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Cowboy	By : Deb Category: Gundam Wing/AC > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 5572 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing it belongs to Bandai, Sotsu and associated parties. Written for pleasure not profit.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
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 14

[And a broken home and some broken bones

Is all he’ll have to show,

For all the years that he spent chasin’

This dream they call Rodeo

Rodeo – Garth Brooks]

Inside the trailer Relena could hear the low murmur of voices outside. In her still half asleep state it took a moment for her brain to register that there were two voices speaking, not just Heero talking to Wing as she’d presumed. Coming more awake, she listened intently. Yes, definitely two voices and she was pretty sure the other voice belonged to that other cowboy; Duo Maxwell.

The voices were low and difficult to understand, Relena only picking up on a word here or there. Pushing the covers back, she slipped from the bed and crept quietly down the trailer to the other end where Wing’s yard was attached to the side. There was a window just before where the yard joined the trailer and keeping herself out of sight, Relena snuck close and peered outside.

In the moonlight she could make out the two forms standing just outside Wing’s yard. She saw a haynet passed over and Heero go to hang it up. Once the haynet was hung, Wing went quiet. The window was slightly ajar to let a little of the cool, evening air inside and that same breeze caught and carried most of the conversation the pair were having to her ears.

She froze in shock when she watched Duo move close and wrap his arms around Heero’s waist. It was all she could do not to cry out in anger when that cowboy kissed her Heero! But when Heero’s arms went around Duo’s waist and he began to kiss back, Relena thought her heart had stopped.

She blinked and then rubbed at her eyes, unsure if she was seeing things or not. The vision was the same, only now they weren’t kissing, just holding each other tightly in what could only be described as a lover’s embrace. A few words floated to her ears on the evening breeze and whilst she didn’t catch the entire conversation, she heard enough.

Heero planned on breaking up with her? And for another man?! The anger began to build inside. Yes, she knew they had been having a few problems lately, but once Heero gave away the damn rodeo those problems would go away, she was sure of it. Her eyes narrowed a touch. If word of this got out, that Heero had thrown her over - for another man no less, she would be the laughing stock!

There was one thing Relena Peacecraft was not about to become and that was the laughing stock of the rodeo or anything like it.

There had to be something wrong with Heero. He couldn’t possibly be gay, he’d been with her for several years, never looked at another woman, or man for that matter. A man that was gay did not make love the way Heero did to a woman. No, there had to be something wrong with Heero’s mind. Maybe it was a mistake, that Heero was slightly delusional, thinking that this Maxwell fellow was a woman, especially with all that hair.

Or maybe when he’d had that altercation with that black bronc he’d suffered a blow to the head as well as his broken leg.

That had to be it. Heero had suffered some form of trauma to his brain which was making him think he was gay.

She scowled to herself as she watched the tender exchange between the two. She needed to jolt Heero back to his usual self. Make him see that she was the one he wanted and not that... that long haired excuse for a cowboy.

No, she would not give up Heero, and most certainly not to another man, no way!

Turning away from the window when she realized the pair were separating and Heero was about to come back into the trailer, she scooted back to the bed and pulled the covers over herself. She closed her eyes and evened out her breathing, pretending to be asleep.

Heero entered quietly and shuffled through to the bedroom. Tugging off his jeans, he slid back into the bed and rolled to his side. Relena snuggled closer, frowning when she came up against his back once more.

“Is Wing okay?” she murmured.

“He’s fine. Just hungry,” Heero replied and wriggled his head around in the pillow as he tried to get comfortable.

Relena decided to try something. She slipped her arm around his waist and let her fingers drift down towards his boxers. Once there she tried to graze those fingers lightly over his groin, only to have a hand clamp down on her wrist. “Heero?”

“Not now, Relena. I’m tired,” he said flatly and removed her hand.

Scowling, Relena decided to try something else. “Can I at least have a good night kiss?”

Heero grunted and rolled slightly. Relena brought her lips forward, but instead of the kiss she was expecting, all she got was a peck on the cheek.

“Good night, Relena,” he said, his tone clearly saying he was going to sleep and wouldn’t be a part of anything more.

Relena fumed and rolled over and away from his back. His actions had only confirmed what her eyes and ears had told her. Her mind began to whirl with thoughts, and not all of them nice ones. She was angry, hurt and upset and that anger needed a release of some form. She wanted to confront Heero, ask him outright what the hell was going on, demand that he stop this nonsense right now, but if she did that, Heero would know immediately that she had been eavesdropping.

No, there had to be another way.

