Disclaimer: I do not own the Young Riders or any of the characters, just taking them for a ride.
The bunkhouse was filled with the sound of moans and groans. The riders had spent the entire night at the saloon celebrating with Kid and Jed over their reunion. They did not make it home until sunrise much to Emma's annoyance. They were all regretting their decision now though, seeing how they all had pounding heads and most had lost the little bit they had been able to eat.
"Remind me never to do that again." Lou groaned from her bunk above Kid's.
"Same goes for me." muttered Kid, his arm across his eyes blocking the light.
Ike, who was curled up on his bunk with a red feather boa wrapped around him made a rude hand gesture when Teaspoon came barging into the bunkhouse, making as much noise as possible.
"Now Ike, that wasn't very nice … serves you boys right. Ya know the company's rules about drinking." Teaspoon said with a chuckle.
"Aw come on Teaspoon. It was just one night, and I know I ain't doing that again anytime soon." Jimmy grumbled.
"I reckon ya'll are getting plenty of punishment right now for it anyway. But you been sleeping all day and there's chores to be done, so ya best be getting to them." Teaspoon said before turning around and walking out the door whistling a jaunty tune.
"I really hate that man at the moment." Cody mumbled from under his pillow.
Buck just groaned and climbed out of his bunk. "It's our own damn fault we feel like this. We should have known better, but like Teaspoon said we still got chores to do so come on."
One by one the others crawled out of their bunks with many a moans and groans. Ike had a confused look on his face as he unwound the red boa wrapped around his neck. With a shake of his head he left the bunkhouse to join the others doing chores.
Later that night as they were all sitting around the bunkhouse after dinner Cody asked the question they all wanted to know. "Hey Ike, you wanna tell us just how you got that boa?"
Ike felt his face heat up as all the riders turned to look at him with Cheshire cat grins on their faces. After several minutes of silence he finally signed, "I don't really remember all that much."
Buck who had not drank near as much as the rest of them started laughing. "Well I sure remember how you got it."
"Really? You got to tell us Buck!" Lou exclaimed excited.
Buck looked at her and grinned. "You might not really want me to do that Lou."
Lou and the others looked at Buck funny. "Well now you really do have to tell us Buck. What exactly happened last night?" Jimmy asked.
Buck grinned before leaning back against the wall beside his bunk and began telling the story of how Ike came to be in possession of one feathered boa.
Buck sat in a corner nursing a sarsaparilla. After he had poured out the one shot of whiskey, Jed had taken the riders over to one of the tables and ordered more shots and beer all around. Buck had tried a shot of whiskey and a beer but decided he'd stick with the sarsaparilla. He had a feeling what little he had drank was too much but the others were still drinking. He watched as Jed called some of the girls over to entertain the other boys and Lou. Lou looked really uncomfortable but she was still sitting near Kid.
Buck just happened to hear two of the saloon girls talking. "That's what he said." One of the girls exclaimed.
"Seriously, the little runt has a thing for men? One of the other riders told you this?" her friend asked.
"Yeah, I swear." The first one stated.
Buck leaned back in his chair trying to hear better, he could tell they were talking about Lou, but who'd be fool enough to tell one of the saloon girls that Lou liked men.
"Oh I just got a really mean idea Sally." The second girl said.
"What's that Penny?" Sally asked her friend.
"How about we have a little contest? The first one to get the runt to kiss one of the other boys gets a special treat from one of us, his choice at no cost." Penny said.
"Why would we do that?" Sally asked.
"Because it'd be funny seeing them try to get the boy to kiss one of the others." Penny said.
"Well I think the one called Kid, who told me about the runt in the first place by the way, might actually like to get kissed by the runt." Sally stated eyeing the other boys.
"To each his own, what do you say?" Penny asked, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Let's do it, I could use a laugh, besides they are kinda cute." Sally stated winking at Cody.
