FIC: Western Lovers: Cowboys & Archaeologists (8/30)

[sassywitch.livejournal.com]

Title: Western Lovers: Cowboys and Archeaologists 7/30
Author: sassywitch
Pairing: BB/DM with a smattering of VM/LT and DW/OB
Rating: NC-17, to be on the safe side.
Summary: Billy is a man to be reckoned with. Can Dom heal his wounded soul and his own into the bargain. Could Billy make him forget the bitter lessons of the past?
Feedback: Feedback is my writers crack, which is not to be confused at all with plumbers crack.
Disclaimer: Not at all true in reality. These men whilst adorable and perfectly happy to slash themselves, their actual relationship is something that they only know. This story is adapted from a series of books that I adored when I was younger written by Elizabeth Lowell.
Word Count: 2950
Header Art: Courtesy of the incredibly talented loki_girl
Previous Chapters: can be found Here
A/N: A huge thank you to dylan_dufresne for the inspiration, the prodding and the beta. My grammar sucks so she had to suffer it so nobody else would. Happy Easter to the loyal and devoted, here's the bonus I promised.

Billy was running before Dom's scream ended abruptly, leaving silence and echoes in its wake. He raced away from the ruins at full speed, not needing to follow Dom's tracks in order to find him. In the first instant of his scream, Billy had seen the bright red windbreaker Dom wore, vivid against the creamy wall of the stone on the opposite side of the canyon.

And then the red had vanished.

"Dom! Dominic!"

No one answered Billy's shout. He saved his breath for running across the canyon bottom and scrambling up the steep slope. As soon as he saw the black shadow of the new hole in the ground, he realized exactly what had happened. Dom had stepped onto the concealed roof of a kiva, and it had given way beneath his weight. Some of the kiva's were only a few feet deep. Others were deeper than a man was tall. He was afraid that Dom had found one of the deep ones.

Moving slowly, ready to throw himself aside at the first hint of uncertain footing, Billy crept close to the hole that had appeared in the rubble slope.

"Dommie, can you hear me?"

A sound that might have been his name came from the hole.

“Don't move," he said. "If you've hurt your spine, you could make it worse by thrashing around. I'll get to you as soon as I can."

This time, Billy was certain that the sound Dom made was his name.

"Just lie still and close your eyes, in case I knock some more dirt loose."

On his stomach, Billy inched closer to the hole. At the far side, he saw stubs of the cedar poles that had once supported a segment of the ceiling. In front of him was an open slot, where Dom had gone through about a third of the way across the circular ceiling. Parallel, intact cedar poles crossed the opening Dom had accidentally made.

Billy pulled himself to the edge of the hole and peered over. Eight feet down, Dom lay half buried in rubble, surrounded by a circle of carefully fitted masonry wall.

"I'm coming down now. Just lie still."

Billy tested the cedar poles as best he could. They held. Bracing himself between two poles, praying that the tough cedar would hold under his weight, he clipped through the ceiling and landed lightly on his feet next to Dom. Instinctively Dom tried to sit up.

"Don't move!"

"Can't-breathe."

The ragged gasps told Billy that Dom was breathing more effectively than he knew.

"It's alright. You had the wind knocked out of you by the fall, but you're getting it back now. Does any place in particular hurt?"

"No—"

Billy went down on his knees next to Dom's head. Dom's eyes went wide and he dragged raggedly at air when Billy reached for him.

"Easy now, Honey," Billy murmured. "I've got to check you for injuries. Just lie still. I won't hurt you. Be still now, it's alright."

Dazed, helpless, Dom fought his fear and held on to the black velvet of Billy's voice, remembering the moments when he had soothed the panicked horse and held the injured kitten so gently. It was the same now, hands both strong and gentle, probing his scalp, his neck, his shoulders, Billy's voice soothing, directing, explaining, and all the while, debris was being pushed away, revealing more of Dom's body to Billy's thorough touch, his hands moving over Dom with an intimacy that Dom had never willingly allowed any human. All that kept Dom from panicking was the realization that Billy's hands were as impersonal as they were careful.

"I can't feel anything broken and you didn't flinch anywhere when I touched you, " Billy said finally. "Any numb spots?"

