Note: Thanks so much for all of your reviews. I really do feel beyond loved. And I'm glad that you liked the doubling up. This probably won't be the last time I do that. While I have your attention, both of my rps are looking for canons. If you have any interest see my profile. Now here's part two. A shout out to "Gangs of New York" is also in order.
By the time Anton woke up, Ty was already changed, clean, and ready to continue their journey. The former slave was gazing out the window with a look of wonder and excitement on his face. Smiling gently, Anton raised himself from the bed. "What are you looking at?" He asked him in as whisper as he didn't want to startle the other man.
Ty was less then startled. It seemed as if he knew that Anton was awake all along. "The sunrise," He replied not taking his eyes off the sight. "I've…I've always found it beautiful but I was always too busy…knowing that there was work to be done. A day of hard labor ahead. I never got the chance to…really watch. To appreciate it. It's beautiful."
The smile on Anton's face deepened. Josephine always told Anton that Ty was thoughtful and his passion was infectious. But…she failed to mention the gravity of him. The way that he was so gentle and strong at the same time. Even though he was wounded, his sprit was intact. All that he had gone through, he had never been destroyed.
"You make it sound wonderful," Anton replied slipping out of bed and looking over Ty's shoulder. "You were right…maybe it's just today. Exceptionally beautiful." Ty raised his gaze to land on Anton.
Their eyes met and Ty whispered, "One of the things-"
"Be out by breakfast," The low and gravely voice snapped through the door therefore breaking the moment. The innkeeper.
Ty cleared his throat and nodded. "We should get on the move."
"We should," Anton said quietly. "There's a long road ahead. And more than likely, Dr. Grey will go to his banker friends today. We can't take our time anymore. Not unless we want to be caught."
"How many times have you done this before?" Ty asked quietly as Anton moved away to pull on the dress that he wore the day before.
He shrugged on the dress as if he had done so many times before. "Four times. First was Edwidge. A young lady whose husband had ran away and wanted her to be with him. Second was Bartholomew. He was a nice man…at times. Without much time he grew attached to us. And he visits, I'm sure you'll meet him. Then there was the two brothers. Ethan and Jonathan. They did not make it. Not to frighten you," Anton said holding out his hand as he reached for his wig with the other hand. "They were not patient. And my attire…well they were not very…understanding. They decided to go on their own. And they were captured. I managed to get away. Thankfully, I'm a fast runner."
Ty leaned against the door. "I…can't imagine anyone being uncomfortable with you."
Anton was glad that he was looking away at the time, or else his blush would have been quite easy to see. This man, he was easily Anton's favorite of those he saved. And it wasn't due to his relationship with Josephine and the twins. A relationship which was precious to him.
"I…I won't be able to continue this for much longer. As it is, I used to dress as a common woman. With a washerwoman's garb. That woman is already wanted, the police put threads together after Bartholomew's escape. We had to create a new dress…this will probably be my last run," Anton explained eager to change the subject. It wasn't his place to even…think what he was thinking. Ty was married. And it was obvious that he loved her and his children. Something that made Anton like Ty even more. It almost seemed unavoidable.
Ty picked up their bags. "That's a pity. Your disguise is impressive."
"Impressive?" Anton asked with a quiet laugh. "You are married to Josephine aren't you? For a former slave she is very well spoken. As are you. But yes, it is a good disguise. I will miss it." He admitted as he ran his fingers through the wig.
"Miss it?" Ty questioned.
"Yes well…sometimes I just…enjoy…"Anton paused and then shook his head. "It is silly. I shouldn't say it."
Ty crossed his arms and then stared at his companion. "You saved my life, Anton. It's only fair that I listen to you. And there is nothing that you could say that would be silly."
Closing his eyes, Anton begged himself not to fall in love with this man. His previous experiences with love never ended right. It was as if his dead wife was making sure that he was cursed. "I…I just feel more comfortable in these disguises than I do my normal clothes. The trousers and shirts. I prefer these. It is a silly thing, but I suppose comfort doesn't mean that it should be," He explained refusing to meet Ty's eyes. This was the way to end it. Ty would be disgusted and that would be it. His charming and calm disposition would turn sour. That was be the end of it. It was nice to dream…if only for a few short moments.
"Oh…" Ty said quietly. "And it's not silly. Everyone wears a disguise in some way don't they? Sometimes…the disguise is a lie…but sometimes it's true."