The two saloon girls walked off giggling towards the other boys. Buck just shook his head thankful that he wasn't drunk enough to fall for their little game. Whoever Lou ended up kissing, if she kissed anybody, was going to look like he was kissing a guy. Buck halfway hoped that Lou would kiss Cody, bet that would go over big with the ladies. Buck had to laugh at the thought. This night just got real interesting.
When the two saloon girls joined the riders and the other girls already there, Lou couldn't take it anymore. The guys followed the 'ladies' movements like a dying man a glass of water. With an undisguised grunt of frustration Lou pushed back from the table to go sulk at the bar. She ordered another shot of Whiskey and threw it back, the liquid burning the back of her throat. Lou just wanted to go home.
Sally and Penny watched the scrawny rider march to the bar, smirks forming on their faces as they looked back at the other boys. The older army captain had already gone upstairs with one of the other gals leaving the boys ripe for the picking.
"Boys how would ya'll like to have a good time with one of us at no cost." Penny said as she sat in Ike's lap and wrapped her red feather boa around his neck.
"Boy would I love to have a good time with you." Cody said leaning forward and capturing her hand to kiss.
"At no cost?" Jimmy asked, at Sally's nod he asked, "What's the catch?"
"Well see it can only be one of you and you'd get your choice of either me or Sally here, to do whatever you want with." Penny started.
"And what do we got to do to be the lucky fella?" Cody asked giving her a charming smile.
"Oh I think a little contest is in order don't you Sally?" Penny asked turning to her companion.
"I do believe you are right Penny. But what should we have these fine looking men do?" Sally asked winking at Cody.
"Oh well since the Kid here told me that the scrawny one likes men, I think we should see who can get him to kiss one of the other fellas first." Penny said.
The moment those words were out of her mouth Kid spit the beer he had been drinking out. "Excuse me; did you just say you want us to try to get Lou to kiss one of us?" Kid asked.
"Yup, the first one of you to get him to kiss someone else gets his choice of either one of us at no cost for whatever he wants." Penny clarified.
"So we don't gotta get Lou to kiss us, we just gotta get him to kiss someone else." Cody asked.
"Yup, preferably another rider, but really any other male will do." Sally said.
"Well alright then, I'm in." Cody stated.
"Guess that won't be too hard to do." Jimmy said looking over at the Kid who blushed.
Ike just grinned and nodded his head.
"Well go get him tigers." Penny said hopping off of Ike's lap with a laugh.
The girls watched as one by one the riders went over to Lou.
Kid was the first to approach Lou who was still shooting shots of whiskey. He leaned against the bar and bumped shoulders with the small female.
"What da ya want Kid?" Lou asked, her words starting to slur a little.
"I want you Lou." Kid whispered in her ear.
"You've lost your mind Kid." Lou replied moving over to another stool to put distance between them.
Kid did not let that deter him. He just moved right along with her. If Lou was going to kiss anybody it was going to be him, he'd just say one of the other boys talked her into it. Maybe Buck, he wouldn't be able to be with one of the saloon girls otherwise was Kid's opinion.
"I think I got snake bit, do you think you could suck the poison out?" Kid asked grinning at her.
"What the hell are you talking about Kid; there ain't no snakes in here?" Lou asked annoyed that he just wouldn't leave her in peace.
"Would you just kiss me already?" Kid said quietly to her.
"What? You really have lost your mind." Lou exclaimed.
"Please Lou it's for a bet." Kid said.
"Ain't gonna happen Kid, so you can just go on now." Lou stated getting up from her stool.
"Oh come on, it ain't like you don't do it back at the station." Kid pleaded pulling on her arm when she made to leave.
"That's different Kid, we are alone or around people that know the secret. You'd have me kiss you in front of everybody in this saloon while they think I'm a boy." Lou said quietly her words slurring more and more.
"Fine!" Kid yelled storming away to go drink some more by the saloon girls.
Buck let out a small laugh from his table in the corner. One down three to go.
