#hey fellas is it gay to want to drive across the country with your best friend

[landwriter]

Sandman prompt: Dreamling roadtrip

"Remind me why I am allowing this," says Dream.

Hob casts a sidelong glance at him. Dream, in his car. Dream, stuck in the crawl of London traffic with him. Imagine that.

He reels off Dream's succession of unfortunate choices with poorly smothered glee. "Because your sister said you should spend more time among us humans, which you mentioned in passing to Matthew yesterday, who suggested a road trip, then had to explain to you that a road trip meant 'Just driving somewhere for a while', and you apparently you said-," Hob pauses to pitch his voice as low and poncy as possible, "'Ah, a pilgrimage, then. A journey for self-knowledge.' And Matthew said 'That's right, boss' and you said you would, in fact, be curious about such an experience."

"False pretenses," says Dream, darkly, under his breath.

"Indeed," says Hob, who thinks he loves false pretenses now. Matthew had shown up at his flat laughing so hard he couldn't even speak. When he finally recounted the conversation (after Hob had gotten very concerned and asked if Matthew needed a human counselor or an animal vet, and Matthew had shaken his head and wheezed 'No, a driver', before falling into fits of laughter again), Hob had immediately agreed.

"And then I canceled my plans for the weekend because I'm the only human you know who has a car, it turns out," (A reliable and bright red Vauxhall Corsa, thank you for asking.) "And because I'm a very good friend," he adds. He still relishes the new-word feel of it. It had only been four months since Dream had shown up at The New Inn. Hob was skiving off marking midterm papers for this, actually.

"Yes," says Dream. Hob realizes he'd skive off the whole term for this.

How could he turn down the prospect? His friend, literally strapped into the Corsa for at least the next several hours. Assuming Dream didn't leap out and flee on foot down the M1 - which seemed so thoroughly undignified for a being of Dream's station that Hob felt utterly assured of his company. It had all rather gone to his head.

"This will be fun," he promises. "Feel the grass under your feet, and that."

Dream looks out the window bitterly as a lorry overtakes them. Hob has never been the fastest of drivers. Never really took to it, to be honest. Bit of the medieval peasant in him, he thinks, can't quite make himself go over fifty miles per hour. But he's very safe. Hardly any accidents. Mostly minor rear-end damage.

"I see no grass," says Dream.

"Surely the Lord of Stories is familiar with figurative speech," says Hob, and glows under the heat of Dream's glare in reply.

"Anyways," he continues, "We're getting to that bit. Literally. In, uh, six hours or so? It's a great spot. But in the mean time, this is part of it too." Hob takes a hand off the wheel to gesture with a flourish at the sea of sensible hatchbacks and work vans around them, swimming like fish in the asphalt rivers of London's outer burbs. "Humanity," he pronounces, and the car drifts a little into the next lane. Humanity honks rudely at him and then accelerates safely out of Hob's radius.

Dream's sulking seems to have pushed him fully into the realm of catatonia, because Hob's passengers are usually more animated when he does exciting little things like that. Hob looks over in concern and this time the car barely follows with him.

"Bit rusty," he offers.

Dream deigns to snort softly at that. "My sister is far worse," he says.

Hob raises his eyebrows. It was hard to imagine Death bad at anything, frankly. Dream must see his look because he clarifies.

"Another sister. Delirium. An official of the carriageway stopped us. He would not have us continue our passage. So she gave him delusion of bugs crawling across his skin. Forever."

"Well, that's one way to get out of a ticket," says Hob, and makes a mental note to ask Death for a complete list of siblings and how to avoid angering them.

"He was being rude," adds Dream. He suddenly sounds very much like an older brother.

"Oh, fair play, then," says Hob affably. He'd had little sisters once. He understood.

They drive in silence for a few minutes. Hob thinks about putting on a playlist, and has just decided that nineties Britpop is perfect for this occasion when they pass a junction sign and he exclaims in recognition.

"The M25! Funny story, I know just the loveliest antiquarian book dealer who says his partner - uh, I'm assuming there, but if you heard the way he talks about him - anyways, his partner designed it. Some kind of high-flying civil engineer, I reckon."

"Really," says Dream. "A...high-flying...civil engineer." He sounds fascinated.

Hob hadn't expected Dream to be interested in road design.