"BREAKFAST!" The innkeeper yelled making the two men jump.
Anton held back a slight laugh and whispered. "We should probably get breakfast before the innkeeper comes in here himself."
Ty nodded to him and then opened the door. He motioned for Anton to go before him. The smile on Anton's face grew. "Thank…thank you," He mumbled shuffling out of the room with his luggage in his hand.
"You're welcome."
After breakfast, the two set off again. This time around Anton was determined to make more ground. He told himself that he wanted to go faster in case Dr. Grey found the money to be counterfeit. But he knew there was another reason. If he spent more time with Ty on his own…he felt that he could say something idiotic. Do something he would regret. In order to prevent this, Anton kept his mouth shut not even greeting the passerbys, just in case his mind wandered off. Ty matched Anton's silence as it wouldn't have been "right" for a slave of a well to do woman to speak to her without being spoken to. So they sat in silence for most of the days journey.
It was only when sunset came that Anton couldn't hold his tongue any longer. He heard Mallory in his head commenting that Anton couldn't keep quiet for more than a few moments. Well, he proved her wrong, now he could speak…he wouldn't say anything that would be…provoking. He just had to make sure that Ty knew what was going on. "Ty…"
"Hmm?" Ty mumbled looking at Anton as if he was a mute who somehow found his voice.
The smaller man cleared his throat and replied quietly, "You read…in the note. How Josephine is close with one of the women didn't you?"
"Oh yes. She mentioned that she had a close friend," Ty nodded slowly. "I'm glad that she found someone that she could be close to…why?"
"Well…" Anton pulled out a fan from his bag and waved it front of his face with a simple flick of his wrist. "Her name is Minnie. The woman who she is close to." His companion looked over at him with a confused look on his face. Anton sighed internally. There was no way to say this nicely. It just had to be said. "I feel as if I should tell you…that they are not friends."
"They're not friends?" Ty asked. "Then…what are they…?"
"Not…specifically. They…" Anton felt a pain in his gut. Why was he saying this? To save Ty the shock? Or to let him know that he was…available? Either way, he had to know. "They're together."
Ty watched Anton. "Do you mean that they are…"
"They're in love," Anton whispered trying to gauge Ty's look. He was ready for pain, jealously, or anything in between. But, Ty seemed to just be lost. Then suddenly, his face lit up. "Are…are you all right?"
"I am," Ty said with a slow nod. "I'm glad. She deserves to be loved. I didn't know…that…two women could be together like that. But…I suppose anything is possible."
Anton licked his lips and whispered, "You aren't hurt then?"
"Me?" Ty shook his head. "It's a shock. That I will admit. But like I said yesterday, I love her only as a friend. If she found someone who loves her more than that, then that is wonderful. It is. She must have a wonderful life now…" He smiled to himself and then asked suddenly, "Minnie…is she good with Isaac and Molly?"
Anton nodded. "She is very good with them. Molly loves to play with her hair. And Isaac likes to terrorize her. As he does to his mother and all of the rest of us."
"The rest of you? What is everyone like?" Ty asked as he was probably interested in the life he would soon lead.
Anton glanced around to make sure that they were safe enough to discuss this. The only people that were in the town were merchants and buyers fighting for food. They would be fine. "Well…" Anton started lowering his voice just in case. "There is Minnie. She was an actress in the underground theatre. She still tried to perform, but it is dangerous at times. One time she was almost murdered when a show went badly. Then there is Matthew. You have meet him already."
Ty smiled. "The man who helped Josephine and the twins?"
"Yes that is him," Anton nodded slowly. "And then his wife Bella. She is from France of all places. She barely knew English…and we found her one day about to be struck by her employer for not understanding him. Matthew saved her and they have been together ever since. Then there is Matthew's friend Robert. He is a nice man, a musician. Then his wife, my friend, Mallory. Her story is not as pleasant as the others. So I will leave that for another time."
"And my son has managed to terrorize all of you?" Ty asked his small smile growing.
Anton laughed quietly. "Yes…he's quite a gifted young man."
"All but you though? Right?" Ty questioned watching Anton completely and ignoring the road in front of him.
"I…" A blush rushed over Anton's face. He continued to fan his face, as if he was hot instead of embarrassed. "He does listen to me. And he'll only fall asleep if I put him down. I'm not sure why it is. But yes, he behaves with me."
