Where the hell is Ranger?

Walker felt eyes on him as he tended to the goats in his winter gear. Marshall had actually allowed himself to be dressed and was standing near the fence-line, watching him intently.

I'm so confused. After sleeping with him last night he's been glued to me.

The thought made him fidget, making him drop more food than he'd intended. Of course, the goats were more than happy to clean it up for him.

"You pigs," he mumbled as he turned back toward the barn.

He returned the food to the feed room, then mucked two stalls... all with eyes on him. When he looked up after his third stall Marshall was standing near the entrance to the barn, his eyes still glued to him. He let him be until he was completely done with his other bits of work, then walked over two hours later.

"Was there something you wanted to do out here, Marshall?" he finally asked since the man still hadn't returned to the warm house.

I swear mom is even cooking again today. I'm shocked he's not waiting near the kitchen.

"My name is Marsh," was his reply, making Walker blink for a moment before realizing the nickname.

"Oh, sure. I can call you that from now on."

Was that all he came out here for?

It didn't make sense.

"Walker, I'll keep you, okay?"

Walker felt his jaw go slack for a moment before he closed it, then opened it again to try and speak... but what did he say to that?

"Do you... understand what you just asked?" he eventually questioned, already fidgeting with the gloves on his hands nervously.

Marsh tilted his head as the wind blew his already-messy hair around.

Ah, he needs a shower.

The guy had been out of it most of the time since he'd gotten there, which made Walker suddenly realize that he probably didn't understand what he was saying.

"I'm done out here for now. Would you like to go take a shower?"

He'd taken one soon after he'd brought him home, but since then... he'd mostly been hibernating.

Yeah, definitely shower day.

"No," was Marsh's response as he slowly turned away and began shuffling back toward the house.

That's when Walker noticed something else that probably needed done, too.

He needs shoes that actually fit him.

He needed a lot of things that actually fit him, but getting him into a store to try things on didn't seem logical, or probable.

Wait a minute. I can just measure him before he takes a shower. That would be killing two birds with one stone... but how to get him to allow it.

Following after the other smaller man, Walker stayed at a distance as he continued his thought process. Eventually, he decided to just ask him outright. He doubted that he liked stomping around in too-big shoes and having to hold up pants while walking.

Stepping inside the house, Walker noticed a trail of clothing leading up the stairs that was definitely what Marsh had been wearing.

Wait, I can catch him now while he's naked and before he gets back into bed!

Hurrying to the kitchen utility drawer, Walker pulled out a length of measuring fabric, then ran up the stairs. Thankfully, Marsh was coming out of the bathroom at that moment, clearly intent on returning to bed. When he looked up, Walker stepped forward and held up the measuring tape.

"Can I measure you real quick so that I can order you some clothing? I'm sure it's annoying not having anything that fits..."

He also wanted to get him in the shower, but he'd take either or at the current moment.

Marsh looked at the measuring tape, then back to Walker, repeating the gesture many times before he finally seemed to decide on what he wanted to respond with.

"You want me to shower?" he asked slowly, clearly trying to get his words in order through his clouded mind.

Walker nodded quickly, a hopeful smile appearing on his face.

"You shower, too."

The excitement drained from his eyes as Walker felt his lips turn downward into a frown.

"Me... too? You mean, after you?" he asked, pretty sure that was what Marsh had to have meant.

When the other man shook his head and stepped forward, Walker stepped back, only to feel the wall abruptly stop him.

When had I turned, or even backed up several steps?

He suddenly felt like he'd been the one in a daze as Marsh stepped forward again, putting them toe to toe.

"You want to measure me... and a shower. I think the deal is acceptable."

That's not morally acceptable, though!

"I-I'll just do it another time," Walker mumbled as he awkwardly stepped to the side a few times, then hurried back down the stairs.

He could have sworn that he heard Marsh chuckling quietly behind him, but didn't dare look back.





Ranger blinked open his eyes as he heard his shift grumble in the back of his mind. His vision was a little blurry, making him realize immediately that he was in a shared dream.

Oh no. His cat rarely ever connected with him unless it took over his human body previously. He knew what was going to happen next without even needing to think about it.

