Joe and Candy both have busy days again, only this time, part of that day includes having time for a nice chat.

"Hoo boy, I've never had French toast quite like that," Candy said with a glance thrown behind himself. Back in the direction of the cafe in which Joe and he had only minutes ago finished an exotic lunch.

Joe smiled to himself and nodded agreement. "I had my doubts about the bear sign when the menu had them listed as 'oily cakes', but I probably could've eaten a whole 'nother plate of 'em."

"If only yer stomach were a little bigger, right?" Candy chided.

"Much bigger," Joe chuckled. Coming to a stop on the boardwalk and looking across from where they found themselves.
"I'll let Jody know we're bringin' the wagon 'round," Joe said, knowing it was time they got around to the only chore they'd been given for the day.

"She'll be pleased as pie at the extra work!" Were Candy's parting words as he turned to take the steps down to street level. Sending Joe a smile as he hit it.

Then Joe woke to the thunder of hooves, and the tang of fear sharp on his tongue.

Candy smiled as he knocked on Joe's door, Hop Sing having nodded permission at him when he'd left the room himself, arms laden with a lunch tray dotted in leftovers craftily disguised as oversized crumbs.
"Joe?" He asked, being polite and requesting entry. As opposed to barging right on in as his less mature side might have been begging him to.

"Come on in, Candy," came just the invitation Candy'd been hoping for.

So the red shirted ranch hand's smile widened and he pushed the door open with a little more force than strictly necessary, eager to finally meet up with a lucid Joe for a good and proper visit.
When he finished shutting the door behind him and turned to face the room's occupant full on, his smile threatened to reach his ears.

"Good to see a friendly face, Canaday," Joe greeted from where he was tucked away in bed, leaned against a rather luxurious looking mound of pillows and cushions.

"Nice of you to take time from your busy schedule to see me this fine day, my dear Joseph," Candy greeted right on back. Taking the seat by the bed as his friend smiled at their fun.

"It really is nice to see you, Candy," Joe insisted. Followed by a short pause wherein it felt like the two of them were just looking at each other. Both glad things hadn't turned out any worse than they had.

"Yeah, Joe," Candy started, feeling but resisting the compulsion to clear his perfectly clear throat. "It's good- more'n good to see you too. How- how's the bedrest been treatin' ya?" Candy asked. Stumbling over his words when Joe's sincere stare didn't waver. Almost as if the bedridden guy was searching him for something.

"Keeps my lunch down," Joe said with a tiny shrug.

"Well, that there's gotta make it worth the effort alone, hasn't it?" Candy asked, noticing as he did the soft shadows under his friend's eyes. Indicative of sleep lost or... No, Joe didn't look sick. Or did he?
A little dulled around the edges and tired, but hopefully not more so than was expected. After all, Hop Sing hadn't done anything to stop him coming in and bothering his patient. But, even that comforting thought wasn't enough to stop Candy's closer hand from reaching out and giving Joe's neck a light touch.

"Candy?" Joe asked with a confused blink.

"Oh, just checkin' your temperature."

"Oh," Joe said, a hint of something strangely close to disappointment in the syllable. "Hop Sing did that too."

"Huh, I s'pose the chef makes an excellent nurse after all," Candy observed, noticing how Joe's eyes seemed to trail his hand as it left him, distracted by the simple action.

"Hm? Oh, no, he's a terrible nurse. Wouldn't dare let a soul recuperate in peace," Joe said, amused in spite of his words of censure.

"Oh, well, if it's 'peace' you're lookin' for," said the man in red as he hefted himself from his seat

"No, please," Joe said, surprising Candy when he sat up straighter and shot out the hand not encumbered by a cast to snatch at his sleeve.

"Woah, I was only funnin'; no need to strain yerself," Candy said, retaking his chair and doing his best not to let a sudden twinge of guilt set in the way it was threatening to. The effort increasing when he saw the subtle signs of pain on his friend's face.

Joe took a breath before doing anything else and this time, Candy found his own eyes trailing a hand as it left him.
"Sorry, it's just-"

"Oh, I understand, Joe. It's gotta be hard, cooped up in here all day, no excitement nor fun allowed," Candy reassured. Hoping to lighten the mood back up.

"That's just the start of it," Joe informed, look bleakening subtly. "It's- I haven't seen you in- And it's just like Adam said: I can't get it out of my head that you almost-" Candy watched Joe pause for breath, the poor guy's face showing a stress the friend in the chair wasn't sure the origin of. So he listened harder.
"Candy," Joe restarted, "That day in town? We almost died. I almost died and at the same time, I almost lost my best friend."

"Yer 'special' friend?" Candy asked, making one last ditch effort at bringing the conversation back to a place where it didn't put so much stress on-

"Yes. My special friend." Joe amended.