"No-I felt-" Dom sucked in air as much from the emotional shock of being touched as from the force of his recent fall. "Everywhere –you touched- I felt."

"Good. Wiggle your fingers and toes for me?"

Dom did.

"Hurt?"

"No."

"I'm going to check your neck again. If it hurts, even a little, you tell me quick."
Small fingers eased once more around Dom's neck, working their way through his hair, taking the weight of his head slowly so that he hardly recognized when he was no longer supporting it himself.

"Hurt?"

"N-no."

Billy's fingers spread, surrounding the back of Dom's head, and his thumbs glided gently over the line of Dom's jaw. Dom's breath came in and stayed, trapped by the sensations shivering through him all one sentence so slowly that he realized it only after the fact, and Billy began to turn his head to the right.

"Hurt?"

Dom tried to speak, couldn't, and shook his head instead. Billy's smile flashed for an instant in the gloom.

"If shaking your head didn't hurt, you're okay. Let's see how you do sitting up. We'll take it slow. If your back hurts at any time, tell me. Ready?"

Dom didn't need Billy's assistance to sit up, but he got it anyway. Billy's left arm was a hard warm resilient bar, supporting Dom's shoulders, and his right arm rested across Dom's chest, preventing Dom from pitching forward if he fainted, which Dom nearly did at the pressure of Billy's forearm across his suddenly sensitive chest.

"I'm fine," Dom said in a breathless rush.

"So far so good," agreed Billy. "Dizzy?"

Dom was, but it had nothing to do with his recent fall and everything to do with the powerful man kneeling next to him in the shadows of an ancient kiva, his strong arms supporting him, his face so close to Dom's that he tasted Billy's every breath.

"I'm not-dizzy."

"Good. We'll just sit here for a minute and make sure."

While Billy studied the broken ceiling overhead, Dom studied him. For the first time, Dom was struck by how truly handsome Billy was, with his ginger-blonde, slightly curling hair, smooth forehead, brilliant green eyes that sparkled with his every emotion, thick lashes, straight nose and perfect, cupid's bow lips with a beard shadow that heightened the intensely male line of his jaw.

It was more than the regularity of his features that appealed to Dom so vividly at the moment; it was the certainty that Billy's abundant, masculine strength wasn't going to be used against him. The relief was dizzying, telling Dom just how much of his energy had been locked up in controlling his fear of men.

Then Dom realized that Billy was looking at him. The clarity of his green eyes was extraordinary. The clean curves and angles of his mouth made Dom think of touching him, of finding out if his lips tasted as good as his breath.

"Are you alright?" Billy asked. "You look a little dazed."

"I am." Dom took a ragged breath, then another. "Having the world jerked out from under your feet does that."

Billy's smile flashed again. "Yeah, I guess so. Ready to try standing up?"

"Um."

"We'll take it nice and easy. Just onto your knees at first. Here we go."

With an ease that would have terrified Dom only yesterday, Billy lifted him into a kneeling position. His eyes measured Dom's response, his hands felt the continued co-ordination of Dom's body as he took his own weight on his knees and Dom nodded.

"Ready to try standing? I don't want to rush you but I'll feel a lot better once we're out of this kiva."

For the first time, the nature of his surrounding sank into Dom.

"A kiva! I fell through the ceiling of a kiva?"

"You sure did, Honey."

"We have to grid the site and be careful not to do any more damage and-"

"First, " Billy interrupted smoothly, "We have to get the hell out of here. It's dangerous."

The voice was still black velvet, but there was the cool reality of steel beneath.

"Ramrod," Dom breathed.

"Ready?" was all Billy said.

Ready or not, Dom was on his feet a few seconds later, put there by Billy's easy strength. Dom braced himself momentarily on Billy's hard forearms, feeling the vital heat of Billy's muscular biceps radiating through the cloth Dom's fingers closed around. A moment later, Dom snatched back his hands as though he had been burned.

"I'm fine," Dom said quickly. "Really. I can stand alone."
Billy heard the uneasiness in the sudden tumble of words and released Dom, but he didn't step back, for he wanted to be able to catch Dom, if his knees gave way.

"No dizziness?" he asked.