As his vision mostly cleared, he was creeping closer to Heian's sleeping form. He felt his stomach twist into knots as he approached, even though he knew what the outcome had been.

When he was just beginning to start climbing over the man, he suddenly dropped down to the blankets and began rubbing the side of his face against Heian's back.

The knots in his stomach tightened, but this time it was from embarrassment.

His cat growled quietly as it continued its affections, eventually rousing Heian out of his sleep. He slowly rolled onto his back, then began pushing himself up when Ranger saw his own hand shoot out and rake down the man's chest at the same time his other arm pushed his body up and forward slightly.

He was now lying on Heian's chest, and Ranger now knew where some of the marks on his chest had come from, because his cat refused to stop clawing at it with his right hand until Heian began running his fingers through his hair.

When his cat realized that it was being pet, it bristled at first, drawing another light line of blood on the man, but then it realized something... it liked the attention. For the moment.

Ranger watched as he moved even closer on top of the man, then continued to rub the side of his face against his collar-bone area.

They remained that way for some time, but the moment Heian decided to stop petting his head, he lunged forward and took a few nips out of his neck with a warning growl being added to the end of the actions.

The petting resumed immediately, along with an apology and a quiet chuckle.

Over the next span of time Ranger's shift rolled about every once in a while from one side of Heian to the other. At one point, and Ranger really wished that his shift hadn't shared this little detail, he rolled over onto his back and reached up to grab one of Heian's hands... then brought it down to rub his belly.

The look on Heian's face made Ranger wanted to never wake up... especially because he was still asleep in the man's own bed.

They remained that way for another stretch of time, but then something happened that made Ranger not feel as bad for the bite marks he'd left.

Heian, with a new, devilish smile, lifted his hand away intentionally. Ranger's shift tilted its head where it had been lying, then quickly reached up and dragged the arm back down to where it should have remained.

It stayed there, rubbing at his belly and chest, for another bit of time before Heian grinned, teeth and all, and pulled it away again.

Well, his shift was ready this time and snatched it immediately, dragging it back down and adding a few good nips to his arm for good measure.

Mortified, Ranger tried not to pay attention to the remainder of the dream, which thankfully just consisted of extended belly rubs.

After what felt like forever, his vision began to blur more, then darkness took over and the dream ended.

That left him awake and beneath the blankets he'd evidently squirmed under.

I'm never coming out. This is where I'm going to live for the rest of my life.

"I don't mind that second part, but I do need to wash those now that your fever has broken. You also could use a shower," was Heian's response far too close to him for comfort.

When he just growled in response, Heian chuckled and began pealing the blankets away. Ranger wanted to yell at him to stop, but it really wasn't his choice. He was still in the guy's house, and in his bedroom... and his bed.

Sitting up abruptly and sending the remaining blankets to pool around his lap, Ranger was about to bound out of the bed and straight through the door when he realized that he shouldn't have been so rash.

He hadn't realized that Heian had been kneeling over him, not sitting beside him.

"Definitely not the way I thought our first kiss would be," Heian mumbled against his lips as he slowly sat down in Ranger's lap so that he could lift his arms, which he'd been using to balance over him, as well as remove the layers of blankets. "But I can get behind this."

I...

"You," Heian replied in a whisper as he settled one of his palms on Ranger's cheek, tilting his head just-so. He was clearly far more focused on savoring the surprise moment then small talk.

I'm going to bite you, Ranger finally managed to warn.

The look on Heian's face was split between a huge grin and a disappointed pout as he slowly retreated just far enough away to break contact.

"I'm behaving," he said in response, though it was clear from the shine in his eyes that he really didn't want to.

Sighing, Ranger gestured with a nod for the man to get off of him, and thankfully, he did.

"I'll go shower," he eventually said as he got himself up and headed toward the bathroom.

He stopped by the door as he heard Heian get out of the bed, then pinned him where he stood with a glare.

"You're not coming."

He didn't wait to see the man's expression in response to his words and quickly shut, then locked, the door.

I swear I'm going home after this... and never coming back.