Jimmy shook his head as Kid stormed away from Lou. "Guess it ain't going to be as easy as I thought." He muttered to himself.
Jimmy adjusted his gun belt before placing himself onto the empty stool next to Lou. "Lou." he said with a nod of his head.
"Hickok." Lou replied eyeing him over her shot of whiskey.
"You probably shouldn't be drinking any more of that stuff Lou." Jimmy said. She had already drunk more than the others and with her size he was afraid she was well past being on her way to getting drunk.
"Don't tell me what to do Jimmy. I can handle a little bit of drink." Lou slurred.
Jimmy just raised his hands in defense and back off on that topic. "Alright how bout you do me a favor."
"What sort of favor?" Lou asked.
"I need you to kiss Cody." Jimmy said.
"Why the hell would I do that?" Lou asked incredulously.
"Well besides the fact that he thinks he's God's gift to women and by kissing you like this could knock him down a peg or two?" Jimmy asked.
"So you want me to kiss Cody so people think he likes men and you can ride in and sweep whatever lady it is you two are after off her feet." Lou asked looking at him blankly.
"Yeah pretty much." Jimmy stated with his usual smirk.
"As much as I would like to knock Cody's ego down a peg or two, kissing him ain't on the top of my list of ways to do that." Lou grumbled.
"So that's a no." Jimmy said.
"That's a hell no." Lou said.
Jimmy just shrugged and went back over to the table to join Kid and the saloon girls. It had been worth a shot. If he really wanted to spend some time with one of the ladies he could more than pay for it.
Buck just took a sip of his sarsaparilla and shook his head. Just two more to go.
Cody stumbled his way over to Lou already feeling the effects of the alcohol they had been consuming. "Lou you've gotta help me out." Cody slurred slinging his arm around Lou's thin shoulders.
"Whadda ya want Cody." Lou slurred back.
"See that gal over there." Cody said pointing to Sally the saloon girl. "Well see I'd like to take her upstairs but I ain't got the money."
"You wanna borrow some money?" Lou asked.
"Nah … I want you to kiss Jimmy." Cody said.
"What? Why?" Lou asked.
"Cause, if you kiss him I can take Sally upstairs." Cody said as if it made perfect sense.
"Huh? How would me kissing Jimmy do that?" Lou asked really confused.
"It's a bet." Cody explained.
"A bet… for what?" Lou asked.
"Whoever can get you to kiss someone else first gets the gal of his choice for free." Cody stated with a lopsided grin.
"Uh huh … well that ain't gonna happen so you can just forget it." Lou said grumpily.
"Well then just kiss the Kid… I don't really care who ya kiss as long as you kiss someone so I can have a free night with Sally." Cody declared.
Lou lost her temper then. "Hell NO! I ain't about to kiss Jimmy or Kid or anybody else you try to get me too. I ain't no stinkin' bet!" Lou hollered in the suddenly quiet saloon.
"But you kiss Kid at home." Cody said quietly after the music started up again.
"That is beside the point Cody! I ain't gonna to do it!" she shouted again.
Buck was nearly doubling over with silent laughter at the scene his friends were making. They were both drunk and had no idea how much their voices were carrying. He watched as Cody stumbled away to the table with the ladies, Kid and Jimmy grumbling under his breath.
Ike grinned before going up to Lou and putting his hand on her shoulder.
"OH don't tell me you want me to kiss someone too Ike, I thought you better than that." Lou grumbled up at the silent rider.
Ike just smiled and shook his head. "Why don't you go sit with Buck." he signed before pointing to where Buck was leaning back against the wall eyeing his best friend.
"Why?" Lou asked.
"Because he looks lonely." Ike signed.
"Why don't you go sit with him then?" Lou grumbled some more, she was really in a mood thanks to the other riders.
"Cause I think you need a break from the boys." Ike signed.
Lou gave him a smile, "Thanks Ike."