"They must be missing you dreadfully then," Ty pointed out. Anton laughed heartily, and soon Ty joined in on the laughter.
"Hey you! Miss!" A foreign voice called out. The two men snapped back into their roles. Anton sat up straighter and put on feminine airs. Ty let his shoulders slouch and he dropped his eyes to the ground. The man who spoke walked over to the carriage. "You seen this man?" He asked holding out a wanted poster.
Anton took the poster and studied it carefully. It was a flawed drawing of himself. With a wave of his fan, he passed the poster back to the man. "I don't know the man. And what is his crime? So I may keep a wary eye of such a character."
"He stole a slave. Offered his rightful owner fake money for him," The man explained spitting afterwards to show his contempt. Then he paused and muttered, "Pardon me, madam."
"I certainly hope that you do," Anton said with an upturned nose. Ty bit back a smile as Anton continued, "As for your wanted man, I will make sure to do my part. The loss of slaves is a horror. Such an injustice."
The man nodded crossing his arms. "Ain't it? It's those people in the north. Those so called abolitionists. Don't they know the bible wants us to have slaves?"
"Yes, and one should always pay attention to the bible. My family personally slaughters animals in honor of our Lord on a regular basis. We all should be more strict to the holy word," Anton said waving himself faster with the fan.
The man seemed a bit bothered by the mention of slaughtered animals but then mumbled, "Yes…well I'll let you be on your way. Thank you ma'am."
"You are very welcome, my fellow." Anton waved demurely and patted Ty's knee. The former slave snapped the reigns and made the horses break out into a run. Anton let out a squeal and held onto Ty's shoulder. "I didn't mean that fast!"
Ty pulled back on the reigns but the horses seemed to enjoy their fast pace. "They won't stop!"
Anton looked over his shoulder to see the man they talked to point towards the carriage and shouting. "Go faster…"
"Faster?" Ty asked grabbing his hat before the wind took it. "Are you mad!?"
"I suppose," Anton said ripping the reigns from Ty's hands and snapping them even harder accompanied with his whistle. The horses ran even faster.
"Anton…" Ty whispered his eyes growing wider.
"What?" Anton asked almost out of breath.
"You lost your wig…" Ty pointed out.
Anton swore under his breath and ran his hand over his head. The wig was indeed gone. He risked a quick glance behind himself to see the black curls crumpled up in the dirt. "And that was my favorite!"
"They're coming!" Ty called out. "Can you make these things go faster?"
"Wait…I got an idea," Anton yelled over the commotion. "Jump!"
Ty raised his brow and laughed to himself. "Jump? Are you thinking what I'm thinking that you're thinking."
"Yes I am, c'mon, Ty. Jump!" Anton took Ty's hand. The former slave didn't seem too crazy about the idea. "It'll be fine, I promise. We'll be ok." Anton said looking deeply into Ty's eyes.
"Ok…if you say so," Ty whispered. The two stood up and jumped from the carriage, which continued down the road. Anton rolled into a bush and Ty stumbled managing to catch himself. "Are you ok?" He asked out of breath as he hid behind the bush with Anton.
"I ruined the dress…" Anton muttered looking at the dress which was now covered in dirt and ripped.
Ty let out a quiet laugh. "I'm sure we can buy you a new one, one day." They watched the men on horses rush after the carriage, unaware that they would find it empty.
When Anton was satisfied, he took Ty's hand. "It's only a few miles to the next inn. We can walk. I know a back way."
Anton slipped off the ruined dress when they were showed to their room. "It's a pity. I'll have to continue the trip in normal clothes. No self-respecting woman would wear this. They would know." He tossed the dress onto a spare chair and inspected his body for cuts and bruises.
Carefully, Ty pulled off his shirt revealing that his back was bleeding. "No wonder it was hurting," He muttered looking at it with the help of a crude mirror. Anton caught the sight in the mirror and frowned deeply.
"We never should have jumped," He said quietly. "I forgot about your back…"
Ty waved his hand. "It's been worse. Much worse…are you wounded?" He asked averting his eyes from Anton's half naked body.
Anton watched Ty for a moment wondering why he was looking away. Was it because he was shy? Or because he…wanted to give Anton's privacy? Or did he really want to look? "No…only a few small cuts. Nothing to worry over…I'll see to your back if you like."
