Somewhat earlier
Heading for the saloon, Kid Curry turned around a last corner and startled. He almost ran into a group of people leaving the saloon. He drew back immediately and took a second look. Not a group, just two of them and one of them was Heyes. His eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected to meet him outside the hotel at this time and alone.
'Alone' was unofficially defined as 'without him' so the stranger with his partner didn't count. Without further thought he turned to follow them at a distance. His curiosity awakened as well as his protective instinct. What the hell was Heyes doing here in the middle of the night? Where was he heading for? Who was his companion?
They walked along the street and turned around a few corners obviously in good spirits. The streets were unlit here and the gaps between the houses wider when they seemed to arrive at their destination. The stranger opened a door and invited Heyes to enter with a secretive gesture.
The Kid had followed them to a shabby boarding house on the outskirts of the town. He hesitated, but his suspicion was already aroused. Was Heyes pulling a con? And what was the stranger up to? His partner didn't appear to be in danger but much too often he had failed - or refused - to recognize a threat. After all there was a reason why they split their duties. Security was clearly part of Kid Curry's responsibility.
Silently, he moved around the corner until he noticed a dim light in a room at the back of the house. Through slightly opened shutters he took a look inside.
Heyes and the unknown man were alone in the room. They stood close to each other and a certain tension filled the air. Quietly they exchanged a few sentences before Heyes's posture relaxed slightly.
The Kid had noticed that special look about him before, but rather in the company of a woman than a man. It was somewhat challenging ... inviting. His dark twinkling eyes were trained on the face in front of him while he unbuckled his gun-belt and wound it around the bedpost. The Kid inhaled sharply. The movement in which his partner renounced his protection, was slow and lazy. What the hell was he doing!?
Heyes reached his hand out and softly touched the shoulder of the stranger. Slowly his hand stroked down the body until it ended at his hip. His forefinger slipped behind the belt and slid gently along the waist.
Kid Curry startled and blushed. Not sure if he could believe his eyes, he blinked and returned for another glance through the crack between the shutters.
Just that moment the stranger grabbed Heyes by his shirt, pushed him towards the far wall and pinned him with his sturdy body against it. He dug one of his hands into the dark brown strands, dragged Heyes's head back.
The Kid was close to breaking through the window but stopped at the last moment. Heyes wasn't fighting back! Instead he clasped the shoulders and pulled him even closer, responding to the stranger's fierce kiss. An air of subdued force and lust surrounded them. Curry drew back once again, leaned his shoulders against the wall and took a deep breath.
Jeez! He should leave - now! But his concern kept him from moving away. He was alert and disturbed. A previously unknown feeling spread inside him. It was Heyes in there, and something odd was going on. This left him no chance to retreat. Reluctantly he turned around for another look.
Out of breath the pair separated again, measuring each other with lewdly gleaming eyes before they started a distinct kind of pas de deux. Heyes squared his shoulders and moistened his lips. With swaying hips, he stepped forward, moving his counterpart backwards by sheer will and filled the room with his remarkable presence.
The stranger conceded visibly and subordinated himself. When Heyes came to a halt, he moved closer again in a dizzying, intimate way. Slowly he extended his hand and started to unbutton Heyes's shirt, exposing bright naked skin. Dark brown eyes followed every movement. Heavy breathing raised the bare chest underneath the hands.
Heyes moved gradually backwards towards an arm chair in the corner of the room and sprawled himself casually and self-confidently into it. His crisp white shirt slipped back and made a delicious contrast to the light tan skin of his chest, gilded by the dim light of the oil lamp.
The stranger followed him, placed one of his hands on the naked chest and started to caress him, while the other hand gradually slipped lower and opened the pants. The dark-haired outlaw remained passive, closed his eyes and savored the touches, the pleasure undoubtedly mirrored on his face. Then he reached out, grabbed the stranger's neck and pulled him down for another fervid kiss.
His mate slipped gradually down and ended up on his knees between Heyes's thighs. His body covered the view of his further actions from the watching eyes.
Kid Curry's imagination told him enough anyway. His face was burning. He was shocked and fascinated at the same time, unable to leave the twosome alone. Hell, twosome - his mind refused to even think in that direction.
Heyes chest was covered with sweat now, shimmering moistly in the dim light. The tongue peeked out of his lips, when the pace at his crotch increased, his fingers clasped the curly hair and muscular shoulders of the nameless man who pleased him, pulling him even closer. Heyes spine arched and he threw his head back with a dark throaty groan when a tremor shuddered through his body. Inaudible he mouthed a word - over and over again. Kid Curry didn't take the time to figure it out, caught by the expression on Heyes's face. With eyes shaded by heavy lids, his face radiated unspeakable joy and ecstasy and ...