There was, but it came from Billy's closeness, rather than from any injury Dom might have received in the fall. Dom has no intention of saying anything about that fact, however.

"No I'm not dizzy," he said firmly.

"Sure?"

"Where have I heard that question before?"

A smile flashed in the gloom, Billy's smile, warm against the hard lines of his face.

"Feeling feisty are you?" he asked.

Dom looked away from Billy, afraid his approval of him would be much too clear. Dom didn't want that, didn't want to give Billy any reason to expect anything from him. With narrowed eyes, Dom examined the hole in the ceiling that was their only exit from the kiva. If he stretched up, all the way on his tiptoes, he might be able to brush his fingertips close to a cedar beam. And then again, he might not.

"Actually, I'm feeling rather intimidated," Dom admitted. "Some people would be able to get out of this hole alone, but not me. In gym class, I was a total disaster at chinning myself on the high bar."

Billy measured the distance to the ceiling and the cedar beams. "No problem. God made me with that in mind."

"He did?"

Billy nodded and kicked aside a bit of loose rubble, giving himself stable footing beneath the hole. He braced his legs and held out his arms to Dom.

"Okay, Honey. Up you go."

Dom looked at Billy as though he had just suggested that he teleport himself out of the hole.

"Don't worry. I won't drop you, " Billy said. "I handle heavier things they you everyday. I'll lift you up. You balance yourself on the cedar poles until you can scramble from my shoulders to the ground."

"What about you?"

"That's where God's design come in. He made me with a superpower, but it's a surprise." The smile faded, leaving only the hard, male lines of Billy's face. "It's alright, Dom. I won't hurt you. Trust me."

"I-" Dom's voice broke. He swallowed and forced himself to take two steps toward Billy. "I'll try- What do I have to do?"

"First put your hands on my shoulders."

For a few moments, Dom was afraid he wouldn't be able to force himself to do it. Silently, fiercely, he closed his eyes and fought old fears.

Billy watched with narrowed eyes, feeling Dom's fear as clearly as he had felt the intoxicating curves of his body while he checked him for injury.

"Dominic. Put your hands on my shoulders."

Dom's eyelids snapped open. Gone was the velvet reassurance of Billy's voice, and in its place was a steel reality. He could help Billy get him out of the kiva or he could fight him, either way, he was going up through that hole in the ceiling. Dom didn't know how Billy would manage the feat without his cooperation, but Dom had no doubt that he would.

Dom lifted his hands to Billy's shoulders. He knew Billy could feel him trembling, but was unable to stop it.

"Are you afraid of falling again?" Billy asked.

"I-"

Dom's hands clutched around the hard resilience of Billy's shoulder muscles. He was so strong. Much too strong. Dom was as helpless as a kitten against his power.

Remember that tiger striped kitten cuddled in Billy's hands. That kitten was relaxed, purring, trusting. Billy didn't hurt that sick kitten, and he won't hurt me.

"What do you want me to do?" Dom asked forgetting everything except the need to hold on to his belief that Billy wouldn't hurt him.

"Brace yourself on my shoulders. I'm going to lift you until you can grab a cedar pole. Use it to help you kneel on my shoulders, then stand on them. From there, you should be able to get out of the kiva without much problem. Okay?"

Dom nodded, gripped Billy's shoulders more tightly and braced himself for whatever might come.

"Not yet," Billy said, stroking Dom's back slowly. "You're shaking too much. Slow down, Honey. You're all right."

"Being p-petted is just go-going to m-make m-m m-more n-nervous."

One eyebrow lifted, but Billy said nothing except, "Hang on. Here we go, and keep your back straight."

Dom didn't understand the last instruction until he felt the brush of Billy's body over his as Billy bent his knees, wrapped his arms around Dom's thighs and straightened, lifting him with in reach of the cedar pole. Billy need not have worried about his back being straight, as Dom's whole body had gone rigid at the intimacy of Billy's powerful arms locked around his thighs, and his head pressed against Dom's abdomen.

"Billy!"

"It's okay, Honey. I've got you."

That's the whole problem! But Dom had just enough control left not to blurt out his thought.

"Can you grab one of the poles yet?" Billy asked.

