Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Cowboy ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

With the cast now off, Heero is determined to get himself and his horse fit again and retake the top spot for the Cowboy of the Year.

Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Drama / Hentai / Romance / Angst / Sports | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 10.19.2010 | Pages: 7 | Words: 7.3K | Visits: 325 | Status: Work In Progress

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, it belongs to Bandai, Sotsu and associated parties. I just borrow the guys from time to time and return them a whole lot happier. I don't own the song 'Rodeo' either. It belongs to Garth Brooks and as such all rights remain his. This fic is based loosely on the lyrics. Written for pleasure not profit.

Pairing: 2x1x2, past 1xR (sorry!) 3x4

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Angst, fluff, sap, yaoi, Lemons, Lime, AU

Summary: Heero is a rodeo rider, the best on the circuit and looks set to remain there until an up and coming young cowboy appears on the scene.

AN: This fic is based loosely on the lyrics of 'Rodeo' by Garth Brooks - although it is not a song fic.

Dedication: To my lovely beta; Sakura for giving me the plot bunny and for all her hard work in editing my stuff. (No easy feat!) Thanks hun! You're the best!

“Cowboy”

October 2010 ShenLong

Chapter 3

[Well, it's bulls and blood
It's dust and mud
It's the roar of a Sunday crowd

Rodeo - Garth Brooks]

Heero made his way towards the house whilst Relena put the car away. Once inside, he made a beeline for the bedroom and the closet. The new crutches were put to one side; hands fished around inside the closet and came out with Heero's favorite pair of worn jeans.

The slacks were removed and replaced with the familiar weight of soft denim and Heero gave a sigh. The shirt was exchanged for a worn, blue plaid shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbows for comfort. Dress shoes slipped off and Heero sat on the bed to pull on his favorite pair of boots. Grabbing his hat, Heero decided to take just one crutch with him; no point in tempting fate - he was tempting it enough as it was.

“What do you think you're doing?” came the soft voice at the doorway.

Turning around, Heero faced the woman. “I'm going to go give Wing some work,” he stated with a slight sneer in his voice. He thought it was quite obvious what he was doing.

“Heero, the doctor said-”

“I know what the doctor said,” Heero snapped, cutting her off. “There's nothing wrong with my hearing.” He began to shuffle across the room. Relena stood in the doorway, blocking his exit.

“You shouldn't be riding for another couple of weeks yet. You need time to build up the muscles again,” she snapped in reply, her patience was beginning to wear a little thin.

“I know the muscles need building up,” Heero growled. “I'm reminded of that every day.”

“The exercises the doctor gave you will soon have them back to where they were,” Relena argued.

“I can build the muscles back quicker by riding,” Heero shot back.

“And what if you fall off?”

“I don't plan on falling off; the whole point of riding is to stay astride the horse's back.”

“Wing could get a scare.”

“Relena, I'm a rodeo rider for fucks sake! I'm used to sitting on bucking broncs and bulls, I think I'm capable of staying on Wing if he decides to buck or shy.”

“I wasn't implying that you couldn't stay on a bucking animal,” Relena snipped. “And I'd thank you not to use that sort of language.”

Heero's shoulders slumped. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't use that language around you, but I am going to ride Wing and he will be fine, I'll be fine.”

Relena moved closer and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing a kiss to his jaw. “I know how hard this has been for you, Heero, but you're only just out of plaster and I don't want to see you hurt again. Please, do what the doctor said,” she pleaded softly.

“Relena, I can't. I need to get back into riding, back to the circuit as quickly as I can. I've already been knocked off the top spot and if I leave it too much longer I won't be able to make up the ground and get back there again.”

“Why is it so important to you? Heero, you're a good rider, great with horses and cattle. Why don't you quit the rodeo and get a proper job. There's plenty of ranches around that would hire you as a cow hand and it's not so dangerous...”

Heero closed his eyes and grit his teeth; he knew what was coming next.

“With a steady job and income, we could settle down, get married and start a family. We can't do that whilst you're off with that damn rodeo,” she said in a soothing tone.

“We've had this discussion before and I've not changed my mind...”

“You don't love me anymore,” Relena sniffed and pulled away. She flashed her watering, blue eyes at him for added effect.

A loud sigh escaped Heero and he pulled the woman back against him. If there was one thing that got to him, it was seeing a woman cry, and despite knowing that Relena knew his weakness and used it often to her advantage, he still couldn't help the feelings he experienced when watching her tears fall. “I do love you, Relena-”

“Then why won't you quit the rodeo? It's dangerous.”

“I can't. It's in my blood, Relena and I'm not ready to stop yet. One day I will, one day I'll leave it behind and settle down, but now just isn't that time. Please, try to understand, it's a part of me, a part of who I am. I stop now and I'll be lost.”