As her mind continued to wander a thought began to form, slowly and steadily it came together until she couldn’t ignore it any longer. As she tossed it around in her head, so it became clearer and clearer.

A smile crossed her lips.

She would make Heero see that he wasn’t gay, that he didn’t need that other cowboy. What he needed and wanted was right here with him.

As long as she drew breath she would make certain that Duo Maxwell would not have her Heero.

* * *

The morning came soon enough, the song of the birds waking those who still remained camped at the rodeo grounds. Duo yawned and stretched, rolling from the bed and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He smiled as he recalled the previous evening, the feeling of Heero in his arms and the taste of him on his lips. He sincerely hoped that Heero would call him soon with the news that Relena was gone.

Pulling on a pair of sweats and shoving his feet into his sneakers, he exited the trailer and fed Scythe, noting that Wing was also eating which meant Heero was probably up. As much as he would have loved to spend a little time with the other cowboy before leaving, it would be better not to risk it, for both their sakes.

Turning, he went back into the trailer to make a coffee and gather his things together to take a shower.

*

Heero fed Wing and headed for the ablutions block. He hadn’t caught a glimpse of Duo, which disappointed him in one way, but relieved him in another. Things were difficult enough with Relena, without adding further fuel to the fire. It would be best if Heero didn’t pay any attention to Duo, his trailer or Scythe for now; but once he was home at his ranch, he would be letting Relena know they were through.

Shower finished with, Heero returned to his trailer, noting Scythe was now eating which meant Duo was up and about somewhere. Stepping inside, he was hit with the smells of breakfast and a smiling Relena.

“Just in time,” she said as she placed their breakfasts on the small table.

Heero put his things away and sat down to eat. He frowned a little as Relena started up a conversation with him. The woman seemed to be quite pleasant towards him, not that that was unusual, but she seemed to be a little... How would he describe it? Sickly sweet?

Did she know what he was planning on doing? His blood ran cold at that thought. Sipping his coffee, he thought again about Relena’s behavior. She couldn’t know that he was going to break it off with her, no one had seen them and he’d been very careful in what he’d said and done.

Maybe she was just trying to make it up to him for her suspicions at the party last night?

Heero almost snorted in his coffee.

“Are you okay?” Relena asked.

“Yeah, fine,” he replied. Putting down his coffee cup, he pushed his empty plate away and stood up. “I’ll go get started on packing away the yard and getting Wing ready to go. We need to get moving soon if we’re gonna be home before dark.” Turning on his heel, he left the trailer.

Relena watched him go, an evil smirk on her lips.

* * *

By the time Duo had finished his shower and returned to his trailer, Wing was rugged and tied to the side of Heero’s trailer. The temporary yard had been dismantled and all pointed to the imminent departure of Heero. Pushing aside the feelings of disappointment that he wouldn’t get to see Heero for sometime, Duo entered his own trailer and began to put his things away, securing the inside of the small living area for his own trip back home. By the time he’d finished, he heard the sounds of a horse being loaded and looked out the window to see Wing disappearing inside Heero’s trailer.

Stepping outside, he managed to catch Heero’s eye as the other cowboy exited the trailer and prepared to close up the tail gate. He waited until Heero had finished and then stepped forward. “You heading out?” Duo asked.

“Yeah.” Heero wiped his hands on his jeans and darted a quick glance at the trailer.

Noting the glance and how Heero appeared to be a little uncomfortable, Duo couldn’t blame the man. Although he couldn’t be one hundred percent sure of what was going through Heero’s mind, he had a pretty good idea. “Have a safe trip,” Duo said and extended his hand.

“Thanks. You too.” Heero took the hand and shook it firmly.

Duo ran his thumb across Heero’s hand as they parted and with as much warmth as he could muster to his eyes, he said softly, “Call me when you can.”

“I will,” Heero whispered and smiled. Then, he said in a louder tone, “I’ll see you at the next rodeo then.”

“You can count on it,” Duo grinned.

With a nod of his head, Heero stepped around the trailer to get into the cab and start the vehicle up. Duo stood and watched them go, waving as the trailer rumbled slowly over the grass. Once the trailer had moved out of his line of sight, Duo turned and began his own preparations for leaving.

* * *

The trip home for Heero was pretty uneventful. Relena remained quiet for most of it, simply sitting and staring out the window at the passing landscape. Occasionally she would put a CD in the player and hum along with the tune, but she didn’t chatter on almost non stop like usual.

Heero wasn't too sure what was going on in the woman’s head. The way she was acting still caused him some concern, but if he were to voice those concerns she would know there was something up and he didn’t want to have that discussion whilst he was driving.

