GLITTER GULCH

Chapter 17: Raindrops Keep Falling

There was nothing that Sage wanted more than to pull Ryo’s body to his and kiss away the tears forming on his lashes. But the last time… "I…I don’t trust myself."

Ryo's voice was small and faraway. "But I trust you, Sage."

Nothing could have hurt more. Heated tears streamed down the cowboy's face as he lowered his eyes. "No, no, you can't. I don't…I don't deserve it."

The Indian moved forward, and Sage winced and stepped back. His horse snorted and stomped her foot. The blonde patted her neck and began to lead her out of the barn. "It's for the best, Ryo. Trust me." For a brief moment, he thought he would make it. He thought he'd be able to leave and run away from all his pain. But Ryo's words froze his heart and soul.

"Don't do this, Sage. Don't shut me out."

The cowboy closed his eyes and tried to will himself to keep walking, but his body remained rigid, betraying his mind and obeying his heart. The rain drummed on the brim of his hat - the water running off in rivulets of guilt and cowardice. His hands clenched into fists around the reins of his horse. No. Keep walking. Don't listen. It's for the best. The short silence enabled him to move his hand. There actually was hope that he could still leave…

"Don't go. Please?" Ryo's voice was strained with unshed tears on the verge of becoming a torrent of emotion.

Sage bit his lip. This is NOT supposed to happen this way. I'm supposed to ride off and never look back. I'm supposed to kill the monster and die in the process, so I can become a memory…a tragic hero sacrificing himself for the one he can never have. He tugged on Lady Luck's reins.

"No! Sage…I love you! Don't do this! Talk to me!"

"Why?" the cowboy's strangled voice whispered. There was no answer. "WHY?!" he shouted, as he spun around to face the one he loved.

Startled, the Indian flinched. "Because we need to figure out what's going on…"

"No!" Sage let Lady Luck's reins fall into the mud. He stomped over to Ryo and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Why do you love me?!"

Ryo's eyes were wide and confused. "Wha…what are you talking about?"

"Why do you love someone who took advantage of you?! How can you stand there and tell me that you love me when all I've ever done is to let you down?! I'm not worthy of you, Ryo! You deserve someone you can trust, someone who will be there for you, someone who…who…" Sage's hands fell to his side, and he sank to his knees in the mud, his righteous fury diluted with the pouring rain. "Someone who wouldn't betray you."

Kento knocked lightly on the door. "Hey, Ro. What's going on?"

"Go away and leave me alone!"

"Not on your life, man. That's my room you're holed up in." The mountain man tried the door, but it was locked. "Hey, Ro. Open this door."

"No!"

Kento sighed. Rowan sounded like a spoiled child that needed a reminder about how things were supposed to be. "If you don't open this door, I'm gonna be forced to break it, and I really don't want to do that."

He could hear sniffling on the other side of the door.

"Rowan Strata, open this door this instant!"

"NO!"

"Fine. You asked for it!" Kento twisted the knob and using his shoulder, shoved against the door. The doorjamb split and wood splinters flew, but luckily he'd succeeded in opening the door without busting the hinges. He walked in and managed to shut the door behind him.

Rowan was sitting on the bed hugging Kento's pillow. His eyes were all puffy, and his face looked like he'd been drinking heavily. "I told you to go away and leave me alone!" He threw the pillow at Kento who caught it easily.

"And I told you no. This is my room." He sat down on the bed next to the Yankee.

"Fine! I'll leave then!" Rowan stood up to leave, but Kento caught his arm.

"Nope. You're gonna sit right there and tell me what happened."

"Let go of me!" Rowan struggled against Kento's hold, but he knew he'd never win. Kento was definitely the stronger of the two. "Stop it, Kento. You're hurting me!"

Kento chuckled. "That trick stopped working on me a few years ago, blue boy." He yanked on Rowan's arm, pulling him to the bed. "Now sit down."

Rowan sniffed and sat down. Kento didn't let go.

Sage sat there hunched over at Ryo's feet and felt the pounding of the rain on his back. Rain…Cleansing and purifying. Nature's baptismal rite. It pulls the dust and grit from the air, giving everything a fresh coat of life. If only it could do that for me now. His tears mingled with the falling rain, the heat scalding his pale skin as the cool rain soothed it. He waited for a response. Some sort of sign from Ryo. Anything. The rain continued its relentless descent.

He felt a hand under his chin, and he blinked. Ryo was kneeling in front of him. Ice blue eyes looked into his soul and saw the pain encased there. "I love you for who you are. You are my life. I don't know what I'd do without you, Sage. Please don't leave me. Stay here with me. Forever."

Sage saw truth and sincerity reflected in Ryo's eyes. He could feel the warmth embrace him, and he welcomed its fiery presence. Ryo's hand felt like it was burning his flesh, but he didn’t turn away. He didn't get up and leave. One look into those eyes, and he was transfixed. The passion and desire locked away in the recesses of his heart were freed, and the tears began anew. But this time, the tears reflected his gratitude and undying love.

Ryo pulled him to his knees and hugged him - the two of them kneeling in the rain. Relief washed over Sage, and his entire body went weak. He clung to Ryo, trusting the Indian's strength to hold them both up.