“I just worry so much about you,” she whispered and lay her head against his chest.

“I know you do and I'm sorry for making you worry.”

They stood for a few moments, each locked in their own thoughts and holding on tight. Finally, Heero pulled back, pressed a soft kiss to Relena's lips and began to move towards the door.

Knowing she wasn't going to be able to stop him from doing what he'd set his mind to, all she could do was hope he would be sensible. “Be careful,” she begged.

“I will,” he replied and shuffled out the door.

Wing heard the whistle and raised his head from where he'd been grazing on the brown, dry grass. It came again and the stallion wheeled around and set off for the corral at a brisk trot. Getting closer he could scent his master on the hot breeze and a spring appeared in his stride. Tossing his head, he came through the corral gates and to the fence where his master waited.

“Hey, boy,” Heero murmured and rubbed the stallion's face, right between his eyes where he liked it the most. “Vacation time is over, Wing. Time to start getting fit again and heading back to the circuit; we've got a lot of ground to make up.”

A soft wuffle and nosing of his pockets were all the reply he got.

Clipping the lead rope to the halter, Heero slowly led the horse into the shade of the barn where the roping saddle and paint's bridle awaited.

Wing followed calmly, tail swishing away at the pesky flies. He was quite happy to be inside the barn and away from the heat and biting insects.

Picking up a brush and curry comb, Heero began the task of brushing the horse down, removing any sand and dust, especially from the area where the saddle would sit. He didn't want to cause his horse any distress from grit rubbing against the animal's skin. With the body now a mix of soft white and shiny black patches, Heero checked and picked out Wing's hooves. He noted one shoe on the off hind was starting to work a little loose and made a mental note to call the farrier and have that fixed.

With the paint now clean, Heero set the brushes aside and picked up the saddle blanket. He laid it across Wing's back, covering the black markings that looked like a birds wings that gave the horse his name and made sure the hair was lying flat. The saddle went on next, Heero cinching it tight. The last thing he needed was for the saddle to slip. The bridle went on last and Heero was set to go. Checking the cinch again, he managed to heft his foot up and into the stirrup. Normally he would have bounced lightly off his right foot, but as his right leg was the one he'd broken and therefore not up to much in the stress stakes, Heero pushed as much as he dared from the leg and used the strength of his arms to pull himself up.

Landing softly in the saddle, he bit his lip and waited a moment for the throbbing in his leg to ease. It had been harder than he'd thought, but he wasn't about to admit defeat and stop now. The pain eased off a touch and with gritted teeth, Heero nudged the stallion forward, Wing walking amicably from the barn and back into the corral.

Heero didn't plan on doing much with the stallion, just work on the flat, exercises to help build the muscle tone back up. He looked longingly to the ranges that back dropped the property but he wasn't stupid enough to ride out alone. As much as he'd love to simply hit the trail, he couldn't. Safer to remain here and work on getting fit again. There would be plenty more opportunities to ride out on the range.

Wing was quite happy to walk about, not really putting too much effort into the gait. He'd enjoyed his brief holiday and wasn't all that ready to return to full work. Heero let him meander for a few moments, settling himself back into the saddle and familiarizing himself once more with the horse beneath him. Once he was comfortable and the leg pain had settled to just the occasional shooting pain, Heero set to the task of making the stallion use himself and stride out with a purpose.

“Come on you lazy beast. You've had a long enough holiday; it's time to get back to work.”

Wing gave a grunt and tossed his head, but he did put more effort into his walk.

Heero rode the stallion for a good hour in the corral. From the walk he'd progressed to the trot but the slightly jarring gait of the trot had jolted his leg around quite a bit and made sitting there rather uncomfortable. Heero had pushed the horse into a lope, the steady rocking motion easing the strain on his leg a little. When he felt more comfortable, he'd experimented with some sliding stops. After a couple of those his leg started to protest so he quit and moved onto some spins. They weren't quite as strenuous on his leg but Heero knew he'd need to stop soon otherwise he would seriously overdo things.

He spotted a figure standing outside the rails of the corral and recognized Relena watching him. How long she'd been there for, he didn't know, but he made certain to keep any signs of pain or discomfort off his face. Bringing Wing back to a walk, he patted the sweaty neck. “Good boy, Wing. We'll be back to full capacity in no time.”

Letting the stallion stretch out his neck, Heero circled for a short while, cooling the pain off before riding towards the gate.

Relena opened it for him, wisely staying silent as he rode into the barn. She followed him in, still not speaking and stood off to the side as Heero figured out the best way to dismount without hurting himself physically or pride wise.

