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The sky turned bright red as the sun began to set below the horizon. The warm wind of the Wild West pleasantly blew the skin, playing with the sand and creating small tornadoes. Jon sat astride his snow-white horse, whose name was Pearl. The young cowboy looked off into the distance, at his new home. He came here more than four months ago, and having spent half his life on the run and traveling, he could confidently say that the Wild West was his first real home, which he had missed since childhood, when he lost his family. Since then, he has wandered to different places, hoping to find a home, hoping to survive. Everything he was looking for was here. In a few weeks, Jon was accepted into the city by its inhabitants, and he became a hero for them, who protects from the attacks of robbers and is simply the soul of the company, because Jon simply loved to sing and play the guitar. Someone said that he replaced them with a sheriff who has the same history as Jon. As if reading Jon's thoughts, there was a clatter of hooves next to him, and next to him was none other than the sheriff of the Wild West.
"In the night city becomes more beautiful." Richie said quietly, sitting astride his black horse Storm. "I love this place, it's never noisy here, not like in the city when there is some kind of holiday."
“In the past, you were completely different.” Jon said calmly, looking at the man next to him, who was looking at the city. “You loved to play the guitar for everyone, sing your favorite songs with your powerful voice, lead everyone from their usual life into a bright dance, make feel the holiday. And now I take your place while you do boring things."
"The past will definitely not return." Sheriff sighed with some bitterness. "Not after the inhabitants of my city suffered through my fault, when on that terrible day we were attacked by robbers from another city. I was too frivolous, giving myself to playing the guitar and other entertainments. I have to keep this city in my hands so that I don't lose you, Jonny."
The black silhouette turned towards Jon, and it seemed to the young cowboy that he was being burned with a look, but, knowing how his lover really was, Jon felt only the warmth that filled his emptiness, which sometimes grew more than he needed. There was pain in Richie's eyes that was hard for other people to read, but Jon was able to learn it in such a short time that they knew each other. During all this time of joint shootings, all this time of joint walks through the wild west, all this time that they were hiding in the bed of the sheriff from everyone, they got to know each other better. Behind the mask of a charismatic sheriff, there was a vulnerable man who is gnawed by eternal doubt in himself and in everyone who lives in the city with him. Jon didn't like it, and he knew he saw himself in those eyes. A soft hand touches the man's pale cheek, and Richie closes his eyes at the feeling of closeness to the one he has been looking for for so long for his empty heart that needed love. Jon brushed his lips against his, soft and dry from lack of moisture. The sheriff's large warm hand lay on Jon's palm, not wanting to let go of him. Richie knew that Jon would one day leave the city, wanting to find his family, who were waiting for him somewhere, in the hope of being saved. Richie wanted to go with him, but he couldn't leave his city, his people, who became his new family, when his real one died then, in a terrible attack.
"You're not alone, Richie." Jon whispered almost into his lips. "You have Alec, Tico, David. residents of your city. You have me. We have all become your new family. You should not be afraid to lose us, because you are no longer alone. You know perfectly well that we will not let them kill us, and we will not let them burn our city, our Wild West. We won't let them kill our love, you hear me?"
Richie opened his eyes. God, how he loved it when Jon smiled at him so sincerely and animatedly, shining with his heavenly, oceanic eyes. He felt alive next to him. If Jon hadn't come to their city looking for his family, they wouldn't be standing on top of the hill now, sitting on their horses, looking at their house, being in each other's company. John would like this moment to last forever, but he has a better idea.
"Let's race?" he asked Richie, and without waiting for an answer, he turned the Pearl in the opposite direction, to the road leading down from the hill. "Whoever goes down faster will owe everyone a drink at his own expense!"
Jon could have sworn that as he pulled away, he heard Richie yelling after him excitedly behind him:
"Don't expect an easy victory!"
Pearl galloped quickly, her snow-white mane developed smoothly in the wind, her long thin legs beat the hooves on the ground with hooves, dispersing the dust. Jon held on tightly to the bridle, pressing his hips against the saddle. He was lucky that he wasn't wearing a hat today, which he found difficult to hold on to. He always marveled at Richie, who always wore a hat, even while riding a horse, it did not fly off him. As soon as Jon thought about him, the sonorous neighing of his horse, and the clatter of his hooves, were heard quite close. The cowboy turned his head to the side. Instead of the beautiful plains of the Wild West, he watched the black shadow on the same black horse. They caught up in speed, and now it was necessary not to fall off the horse and overtake the opponent. Suddenly, Richie turned his gaze on Jon, and a sly smile played on his lips, and then he winked at him, which made Jon flinch and almost drop the bridle from his hands. He hated Richie for that. It was the Sheriff's favorite move against him at the races.