"Something like that, definitely," he says, looking over to see Dream, staring at him, rapt. He looks back and brakes just in time to avoid hitting the car in front of him as it turns off onto the motorway in question. "Sorry. Saw him once in passing, actually. Dresses like you. Very fancy and dark."

"Perhaps you should keep your focus on the road, Hob," says Dream, but he sounds like he's smiling.

"Oh, we're not for a while yet," says Hob. Half truth, half optimism.

"Where are we going?" asks Dream. Hob beams. He's just won a bet with Matthew.

"It's a surprise" he says. "Now, have you heard of this band called Oasis?"

[badcowboy69]

Homeward Bound part 5

Whew yet another chapter in my ongoing saga about my courier six, Travis Blackfox, rediscovering his family.  Still in the important “banter” phase.  Next chapter should be more interesting with new discoveries for my dear boy.  

@fuzzyelves here we go...lol hope you like it  

You can find the previous four chapters in the writings section of my blog.  Chapter put under the cut due to length.  Enjoy!!!

The pleasant aroma of food filled the air as Travis and Riley stepped out into the hallway.  Instantly, Travis felt his mouth water and his stomach growled hungrily.  Eagerly, he strode towards the dining area, his boots clunking loudly on the wooden floor.  He came to a halt a few feet away from the dining table to look over the impressive spread of food: a bowl full of mashed potatoes, a plate piled with ears of corn, a loaf of bread, and the main course, a platter with a small mound of prairie fowl which Riley noted the pieces were larger than what you might get from an average chicken.

Travis’ parents entered the room and his mother immediately began filling their glasses with ice water from the clay pitcher she was holding.  “Help yourselves, boys, and don’t be shy asking for seconds or even thirds.  There’s plenty to go ‘round,” Mrs. Blackfox said with a warm smile while leaning into the kiss her husband planted on her cheek before taking his seat.

“Oh dang!” Travis exclaimed under his breath.  “Ain’t gonna think the spread at the Tops is so great anymore after seeing this!”

“Reminds me of family gatherings back in the day,” Riley reminisced in a low tone while impulsively pulling out Travis’ chair before taking a seat himself.  “This is really kind of you,” Riley directed to Mrs. Blackfox with a grateful smile.  “Thank you so much for your hospitality.”

“Y-yeah, much obliged,” Travis chimed in while scooting in his chair.  “This is really amazing.”

“Alright y’all, ‘nough chatter, let’s get to eatin’!” Dante exclaimed with a chuckle as his wife gave him a playful shove.

“Ain’t gotta tell me twice!” Travis responded hungrily and began to pile food onto his plate.

About mid-way through the meal when the food consumption and small talk slowed, Tracy set her fork down and directed attention to her son.  “Travis, since you got here we bombarded you with constant questions.  Is there anything you’d like to ask us about?”

Travis paused from shoveling more food into his mouth and glanced from her to his father.  There were a million possible questions he could ask and so many things he was burning to know.  However, he wasn’t one that enjoyed being put on the spot and hastily blurted, “Yeah...what...uhh...wh-what kind of critters y’all got here?”

His parents blinked in surprise and even Riley was a little taken aback by Travis’ unusual question.  “Of all the dang things ta ask, ya ask about critters!  Why don’t that surprise me?” Dante chuckled, his pale eyes shining.  “Ya always had a deep fondness for all animals.  Well, lessee...we got ‘bout thirty head of brahmin...maybe ‘bout ten bighorners.  Got a few grazers and a small flock of prairie fowl.  Also got us five steeds and one dog.”

Travis grinned broadly hearing about the assortment of animals on the ranch.  “Oh man, that all sounds great!  Ain’t quite sure what steeds are exactly, but…”

“Don’t forget our newest addition, Dante!” Mrs. Blackfox eagerly interrupted.  “We got these new critters from a caravan a little while ago.  They had these tiny, furry baby things in a basket and they were simply darling.  Ain’t never seen anything like them and I fell in love with them instantly!  Your father bartered with the owner and we managed to obtain a pair.  We were told they’re good for keeping vermin out of the feed and such.  They’re called cats and sort of remind me of teeny versions of Maulers.”

Travis practically choked on his drink and stared in wide-eyed disbelief at his parents.  “D-did you say cats?”

Dante arched an eyebrow and nodded slowly, wondering what made his son so incredulous.  “A’yup.  Fella said he picked ‘em up at some corn farmer’s place miles west of here.  Said they’re newly introduced into the area.  Why?  Y’all got ‘em in New Vegas?”

