Title: "Get My Boots On"
Author: Kat Lee
Dedicated To: My beloved, and always husband, Drew aka Captain Jack, with infintely much love! I love you, my darling! Now, huh, let's get our boots on, shall we? ;-)
Rating: PG-13
Summary: There are only two things Roy wants to do today, and sleep ain't one of 'em.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, names, codenames, places, items, fandoms, titles, and etc. are always © & TM their respective owners, not the author, and are used without permission. Any and all original characters and everything else is © & TM the author and may not be reproduced in any way without the author's express, written permission. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: 244. That's the number of stories that were sitting on my hard drive collecting dust because I lack the energy and time to take care of them as I once did. My betaing pattern has always been to write, then type up if written on paper, the story, read it aloud to my beloved Jack and our children, editing as I go, and then finally format and post. Sadly, this part is simply taking too much of my time and energy, and my beloved Jack and I have too little time together in person these days to be able to keep up with my stories. So what to do? Give up writing? I actually considered it for a while, tried to make excuses to myself other than the large number of stories collecting cyber dust on my computer, as to why I lacked the energy and Muse to write new tales. And then, with the turn of the new year, I decided to stop running and face the problem. The problem is, quite frankly, that once one gets so bogged down in formatting and editing that writing is no longer a pleasure but the actual posting of those writings becomes a hassle and - egad! - work, it's time to cut something out, and that will never be the writing process. So, in short, yes, there will be mistakes in this tale. Yes, it's missing about half of the header information I usually include. But I wrote it for pleasure and am posting it in hopes of sharing that pleasure with others. Do with it as you will.

Roy O'Bannon had always been a late riser until just recently. With all the changes in his life had come the ability to not only wake up early but actually get up and be ready to start the day. The rising sun peeking over the horizon washed his face in gold as his blue eyes fluttered open. He yawned and stretched, then looked down at the end of the bed where his little friends were already waving at him.

Roy smirked. It wasn't like him to get up early, let alone be cracking jokes this early in the morning. The sun wasn't even good and up yet, but here he was, calling his toes his friends. He wriggled his toes and smirked some more at the changes he recognized in his soul and mindset and his own indecency. It wasn't like him to wear holes in his clothes without complaining, but it truly no longer mattered to him that his red longjohns were old, worn, and torn so badly that the bottoms of the feet were entirely out, leaving his toes bare to the cold nights on the desert.

Roy turned over onto his side and gazed at his companion as he slept peacefully and completely unaware of what was about to come. Little things like holey clothes and lack of sleep didn't matter any more, because for the first time in Roy's life, living his life, with all of its ups and downs, was what he wanted to do. He no longer wanted to be anybody else, not a famous gunslinger or the richest, most sought after man in town. He wanted to be right here with this man laying beside him, this crazy, wonderful, delightful China man whom he loved with all his well worn heart.

Roy plucked a feather from his pillow and held it underneath Chon's nose. He watched it waver for a few moments as Chon snored, then ran it lightly over the very tip of his light brown nose. He still remembered when he had believed that Chinese were crazy, backward, and yellow, but even in the golden light of the early morning sun, Chon didn't look yellow to Roy. His skin was more of a brown shade, but even if he had been yellow, he would have still been the most handsome and bravest man Roy had ever known and he would have loved him just as much as he does now.

Chon wasn't responding to Roy tickling his nose with the feather, so the blonde cowboy started taking longer strides. He ran the feather over his lover's face, stroking his cheek bones, tickling his chin, and even brushing lightly against his closed eyelids. "Roy," Roy grinned broadly as Chon finally spoke, "what are you doing?"

"What's it look like I'm doin', China man, China good?" Roy teased, his wide, tooth grin filling his cute face. Only Chon had ever made him smile like this. He loved doing so and the feeling that accompanied the grin. "I'm wakin' you up. Today's gonna be a good day."

"You said that yesterday," Chon reminded him, still not opening his eyes.

Roy ran the feather over his face again. "An' it was."

Chon arched a single, slender eyebrow in question. "You Americans have funny 'good days'."

"What makes ya say that?"

"Roy, we were chased by a gang - "

"We whupped 'em."

"Finally."

"Ya ain't tellin' me ya didn't have fun jumpin' over that canyon."

"That was, in truth, an experience, I had rather not repeat."

"Sure ya would. Ya'd do it again in a heartbeat."

It was too early for him to hide his feelings. Chon groaned and determinedly kept his eyes tightly shut as Roy continued tickling his face. "Roy, go back to sleep."

"No." He laughed at Chon's startled and frustrated expression. "I ever tell ya yer cute when yer angry?"

"Yes. Tell me again later."

"I'm gonna tell ya now," Roy insisted, running the feather lightly over Chon's lips. Then he replaced the feather with his mouth in a kiss that he knew would shoot straight through Chon's toes, which somehow always managed to stay covered in their scant bedclothing, and keep him awake. Chon sighed into his mouth, a sound of mingled delight, relish, and continued frustrated.

For once, he wanted to sleep, after having been up all night trying to find their way back to their hotel room, but Roy wasn't having any more sleep. The day was beautiful, and he wanted to do only two things today. "Roy," Chon protested, almost as though he could read his mind, and broke off their kiss, "there something else you want to do?"

"I don't wanna sleep," Roy answered, grinning. His blue eyes sparkled mischievously. "There's only two things on my agenda today, China man."

"What are those?" Chon asked with faint hope. Perhaps he could get Roy to go do something else and let him sleep a little while longer. They could always make love later.

"I wanna get my boots on. I'm kinda tired of wriggling my toes." Roy's grin grew as Chon finally smiled.

"You say the strangest things," he commented, mumbling sleepily.

Roy leaned down and whispered in his beloved partner's ear, "I yodel even stranger things." His eyes shone; he nipped his ear.

Chon flashed him a wide grin, and Roy knew he had him roped. "I know," he replied, "like yesterday afternoon. Where do you come up with these things?"

Roy shrugged; his body slid against Chon's lithe muscles. "Let's see what I yodel today," he told him, grinning from ear to ear. His mouth angled for his again.

"What was the other thing you wanted to do?" Chon asked, his eyes finally opening.

Roy felt the familiar catch of his breath that happened every time he looked into Chon's almond-like eyes. "Be with you," he told him truthfully. Then, he rolled on top of him, kissed him passionately, and began their celebration of the day they'd been given in which to love and adventure together.

The End