Couldn't roll me a seven if you gave me loaded dice

[assassinwithahairpin]

They arrived in Reno in the early evening, the sun glinting gold and red on the Sierra Nevadas to the west. The last time Billy had seen those mountains, he had been young, and it had been from the western side looking east. Not long after, his family and he had headed north to Oregon, then Washington, until he was sold into his indenture.

To consider the mountains from this angle was to consider his traveling companion. Goodnight had already gone in to get them a room at one of the various hotels while Billy saw the horses tended to in a stable near the common. It was better to house them there, Billy knew. Reno had a reputation for thieves, and he'd prefer they not encounter that with their horses.

He made his way back to the hotel, contemplating the makeup of the city. There were more blacks and asians here than in most places they'd stopped over the past months. Billy felt considerably less out of place.

When he reached the hotel, he found Goodnight sitting out on the front porch, contemplating the street. Billy did not walk up the steps yet. He considered Goodnight from that angle, the line of his jaw and the sweep of his hair around his ear. Billy had known he was in trouble about this for weeks, at least. He just didn't know what else to do. But these past few days, working their way toward Reno, he'd been feeling it more and more.

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[assassinwithahairpin]

Billy swore, arching his back. They were losing that slow sweetness, building toward something even more physical, the sounds of their bodies meeting starting to fill up the room. Billy flushed from that, the noise of their coupling. It was that, as much as Goodnight's encouraging, soft, gravely voice that tipped him over the edge. He lifted a hand and covered his mouth, a noise slipping out of him that was needy and loud as he came.

[goodnight_robicheaux]

Goodnight watched every second of it, watched Billy fall apart beneath him. His hand left Billy's cock to gently pry Billy's hand away from his mouth. He pinned it to the bed, laced their fingers together; he wanted to hear him. He couldn't hold out long after that and Goodnight moaned as the rhythm of his hips stuttered as he came. The relief was sharp, sudden, perfect.

[assassinwithahairpin]

Billy let out a whimpering sort of cry, a startlement of having his mouth uncovered. He tried to smother it down, tried to smother down all the noises. People might hear, they might come knocking, and Billy wouldn't be the cause of some hurt to Goodnight.

The feeling of him coming, the stutter of hips and the distinctive twitch and that fullness, pulled another little noise out of Billy. He bit his lip around it, cheeks all flushed.

[goodnight_robicheaux]

Billy looked so beautiful like that, flushed and gasping and undone. Soon Goodnight slowed, sank lower over Billy to kiss him, tenderly muting both of them. He held some of his weight on his forearms and let his hands tangle in Billy's hair. He never wanted to stop kissing this man.

"We're alright," he murmured, still catching his breath. "Walls here're thicker than we're used to."

[assassinwithahairpin]

Billy breathed out, slow and almost lazy, as Goodnight draped over him. He lifted his fingers, ruffling Goodnight's hair gently. There was a sheen of sweat on both of them. So much for the bath that Goodnight had invariably had after their arrival.

"You could have," he murmured, and felt his cheeks pink all over, "said something. Before all this."

[goodnight_robicheaux]

"I was up in my head," he said softly. "Since you-- since Reno." He kissed Billy sweetly, almost like an apology. He pulled out slowly so he could rest at Billy's side, drawing him close to hold him. "I didn't know what it was I wanted or needed to say. And while your message might have been loud and clear... I had no idea what it was you wanted me to take from it." He offered a wry, helpless smile.

[assassinwithahairpin]

"You might have said something before I made a fool of myself," Billy said, all quiet, soft affection. But he knew, that wasn't true. To be like this--not just with each other, but in general--was something that people didn't often admit to. Billy had gone years without this sort of affection; and the last he'd had of it could not have been called affection at all.

He traced his thumb over Goodnight's little smile, and then leaned in and kissed him, because he could. The morning might be different, but for now, he could do this.

[goodnight_robicheaux]

"It's a dangerous thing to say out loud," he murmured, hating the cowardice in that confession. "Especially not knowing how you'd react." It was awful, but Goodnight was so utterly relieved that they'd figured it out, though perhaps not as subtly as they could have.

"Can I stay here tonight?" He'd asked before but he was asking again, wanting to be sure; wanting this to be something he could have.

[assassinwithahairpin]

Billy nodded in understanding. It was dangerous. Billy had questions, so many questions. Goodnight had moved and worked with knowledge and experience with being with a man, but was that a feature of want or a feature of lack of options? Billy didn't think that Goodnight was here, with him, for lack of options. But maybe he'd been with other men because there weren't women around.

"Please," Billy said. He shifted just a little, getting comfortable, making room for them both to settle comfortably in the bed.

[goodnight_robicheaux]

Goodnight graciously settled in and promptly pulled Billy back to him. This was another space that felt like it required negotiation: last time Billy had rolled away from him and stayed that way. Goodnight lightly caught his chin to kiss him.

"Least the bed is bigger'n the last one we had to share."

[assassinwithahairpin]

It felt nice, to be held like that. That was certainly not something that Billy had experienced in years, since he and his parents had shared a tiny amount of space in a flat above a laundry. This was different, of course.

He smiled, a bit teasingly, and stayed with his head tilted and Goodnight's fingers on his chin. "We can escape each other kicking in the night."

[goodnight_robicheaux]

"Without falling out of bed, how novel." He shook his head, smiling. He only hoped the bad dreams stayed at bay tonight; he didn't want to ruin this with unwanted memories.

"If you don't object... might I propose sharing a room for the rest of our stay?" Maybe it was too much to ask too soon.

[assassinwithahairpin]

Billy rolled onto his side, and dragged Goodnight's arm over him, across his middle. He ought to get dressed again, he was sure. If a maid came in in the morning--did they do that in nice hotels like this--it would be one thing to be caught in the arms of another man, and another thing entirely to be caught in his arms still clad in nothing by the sheet.

Still, he did not make an effort to find even his underpants. The touch of skin on skin was a balm to his nerves, for the moment. The warmth of their touch sank through him.

"Fine by me," he said softly.

[goodnight_robicheaux]

Goodnight couldn't help his smile when Billy voiced his consent. Perfect. He kissed Billy's forehead, lingering there a moment.

"Why didn't you say something before uh... diving right in?" There was a laugh on the edge of his voice but he was curious. Surely there was a less risky way of getting his attention.

[assassinwithahairpin]

Billy was quiet. He rested his forehead against Goodnight's jaw, let himself be all tangled up like this. They were the same height, but he rather liked being made to feel slighter than Goodnight, he found.

"Hadn't shot me yet," he deadpanned. "Figured I could run the risk."

[goodnight_robicheaux]

Goodnight huffed a soft laugh. "Not in the business of shooting people anymore," he murmured, though that probably wasn't overly reassuring to hear. He relaxed back against the pillows, looked up at the ornate ceiling tiles as his fingers threaded through Billy's hair.

"Well, we've sorted each other out now. You didn't get shot and I didn't get stabbed. I'd call this a good start."

[assassinwithahairpin]

Billy nodded, and let his head slip down to Goodnight's chest. He closed his eyes and listened to the steady beat of Goodnight's heart, let it lull him to sleep rather seamlessly. He curled his arms over Goodnight's middle and held him, content and satisfied, and hopeful that the morning would be gentle with him.