@ᅠᅠᅠᅠLEON SCOTT KENNEDY ᅠ|ᅠWILD WEST AU

It was a quiet autumn evening. The sunny sky blended into hues of orange, red and flickering with the smallest hints of purple as the birds made their last flies to their nests, chirping in the high Pinecone trees that stood tall and proud all over the country, mixing with the falling leaves of Maple and Oak trees that hid among them or covered yards of grassy land.

The towns, filled with the never-vanishing smell of livestock and fresh wood, citizens hurrying to do their last quick purchase for dinner, knowing their father was about to return home with the rest of the lumberjacks or that their son was arriving back for the weekend from his studying at the nearest big city. The stray cats began to appear more in the streets, using anything comfortable as their bed — a bench, a windowsill, some even staring down at the gravel roads from the brick rooftops. Dogs guarded their herd proudly, making sure not even a lamb wandered off.

The bell on the Shepherd's collar rang with each bark, each step and each jump, trailing beside the Dapple Brown Percheron. The cowboy boots in the saddle clanked with each nudge of heels against the horse's ribs, encouraging it to trot a bit faster. the little clouds of wool ran through the grassy fields, earning a bark from the Shepherd every now and then.

"Rusty, come back here, boy." The man called out, his voice carrying itself on the soft October breeze, starting a few birds. the dog immediately obeyed, outrunning the countless of sheep, looking up at his owner expectantly. The man leaned down in his saddle, reaching a hand out. the sleeves of his striped shirt were rolled up, exposing his strong forearms, his face hit by the shining sun that was beginning to settle over the horizon. The warm hues of yellow danced along his pale skin, hitting his blue eyes perfectly to the point one might think they belong to a Lord or a Nobleman.

But it was just him; Leon, Leon Scott Kennedy. orphaned at a young age, a child of two outlaws and criminals fell into the hands of a town called Amberwick, settled between the rivers of Shoshone and Greybull, in Wyoming. at just eleven, he was taught farming and sheepherding — it was never his passion, and through the years, he accepted it more as a hobby rather than a job. His heart bled for something different, something much more. He wanted to be a sheriff, especially after getting rescued by them when the incident happened.

"Yeah, good boy..." He hummed, scratching the pup behind his ears before settling back in his saddle, adjusting the cowboy hat that fit him perfectly. he let out a long exhale, picking up pace with the herd.

Leon was a collected man, self-assured, confident, and stubborn. something rarely got him out of his calm mind, one of those things being the sun exploding. He might worry a bit about that. and even though his longing for a different job was growing heavier, he's learned to find peace with the sheep. He enjoyed the silence that the evenings brought, enjoyed watching the sheep endlessly chew on the blades of the greenest grass in the country before it was time to go home.

one would say Leon's life was already planned far ahead, and that the plan would be followed. he did have a plan; continue working until he catches the eye of a nice girl, marry her, have a family, and die. Yet all of this was thrown off the table on one sunny afternoon, after a morning routine and during a quiet ride with Rusty, he crossed paths with this man. Intimidating at first, face covered who knew why, voice as smooth as gravel wrapped in velvet. it was just a glance. Just his horse trotting past the man's, but the second they made even the briefest eye contact, it all came crashing down.

Homosexuality was a sin, he knew that. he wasn't really christian or religious in any way, but even if you were an atheist, your mind should automatically yell at you how wrong it was. But in Leon's case, it didn't happen.

it started with brief eye contact where, in the moment, Leon didn't register one of the cops chasing the man. Then, the paths crossing happened often. introduction. Nothing too much, just a name, a small talk, then moving on. That turned into meetups during the night, then a few drinks behind the barn and clothes shed on the floor of Leon's room.

Homosexuality was a sin. But to Leon, it didn't matter as much as it should. sure, he had his doubts, as one should, but he didn't let it build a wall between him and the man he adored.

As he chased the sheep towards the town, checking up on Rusty every now and then, he saw a horse. a familiar horse and an even more familiar man sitting in the saddle. he grabbed the reigns and without thinking, forcing the herd towards the opening, ride behind a pinecone forest.

"Chores?"

he forced his horse to stop, letting go of the reigns, and just watching as the other man — looking as handsome as always — leaned against the horn of his saddle, his hat tilted into his face, casting a long purple shadow on his pretty features.

"Didn't expect to see you here..." He said gruffly, adjusting his own hat once more and leaning back in the saddle. the other man shrugged and tilted his head.

"That so?"

"Well, in your line of work, I don't expect to really see you anywhere." That earned a chuckle from the other, and it made himself smile as well. his horse neighed. "meeting you anywhere is always a surprise."

it did earn a chuckle, just not an answer. at least not instantly. the other man let out a low exhale and straightened his back, letting the setting sun expose his features. At least partly; he was still wearing that goddamn bandana.

".. Take it off."

"Hm?" The man raised an eyebrow. Leon took a while to answer.

"... The bandana. Take it off."

"Why?"

a simple question. just nothing more than the man wanting to know why Leon demanded seeing his face, but to Leon, seeing the man's face again.. It meant everything. it made the boring life he led worth living. No answer. Not a verbal one. Leon's eyes just softened, eyeing the other man's expression.

And then the man lifted his hand, the fabric slipping off his nose and settling at the collar of his shirt. his horse shifted weight from one leg to another and Max's arms fell open.

"Happy, sugar?"

Sugar..

"got you somethin'." he said suddenly, reaching for his saddle bag and pulling out four carrots, two apples and a bunch of sugar cubes.

"For that stallion of yours."

".. You didn't have to—"

"i did."

"No, i mean you didn't have to steal that for me." Leon's voice was carrying a small hint of teasing, but he was serious. "This messin' around is gonna get you hanging one day."

"Sure."

"Im serious."

"I know."

Leon just stared. He wasn't sure what to say, so, in the awkwardness, he looked down at his hands, sighing.

"... I know you're worried 'bout me, sugar." The sound of hooves meeting the ground reached his ears, the other man's soft voice was closer. Leon looked up but didn't meet his gaze.

"Even though i shouldn't be."

"even though you shouldn't be.." The man nodded.

".. I have a plan. A big one. We'll run away."

"What?!" Leon recoiled so hard he grabbed the horse's reigns, forcing him to walk back a few steps. the other man's eyes softened, knowing it would cause some shock.

"Sugar, listen—"

"No. No, im not goin' anywhere. Sure, i hate this job and smelling like sheep shit every day but—"

"Sugar..."

"What?!"

The other man just... looked at him. not with shock, with guilt, or with pity. just Love.

".. We can live a life, together. truly. A cabin in the woods where no one will know—" he paused, searching for something in Leon's eyes. Even the smallest hint of hesitation, of conflict...

Leon sighed. He rubbed his face with his hand, looking away. He knew why he wanted it. His criminal record was long, if not endless. He's shot folk, killed folk, robbed folk...

He didn't know if this was a step in the right direction. All he knew was that here, with this man, this was his place. if he was near him, he knew that's where he belonged, where he was meant to be.