He managed to remove his right foot, swung it over the black and white rump and paused with his left foot still in the stirrup. Gently kicking that free, he took his weight on his arms and lowered himself to the floor, left foot taking the weight of his landing and the right foot following seconds later to balance himself. He felt relief flood him when the leg held up.

“Dinner is almost ready so I'll give you a hand,” Relena said softly.

Heero nodded in acceptance and felt a touch of gratitude. She hadn't said anything in regards to his condition after riding and he was relieved about that. Right now he really didn't want an argument, especially when he knew she'd been right and he shouldn't have gotten back on Wing so soon after having had the cast off - but he was a stubborn man too and would never admit to it.

Whilst Heero removed the bridle, Relena released the cinch and pulled the saddle from the stallion's back. She placed it on the saddle horse and draped the wet saddle blanket over the stall partition to dry out. Picking up another brush, she began to brush the sweat from the paint's coat on one side whilst Heero did the other.

“I've cleaned his stall out, filled the water bucket up and put his feed in,” Relena stated.

“Thank you,” Heero replied and let the horse go. Wing headed directly for his stall, he could smell his dinner in there!

“Do you want his light, cotton rug on?” Relena asked.

Heero shook his head. “He doesn't need it; it's still warm enough overnight, but thanks anyway.”

“Come on, you've got enough time for a soak in the tub before I dish up dinner.”

Allowing Relena to take his hand, Heero shoved the other crutch on his arm and allowed her to lead him back to the house. The sun was starting to set, casting orange and gold hues over the parched landscape; it was a sight Heero usually loved to watch, but tonight he was just too damn sore to appreciate it.

* * *

“Competitor?” the steward asked as Duo pulled the trailer to a stop just inside the large gates.

“Yeah.” He fished around in the glove compartment and brought out the paperwork to prove his identity and status as a current member of the Rodeo Association. He thought it was quite obvious though from just looking at the trailer that he wasn't there as a spectator. What did the steward think he had in there? A freaking circus?

“Thanks, Mr. Maxwell. If you can drive across that way all competitors are in the section just behind the main arena. There's another steward over there who will direct you to where you can park your rig.”

“Thanks, man,” Duo replied and tucked the paperwork back into the glove compartment. Easing out the clutch, he trundled slowly across the open paddock in the direction the steward had pointed him in. Several other trailers were already parked up and here and there cowboys were flitting about.

The majority of the trailers were alike in their basic design. They had the cab part up front, then behind that came the `living quarters'. At the rear was the space designed for carrying the horses and a small grooms compartment for the storage of gear and feed stuffs. Trailers varied in their size, according to how many horses they could transport. Duo's trailer was one of the smaller ones and only capable of hauling two horses, but that was fine with Duo, he only had the one horse anyway.

He pulled in where the steward showed him and cut the engine. Opening the door and climbing down, he spotted a familiar face coming out of the trailer next to him. “Hey Trowa,” he said with a smile.

Trowa spun around upon hearing his name and spotted the cowboy. “Oh, hi, Duo. How are you?” Trowa sauntered across.

“I'm doing fine and ready for another round,” Duo replied with a chuckle.

“Need a hand?” Trowa offered.

“If you have the time and don't mind that would be good.”

“No problem.”

The pair set to work, pulling the lightweight, portable fencing off the side of the trailer and slotting it together. It made a smallish yard, one that a horse could be easily contained in. Just about all of the cowboys had them now. The yard would fit together forming three sides, the fourth side made up of the trailer itself. They were one of the best inventions of late and everyone in the equine world had welcomed them. It meant that the horse could now remain outside the trailer, free to move around at will within the yard. Unlike before when the horse had to either remain tied up to the side of the trailer or inside the trailer itself.

Once the yard was set up, Duo headed for the tail gate of the trailer. “Whoa, steady boy,” he soothed the horse within. A snort pierced the air followed by the sound of hooves as the horse came down the ramp and into the sunlight.

“Easy, Scythe,” Duo said as he ran a calming hand down the stallion's neck.

Scythe seemed to grow as he stood and inhaled the air around him, scenting all that was carried on the breeze. His black ears were pricked, eyes wide and taking in everything.

“He's looking fit, Duo,” Trowa commented as he opened the gate to the small yard they had erected.

“He's in fine form,” Duo replied. “I'm hoping he will help me win the roping and bulldogging tomorrow.”

“I'd say you're in with a good chance,” Trowa replied as he took stock of Duo's cow pony.

Deathscythe, or Scythe as he was known for short, was a black appaloosa stallion with a white blanket covering his hind quarters and spreading partially over his loins. He had a little frosting around the flanks, but not enough to put him in that part of the color category. Standing a little over fifteen one, he was compact, all hard muscle with a keen intelligent eye.