“Do we got cats in Vegas?  Shit, we got plenty seein’ I was the one that what brought ‘em back from the Boston Commonwealth in the first place!” Travis replied excitedly.  He began to fidget and his eyes darted about looking for a glimpse of the cats.  “Where they at?  I wonder if they’re from Pepper’s litter?  Are they in here anywheres?  No, they can’t be otherwise you’d be sneezin’,” he babbled, directing the last sentence to Riley as he pushed his chair backwards to take a look under the table just in case.

“Boston Common-what?” Dante asked then suddenly rapped his knuckles hard on the table to get Travis’ attention, putting a stop to his frantic search for cats.  “Hey!”    

“Commonwealth,” Travis repeated while righting himself and scooting his chair back to the table.  “It’s a far off place on the east coast of the country.  ‘Bout three thousand miles or something.  Took me two weeks to get out there on my motorcycle.”

“Motorcycle?  Shit...son, is there nothin’ you ain’t done?” the cowboy chuckled and took a swig of his beer.  “Ya always did like to tinker.  All the projects you started and never finished are still in the barn.  Glad to hear ya finally got something completed for once.  You build that car out front too?”

“No, Mister House gave it to me, but I did help in fixing it and getting it running.  Reckon that’s a story to tell y’all later on.”

“Back to this Boston place,” Tracy excitedly chimed in.  “What in the heck enticed you to drive three thousand miles?”

“Cats!  Found out about ‘em in a book Mister House had.  I asked him about them and he said that as far as he knew they didn’t exist anymore, but he wasn’t entirely sure.  I started putting the word out over the radio to anyone that would listen. I was curious if anyone saw or heard of a cat.  I mean we still got dogs, there had to be cats, right?  Anyways, got a response from some fella in a place called D.C. saying he saw some up in Boston.  Gave me the coordinates and I planned the trip and went.”

It was evident this topic greatly excited Travis as he continued on with his tale.  After breezing over the two weeks it took him to drive across the country, his entire demeanor suddenly changed.  No longer did he look lost and distraught.  Instead, his expression was that of pure happiness.  However, getting to the part about staying in Diamond City is when his emotions simmered down slightly.  It was there his cat quest shifted in a completely new direction as it was where he noticed, met, and hooked up with Riley.  As wonderful as that meeting was, he had to keep their romance quiet until he knew how his parents would react.  Still, there was no way he really could continue the story without mentioning something about their friendship.  Coming up with a quick solution, Travis instead skipped to the part where Riley assisted him on the quest and took him to the small town of Covenant to see the legendary cats.  

Travis soon lost himself and carried on and on about how awesome the encounter was, the lemonade making Mister Handy named Deezer, and even Riley’s allergies.  All the while, his parents hung on every word with Tracy absently gathering a small handful of her hair and twirling it between her fingers while Dante crossed his arms in front of his chest as an amused smile danced faintly on his lips.  They were both glad seeing their son finally showing some excitement tonight even if it was simply over cats.    

However, while Travis continued to ramble on, oblivious to much else other than what he was talking about, Riley thought he detected a knowing glint in the rancher’s eyes.  Though Travis’ praise of Riley helping him achieve his dream of seeing cats was simply that, it was evident there was something more by how his voice would go up slightly with every mention of the redhead.  If Riley noticed, surely Dante did too and he suddenly felt a wave of nervous uncertainty fill him.  He wasn’t exactly sure on how to read Dante as the man seemed to be quite the mystery.  

Before Riley could worry himself over something that might not even be there, he heard Travis begin, “Kinda funny that I had gone all the way to Boston in search of pu---”

Without even hesitating, Riley began to purposely cough once he realized what Travis was about to say.  It was a tasteless joke of Travis’, proclaiming he had gone to Boston in search of pussy, but found dick instead.  When Travis’ good friend, Arcade, heard the phrase a while back, the blonde doctor stated that he gets the humor Travis was going for, but for a gay man making a remark like that was a bit unusual and very out of place.  Since then, Travis stopped with the joke, but today it seemed like it wanted to surface again for whatever reason.  Being in the presence of his folks, regardless if Travis remembered them or not, Riley knew the comment would be in very, very bad taste.