Candy may have paled a smidge when his attempt at levity only made things more serious, but the tone persuaded him that this was something Joe really did want to talk about. Even if it was painful.
So Candy adjusted his seat and let himself inspect his own feelings concerning the harsh realities of their shared near death experience. "Joe, I almost died; I almost watched you die in my hands- your blood dried on my hand, and, right now?" he paused to take in the look of resonance on the face of the man who'd absolutely, undoubtedly saved his life. "I couldn't be gladder to be sittin' here, starin' at my special friend, talkin' about how glad we are to still be breathin'." He gave Joe a look of sincere gratefulness before going on. "I'm so- I can't-" Candy cut himself off, not all that sure what it was he'd been going to say, but knowing he needed to say it.
"I'm so glad, I could kiss you. Right on the lips."

"What's stopping you?" Came Joe's plain worded challenge.

Eyes going double their resting size and mouth suddenly dry as the Nevada desert, Candy had to double take at the question.
That wasn't Joe's kidding face.

Candy scrambled for an explanation for what the injured man had just insinuated- asked him. After a few seconds of grasping at mental straws, his mind lit upon exactly the reason for the madness. "You said that o-on account of all that laudanum you got in yer belly," Candy said. Disappointed when it sounded rather out of breath.

"Nope," Joe said. Popping the 'p' ever so slightly. "Haven't had any since Adam came in for a visit."

"How long ago was that?"

Joe paused a second to study the light coming in through the window. "Long enough."

"So, you mean to tell me, it's time for another spoonful?" Candy asked with an eyebrow raised.

"No, Candy, that's not what I 'mean to tell you'." Candy watched Joe shake his head, knowing that that would make it hurt more than it must already have. Yep. If that cringe was anything to judge by, it was most certainly time for more. So Candy reached a hand out for the side table.
"Are you listening to a word I'm saying?"

Candy looked up right quick at the prickly delivery. "Why yes. That's how come I know it's time for another spoonful," he said with just a hint of levity.

"Be considerate for one second and hear me out." There wasn't anything the ranch hand in the red shirt could do in the face of that look. Half pleading, half demanding, and all kinds of confusing. So he just relaxed in his chair and nodded.
"Thank you," Joe said, sounding like he was calming down, but without losing the serious tone.

"Joe, are you sure-"

"Eh! Listening, Canaday?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Alright then," the guy in the bed said, readjusting to face his visitor better. Making it harder for Candy to deny the determination in those vivid eyes. "I remember... what happened."

Candy felt his eyes go wide again. Not near as wide as before, but wide still. After all, that was big news. "That's good," he said with an encouraging nod.

"Yeah. It is." Joe said, mouth turning up just a hair. "Uh, I remember seeing the horse coming right for you, and you not seeing it. On account of you lookin' the other direction or- or some such." Candy nodded, wishing that that lunch date had ended very differently. Cursing himself for not having been more vigilant. "And I remember shouting for you, and shoving you out of the way, but I don't remember how I got to you on time."

"You weren't all that far behind me," Candy explained. Almost distracted as the scene played out in his mind at the unpleasant reminders. "Shoved real hard too."

Joe chuckled at that. "Wish I could say I was sorry, but..."

"But no such luck?"

"Yep. No such luck," Joe said. Seeming to relax a tick at the familiarity of their joking. "Uh, right. Then I remember you dragging me out of the street. And," he paused a second, looking almost like he was concentrating on hearing something from the other room. "And you said something, then I said something, and... I meant it."

Candy was having a hard time believing what he was hearing. Until he renewed their eye contact and saw the certainty there.
Joe wasn't kidding. And he definitely remembered. Remembered the way Candy did, how Joe, barely clinging to consciousness, gripping red sleeved arms for dear life, had insisted that his only folly... had been falling for him.

"Candy, I meant it and I meant what I said by the lake and I meant what i said just- just a minute ago." Candy couldn't help looking away while he caught his breath, but he forced himself to look back when the full implication hit him.
"We're... we're special- We have something special and I finally realized, when I saw that madman on the horse tearing up dirt to take you down, exactly what that means to me."

"Joe?"

"Let me finish. Please." Candy swallowed and indicated he was listening. "Our friendship means... a lot to me, and I don't want any of that to change, but I-" The rest of the sentence was cut off when the other half of that friendship equation tipped forward from his chair and pressed their lips together. Taking just enough care that he avoided causing the injured man any more head trauma.

It was a sweet, tender, surprising thing and when Candy pulled away he was shocked that his nerves weren't completely shot. In fact, he felt a sudden surge of confidence he'd have never expected to feel in such a... Actually, he'd never expected a situation like that one to present itself. So it was surprises all around. Including when he pulled his gaze up to meet the one above the lips he'd just kissed, and found them the size of saucers.
"To answer your question: I never kissed you because... you never asked me to. Till now."