"If you could…" Ty said quietly as he lay down on his stomach.
"Of course," Anton said quietly. He immersed a cloth in their jug of water and sat down next to his friend. Then he gently placed it on Ty's back. The man didn't make a noise of protest, even though Anton knew it must have been very painful. When the cloth was soaked in his blood, Anton placed it aside. "Better?"
Ty pulled himself up slowly to lean on one of his elbows. "Yes."
Anton watched him. Just took in the look of him. How his chest looked without a shirt. How his face looked like when he was at ease. How his hands cradled his head. How his legs were draped on the rest of the bed. How his eyes glowed. Anton gulped when he saw that Ty seemed to be doing the same thing to him. When they caught one anothers gaze, they both looked away.
"I'm sorry," Anton whispered. "That was…rude of me."
Ty licked his lips. "Anton…" He whispered so quietly that Anton had to strain to hear him, "Can…can two…two men be together? Like…Josephine…and Minnie. Can…they?"
A hesitant smile spread across Anton's face. He was just curious. Didn't mean anything. "Yes," He said simply watching Ty's face for a reaction.
"Oh…" Ty gulped and looked down at his feet. After a few moments of silence, Ty continued, "Would…would you…be mad if…I…if…I"
Anton sighed deeply and then threw his hands up in the air, "Would you kiss me already?" That was it. He held back enough.
Ty laughed quietly and then nodded. "Gladly." He leaned over to cup Anton's face and press his lips delicately to his. The younger man's head started to spin. It was more than just a kiss, he could feel that. Ty was offering him everything. Not just his lips. Not just his body. But everything. When they parted, Anton kept his eyes closed. "Is this what…love is supposed to feel like?" Ty asked which made Anton open his eyes.
He grinned warmly and then whispered, "I certainly think so…" Anton kissed Ty this time, more urgency behind their contact. All through the night, Anton showed Ty how to love him. And how to be the love of his life.
"Welcome home," Anton whispered four days later as they walked up to an abandoned factory. The building was in great disrepair but nothing seemed more beautiful. It was a home. And it was the home where he would live with Josephine, his children, and Anton.
Ty looked over at Anton and kissed him quickly, not caring what the people around him thought.
"Oh my, Anton. You found yourself more than Josephine's husband didn't you?" A woman asked with an infectious laugh. She was standing by the man who had helped Josephine escape, his plump wife, and a tall blonde man who was carrying a basket.
Anton blushed slightly but didn't seem to mind it. "Hello Mallory. Robert. Bella and I believe you remember Matthew. This is Ty everyone," He explained with a few gestures to the group that was gathered.
"Hello," Ty waved to them. "I've heard a lot about you all."
"Oh no," Mallory sighed putting her hand on her tanned face. "Ignore him. He has delusions."
"Robert is that you? Did you get the lettuce that I asked you to…" Josephine started to say when she walked out of the building. She paused when she saw him, her eyes starting to tear up immediately. In her arms, a fidgety Isaac tried to wiggle out of his mother's grasp. "Ty?" She asked with a small sob.
Anton smiled deeply as he watched Ty embrace Josephine and then take Issac into his arms. "I've heard that you've been giving your Ma troubles. That's not very good of you." Isaac stared at his father with a confused look on his face. Then Ty blew raspberries at him. Isaac was swayed. The baby let out a high pitched laugh and reached out to touch Ty's nose.
The group gathered laughed and clapped. They were finally home.
Josephine leaned back to call for Minnie. The young woman with brown curls came out with Molly in her arms. The baby girl was sucking on her thumb and staring up at the sky. Ty let out a quiet laugh seeing her. "Still has her eyes to the sky..."
Anton walked over to take Isaac from him. Ty nodded a thanks and took Molly into his arms. "Hi Minnie," He said to the woman with a warm smile. Minnie took Josephine's hand as the latter woman was crying freely. "There's my girl…" Ty whispered to Molly. She seemed to be studying her father. Looking over his features. Then when he reached her approval, she took her thumb out of her mouth and held it out to show him. Ty kissed her tiny thumb.
"I'm so glad you're home," Josephine whispered. "So glad."
Ty glanced back at Anton who was holding back his own tears while Isaac rested his head on Anton's shoulder. "Me too."
Next Tale: Randall and Micah