It was mid afternoon by the time he was pulling into the familiar road that would take him back to his ranch. Relena seemed to perk up a little as the dusty driveway came into view and Heero turned up it. Bringing the trailer to a stop out the back by the barn, he cut the engine. Relena immediately got out and headed for the house to air it out and get a start on dinner. With a sigh, Heero climbed out and stretched his weary muscles. In the trailer, Wing gave a loud neigh.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m coming,” Heero muttered and set about the routine of getting his horse off the trailer and into the yard by the side of the barn. Once Wing was un-rugged and comfortable, Heero began to unpack all the gear from the trailer, putting it back where it belonged in the barn. With the gear all sorted, Heero checked the stallion’s stall, putting a feed in ready and filling the water bucket. With the main chores done, he went back to the trailer to start the task of unpacking the human side of things.

Whilst he was busy gathering things together, his mind was constantly searching through ways in which to tell Relena they were through. It wouldn’t be easy, of that he was certain. He couldn’t exactly come out and say; ‘Pack your things and get out, I’m no longer interested in a relationship with you.’ No, that wouldn’t work at all. Relena would want to know why, demand answers from him and whilst he would be honest with her to a point, he certainly wasn’t about to tell her he was interested in another man.

He needed to be tactful, diplomatic in how he handled this – and there lay the problem.

Heero had never been one for talking. He didn’t see the point in idle chatter. If he had something to say he usually said it and that was that. Now faced with a ‘showdown’, he knew he had to get this right, had to find the right words to use and avoid an all out yelling match where possible.

He made a mental note to hide all the kitchen knives too – just in case.

By the time he was through unloading everything, it was early evening and Wing was pacing the yard demanding his dinner. Bringing the paint inside, Heero gave the black and white coat a quick brush over before putting on a light rug. Patting the neck of the horse, Heero murmured softly to the animal. “Why does life have to be so complicated?”

Wing gave a snort by way of reply.

Closing the barn doors, Heero walked towards the house in the twilight. He was tired and the last thing he wanted right now was to confront Relena. He’d have a shower, something to eat and an early night. He’d talk to the woman in the morning once he’d had a good night’s sleep.

*

The following morning saw Heero awake not long after dawn. He felt refreshed, having slept peacefully and deeply , despite his thinking he wouldn’t with the turmoil that was going on inside his head. He managed to leave the bed without disturbing Relena and headed outside into the early morn.

Wing was waiting for him, a soft wuffle of greeting when he heard his master’s footsteps. Instead of feeding the paint, Heero fetched his saddle and bridle, deciding to take the horse out for an early morning ride, mainly to check on the cattle.

It was peaceful out in the valley, lazy clouds drifted overhead, dew drops still sparkled upon the grasslands and the birds filled the air with their cheery song. The cattle were peacefully grazing, raising their heads from time to time to check out Heero and his horse. Quietly Heero guided Wing closer and walked slowly around and through the grazing animals, eyes scanning the beasts and pleased to note that all appeared to be well with them.

Once the rodeo season was over, it would be time for him to round the animals up, bring them into the corrals and sort through the beasts. Those that were of the right age would be singled out and sent in the trucks to the market where they would be processed and graded by the cattle inspector and an offer made to Heero for them from the local abattoir. The better condition the beasts were in, the more money Heero would make and that would allow him to pay a little more off his debts and purchase more beef calves to raise. And so the cycle would continue.

As Heero rode back to the ranch house, he thought again about Duo and his dream to breed and raise cow ponies. That thought led to another; would Duo want to leave his ranch and move to Heero’s? Or would Duo expect Heero to move to his ranch and raise cow ponies?

Heero snorted to himself. “Shit, I’ve not even been on a date with him and already I’m thinking about where we’re gonna set up home.”

The ranch house came into view, Wing trying to speed up his lope, only Heero wouldn’t allow it. He kept the paint to a steady gait and soon enough they arrived in the corral. Heero unsaddled, brushed the stallion down and put him in the corral. Fetching the feed and putting it in the feed bin, Heero opened the corral gate to the pasture and left Wing to eat his breakfast. Once the stallion was done he was free to leave the corral and graze on the open plain.

Taking a deep breath, Heero headed for the house, knowing he had to confront Relena. He couldn't put it off any longer and could only hope he would come out of the confrontation with all his limbs in tact and few battle scars.

*

Folding the tea towel up, Heero placed it to the side and swallowed hard. Sweat ran down his back and he felt hot all over. “Relena?”

