FIC: Cowboys Ain't Easy To Love

[paulacas]

Title: Cowboys Ain’t Easy To Love

Author: Jamie (Bwhouwant2be) & YanzaDracan

Fandom: Kane RPS

Pairing: Chris/Steve

Rating: FRA

Summary: Bwhouwant2be: A couple of days ago I was listening to the radio and "Rodeo" by Garth Brooks came on. I immediately got this image of Christian as a rodeo cowboy. I didn't have time to write it that day but after I finished all my stuff last night...this morning...whatever and I couldn't sleep, I wrote it. If anybody would like it, please take it. I cannot write it. I don't have the time to do the extensive research my brain tells me is required.

I adopted her bunny and have attempted to do it the justice it deserves. My contribution begins after Steve moves back home. The title was borrowed from Willie Nelson’s song Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.

 

Disclaimer: All copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. References to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual. Any mistakes are mine.

Christian’s a bull rider, has been since well before he met Steve and Steve’s fine with it, most of the time. But not when Christian comes home broken and bloody and then leaves again before he’s had time to fully heal.

Steve knows that he’s going to get himself killed. He’s sure of it. He’s seen just how badly Christian’s been injured. He’s the one who they call every time Christian has to be taken out of whatever arena he’s in because he’s been unconscious too long. He knows how bad these injuries can be.

He’s the one they called last time when the bull damn near killed Christian because Christian had to save the horse one of the rider abandoned when the bull went crazier.

He’s the one that had to hope to God that Christian was going to wake up, the one that had to see his bruised face every time he walked into that hospital.

When Christian finally woke up after what seemed like an eternity, Steve was happier than he’d probably ever been. And then Christian started insisting that he was fine. And then he was gone again before he was fully healed. Steve decided that sometimes enough was enough.

He hates to say it, but there are times when he wishes he could just walk away. He isn’t meant to put his life on hold every Sunday when Christian steps into the ring just because there’s a chance he’ll get hurt.

There are things Steve wants to do, things he wants to experience, and none of them have anything to do with waiting for the potentially inevitable death of a cowboy that he’s spent most of the past 5 years of his life waiting on.

So he walks away. He stops taking the calls from the hospitals and the on-site doctor, even though it kills him a little bit each time. Stops picking him up in airports and hospitals. Stops answering his calls, he listens to every voicemail though and it hurts because he does love Christian but he doesn’t love the rodeo and the things that it does to Christian’s body.

He moves back home for about a month to figure out what he’s going to do. His life has practically been at a standstill for the last five years so he’s kind of lost.

Tired of falling over boxes and duffels, his mother triggers the next step on his new path. He begins packing away his life with Christian Kane.

He runs his fingers lovingly over the cover of the notebook. The notebook was the talisman that kept him going through the spills, muscle pulls, broken bones, concussions, cuts and bruises too numerous to remember. It contains all the songs they’d written together. Songs they sometimes performed together in whatever bar the riders frequented after the day’s ride. His fellow riders would tease Christian about becoming the next Chris LeDoux.

Refusing to shed anymore tears, Steve placed the notebook on top of the other pieces of his life with Christian. Taping the box closed he carries it to the furthest corner of his parents’ attic.

He goes cold turkey. He never watches rodeo, never checks the standings, refuses to search for Christian’s name on his computer.

He reconnects with old friends, and works to get his music out in the public. Songs are recorded, some of his music gets featured in movies and on television shows, and he is once again Steve Carlson, up and coming indie artist.

After his shows, he hangs out with the fans, and never lacks for willing bed partners, but his heart is sealed in a box in the corner of his parents’ attic so none of them lasts more than a month.

Three years since Christian left his final message on his phone, he wakes to another stranger in his bed. Tired of the hollow feeling where his heart should be, he doesn’t try to remember her name—she’s just the latest groupie he’d brought home. He brusquely shows her the door barely giving her time to pull on her clothes.

As he starts to close the door he notices a box sitting on the porch. It’s addressed to him, but there’s no postmark or return address. Curious and confused he steps out to pick up the box, never noticing the pickup sitting across the street or the man behind the wheel watching his actions intently.

Pulling a guitar pick out of his pocket, he slits the tape. Unable to balance the box while trying to see the contents, he sits on the step, box between his knees. His breath catches in his throat. The first thing in the box is a Las Vegas newspaper from December.

Double Title Holder Calls It Quits!

PBR and PRCA Bull Riding Champion, Christian Kane announced his retirement from his hospital bed at the Desert Palms Hospital.

“Rodeo is a harsh mistress. I’ve accomplished the goals I set for myself, and now it’s time to return to my real love.”

The world champion was rushed to the hospital after the hard bucking bull, White Magic tried to take Kane through the arena fence during the final round of bull riding at the National Finals Rodeo.

Bull and rider were both clearly hurting as Kane held on to finish the eight second ride and claim his championship buckle with a score of 89. After being checked by the vet, White Magic was declared bruised but healthy.

World Champion Bull Rider, Christian Kane is being treated for a concussion, three broken ribs, and a shattered kneecap.

Steve threw the paper to the side, tears making the print too blurry to read. Under the paper lay two large gold and silver belt buckles. One was from the PBR and the other from the PRCA—both bearing the year and Christian’s name.

He reverently laid the buckles on top the paper and picked up the tissue paper wrapped bundle in the bottom of the box. His expression was confused as he finished opening the tissue paper. It was the song notebook he had packed away in the corner of his parents’ attic.

Confusion was giving away to anger when something blocked the sunlight. He looked up. Thinner, leaning on a cane, face hidden in the shadows of his cowboy hat stood Christian Kane.

The notebook joined the other contents of the box as he stood slowly taking in the man before him. His mouth opened and closed several times though no words were forthcoming. His hand reaches out to caress the stubbled cheek as if he needed to make sure the cowboy was real.

“Christian?” He said softly as though afraid if he spoke too loud Christian would disappear.

The dark head lifted. Blue eyes full of hope and love met blue eyes full of confusion and love.

“Can I come home?” His words were just as soft.

The hollow place in his chest fills with warmth as his arms are filled with by the man he thought would always choose his mistress over his love.

As he’s enfolded in Christian’s arms—he’s glad he was wrong.

Comments

[yanzadracan.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Glad you like what I did with it.