"if you have a sledge you can drive a nail through the metal, it might stick you if you are not careful but it will keep it attached to the wood just fine......brady," he paused, he wasn't sure why he wanted to stay here so much more than any other place, "...i am sorry i didn't get anything done all day. i will make up for it tomorrow"

The boy's plan seemed plausible, but his thoughts of where his sledge happened to be were interrupted by the call of his name, and looking up waited for the boy to speak. "No, you dun have ta be the one to apologize, ya just weren't feelin' well. Just rest well t'night and we will work tomorra."

he nodded and sat down next to the chair. as it rocked he felt himself grow tired but knew not to nod off, instead he looked out over the land and tried to imagine it green

Eventually he had to set aside the rake, knowing that it would do not good for him to work on it any more that evening. It made a dull sound against eh wood of the porch, and leaning back into his chair he listened to the familiar squeaking sound it made with each rock. His own eyes looked out across the fields as he thought about the one sitting beside him. "Ya know, Gabriel, I have been awful lucky since you came around, like you're almost an answer to a prayer I've been prayin' for a long time."

he had to hold back his first response and his second though less bitter had to be discarded too. it took several long moments for him to come up with something tempered enough for the farmer's ear. "....almost is not the same as is. you should keep trying for your prayer and not settle for for an almost"

He rolled his shoulders into a shrug, "I do not believe I am settling. I have already gotten more than I would have given God credit for being able to give. No, it is not perfect, but it is pretty damn close, and I'm willing to keep what I have, unless there are other plans."

closing his mouth he said no more, the farmer was mistaken to think there was anything good to this and he hadn't the heart to be the one to say it. using his hand he braced against the wood and stood. he wasn't sure what he could offer now that he had gone through assurances and warnings and though he would have liked food or affection he could ask neither. he turned to go back to bed

Looking up he thought to say something to the boy, but as he stepped back through the door he rocked himself out of his seat and followed after. "You were stuck in bed all day, and you haven't hardly eaten anything. I'd waited on my supper to see how you were feelin', would ya like me to make somethin'?"

if he was the sort to believe comics he would say the farmer was a mind-reader but he didn't and the man wasn't and he shook his head no, "i did nothing to earn my meal tonight"

"Maybe not, but if ya plan on workin' tomorrow ya need your strength and should eat somethin'," He was persistent in following the boy, and made the effort to stop him. "You can make up for it by working tomorra. I want ta help."

frowning he let himself be halted, "whatever else i may be a shiftless layabout is most certainly not it. i will work harder tomorrow than yesterday."

He'd only known the boy for a few days, and yet he felt compelled to believe him and his words and so corralled him away from the stairs and towards the kitchen. "Good, I made pea soup and we still have some bread tha we can have with it. Get tha glasses for water and I'll get the food"

nodding he did as he was bid and when the meal was set out his hunger made itself known loudly. red-faced he laughed at the sound and hoped the other would not be offended and when a matching laugh came from the other he felt relived. smiling at the man he sat down and waited for the meal to begin

He had to admit he was not much of a cook, never really making something he wanted to eat as much as what was available, and that evening was one such example. He hated split pea soup, but it seemed the boy loved it with the way he scarfed it down. "Ya like the soup?"

pausing in his eating he looked up and found blue eyes looking right at him. swallowing he lifted away from the bowl, "it is fine, why?"

He gave a shrug as he looked down to his own bowl of the olive green mess. "I am not very good at cookin', soup especially. I'm use to my food, but with the way you were eating I thought that maybe it was better than I realized."

he felt ashamed at that and frowned. setting down the spoon he pushed the bowl away, "i am sorry, that is rude of me"

"What? No, it is a great thing. It means I am not as bad a cook as I thought. Plus the more ya eat tha better, it means we will not have a bunch of pea soup leftovers." He lifted his spoon and let the soup fall back into the bowl with little splatter. "I don't think it is fit to eat afta more than a day anyway."

the lightness of the joke reassured him somewhat and reluctantly he brought the bowl back though he ate as slowly as he could, "i will take your word brady. i have never known leftovers to be a bad thing before"

"Nah, they aren't, I was just makin' a poor joke at the expense of split peas," he offered a smile as he scooped up a spoonful for himself before breaking apart a piece of his bread to eat. "I s'pose they didn't do anythin' wrong though"

he had nothing more to say on the matter and so let the conversation die. when they were both finished eating he took the bowls from the farmer and waving the man off set to wash the dishes