Fortunately, the subtle distraction was all it took to divert Travis from making a huge error in his choice of words.  After making sure Riley was alright, Travis didn’t pick up where he left off and instead unwittingly ended his story in a more tasteful way.  “Thanks to a good friend of mine who’s got access to a Vertibird, I was able to bring back a bunch of cats to Vegas!  I got a few at my casino and the rest got spread around to my friends in the Mojave.  It’s really cool to see they made it out this way and that y’all got some!”

“Wow!  This is absolutely amazing!  So far this is two things now that affected our lives in some way and both were at the hands of my own son!” Tracy beamed proudly and her eyes began to glisten with tears.  “To think, you were with us all along in some way...first by being the anonymous person that helped defeat the Legion, then as the person who brought us those kittens found in that caravan.  It was almost as if you were subconsciously trying your best to reach out to us.  Oh, Travis, if only you reached out for real…if only...” she trailed off and bit her lower lip not wanting to say what was truly gnawing at her.  

However, Travis knew exactly what she was wanting to get at.  His jovial mood quickly vanished and he downcast his eyes while anxiously flicking his fingers against his drinking glass.  Truly, there was no excuse for him to not make the effort to come home for almost a decade.  He knew it was fear of rejection that kept him away, nothing else.  Countless times his friends in New Vegas begged him to take that chance.  They told him even if it didn’t work out at least it would give him some kind of closure.  At the very least he would learn where he had come from and maybe discover who he used to be.  Still, it was never enough to fully entice him to take that big step. 

Riley was quick to notice Travis’ sudden shift of mood and was about to make an attempt to save the conversation and lighten things up again when Mrs. Blackfox continued.  “Listen, I know you probably have a million more stories and questions for us.  We most certainly do, but I realize that this is probably super hard and awkward for you.  I know it’s all overwhelming and there’s plenty of time for more story swapping later.  That being said, did you boys save room for dessert?” 

“N-no, thank you.  Dinner was great and I’m quite full,” Travis replied with a forced grin.  He knew he could eat much more, but the last thing he wanted to do right now was come off as a starving glutton in front of his folks.

“I’m fine too, Mrs. Blackfox.  Dinner was fantastic, thank you,” Riley said as he passed his plate to Tracy’s outstretched hand as she gathered up the empties.

“Well, I reckon now that we got our bellies full, next thing for me to do is get the place buttoned up for the night and let the rest go as they may,” Dante chimed in.  “Ain’t got too much time left of the sunlight to show y’all around proper.  There’s always tomorrow for more exploring and chores and whatnot.  You think your fancy pants is up to learning about ranch life, Riley White?”  Seeing the redhead blink behind his glasses and blush slightly, Dante smirked.  “Ah hell, looks like we got a late risin’ greenhorn city boy in the house,” he chuckled.

“Thought I told you to quit antagonizing that man,” Mrs. Blackfox groaned and rolled her eyes as she gave her husband’s shoulder a playful shove.  “Don’t mind him, Riley.  That’s just his way of showing he likes someone.  Now, why don’t you boys go step outside and get some fresh air.” “A’yup, and mebbe y’all can explain that crazy critter ya brought.  I ain’t seen one of ‘em in years,” Dante interjected as he stood and stretched.  “Great meal as always, love.”  The lanky cowboy leaned in to give his wife a tender kiss on the cheek before turning on his heel and making his way out the backdoor.

Taking what dishes she could carry to the sink, Mrs. Blackfox asked over her shoulder, “Are you sure you had enough to eat, Travis?  Ain’t like you to skip dessert.”

“Um...n-no.  I mean yes.  I’m fine, thank you.  Please, let me help.”  Travis snapped to his feet and scooped up the remaining plates and took them to his mother.  “If you don’t mind, I’d like to wash these.  It’s the least I can do as thanks for the meal.” 

“Nonsense,” Tracy replied, waving her hands to shoo Travis away from the sink.  “You go on outside.  There’ll be plenty of other chances to help out ‘round here if that’s what you want.”  Taking the plates from her son, Tracy paused for a moment to stare at him.  She shook her head in disbelief, never imagining that after so many heartbroken years her son was actually back from the dead and standing in her kitchen.  Her blue eyes began to get moist from tears and she turned away back towards the sink.  “Go on now, go outside before it gets too dark to...oh no.”  Letting out a soft laugh she gave a nod towards the window.  “Looks like the help is hanging around, no doubt wanting to see you, Travis.  Best go and see them lest they have a stroke and die ‘cause they ain’t gonna stop ‘til they get a gander at you.”