Curry cut off the thought, drew back and cursed himself, his cheeks burning. Damn! He really should have left! His ambiguous feelings threatened to overwhelm him. The evidence of his own arousal tightened his pants. What the hell happened to him tonight?!
He had to get away – back to the saloon, the hotel, before someone noticed him. He could only hope Heyes would give him enough of a head start while he returned the favor ... heat shot through his veins again when the picture of Heyes flashed up in his mind: down on his knees, slender hands placed on naked hips, glaring up with deep brown flaming eyes, the lips slightly opened and moist. Kid Curry was breathless ... confused ... annoyed ... ashamed.
Leaning against the wall he tried to catch his breath. He choked hard. It took minutes before he could even try to move. Without another look, he fled the place. Turning around the corner he nearly ran into the opening door, just saved by his lightning reflexes. Luckily the door not only missed him but even protected him from curious eyes.
Heyes was the one leaving the house. He stopped at the threshold and turned around, leaning forward to lay his hand gently on the shoulder of his mate. Barely audible he murmured goodbye. The Kid held his breath.
Moments later Heyes closed the door, revealing his partner. He was thunderstruck and froze.
Speechlessly they faced each other in the pale light of the full moon.
"Kid?" Heyes asked. "What are you doing here?"
Heyes extended his hand to touch his partner's shoulder but Kid Curry withdrew himself involuntarily. His instinctive reaction to a natural and self-evident gesture - ignored a thousand times before - revealed the truth. Recognition flashed on Heyes's face.
Even in the faint moonlight the Kid noticed how his friend paled. Dark brown eyes widened, then the brows furrowed and he saw something breaking in Heyes's eyes.
Something tore apart, something invisible but invaluable precious, without a name but omnipresent until it suddenly disappeared. Their connection was gone. For the first time in years Kid Curry felt lost.
Shocked and speechless he watched his partner who gradually lowered his hand. The expression on Heyes's face went blank. The shoulders slumped down and the whole stance morphed into something weird.
"I see..." Heyes tried to continue but his voice failed him. Without another word he turned around and disappeared into the darkness.
Time stretched. It took endless minutes until the Kid was able to move again. What the hell had happened? What had he done? It wasn't up to him to spy on Heyes. After all that was the basic meaning of unconditional trust.
Slowly he began making his way back to the hotel in a roundabout way. He was in no hurry. His thoughts were in turmoil. He didn't know what the revelation of the evening meant for him – meant for both of them. How could he face his partner again? What could he say? Were there any words of apology?
His doubts turned out to be meaningless, 'cause Heyes wasn't present when he entered their shared room - the shared room with only one bed. The Kid cursed and ran fingers through his curly hair. Damnit! Angrily he pulled his boots off and kicked them towards the wall. He threw himself onto the bed and tried to figure out how he could apologize and save what could be saved.
Turning away from blaming himself, another thought occupied his mind - Heyes mating with another man. At first, he had been shocked but now he asked himself why it had been surprising for him.
Well, it was said to be unnatural but Heyes had always been anything but ordinary. Certainly, he was a handsome man, who radiated charm and joy of life when he was in good spirits. And the air of danger surrounding him made him even more attractive. In hindsight there had been men in the past watching Heyes in a very special way. Was it up to him to judge? After all he had felt himself tonight?
The disastrous date had just been the start of a sequence of revelations and Kid Curry still had to figure out what they meant for him. The night wore on and over the attempt to clear his mind he finally fell asleep.
He woke up at the crack of dawn, still alone. Damn! Where was Heyes? In the dull light of the morning he noticed small differences within the room. Heyes's belongings were gone - saddlebags, clothes, everything. The Kid's heart froze. He jumped out of the bed, pulled the boots on and was on his way to the livery stable just a few moments later.
He found the stable boy at the door, watching stunned at the lock.
"Odd, thing Mister. I'm sure, I locked the door for the night, but now it is open."
"There's something missing, boy?"
"Um, no ... um, yes, one of the horses, the chestnut of your friend," the lad admitted after a short look over the stalls. "I'm so sorry. I don't know..."
The Kid's heart dropped. "Never mind, young friend. It's all right. You won't be in trouble. I take care of it. Just get my horse ready." With a heavy hand he clapped the younger one on the shoulder before he left the stable.
Gone.
Without a word.
Without even a hint where to find him.
Before breakfast the Kid left the town, too. But his efforts to find Heyes's tracks were to no avail.
