza, “journey remembered” // unknown // bonanza, “the phillip diedesheimer story” // tiktok comment from anxiousmaya_ // bonanza, “inger, my love” // mary oliver, i have just said // bonanza, “the tin badge” // the best day by taylor swift // bonanza, “the dark gate” // unknown // bonanza, “right is the fourth r” (x) // alice hoffman, practical magic // bonanza, “the hayburner” (x) // eden robinson // bonanza, “the first born” (x) // he ain’t heavy (he’s my brother) by the hollies // bonanza, “the gamble” (x) // brenna yovanoff, the replacement // bonanza, “the lady from baltimore” (x) // jandy nelson, i'll give you the sun

further thoughts and image descriptions below:

part of a series i hope to eventually do exploring the dynamics between all of the cartwrights.

canon explores this little, but i think adam was so excited to be a brother. i think there was so much love stored up inside of him that he didn’t know what to do with until hoss came along, and it was only when he looked at his baby brother that it all made sense; he’s meant to take care of hoss. everything they faced during those early years on their way west was made easier for adam, because he had hoss to love. his love for hoss is easy; they know each other’s thinking with a look, so much of their dynamic made up of quiet conversations and silent exchanges. adam’s love for hoss is without the tension that coincides with his love for joe, without the pressures that go alongside his love for their father. he may roll his eyes at hoss’ occasional silliness or gullibility, but when he sees hoss’ goodness and his gentle kindness, adam’s faith in humanity- perhaps even himself- is restored. to know that hoss trusts him is everything to him.

on the flip side, hoss recognizes how much adam does. he knows how much pride adam takes in being the oldest, the composed and capable brother. hoss is proud of him, too- and he doubts he’ll ever stop reaching for adam when he needs him- but he’s capable of taking on some of adam’s burdens, and he always sort of hopes adam will trust him in return. hoss is often considered the strong one, at least physically, but i think his strength is also seen in how he supports adam, by simply being there with him and reminding him to laugh. i think hoss understands the constant internal debate occurring within adam, always torn between his home and his family, and a tremendous desire to explore and discover the world. hoss seems to know that someday adam will leave again, and he’s okay with it; not only because he loves adam and wants him to be happy, even if it means letting him go, but because adam did his job- hoss grew up safe and became a good man.

i think both, though, tend to avoid talking about the fact that adam will someday leave, and hoss will always stay. it’s not because there’s feelings of guilt or resentment- they may have their misunderstandings or fights, but such emotions never exist, and are never needed, between them. when they do get to thinking about the inevitability of their eventual parting, it’s easier to talk about the past than the future, reminiscing about a shared bedroll under their wagon, or remembering how hoss was once shorter than adam.

adam’s desire to go back to that time- back when he held hoss’ hand when he took his first steps- nearly drowns him when he receives word of hoss’ death all those years later. it’s not possible that the little baby brother of his, who he held even before their father did, was gone. all he wants is to be hoss’ big brother again- is he still his big brother now, now that hoss is gone?

[image one:

text that reads “I had a brother who was my savior, made my childhood bearable.”

a picture of a young adam, holding baby hoss after witnessing the murder of their mama

a tumblr tag that reads “#i knew you by your name before it was yours”

a picture of adam and hoss as they excitedly consider an innovation in engineering and mining technology]

[image two:

a tiktok comment that reads “After I was born, I think all I did was wait for her. Two and a half years of waiting. I wasn't a full person until I was her big sister.”

a picture of adam offering a fond but small smile as hoss delights in his surprise birthday celebrations]

[image 3:

text that reads “I have just said something ridiculous to you and in response, your glorious laughter.” the line “your glorious laughter” is highlighted in yellow.

a picture of adam propping himself against hoss’ shoulder while hiding his laughter]

[image 4:

song lyrics that read “God smiles on my little brother, inside and out / He's better than I am.” the line “He's better than I am” is highlighted in blue.

a picture of them sitting on the front porch, hoss comforts and advises adam after the death of his childhood best friend

text that reads “I know unconditional love is real because my brother and I have it. And there's nothing like it. It's warm, gentle, and benign. I don't think I could ever live without it. I don't know how I can live with him and I don't know how I could ever live without him. But at least I know that unconditional love is real. Thanks to my brother.”

a picture of the middle of a viginia city street, where adam and hoss are exchanging amused glances]

[image 5:

text that reads “No one knows you like a person with whom you've shared childhood. No one will ever understand you in quite the same way.”

a picture of adam and hoss grinning while planning a big win in a horse race

text that reads “You can put your strength down. I'm sitting here with you at your kitchen table. You don't need to say anything.”

a picture of both sitting in front of a chuck wagon, hoss smiling while watching adam laugh]

[image 6:

song lyrics that read “His welfare is my concern / No burden is he to bear / We'll get there / For I know / He would not encumber me / He ain't heavy, he's my brother.” the lines “His welfare is my concern / No burden is he to bear” are highlighted in gray.

a picture of adam and hoss laying on the floor of their jail cell, both slumped against the wall. hoss leans into adam’s shoulder]

[image 7:

text that reads “I wanted to tell her that I loved her, and not in the complicated way I loved our parents, but in a simple way I never had to think about. I loved her like breathing.”

a picture of hoss patting adam on the chest, calming him down after an argument with joe

text that reads “This is what I want: I want to grab my brother's hand and run back through time, losing years like coats falling from our shoulders. Things don't really turn out like you think.”]

[gh0stch3rri3]

Bonanza is such a refreshing western especially Hoss’ character. he is such a big sweetie i love him 😭😭

[burymeinwillow]

a little bonanza compilation of some clips I've made to show friends... I have way more but I didn't want the video to be too long 😭Maybe I'll make a part 2!