Buck gave Lou a smile as she stumbled her way over to his table. Behind her back Ike grinned and waggled his eyebrows at Buck. Buck just laughed under his breath and shook his head. There was no way Lou would kiss him.
Ike made his way back over to the table with the others and they all watched as Lou sat next to Buck, who took her whiskey from her without her even noticing and poured it out. When one of the saloon girls looked like she was going to bring more over Buck waved her off. Lou was drunk enough, she really didn't need anymore. That didn't stop the other guys from drinking more as they continued to watch the two from across the room.
"Why are boys so stupid Buck?" Lou asked a few minutes later.
"Why do you think we're stupid?" Buck asked.
"Oh not you Buck, them." Lou said pointing to where the others were watching them.
"You'll learn Lou, that a lot of guys' intelligence slips out the window when a pretty face walks into a room." Buck said quietly.
"I wish I looked like them." Lou mumbled looking at the saloon girls in their fancy dresses and painted faces.
"Don't ever wish that Lou. If the others can't see that you are ten times the woman those 'ladies' are, then they are blind. You're beautiful just the way you are." Buck said quietly.
Lou felt a flush rise on her face. "You're just saying that."
"No I'm not; Kid ain't the only one who sees 'you', Lou. Don't let them get to you, they've had too much to drink and come tomorrow I doubt any of them will even remember this … or you for that matter." Buck said giving her a lopsided smirk.
Lou bumped his shoulder with hers, "Oh shut up." Then she turned to him and surprised him and all the others at the table across the room from them. "Thank you for being you Buck." Lou whispered before placing a quick kiss on his cheek.
Buck blushed, "Anytime Lou, anytime."
The two friends continued talking quietly completely forgotten by the other table. All eyes had turned to Ike who looked like the cat that ate the canary.
"Well damn, didn't think it'd be Ike who won." Cody said.
"Alright Cowboy, which one of us do you want?" Penny asked running the feathered boa down his chest.
Ike gulped and pointed to her. She grinned, "the strong silent type, I like that."
The others watched as the saloon girl took Ike by the hand and led him upstairs. Around an hour later Ike was coming back down the stairs with the red boa around his neck and a goofy grin on his face. By the time they returned to the station it was morning.
Buck finished his tale and everybody looked at Ike who was blushing. "I don't remember any of it." he signed causing them all to laugh.
Kid turned to look at Lou, "I can't believe you kissed Buck."
"It was only on the cheek Kid." Buck said.
"I don't even remember any of that, the last I remember was going over to the bar to get away from all ya'll staring at them saloon tramps like a man dying of thirst would a drink of water." Lou said baffled.
"I ain't ever going to be able to show my face in town again." Moaned Lou as she realized the whole saloon thought she was a boy kissing another guy.
"I think by that time Lou, most the people in the saloon were too far gone into their own drinks to even notice." Buck assured her.
"Still I'm never drinking like that again." Lou stated.
"Me neither. I can't even remember what I did with that girl." Ike signed.
The others all nodded their heads in agreement. "Well I guess we should go to bed now that we know how big of fools we made of ourselves last night." Kid said.
One by one the riders crawled into their bunks and drifted off to sleep. Lou lay in her bunk for a long time thinking.
"Hey Buck you still awake?" she whispered softly.
"Yeah." Buck replied.
"What did you say that made me kiss you?" Lou asked.
"I just told you the truth Lou, you're beautiful." Buck replied.
"Buck?" Lou asked a few seconds later.
"Yeah Lou?" Buck asked.
"Next time I'll remember." Lou whispered.
"Remember what?" Buck asked propping himself up on his elbows.
"This." Lou whispered as she climbed off her bunk and went over to him and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "You are a good man Buck Cross."
With one more kiss to his cheek Lou turned and climbed back into her bunk and fall right to sleep. Buck flopped back onto his bunk, with a smile tugging at his lips. It had been a good couple of days.