"Come on, Sage. Let's go inside." Ryo patted his back and tried to stand.

"No!" Sage's arms held the Indian tighter.

"It's pouring out here…"

The cowboy ignored him and shoved his face into the hollow of Ryo's throat. Ryo's heart raced. He put a hand under Sage's chin and forced him to look into his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to you to go…"

"I'm not going anywhere without you. Come on. Let's get up and go inside where it's warmer."

"No."

"Sage…what is it? Why don't you wanna go inside?"

Sage actually seemed to be pouting. Ryo desperately wanted to suck on his lower lip. "I'm afraid that if I let go of you, you'll disappear…and all of this will have been a dream."

Ryo hugged him tighter. "I'm not going anywhere without you. I promise."

Sage pulled back and looked in Ryo's eyes as he removed his hat. Ryo watched as the rain soaked the blonde hair.

"What are you doing?" Ryo reached for the hat but the cowboy stopped him. "Come on, Sage. You'll get sick if we stay out here much longer." The Indian stood and tried to pull the blonde to his feet. Instead, Sage nuzzled his face on Ryo's upper thigh, rubbing against the wet denim.

"I don't want to go inside…I can't wait that long."

"Sage…"

Timidly at first, but then with increasing confidence, Sage's nimble hands toyed with the buttons on Ryo's jeans. The blonde knew the dark-haired man wanted to break away, to go into the house or barn or somewhere - as long as it was out of the rain, but Sage wasn't about to let him go. This vantage was a particularly enticing one for the cowboy.

"Ugnnnnhhh…Oh god, Sage!" After extricating Ryo's throbbing sex from his pants, Sage was licking and sucking on it fervently. He swore he could feel Ryo's thoughts swirling in his head. The need to get out of the rain was slowly being pushed aside by a more primal urge. The Indian put his hands on Sage's shoulders and tried to hold him still. "Sage, we really need to get inside…"

Amethyst eyes stared into ice blue. Sage wiped his mouth and stood up, shedding his duster as he did so. He began unbuttoning his shirt and shrugged it off his shoulders. Ryo stood transfixed as cold rain drenched the cowboy's muscular chest. Sage unbuckled his gun belt and let it fall into the mud. He then unlaced his chaps, slowly watching Ryo the entire time. The Indian had fallen prey to his hypnotic movements.

Unfastening his pants, Sage closed the small space between their half-dressed bodies. The cowboy was slightly taller than the Indian, and Ryo had to tilt his head back slightly to see into his eyes. Sage let their chests brush together as he whispered into Ryo's ear, "I have someplace warm where you can go inside, Ryo Wildfire."

Sage watched Ryo's face flush with warmth. He planted small kisses on the Indian's neck, nibbling at the exposed flesh. The dark-haired man groaned and pressed his body into Sage's, the exquisite sensation sending tingles all throughout the Indian's body. The cowboy continued tasting Ryo's flesh mixed with rain, streams of water pouring down exposed skin.

Ryo sputtered and came up for air, turning his head to cough. "Sage, we really need to…" But the blonde had already moved, shedding the rest of his clothes in the process. With hungry amethyst eyes, a nude Sage lay back in the mud and spread his legs wide, beckoning Ryo to come to him. The Indian's heart skipped a beat as he watched in awe. Sage was offering himself. Ryo took the offering.

"Well, that's something you don't see every day." Rosemary stood by the window peering around the curtains.

"Pardon?"

"You'll just have to see this for yourself."

Cye got up from the couch where he'd been fretting about Rowan holing up in the room that he and Kento shared. He crossed the room quickly and peeked out the window. "Oh my…"

Across the yard in front of the barn, Sage was kneeling in the mud facing Ryo who was standing. It only took a second for Cye to realize what was going on. With twin expressions of shock and amazement, Rosemary and Cye stood motionless watching the scene unfold outside.

A brief smile flitted across the woman's lips. "Maybe this will help dislodge that stick he's had up his…"

Both jerked abruptly when the loud thump of a door opening sounded from the hallway. Shame reddened Cye's face, and he coughed loudly. "Um, yes. The draperies could use a good washing…" Rosemary gave him a exasperated look just as a tired tiger sauntered into the living room. White Blaze lazily stretched and watched the two humans through slitted eyes. Leery, Rosemary and Cye backed away as the giant tiger padded across the room, sat back on his haunches, and put his enormous paws on the windowsill. He looked at the two figures barely hidden by the rain and snorted, fogging the window with his breath. He then lay down in front of the window, barring any access that Rosemary and Cye had to the scene outside. They exchanged quizzical glances and slowly backed into the kitchen.

"Well. It doesn't take much for me to catch a hint. How about you?"

"You think he knew what we were doing?"

They looked at each other. "Naahhhh…" they said in unison.

"So. Now what do we do?"

"Um…I was going to make some cookies for my students since tomorrow is the first day of school. Want to help?"

"Sure. I don't have anything else to do since that damn tiger ruined the best entertainment I've had in weeks."

Cye giggled and rounded up the ingredients.