Chapter Text
Cody sat on the worn-down stool of the bar, absentmindedly swirling around his drink with one hand as he rested his cheek on the other. His drink wasn’t nearly strong enough to get him even remotely close to drunk, but it was enough to make him feel comfortably warm and loose — A feeling that was hard to come by, as of recently, so he welcomed this slight bit of relaxation with open arms.
The patrons of the bar were dwindling, and what once was a quick flow of customers turned into a lazy trickle as the minutes ticked on by. There was only a handful of people that Cody could spot as he scanned his surroundings, all doing their own thing. There was a couple, laughing on a couch together over a bottle of bride. A lone man, sitting at one of the tables, wildly scribbling something down into a book. A few people, still hanging around the bar, though they gave Cody a wide berth, sitting further away from him than he personally thought was necessary. And lastly, there was a black-haired girl — who looked far too young to be in a place like this, in Cody’s opinion — sitting at a table, drink in hand, her attention focused on the stage.
That caught Cody’s attention.
The stage had barely gotten any use that night, save for the occasional drunk who lost a bet with their friends, goaded into making a fool of themselves in front of a large crowd.
So, naturally, Cody was curious. With masked interest, he turned his gaze onto the stage, and was met with a sight. There, on the stage, was a man, settling himself onto a chair with a guitar in hand, fiddling with the tuning pegs on the guitar.
Cody observed him as best he could from his spot at the bar. Atop the man’s head was a wide-brimmed leather hat, and spilling out from under it was ash-gray hair, framing his face.
Cody couldn't make out his face very well, but he could tell that even from this distance that he was, objectively, pretty — A nice jawline, well-toned forearms, and a figure that was accentuated very well by his choice of clothing.
Maybe his drink was stronger than he originally thought.
If he looked hard enough, Cody could've sworn that he saw a small black diamond on the left side of the man's face, though he hoped it was simply a trick of the light, or a fault in his own vision.
The man wore a salmon colored button-up shirt tucked into dark colored jeans, and on the shirt he left a couple buttons at the top undone — which Cody valiantly tried to ignore. He blamed it on the alcohol, if his gaze happened to linger longer than it should have. — and the dip of his shirt, there was a pendant that was held up by a black string. Cody couldn’t figure out what exactly the pendant was, and gave up on straining his eyes for details — Seriously, why was he so enthralled by the looks of a stranger? He didn't know.
It was when Cody made eye contact with the man, that Cody realized he was staring far too long for it to be considered normal. That realization was solidified when the man simply met Cody’s gaze and smiled at him warmly, turning Cody's stomach to mush in the process.
Cody tore his gaze away, swallowing hard, suddenly wishing the drink in his hand was whiskey (or something stronger in general), rather than his watered-down, pitiful excuse of an old-fashioned. He absentmindedly frowned at his cup.
Cody could have sworn he heard a soft laugh from the man on stage, which did nothing good for his heart. He blamed the warmth that rose in his face and the butterflies in his stomach on his (weak!) drink, and went back to swirling it around rather than actually drinking it.
Not long after that mortifying ordeal of making eye contact with the person Cody was just ogling, the man on stage decided enough time had passed to finally start playing his instrument. He glanced up at the girl who sat alone, gaining an encouraging nod and thumbs up from her. He returned the gesture she gave him with a smile — One far too bright for such a dingy bar — and he began to strum on his guitar.
Careful and thin fingers plucked on guitar strings, bringing out a melody that seemed to lay a blanket of calmness on the dwindling patrons of the bar.
Then, catching Cody off guard for the nth time that night, he began to sing.
His voice was calm and soothing, yet the lyrics were nothing short of mournful. He had a voice far too nice to be in such a run-down place, limited to a crowd that couldn’t appreciate his performance in the way it deserved. It made Cody a bit melancholic, if he was being honest — He could see the passion that this man held for music, just from one glance at him. The ease of his fingers on the strings of his guitar, the way he had a contented smile on his lips when there was a lull in lyrics, the way he held his instrument with something akin to reverence — He knew that this wasn’t just something he did for kicks. And it was nothing if not sad, that his name wasn't written in lights in the big city, earning fame for a passion that burned so brightly that it could light up the night sky.
God, Cody would be lying if he said that he didn’t find the man’s skill at least a little bit attractive.
That was something he wouldn’t be blaming on his drink.
After several more minutes (that were filled with multiple instances of completely accidental eye contact, that totally didn’t make Cody’s stomach flutter each time it happened, thank you very much), the man’s performance concluded. Despite the mournful tone of his song, he stood up from his chair and gave one big, showy bow, grinning far too wide for someone who just brought half his crowd to near-tears. A few people clapped, some gave small “woops”, but the biggest cheers came from the black haired girl, who seemed to be absolutely ecstatic for him.