Travis furrowed his brow while giving Riley a hopeless look.  Even though he wasn’t exactly anxious to meet anyone else right now, seeing a glimpse of the ranch before nightfall certainly appealed to him.  Travis pushed open the screen door and the cooler evening air greeted him as he stepped out onto the porch.  He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled while he looked out over the rows of corn and wheat.  Various fruit trees dotted the fields and he could almost picture the livestock grazing in their shade.  A shimmer in the distance caught his eye and he figured it was a creek or at least some sort of water source.  That calming, pulling sensation began to flow through him again and he found himself yearning to walk through those cornfields to the creek and find a place to sit until the moon rose high in the sky.   

Unfortunately, he couldn’t savor the peaceful fantasy for too long as he heard the shuffling of boots on dirt.  His father was heading his way while a gray and black hound dog trotted at his side with Rex in tow.  Diverting his gaze from them, Travis noticed the corrals were now bustling with livestock.  Brahmin were in one pen while Big Horners were in another.  He could hear the soft lowing, grunts and snorts of the animals seeming to encourage him to go get a closer look.  Travis eagerly jumped off the porch, but was instantly sidetracked as the hound dog broke from Dante’s side and trotted over to investigate Travis instead.  The dog gave him a few interested sniffs before giving his hand a lick.  “You’re a good pup, ain’t ‘cha?” Travis asked the dog while patting him on the head.  The dog wagged his tail in response then flopped on the ground at Travis’ feet.

“This cyborg of yours is pretty nifty,” Dante remarked, nodding in Rex’s direction who took his place next to the hound.  “Saw some like him a few times, mostly in town as NCR passed through.  Sometimes Legion had ‘em.  I see the faded paint mark of the Bull on this one.  Cain’t wait to hear the story in how you got this fella.” 

Travis numbly nodded then felt his stomach suddenly sink as he realized two men were also making their way towards him.  He was so caught up in the scenery, dogs, and livestock that he completely forgot his mother mentioning the ranch hands were lingering in the area in hopes to finally see him.  They both seemed to be about the same age, early to mid-forties, and were grinning broadly and waving at their long lost friend.  Not wanting to come off as rude, Travis stood and brushed the sand off his jeans with one hand while feebly waving back with his other.

“Ooowee, lookie’chu!” the taller of the two men exclaimed while snatching Travis’ hand with his and vigorously pumping it up and down.  “All grown up and filled out...ain’t the lanky squirt you was before you left for Vegas.”  Seeing the blank look he was getting from Travis, the cowboy smacked himself upside the head.  “Shit, where’s my manners?  You got that memory loss thing goin’ on and don’t even know who’n the hell I am, huh?  Name’s Tim.  Been on this ranch ever since you was a little kid.  Dang, ain’t never thought I’d see you again!  When you went missing all those years ago...well...was devastatin’ I tell ya what,” Tim said solemnly while kicking at the sand with the toe of his boot.

“Oh, Tim, quit bein’ so dramatic!” the shorter man chimed in.  “I’m Brad, by the way!  So glad to get to see you alive an’ well, Trav!” 

Travis tried to smile as the man grabbed his hand and shook it while thumping him on the shoulder with the other.  The awkward feeling he felt earlier when his mother suggested he go out to meet these people only intensified now that he was finally face to face with them.  He tried to distract himself by looking over their matching black cowboy hats and their neatly trimmed moustaches that meshed with their goatees.  He wondered if they could be brothers and for a fleeting moment he wondered if  they could be related to him or if he even had any siblings for that matter.  

Hoping to overcome his nerves, Travis thought it’d be good to ask about their relations, but the ranch hand’s sudden burst of chatter prevented him from even getting a word in edgewise.  Fortunately for him, rescue from the banter and fawning came in the way of his partner almost seeming to materialize by his side holding two beers.  Feeling a sweep of relief as Tim and Brad paused from babbling over the interruption, Travis twisted off the cap and gestured towards Riley with the bottle.  “This here’s my friend, Riley.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Riley said with a warm smile while offering his free hand to them in friendship.       

Once the introductions and handshakes were done, Brad couldn’t help but suddenly smirk and give the courier a wink.  “Friend my ass, Trav.  If my feelings are correct, I’m gonna bet that this fella’s your boyfriend.”