Dom pulled his scattering thoughts together, lifted one hand from the corded muscle of Billy's shoulder and grabbed a cedar pole. It was as hard as Billy, but not nearly as warm.

"Got it."

"Good. Now grab the other pole."

A few seconds, then, "Okay, I've got that one, too."

"Hang on."

Billy moved so quickly that Dom was never sure how he had managed it, but within seconds he was kneeling on Billy's shoulders, using his grip on the poles for balance. Billy's hands were on Dom's hips and Billy's face was-.

Don't think about it or you'll fall.

"Steady, Honey, " Billy said in a muffled voice.

"Easy for you to say," Dom muttered through clenched teeth.

He laughed softly.

Dom felt the intimate heat of Billy's breath dampening the fabric of his jeans.

"Oh, God."

"What's wrong?" Billy asked. "Is one of the beams rotten?"

Dom didn't answer. He pulled himself up and out of the kiva before he had a chance to question the shivering sensations that had cascaded through his body or the way his body had began to harden against Billy's lips. Dom scrambled back from the edge and sat hugging himself, feeling flushed and confused.

"Everything okay?" Billy called.

"Yes. No. I-" He clenched his teeth. "Fine. Just fine."

"Get back. I'm coming out."

Dom scooted back away from the hole, wondering how Billy was planning to get out. A few seconds later, two hands closed around a cedar pole. With a grace that startled Dom, Billy chinned himself, held himself one-handed while he grabbed the second pole with his other hand, swung his legs up and levered himself out of the hole with the ease of a gymnast at work on the parallel bars.

"Where did you learn how to do that?" Dom asked.

"Same place I learned to patch up kittens."

"Where was that?"

"Long ago, far away, in another country."

"But where?" Dom persisted. "Why?"

"Commando training."

Dom opened his mouth but, no words came out.

Commando training.

Billy held out his hand to help Dom to his feet. "Lets go, Honey. The sun will be setting soon."

A wild glance at the sky told Dom that Billy was right. The sun would soon slip behind the horizon, leaving him alone in the dark at the ends of the earth with a man who was not only far more powerful than him, but who was trained to be a killer as well.

"You sure you're alright?"" Billy asked, sitting on his heels next to Dom. "If you can't walk, I'll carry you."

Dom flinched away from Billy before he could grab his unraveling courage in both hands. He gave Billy a searching look, but saw no triumph in his expression, no malice, no brute hunger, nothing but polite concern for his welfare. "I can-" Dom's voice broke. He swallowed. "I can walk."

Billy started to reach for Dom, saw him flinch away and dropped his hand. He stood and moved a pace back from Dom.

"Get up. We'll drive back to the ranch after we eat," he said matter of factly.

"What? Why?"

"You know why," Billy said, turning away from Dom. "Every time I come close to you, you cringe. You'll feel more at ease with one of the other men."

"No!"

The stark emotion in Dom's voice stopped Billy, and he looked back at Dom.

"Please stay," Dom said quickly. "I trust you more than I've trusted any man since-since I-since he- Billy, please! It's nothing you've done. It's nothing personal. Please believe me."

"It's hard to," Billy said bluntly.

"Then believe this: You're the first man who has touched me in any way for years and it scares me to death because I'm not scared and you're so damned male."

Billy's eyes narrowed. "You're not making much sense."

"I know. I'll get better, I promise."

For a moment, Billy looked at Dom, then he nodded slowly and held out his hand. If Dom stretched, he could take it and help himself up. Dom looked at the lean hand and remembered the strength and lethal skill of the man behind it.

Then Dom took Billy's hand in both of his and pulled himself to his feet.

Chapter 9

Comments

[sassywitch.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your kind words hon.

Glad you're enjoying, there'll be a new chapter up on Monday.

[crsty1961.livejournal.com]

Yay he's ok!! **sigh of relief**
All righty now on to the confesions and sexy up!! Yes!!

[sassywitch.livejournal.com]

He'll always be okay when Billy's there.

Glad you're liking it hon.