He thought to help the boy, but it was only a few dishes to wash and they would dry on their own., and when the thought of going to look at the rake came into his head he decided it could wait until tomorrow. Instead he took a seat back at the table to keep the boy company while he washed the dishes. "So how long have you been in town?"

careful not to slosh the water in the sink he gave a shrug, "'bout a day before i made it here, or at least that is how long i have been in the county, i don't think i could call anyplace without a store and a hall a town"

"Nah, there ain't much a place to call in these parts, it's mostly places here like mine, and there isn't much of a reason ta call anywhere anyway," tipping his chair back he adjusted his hat on his head before he remembered they were inside and took it off, hanging it off of the chair as he crossed his boots beneath the table. "Why'd ja pick here to come of all places? There isn't much to see around here but land and trees."

he was already halfway through the dishes and felt a little less like he was being a moocher, "as it turns out there are things between 'here' and 'there', i am just in between those two places"

He nodded and when he realized that the boy could not see him he offered his spoken agreement. "Sometimes it feels like ya can be stuck in between tha two for a long time, but if ya have a good place to wait it does not really matter. I just hope ya get to 'there'."

the farmer meant nothing by it but it still hurt a little to think that he would have to leave this in-between he had found. he knew better but he half had hoped the other would say anything to hint that this place was 'there'. "i s'pose"

Sitting forward to rise, the legs to his chair gave a creaking sound that reminded him of the rocker on the porch, and everything else in the house as the boy reminded him earlier, and rising from his seat with a protest from the chair he stepped closer. "I hadn't meant to upset ya with that I said," he mentioned as he stepped beside the boy at his quiet response, and lifting a hand he set it on the boy's shoulder.

he did not realize he wanted the touch until he felt the heavy hand rest against him and relaxing against it he worked on the last few dishes in silence. when he was done he wiped his hands on his pants, "i am sorry, i do not mean to bother"

His shoulders rolled into a shrug as he let his hand fall to the wayside as the boy finished the dishes. "You are not being a bother, Gabe. I'm not particularly used to living with people, but it is not bad. you are refreshing."

he felt strange hearing that and taking a chance reached up and lightly pressed against the thin lips. they felt nice, he stiffened his spine against the expected attack and stared up at the other, "if you knew me you would hate me"

The hand that once laid on the boy's shoulder lifted up to take one side of the face into his hand as he returned the light kiss until the other pulled away. "I'm not going to put in my opinion until I know you, Gabe."

he expected a blow not a kiss and when he was freed from it he was given kindness enough to make him feel ashamed. "i am thirty just turned it over the summer, i am a homosexual, and i lied about my mama. she was a whore back east. i am my mama's son though"

His brow wrinkled slightly and his head cocked to the side as he looked down to the one that was shorter than him while his hand still rested against the soft cheek. "Half of that don't matter, I'm tha same age given a handful of months and we've gone and covered that yew aren't the only one as such in this 'ouse."

"brady, you are a good and foolish man. i am nothin' but a no-good drifter who takes advantage of strangers, there ain't nothing worth having in me and yet you keep me," this time when he kissed it was in the french way though he kept it short and put his head to the boney shoulder, "why?"

He did not have anything to say that wouldn't really ruin the moment, and taking the boy's chin between his fingers he turned it up from his shoulder to look at him for a moment before leaning in to return the intimate kiss the boy used on him. Pulling away only enough for their lips to disconnect, he stared into the brown eyes that reminded him so much of the rich earth, and as he looked into the eyes he searched for the truth in those eyes and he could only think of the boy telling him the truth. With more chaste he kissed him again.

the first kiss was clumsy and unexperienced but he preferred it to the other and unflinchingly stared back into cornflower blues, "take me upstairs brady."

He was confused for a split moment where he tried to figure out what it was the boy wanted, but when he realized it he knew exactly what was expected of him. The hand fell away from the thin chin as his other hand rose to take a hold of the boy underneath his legs and bracing against his back as he swept him up into his arms as best he could manage, and once Gabriel was in his arms he was not as heavy as he thought he'd be, but he still was, and with the boy in his arms he carried him off towards the stairs to be taken to the creaky bed.

he shrugged, "nah, today it is fair, you did more than your fair share yesterday so i am evening it out now."

"Hush about it'all bein' fair 'nless you want me ta do all the work before ya can even get to it." His threat was an empty one, and the farmer knew it, and he hoped the boy could see it to as he chuckled along with the sizzle of the pan as he cracked the eggs.