Hearing the mention of boyfriend, Riley’s face instantly turned a bright shade of red and he bit his lower lip while distracting himself with his beer.  Travis, on the other hand, did his best not to show any reaction to the remark.  He didn’t admit anything to his parents yet so there was no way he was going to admit anything to these people.  However, when faced with a direct remark or question, he was never able to lie or hide his emotions no matter how hard he tried.  Besides blushing fiercely, a dopey smile tugged at the corners of his moustache and he began to rub the back of his neck.  Those actions alone spoke volumes without Travis having to say one word.

Brad’s brown eyes widened and he grinned broadly.  “Oh!  I knew it!  I knew it!  Hot damn, you sure did get yourself a cutie!”  Giving Tim a spirited shove, Brad gestured with his hand and exclaimed, “Ya owe me five caps!  I told ya the fella that brung him here was his boyfriend!”

“Boyfriend?”  The sharp voice of Dante cut through the air making the laughter and gentle teasing abruptly stop.  The four men turned to see a deeply scowling Dante stomping their way.  “Whaddya mean, boyfriend?” he snapped, stopping a few feet away from his son.  Dante glared hard at Tim and Brad whose jovial attitudes instantly vanished.  He then gave Riley a sideways glance before focusing his burning, pale blue eyes on Travis.

Riley felt his stomach clench and heart almost break hearing the tone of Dante’s voice and seeing his towering frame looming over that of Travis.  His deepest fear about this entire meeting seemed to have come true.  However, the possibility of a fight that might break out now from his partner’s defensive nature was what scared him the most.  He saw Travis’ eyebrows instantly lower and eyes narrow dangerously while he corrected his posture and balled his fists at his side.

The air was thick with tension and it was almost as if this were the typical cliche sort of showdown one would see in old western movies.  Neither of the three men moved and scarcely dared to breathe for fear of sparking the confrontation between father and son.  Riley was almost waiting for a prop tumbleweed to roll by or the recorded call of a hawk to cry out overhead.  Even though those thoughts were amusing, it hardly was enough to take away the uneasy reality of the situation.  

Twitching his moustache, the cowboy shook his head in disbelief and threw his hands up in the air.  “Y’all have been together how long and you’re still just boyfriends?  What’n the hell’s wrong with you?  Y’all shoulda been married by now!”

Blindsided and bewildered by what his father said, Travis blinkled and took a step back.  “Muh-m-m-married?  I…” Travis stammered and looked helplessly to Riley whose wide-eyed, shocked expression only served to puzzle him more.  “I...umm…”

“Pfft...lordy!” Dante snorted.  “When I met your ma it was only a few months of courtin’ ‘til we got hitched.  And you two are together for what…five or six months or something?”

“Y-year an’ a half,’ Travis numbly replied, his mind still racing from the entire conversation and the unexpected turn it took.

“Year and a... Oh fer the love of Pete!  Even Tim and Brad done got hitched sooner’n that!” the cowboy laughed and clamped his hand on Travis’ shoulder.  “I know love ain’t determined by a band of gold on yer finger or whatever, but damn, son!”

Travis weakly chuckled and put the beer to his lips with a trembling hand.  He noticed poor Riley was paler than usual, still staring at the ground and biting his thumbnail.  Brad was collecting his caps from Tim and their smiles and jovial moods have returned now that the tense moment was defused.  Apparently Dante had an odd sense of humor and it was one Travis hoped he’ll learn to understand in the near future.

“Sorry, son, didn’t mean to startle ya about the boyfriend thing.  Glad to see ya got yerself a good man...even if he’s a city slicker,” Dante chuckled while giving Travis a wink and a pat on the shoulder.  Turning his sights on Tim and Brad, he made a shooing motion with his hands.  “Alright you two, ya saw Travis.  Let’s get back to work while we still got sun!  We’ll talk ‘bout things later, Travis.  Right now I gotta make sure the pens and barn’s locked up for the night.”  Giving his son another pat on the shoulder, the cowboy sauntered off towards the corrals.

Travis sighed heavily and his entire posture slumped now that he was finally alone with Riley.  “Shit,” he muttered before guzzling the remainder of beer in the bottle.  He toed at the dirt with his boot for a few moments before turning on his heel and heading back to the porch.  Dropping heavily on an old wood chair, Travis set his empty beer bottle down and rubbed his face with his hands.

“You okay, babe?” Riley asked as he leaned against the porch rail, still nursing his own beer.