He was Duo's best mate.

Scythe sniffed around his temporary `home' and decided it passed muster. Locating the water bucket Duo had filled, he played with the water for a moment before taking a long drink. Traveling in the back of the trailer was thirsty work.

Whilst his horse settled and had a drink, Duo fetched a feed bin from inside the trailer and measured out a small feed for the horse. He hung it on the fence, Scythe immediately coming over and burying his muzzle in the welcome food.

“Piglet,” Duo snickered and pulled gently on the black ears. Scythe ignored him and continued to eat.

“You know what they say, Duo,” Trowa began. “That animals are like their owners. If I remember correctly, you're always starving too.”

“Hey! I resent that,” Duo chuckled. “But I guess you do have a point.” He looked pointedly at Trowa's face. “But if that's the case, you have a very similar forelock to that nag of yours.”

Trowa huffed.

“Come to think of it, where is the `tank'?” Duo turned his head from side to side, looking around for Trowa's horse.

“She's in the yard on the other side of the trailer,” Trowa stated, “And I'd thank you not to call her a tank, her name is Heavyarms.”

“But you gotta admit, she's built like one,” Duo snickered and set off around the trailer to see Trowa's mare.

She was a very solid horse, standing sixteen hands with powerful legs. Her head was short and neat, well defined nostrils and a refined cut to the jowl. Her forelock though, did indeed trail halfway down her face and tended to swing to one side, covering one eye. Much like Trowa's hair as Duo had pointed out. She was a fine example of the American Saddlebred and with her unique, palomino coloring, she did stand out from the crowd.

Whilst Trowa was purely a rodeo clown, he did ride and was a part of the mounted parade before and after the rodeo itself. Sometimes he was persuaded to enter the mare in the barrel racing competitions and despite her size, `Arms had a pretty good spin on her and had won Trowa a fair amount of the spoils.

Trowa absently patted the golden neck. “What are you doing for supper tonight?”

“I was just gonna have a quiet one in the trailer and get an early night in. It's going to be quite hectic tomorrow.”

“You're welcome to join me and a couple of the other guys if you want. We won't be staying up too late either.”

“Sounds good. Where are you all meeting?”

“My trailer at six. It's just Quatre and Wufei, the two pick up guys. I'm sure you remember them?”

“Yeah, course I do. I'll see you at six then. I'd better get back and see how Scythe is doing and sort my gear out.” Duo waved as he departed, leaving Trowa with his mare.

* * *

It was dusk when Heero finally pulled into the grounds where the rodeo would be taking place on the `morrow. He handed his paperwork over and was directed to the parking area by the gate steward. The trailer bumped along over the uneven ground and up ahead he could make out the small campfires and lights of the trailers belonging to those cowboys that had already arrived.

Another steward pointed him where to park and he pulled up on the end of a line of trailers similar to his own. Parking the trailer, he cut the engine and stepped out into the cool, evening air. Relena got out of the passenger side and met him at the side of the trailer.

“Let me help,” she said as Heero began to lift the metal frames that would make up Wing's yard off the side of the trailer.

“I can manage,” Heero growled softly in reply.

“I know you can, but it will be quicker if both of us do it, then we can have supper sooner.”

Heero couldn't argue with that logic and reluctantly, he let her help.

The yard was quickly secured and Heero brought Wing off the trailer and settled him into it. Relena fetched a small feed for the stallion whilst Heero changed the light rug for a slightly heavier one. He didn't want Wing catching a chill.

With the horse settled, Relena looked around and then spoke. “Why don't you go get him some water and I'll start cooking supper?”

“Okay.” Heero grabbed the large bucket and another container before setting off through the trailers towards where he knew the ablutions block and taps were situated. As he walked, he took in his surroundings, noting many of the familiar trailers parked around. He nodded to a couple of his fellow cowboys but didn't stop to talk. It was getting dark and he could catch up with everyone the following day. No doubt there would be a lot of catching up to do.

Swinging the bucket as he approached the tap on the side of the ablutions block, he almost hit a cowboy coming out of the gents.

“Sorry,” Heero quickly apologized. “I wasn't paying attention.”

“No harm done, buddy. You didn't connect,” came the reply. “Have a good night.” The figure disappeared into the encroaching gloom of evening.

Heero stood rooted to the spot as he watched the cowboy walk off, a long braid of hair swinging from side to side and brushing the cowboy's backside. He'd only caught a brief glimpse of the other man but it was enough to make him catch his breath.

It was the cowboy with those haunting, violet eyes.

~ * ~

tbc...

Thank you to everyone for reading and big hugs to all for the kind and encouraging feedback - much appreciated!