[daydreambeleevr.livejournal.com]

you know, i was getting ready to go back to bed to grab a little more sleep (i was up until after 3:00am last nite, and i had to be up at 6:00am, and it's a dreary rainy morning) when i thought i'd just take a quick little peek and what do i find, not one but two updates from you! jebus on toast points. i knew you said you'd post more as a treat, but dayum, i didn't think we'd get so lucky, so quickly!!!

btw, i'm no longer sleepy. that first paragraph of billy scrambling after dom screamed has made me wide eyed again! :smile:

Then Dom took Billy's hand in both of his and pulled himself to his feet.

what a beginning for them. :happy sigh: i'm thrilled you have sequels planned. there aren't enough well constructed, plot driven stories out there.

kerry =)

[sassywitch.livejournal.com]

You know I simply adore your feedback, and sit around aimlessly waiting to watch it appear....

It was a nice beginning point for them wasn't it, I think Dom trusts Billy but doesn't really trust himself yet.

I'm looking for a test bunny for the first sequel if you're interested. there's a little resistance to the pairing I'm using so if you'd like a look see I'd love an opinion.

[daydreambeleevr.livejournal.com]

aw, thanks! we're even then, because i can't stop making with the clicky to see if there's a new update. (omg, you should have seen me when [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] was doing "the beginning of us", i was a freakin mess waiting for more.) :grin:

i was thinking with this scenario playing out, that it's probably going to have to be Dom that makes the first move. Billy has self control like crazy, and he wont push Dom before he's ready, at least that's my take on things.

I'm looking for a test bunny for the first sequel if you're interested.

omg omg omg. wait a minute, lemme borrow that brown paper bag from [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]...

ok. hell yeah!

at the risk of losing out on yummy preview goodness, i feel honor bound to warn you that my skills at doing beta are next to zilch. (have you seen how many commas i use when i write? i can't get rid of them) :grin:

however, if you're looking for a blind eye to tell you if characterizations seem to be right, or some one to tell you the truth if a situation if playing out realistically, then i'm your girl. my email is on my user info, please feel free to drop me anything! (i'm quite familiar with the LOTR crew, but if you're adding a character from something else, i'll let you know if i'm unfamiliar with their work)

*hugs*

kerry =)

[mystery-ink.livejournal.com]

*G* Very cool. Not used to anybody calling anybody "Honey", though, much less a guy. I wondering now... is that something that came from the books?

[sassywitch.livejournal.com]

In a way, it did but it will be explained very soon and will make sense.

Glad you're liking it.

[mystery-ink.livejournal.com]

*G* Ahhhh... thanks!

[sourgreenapples.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, I am loving this series. It amazes me that I've made it 8 installments of a fic with almost no touching at all. And thats a credit to you. The tension is so close to the surface all the time. Because they are right there, you know, and any other two men would be screwing like crazy right now. But they're both messed up and there're so many reasons it can't happen. I love that they're opening up a little bit. And Honey makes me melt every time. Ok, this whole series makes me melt. I just read all the chapters in, gosh, what was it, maybe three hours? And that was with constant breaks because whenever you write one of those particularly beautiful lines it makes my head spin, and I have to stop and let my mind wander with it, or say it out loud a few times. *g*

Thank you so much for these stories. MMoU is just so guh, and I'm glad that I read this one (I don't know what I was waiting for!)

(Oh, and GIP because it goes so well with the story! LOL)

But now its 5:15 in the morning and I haven't slept yet. I must get on that. I know I'll be having yummy happy Cowboy Monaboyd dreams now! yay!

[owlgrey.livejournal.com]

Phew! Was hanging out to know what happened since yesterday!

[-vanillashake.livejournal.com]

Awww.adorable! :)
Yay for Dom being okay and another yay! for the ending of this chap... :)

[divinemadam.livejournal.com]

Billy is so good in this chapter. Poor Dom doesn't even have any idea of which end is up when he's around Billy.
"I am." Dom took a ragged breath, then another. "Having the world jerked out from under your feet does that."
How true is that? Of course, I don't think that Dom realizes that his world is also being flipped around because he's seeing Billy in a different light than any other man. This is just so delicious! It's even better than chocolate bunny ears!

[loozy.livejournal.com]

I just lovew how you portray Dom's growing trust towards Billy, and at the same time his fears towards men...

I love this more and more and more... Off to read the next installment :D