(no subject)

[assassinwithahairpin]

Texas was blistering hot, in a way that Park Bokyung had never known in Korea or in western Washington. He'd been traveling for four days, exhaustion starting to set in. The horse he had was a skinny thing--bought from an Arapaho tradesmen when he'd crossed through Colorado for more than Bokyung had really been able to spare, but it was a resilient thing. He could commiserate with that.

He came into a small town, unsure what it was called or where he was on the map. It didn't really matter. He wasn't near enough the Rio Grande to really orient himself. Just passing through scrub and sand and a hundred miles of blue skies in every direction.

People were staring. Bokyung was used to that, and so he paid it no real mind. He approached the boarding house and left his little Arapaho mustang at the post as he went in and inquired for room. The matron at the front said there was none but to try and saloon, as it might be more to his style. He highly doubted that, but unhitched his horse and went over to the saloon instead.

It was an effort to ignore the stares. Hadn't any of these men ever seen an Oriental before? There were rail tracks laid not too far from here--he knew from crossing them--which meant they must have seen some variety at some point. Unless it was a rare track laid by Irish and Germans. But Bokyung doubted that.

The music in the saloon did not stop when he stepped in. Nothing did. That was certainly preferable.

Comments

[goodnight_robicheaux]

"Good," he said, approving of Billy's choices. They could split the oats with the horses if the grazing got bad. "You ready to go up? Figure they see you movin' around with me once should be enough to let you come and go after that."

[assassinwithahairpin]

"Oh, I'm allowed to come and go," Bokyung murmured, sarcasm laced and looped through every word. He put out his cigarette and focused on the apple, following Goodnight into the hotel and focusing on the backs of his knees so he didn't have to look at all these white people staring at him.

[goodnight_robicheaux]

Goodnight gave him a weary look. "I'm trying to work in a system, here. It's not a good one - it's ridiculous, even - but it's what there is." He kept his voice down as they walked; he fixed a few people with a look on their way to the stairs. The door to their room was open, a maid just preparing to leave.

He broke into a bright, charming smile.

"Merci mon cher. Je ne peux pas penser à une vue plus belle," he crooned, sending the poor girl into a fit of blushes on her way out the door. The thing to provoke his praise? A tub of steaming hot water on the far end of the room.

[assassinwithahairpin]

The French--Bokyung was fairly sure if was French--went completely over his head. He nodded politely to the girl, looking her over quickly for any signs of rough use. Sometimes, people didn't know that their servants weren't just there for their amusement. But she seemed well enough, and so Bokyung ignored her as he claimed one of the beds. He at least had the decency to keep his boots off the blanket.

[goodnight_robicheaux]

Goodnight continued to murmur his sweet nothings, apparently directed at the tub now. He leaned on the wall to get his boots off and promptly started undressing. Bokyung did not have to look, but he was not going to waste any time in sinking into that hot water. He'd made due with rivers or nothing at all for far too long, thank you.

And maybe, maybe, he moaned when he finally sank into the tub. "Oh goddamn," he sighed.

[assassinwithahairpin]

Bokyung was more focused on the apple for most of the time of Goodnight undressing, though he was not unaware of it happening so near him. The occasional flash of skin in his peripheral vision, more than anything else.

He did notice when Goodnight made that damnable noise. Something like heat trickled down his spine, and Bokyung screwed up his face at his whittling knife.

He refused to be moved.

[goodnight_robicheaux]

Goodnight scrubbed his face with water for the moment. He'd wash up properly soon enough, but he wanted to just soak while the water was still hot. Let it sink into tired bones. He rubbed damp fingers through his hair and relaxed back. "The road isn't so bad but damn I miss this luxury."

Naturally he was feeling talkative.

[assassinwithahairpin]

Bokyung wasn't going to stand this. And he didn't have to, he realized. This wasn't a river bank or something. He wasn't being kept in this room. Goodnight himself had said he could come and go.

So, slicing off another piece of apple, he got up off the bed. He headed to the door of the room without looking at Goodnight--and maybe that was a little pointed. But he was not going to look at this man and possibly put himself in danger if the warrant officer decided he didn't like how Bokyung was looking.