"That so? A, uh, a gentleman through and through, huh?" Joe said, averting his eyes and giving his own lips an unconscious licking. The pink crawling up from his night shirt collar pushing Candy's steady heartbeat a hair faster.

"Yep. 'Fraid so."

"Have- have we had this conversation before?" Joe asked, looking like he was trying to remember something that happened a long, long time ago.

"Yep. 'Fraid so. More'n once, actually," Candy informed with a smirk.

"Did we... go on a date?"

"Yep. Also more'n once, come to think of it," Candy said, giving his head a scratch as he pondered over the multiple times the other brothers Cartwright had pushed him to take their youngest member somewhere. Especially the times they went unaccompanied.
"And I was a gentleman through it all," he added with full confidence.

"And a gentleman like yourself wouldn't be interested in... spending the night... would he?" Joe asked, peeking over at said gentleman with a look of, not mischief, strangely, but worry.

"Why, what would be the occasion?" Candy asked. Tone neutral as he could get it.

"I... I keep dreaming I don't make it in time. Only now, I remember it when I wake up."

"Oh." All Candy could say for a moment. "Is that what that was? Huh."

"What what was?" Joe asked. Face going a smidge more worried.

"Oh, just a little nothin'; don't mind me," Candy said, thinking back to the first night back in the house that he'd spent slumped in the very same chair he currently found his rump perched upon. When Joe'd woken him from a peaceful snooze with a shout that near woke the whole house.
"But, uh, I'm flattered you care enough to dream about me," he said with a bat of his eyes.

"Yeah, you would be, wouldn't you?" Joe said with a grumble. "But I wouldn't call these 'dreams'."

"I know, Joe. I was just funnin'," Candy said, looking down at the edge of the bed. Wondering whether its occupant would mind him-
Aw heck, he thought, moving from the provided seat to rest his keister on something soft for a change. Besides, if Joe minded, he could say so.

"...So, is that a yes? To spending the night?" Joe asked, sounding less than confident.

"I reckon it is, Joe. So long as I don't have to sit it in that chair, nothin's gonna stop our sleepover happenin'," Candy assured. Confidence intact as he sneaked a hand over Joe's, near the edge of the bed. Relishing the way neither of them pulled away at the amorous touch.

After a pause spent largely avoiding gazing into each other's eyes, Joe took in a small breath and opened his mouth. "Candy?"

"Yeah, Joe?"

"...You wanna kiss me again?"

"Thought you'd never ask," Candy whispered. Leaning in for another of his new favorite things.

Morning found Joe waking from yet another dream concerning his latest near death experience, only this time, it was to the sight of the fully dressed, obviously alive body of the man he'd successfully saved that fateful day laying next to him. Snoozing away above the covers and looking cozy as could be.

Candy'd done exactly what he'd promised and spent the night, and Joe couldn't be any happier. Or so he thought. Until the peaceful face under that slightly wavy shock of dark hair began to stir and he found himself looking his... special friend in the sleep clouded eyes.

"Mornin', Joe," the ranch hand mumbled.

"Mornin', Candy," Joe mumbled right on back.

"Morning, lovebirds," came a voice from just inside the door. Where an exceedingly amused Adam just so happened to be leaning. Watching the two of them gape back at him.

"Don't tell Pa!" The only thing Joe's brain could work past his choked off throat on such short notice.

After a couple perplexed seconds, Joe joined in the resultant laughter. Realizing the sheer ridiculousness of what he'd shouted at his eldest brother.
No one wouldn't laugh at such a thing. Even Hop Sing, when he pushed his way through the door, arms weighed down by a tray of breakfast foods, couldn't help but bust out in accompanying laughter at the sight of two full grown cow punches squeezed together on a bed meant for one.

At least the interlopers eventually agreed to not tell the rest of the house what they'd witnessed that fine morning. Otherwise, Joe was pretty sure there'd be some explaining to do and he wasn't in any condition to dodge such a conversation. Not yet anyway.

Eventually, Candy slipped off the bed with promises to visit as soon as the day allowed, and was followed closely out by an Adam who hadn't stopped smirking since Joe's little outburst. Leaving Joe to begin on a breakfast Hop Sing'd served early with the sole purpose of having time to hover close so he could make sure Joe ate 'every last crumb'.

Boy, with family like that, Joe thought as he forced the last bite of soft-scrambled egg down his gullet with a forced smile, how could he not want to keep a few, love related things secret? At least for a while.

Well, cat was out of the bag now. Or, mostly, anyway. And Joe still couldn't be happier.

Teehee, me thinks Adam was spying on them! Haha! He's a funny one alright! Wonder how long he'd been standing there? Ah, well, I suppose some things are just plain not meant to be known. ;D