“I’m whupped,” Travis simply replied as he leaned back against the chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest.  He was drained both mentally and physically.  The day’s events were finally taking their toll on him and Dante’s weird way of showing acceptance to Travis’ relationship with Riley took the last of his strength.  Taking in a slow, calming breath, Travis stared out at the corn and did his best to relax his frazzled mind.  “You know...I think I’m ready to head back to town and get ourselves a room.  Get us a good sleep and come back in the morn if they’ll have us.”

“I’m sure they will,” Riley said gently while stepping closer to his man.  “I know they’re just as excited to show you the ranch as you are to see it.  I’m ready to go if you are.”

Travis nodded and was about to whistle for Rex, but decided against it.  The dog would be better off here for the night, especially since he wasn’t sure if a hotel would be all that keen about an animal in the room.  “Let’s go then.  Maybe after we get settled you can give me that blow job you sorta suggested back when we first got here,” the courier teased, making Riley blush and roll his eyes with a chuckle.

Entering the house, Travis looked around for his mother and spotted her sitting on the couch reading a book.  He softly cleared his throat to get her attention.  “Well...it was really great seeing y’all and dinner was really great.  It’s getting kinda late right now so Riley and I are gonna head to town and try and find a place to stay.  I’d love to come back tomorrow and have that tour of the ranch if that’s ok.”

“Heading out?  Travis, really!” Mrs. Blackfox exclaimed while putting the book down.  “I didn’t shoo y’all out for dinner and I sure ain’t going to shoo y’all out now.  You boys are more than welcome to stay here.  Ain’t like we’re being put out or anything since you already have your own room and big enough bed.”  Seeing Travis suddenly squirm at that statement caused her to lightly laugh.  “Oh, come on, Travis.  Me and your father both figured you two were a couple from the get go.  We weren’t exactly sure how to bring it up without embarrassing y’all.”

Rubbing the back of his neck and feeling much more at ease knowing both his parents were accepting of his relationship, Travis responded wearily, “Well, thanks for the offer.  Most appreciated.”  

Riley quirked a brow, catching the subtle change in not only Travis’ voice, but his posture.  The courier looked completely exhausted now that he knew the stresses of today was finally over.  “Travis, why don’t you go and relax.  I’ll get our things out of the car.”  

Travis gave him a grateful smile, bade his mother goodnight, then shuffled down the hall to his bedroom.  Feeling for the switch, Travis flicked it on and blinked as his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness.  He stood in the doorway for a few moments, looking around in hopes that maybe now something might look familiar to him, but as expected, nothing did.  Sighing, he made his way to his bed and pulled off his boots.  Grabbing the box of matches on the nightstand, he struck one and lit the oil lamp.  He watched the flame dance enticingly behind the glass shade making him yearn to go outside somewhere and torch something.  

At length, Travis stood and disrobed down to his boxes then draped his clothes over the chair.  Flicking the light switch off allowed the gentle flame from the oil lamp to illuminate the room in a soothing yellow glow.  As he pulled back the quilt, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his moustache from seeing the faded, but clean sheet that covered the mattress.  He knew that once he lays down and succumbs to the comfort of the bed he wouldn’t be conscious for much longer.  He had hoped to stay awake for when Riley returns with their things, but it was a losing battle.  

Flopping onto the mattress, Travis instantly felt all the stress and tension leave his body.  Closing his eyes with a sigh, he turned over to face the wall and pulled the quilt up to his chin.  Although his body was rapidly relaxing, his mind was still buzzing with the day’s events as well as what he hoped tomorrow would bring.  All things considered, his reunion with his parents went rather well.  He was immensely happy that they welcomed him back into their lives and more so that they were accepting of Riley.  He was anxious to see the cats his parents acquired and he was very interested to find out what exactly steeds were.  

His mind next shifted to the final conversations of the evening.  Hearing that Tim and Brad are married was wonderful enough, but the fact Dante was shocked Travis wasn’t already married to Riley blew his mind.  Travis squirmed and felt a pleasant warmth surge through him at the very thought.  The idea of proposing to Riley has crossed his mind plenty of times in the past.  However, he never knew how to go about it or if it was even something Riley would want to do.  There’s no way he’d say no after all this time, would he?  Certainly now was not the time to ponder it and his body let him know by bringing on a large yawn.  Rubbing his eyes, Travis settled against the pillow and did his best to clear his mind and drift off into what he hoped would be a peaceful sleep with dreams to match.

 to be continued...