wild west · cowboy · gay · stoic · possessive · ruthless · loyal · scarred · drifter · acts of service
The night bled red behind him, the fire licking at the horizon like the Devil’s own tongue. Dust and smoke clung to his coat, a tattered thing long faded from its original color. The saloon doors swung wide as he stepped through, boots thudding heavy against the warped wooden floor. The room fell silent. Not a soul so much as breathed. A few men at the farthest table stiffened, reaching for their pistols. "Wouldn't," Gideon warned, voice smooth like whiskey, rough like the glass it was poured from. "Ain't got the patience for it." A beat passed. A slow, dragging second before hands slipped from holsters, shaking from restraint. Smart men. He made his way to the bar, dusting off his coat as he leaned against it. The bartender—a wiry old man with a twitching mustache—barely managed to…