The silver haired man exited the stage, making his way over to the black haired girl’s table, smiling with more warmth than he ever thought a grown man could have. He placed his guitar on the table, and began to have a very animated conversation with the girl, and Cody absentmindedly thought that both of their energy combined could probably out-shine the sun. Then, he realized that was a rather familiar thought to have for people he didn’t even know, so he simply shook his head and turned his attention back onto his beloathed drink, taking a small sip of it and wincing at the taste. He placed the glass back down, opting to ignore it.
Cody sighed wistfully, knowing that this evening had to end eventually. Maybe, if he was a braver man, he would have gone up to the silver haired man with the voice of an angel and struck up conversation. But, he was far too sober to act on such an impulse, so he just slumped in his seat and went back to swirling his drink around in the glass, watching the liquid spin in circles.
After a couple minutes of getting lost in his own head, Cody heard the sound of a chair being pulled out next to him, bringing him back to awareness with a start.
“Scuse’ me, I was wondering if this seat was taken?”
Cody sat up straighter, turning to look at the source of the voice. To his surprise — and slight horror — he came face to face with the man who had been consuming his thoughts for far too long that night.
Now that he was up close, Cody could examine him properly; Short, Ashen-gray hair that framed his face far too well for the quality of barbers that set up shop in various towns; A light smattering of freckles dotting his face, like the first raindrops that fall on dry ground during a storm; A fern-like scar on his left side, trailing up from under his shirt and ending in his hairline, somehow adding to the overall charm this man had already; And, as Cody thought — though he wished he was wrong — a black diamond shape under his left eye, marking him with the same curse as Cody.
Though, arguably the most striking of all, were his eyes — A bright purple, one that, strangely enough, reminded Cody of lightning he once saw in the skies as a child; Electric and dangerous, yet breathtakingly beautiful. He felt entranced for a moment, wondering why something about them seemed so strangely familiar.
Belatedly, he realized that the man had asked him a question. A flush crept up Cody’s face, and he cleared his throat. Making sure his gaze stayed at a respectable height, Cody shook his head.
“No. It’s yours if you want it.” God, Cody hoped he didn’t sound as pathetic as he thought he did.
A small smile tugged on the man’s lips, but he stayed silent and took his place on the seat.
A beat of silence passed as the man did his best to get as comfortable as he could on his (arguably uncomfortable) chair, but that silence was soon broken once he settled.
Clearing his throat, he spoke. “The name’s Dallas Mealla.” The man — Who Cody now knew as Dallas — said with a warm smile. “Cody.” He said in return, with a nod of affirmation.
“Nice to meet you.” Dallas said, and Cody simply nodded. “Likewise.”
Silence slowly stretched on between them as they took in eachothers presence — It wasn’t nearly as awkward as Cody expected it to be, and he was grateful for it.
Soon after, though, Cody decided he had enough of this stalemate they created, breaking it as he turned his head to look at Dallas. “So, what brings you over to these parts a’ the bar?” He questioned.
Dallas cleared his throat. “Well, I couldn’t help but notice that you were staring,” Cody flushed at the bluntness of Dallas’ words, but nodded for him to continue. “And so I had gotten curious about what somebody like you would be staring for.” Dallas’ warm smile turned into something sharper, more teasing, causing yet another onslaught of butterflies to flutter in Cody’s stomach. Seriously, he might have to go to a doctor if this continues — He was twenty four, not fifteen. There is absolutely no reason for him to be feeling like this after a little bit of attention from a pretty stranger!
Instead of allowing his warring emotions to show on his face, Cody schooled himself and raised an eyebrow. “And what might you mean by that?” He asked, pointedly ignoring the warmth in his face. Dallas gestured to the diamond on his own cheek, winking. “This, of course.” He said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Dallas continued, “After all, it’s not every day that I see somebody like me out here, and ‘specially not quite as eye catching as you.”
Cody refused to let it show just how flustered he was, so he simply turned away from Dallas. If the color in his face deepend, then it was simply a trick of the light — Nothing else.
He heard a small laugh from the man beside him, and he couldn't help the small smile that formed on his own lips.
“Quite the charmer, aren’t you?” Cody drawled. He stared at his drink, trying to focus his eyes on something that wasn’t the man beside him.
“I try.” Cody didn’t need to see Dallas’ face to know he was smiling. “Is it working?”
Cody turned to look at Dallas, locking eyes with him. “I guess we’ll just have to see, won’t we?” Dallas’ eyes widened a fraction, seemingly not expecting to have his advances reciprocated, but nodded in spite of the pink on his face.
Cody continued, “I guess I could say the same about you, couldn’t I?” He mused, gesturing towards Dallas. “The only attention that stage has gotten tonight was from drunk morons making a fool of themselves up there. So, you can imagine my intrigue when somebody like yourself,” Cody gestured towards Dallas, allowing his eyes to roam for only a second, “Went up there and didn’t sound like an animal in heat.” Cody met Dallas’ gaze again, and was met with an expression that was nothing short of starstruck, though he puffed out a small laugh at Cody's joke.