“Yes?” the woman replied and looked up from where she was sitting at the kitchen table reading a magazine and sipping on her tea.

Grabbing his coffee, Heero walked over and sat down opposite her. “We need to talk,” he said softly and dropped his eyes.

Relena’s eyes narrowed and her heart began to beat a little faster. She already knew what was coming and wasn’t at all happy about it. “Oh? What about?” she asked, playing innocent and closed her magazine to give him her undivided attention.

Taking another mouthful of his coffee, Heero braced himself and prepared to give the ‘talk’ of his life. Unable to meet the woman’s eyes, he focused on a spot on the wall somewhere behind her left earlobe. “Relena, we’ve been together for a few years now and we’ve had some good times during those years. Over the last few months though, I’ve not been as happy as I was in the beginning. I don't know what has changed, but we don’t seem to get on as well as we did.”

‘I know what’s changed, a certain cowboy, that’s what,’ thought Relena viciously.

“I thought we were getting along just fine. I know we’ve had a couple of disagreements, but once you settle down to raising beef cattle like you’re supposed to be doing and give away that rodeo, then everything will work out just fine; you’ll see,” Relena replied.

Heero ran a hand through his bangs. “That’s just it,” he snapped. “I don’t want to give up the rodeo and settle down.”

“Don’t be silly, Heero. The rodeo isn’t the place for you. You have a good head of cattle, you’re slowly getting back on top of things and I'm sure you could get a job on another ranch as a cow hand to help make ends meet until you’ve paid off those debts your father left you with. A good, steady job is what you need, not that rodeo where you never know if you will finish in the money.”

“Relena, the rodeo is in my blood, it’s what I do. I’m not about to give that up no matter what you say. The rodeo is the most important thing to me, raising beef cattle is a secondary job, a way to make ends meet; the rodeo is what I really love and I refuse to give that up. It’s going to be a constant conflict between us, I can see that now... Relena, we have too many things we disagree on, the rodeo being the main one, but there are others too. I know you want to get married and settle down...”

“What’s wrong with that?” Relena demanded, her voice starting to raise a touch.

“There’s nothing wrong with that, but... Relena, I’m not ready to settle down and get married. I love the rodeo; I plan on continuing to compete on the circuit for several more years yet. You’ve already made it perfectly clear you have no interest in what I want to do and we’ve started to drift apart. Marriage, settling down and having the whole kids and white picket fence thing isn’t for me right now; and I’m not sure if it ever will be.” ‘Especially if I am gay,’ he added silently.

“What are you saying, Heero?” Relena’s tone was low and menacing.

“I think it would be best if we ended this relationship now, part company as friends whilst we still can.”

There, he’d said it. Now it was up to Relena to accept it.

Relena took in the words, words she knew would be coming and despite knowing, it didn’t make them any easier to hear or accept. “You want to end our relationship?” she growled out.

“Yes.”

“I thought you loved me, cared about me and what I wanted...”

“Relena, I do care about you and what you want, it’s just that lately, well, I’ve fallen out of love with you. You’re more like a friend, a sister to me than a lover.”

“There’s another woman, isn’t there? That’s it, you’ve found yourself someone else.” Relena spat the words out, wanting to see if Heero would come clean and tell her the real reason he was dumping her.

“No, Relena. There isn’t another woman. We just have to face it, what we both want from this relationship isn’t the same thing and it’s not going to work. Far better for us to end it now before either one of us gets really hurt. You’ll get over it, there’s a man out there, somewhere, who is far more worthy of you than I am and I know he will make you happier than I ever could.”

‘Liar!’ Relena thought to herself. “So that’s it then? Thanks for the past few years, pack your stuff and I’ll see you around?”

“No, it’s not like that-”

“Bullshit!”

“Relena!”

“Heero, save it. I don’t want to hear anymore of your excuses. I’ll pack my stuff and I’ll go just as soon as I can, seems you’ve already made your mind up that we’re no longer a couple. Mark my words though, Heero,” Relena snarled as she stood up. “You will regret this, you will see that you’ve made a terrible mistake, and when you do and come crawling back to me, don’t expect me to welcome you with open arms. I’ll be waiting for you, I might even take you back; but you will have a lot of making up to do.”

“Relena...”

Relena didn’t acknowledge his call, she turned on her heel and shoving the chair aside, stormed from the room.

In the kitchen, Heero slumped to the table, resting his head in his hands. “I guess it could have gone worse,” he muttered to himself.

If Heero had known just how much worse it would get, he would never have spoken those words and tempted fate.

~ * ~

tbc...
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