"Better watch on the road, cowboy!" Richie accelerated Storm's movement, leaving Jon behind.
"Don't you dare distract me!" Jon called after him, picking up the speed of the Pearl.
The white horse neighed loudly, confirming the words of his master. Jon wasn't about to watch Storm take his master away. And firmly clinging to the reins, Jon sharply turns the Pearl around and turns off the road. He knew this shortcut, which could easily go down the hill. Richie knew him too, but Jon didn't always come first when he went down that road. However, here it was more difficult. Obstacles in the form of logs and bushes here were a common thing for John, because this is not the first time he overcomes them. And having gained the necessary speed, the Pearl carries it directly to the log lying in front of them.
"Pearl, come on!" Jon shouted at the top of his lungs.
Richie heard this scream and turning his head towards the sound, time stops for him. The pearl neighed loudly and jumped up, lifting itself and its owner into the air. Jon has a happy smile on his face and wide eyes. His hands didn't held the reins, they reach up towards the sun. Richie didn't liked such antics from his lover, but he loved his undying thirst for life and enjoying every moment amazed him. That was what Richie liked most about Jon. Pearl lands on the ground, and Jon wraps his arms tightly around her neck, trying not to fall, and rushes forward, leaving the mesmerized Richie behind. As soon as Sambora understood that he was only delayed by this trick, he clattered with displeasure and pulled the bridle strongly, making Storm go faster. It was not difficult for him to let Jon win, but he had not felt the taste of victory for a long time. When Jon was with them in the early days, Richie tested his strength with these races, winning and overtaking the naive boy. Oh, how fun it was to watch Jon lose. Jon didn't liked to lose, he didn't know how to do it. But that was in the past, and now Richie has been watching Jon stand by the flat road and wait for him, with the most innocent smile on his face. But Richie knew for sure that this innocent smile on his face disappeared as soon as John was in his bed. Jon winked at him when Richie arrived. Richie just rolled his eyes.
"You're all shining." Sambora chuckled. "Just don't think that I succumbed to you."
“Not at all, it’s not your style to give in to me, you paid more attention to our with Pearl trick, which we trick you with again and again.” Jon answered proudly, slowly guiding his horse along the path towards the city.
"Have you thought about the fact that during the flight you will fall from the horse? Or that the Pearl will stumble and fall with you?" Richie rode slowly beside him, and his tone was quite serious.
"Such thoughts often visited me, but as you can see, I'm still alive." Jon shrugged.
"Like I don't have to take you two out of here crippled." Richie shook his head.
"Come on, you liked it! Just say it, it's not that hard." Jon hit him lightly on the shoulder.
“You wait.” Richie chuckled, pushing him on the shoulder.
"Hey! Not fair!" Jon grabbed the reins and tried to direct the Pearl against Storm in order to push him with the owner, which caused the two horses to make displeased sounds.
"What are you doing?" Richie took Storm a little away from the laughing Jon. "Your actions are unpleasant for our horses."
And before Jon can answer, Richie does exactly what John wanted to do, only the young cowboy notices the movement and speeds ahead before Richie can stop his night-black steed. Jon laughed with a resonant roaring laugh, his hair fluttering in the light breeze. Richie looked at him and could not stop looking, and he never looked at someone like that. They both laughed like carefree children, for them now there was no one who could break their joint happiness. No one had the right to take them away from each other. They rode their horses slowly back into town, talking about everything they could. In particular, they talked about their lives, and how they helped each other change in all the time that they knew each other. Richie was recognized by Jon for talking about it with him, because John deserved it, because if not for him, who knows what Richie would be like now? And if not for Richie himself, what would Jon be like now without him? They did not think about it, because the most important thing was very close, at that moment, when they both knew that their meeting was fate. And when there was a quiet starry night, the two of them slept in the same bed, in each other's arms, and knew that for them it would be forever.