Even though he seemed caught off guard, Dallas chuckled, the blush on his face deepening more, and he raised his hands in mock surrender.
“You've got me there.” He said, leaning against the bartop with one cheek propped up on his hand, staring at Cody in such a way that made something far too akin to fondness stir inside his chest. Cody did his best to ignore it.
“So then, what is your deal, cowboy? What’s someone like you doing here so late at night?” Dallas asked, voice dropping slightly as he spoke the last few words. Ignoring the obvious implications, Cody answered honestly. “Not quite much, if I’m bein’ honest. Just got here in town for a couple days to get rest and some basic supplies — Y’know how it is.” Cody waved his hand. “Then I decided that it’d be nice to get a drink the night before I leave, n’ now we’re here.”
Dallas nodded. “So you’re a wanderer, I take it?”
“I guess, if that’s what it’s called. I’ve never really been the type to settle down in one place for too long.” A small lie — Cody wished he could have one specific place to call home, but all hopes of that were washed down the drain the day he ran away.
“I get that. I’m a wanderer myself, actually! I’ve been traveling with my friend over there,” Dallas pointed to the black haired girl that he was talking with earlier, “For a while now. We had to make a stop here, though. Like you.”
Cody hummed. “I’m surprised we haven’t crossed paths sooner, then.” Cody paused, wondering what wouldn’t seem too invasive to ask somebody he just met. He settled on something that he hoped was normal. “Where’d you guys come from?”
“We’re comin’ from the big city!” He grinned, then continued. “Well, I came from there. She came from..” Dallas paused, and traces of sadness overcame his features, though only for a second. Great job, Cody.
“She came from somewhere a bit further away.”
Cody nodded in understanding. “I know how it is. I came from somewhere like that,” He paused, grimacing at the memory. “Made sure I stayed the hell away once I got out, too.” Cody fought back the urge to shiver at the thought.
Dallas winced at his words. “Yeah, it’s…” He paused, sitting a little straighter. “Rough.”
Gone was the almost electrically charged atmosphere, making way for something softer to settle around them. Following this change, Dallas’ wolfish grin had changed into a gentle smile, and something in his eyes seemed more welcoming than before.
Cody could feel his own expression soften, much to his chagrin, but he didn’t really do much to fight it. “It is.” Cody agreed, leaning back in his chair slightly, sighing. “That’s why I like to wander — It’s just me, my horse, and the world laid out in front of me. It’s nice. Consistent, but has it's surprises still.”
Dallas’ attention was fully on Cody as he spoke, and there was something behind his eyes; What it was, Cody didn’t know.
With his way-too-soft eyes trained on Cody, Dallas nodded.
“Yeah. That’s why I like it, too. Gives you something to focus aswell, y’know?” Cody responded with a simple nod, smiling back at the man in front of him.
A few beats of silence stretched on, though much less uncomfortable than the first one had been. As Cody observed him a bit more during the lull in conversation, he noticed that Dallas seemed like he wanted to ask something, yet he was hesitating.
Deciding to just bite the bullet and just flat out ask, Cody broke the silence. “Listen, Sunshine. It looks like you’ve got a question, but I don’t know why you’re holdin’ back. Go ahead, I won’t bite.” Cody leaned forward, feeling bold, and looked Dallas in the eyes. “Unless you’re into that.” He finished his sentence with a grin, leaning back to his original position, hands resting on his legs. Dallas flushed even deeper than he did before, and after multiple emotions flickered across his face, he managed to gain his composure.
Clearing his throat, Dallas spoke. “Well, I was just wondering where you’re headin’ tomorrow?” A sheepish expression made a home on his face, and he fidgeted with his hands. It was the first time Cody had seen the man look downright embarrassed the entire night.
Cody hummed. “Nowhere in particular, if I’m bein’ honest. Sorta just goin’ wherever the wind takes me. Why?” He raised an eyebrow in question, as something like hope bloomed in his chest, like a flower sprouting under the first rain in springtime.
Dallas looked like he was mulling over his next words, fighting with himself. But, eventually, with one breath, he steeled himself.
“Would you happen to fancy the idea of travelling with us? I mean — Only if you want to! I just think it would be quite nice havin’ a new face with us, but I get if you don't want to—” Dallas floundered, but stopped talking once he noticed that Cody had begun laughing — Cody's face had softened more than Dallas had seen in the entirety of that evening, and Dallas looked at him with equal amounts curiosity and awe.
Suddenly becoming aware that he was the cause of Cody’s laughing fit, he turned his gaze to the floor, pink dusting his cheeks in a way that looked far too pretty for Cody’s weak constitution. “Was it that funny?” He asked bashfully.
“No, no, sorry! It’s just—” Cody paused, wiping a tear from his eye. “You were so shy about askin’. Seems quite out of character for somebody like yourself.” Cody grinned at Dallas, who seemed to lighten up when he wasn’t flat out rejected.
Deciding to still be discerning despite knowing what his answer would be since the first moment they started talking, Cody continued. “What makes you think I should trust you so much already?” He teased, though there was truth in his words; He would be damned if he survived this long just to get taken out because he trusted somebody with a pretty face — He wasn’t that stupid.
“Well— I don’t know. I guess you’re right.” Dallas frowned, seeming to know very well that he had no real reason to be asking this of a stranger.
“I’m only kiddin’. You seem nice enough, Sunshine. Cheer up.”
“So, that's a . . ?” Dallas looked like he was preparing for rejection, but there was still a hopeful glint in his eyes as he looked on towards Cody.
“Depends. Can I trust you?” Cody questioned, grinning as he leaned forward once more, brushing their knees together. He watched as Dallas visibly swallowed, eyes darting down to Cody’s lips when he spoke, but then flicking back up to meet his gaze.
“I . . I think so?” He answered, seeming slightly lost.
Cody stared into his eyes, searching for truth in his words — And he found it, along with the fact that his eyes were wildly beautiful. Up close, he could make proper note of his left eye — The same side with the scar — and its iris. It looked shredded, almost, forming the shape of an abstract star, with a white outline surrounding it. How Cody hadn’t noticed that before, he didn’t know (He did, in fact, know.), but now he did, and god it was just as pretty as the rest of him was.
Letting his eyes drop down to the lower half of Dallas’ face for a second, he hummed. “I’ll be the judge of that.” And with that, he leaned back into his regular sitting position.
After sitting there for a second in stunned silence, Dallas sputtered. “So, you—” He cleared his throat when his voice didn’t come out normal. “You will?” He questioned with a tilt of his head.
“I don’t see why not. It’s been far too long since I’ve had a partner on the road that wasn’t my own thoughts, and you seem like rather nice company,” Cody felt embarrassed at the sincerity of his own words, but made no attempt to backtrack, “So, yes.”
Dallas absolutely lit up at his words, a genuine smile gracing his features, like the first ray of sunlight after a long winter. And god, if that didn’t do things to Cody, he would be lying through his teeth.
“I’m happy to hear that.” His voice had become even warmer, if that was possible. “Does tomorrow afternoon sound alright to set out? That’s when we were planning on leaving.”
“Course’ it is. I have no real plans, so I’m fine with anythin’ if I'm being honest.” Cody said, returning Dallas’ smile to the best of his ability.
“Great.” Dallas responded, then paused. “. . Then, would you like to grab some breakfast here tomorrow, as well?” He asked hesitantly, like he was afraid he would get turned down before he even finished his sentence.
Quick to ease that fear, Cody nodded. “Sure. As I said, I don’t have anythin’ better to do, so I’m all yours.” He said, finishing his sentence with a wink. Dallas flushed for the nth time that night, but remained steadfast.
“Great! That means the three of us can all get acquainted properly tomorrow. Since I feel like right now,” Dallas glanced over to the black haired girl, who was resting her head on her arms, absently watching Cody and Dallas — She seemed to be falling asleep, yet she still grinned at Dallas and gave him a thumbs up. “Probably isn’t the best time to do that.” He laughed softly at her encouragement, returning her bright smile, then turned back to face Cody.
“Fine with me. I’m gettin’ a bit tired myself, so we can figure out our plans over breakfast?”
Dallas nodded, standing up from his chair. Cody followed suit, pushing his seat back to its spot under the bar counter. Once he was sure he wouldn’t trip on the precarious legs of the chair, he turned to face Dallas, who looked so happy that the brightness in his expression nearly blinded Cody.
“Is this where we part ways?” Dallas asked, feigning sadness, though it was clear how fake it was when he couldn’t get rid of his dopey grin.
“I believe it is. How will we survive one whole night?” Cody lamented, putting a hand to his chest, deciding to play along with Dallas. He felt himself fighting against smiling like an idiot (and losing).
“I don’t know. . . I guess we’ll have to try, huh?” Dallas leaned forward slightly, and outstretched his hand. “It was nice meeting you tonight. I look forward to getting to know you better.” Dallas said, eyes softening as Cody met his gaze. Butterflies waged war in Cody's stomach, but he simply did his best to ignore them as he reached out and put his hand around Dallas’.
“Same goes to you.” Cody nodded, “But, we’ve got a long road ahead of us, so there’s plenty of time for all that.”
Dallas smiled at his words, eyes crinkling around the edges as he shook Cody's hand. Cody noticed how Dallas’ hand was surprisingly soft for someone who played guitar, and made a note in his mind to ask him about that later.
After a (totally normal!) amount of time had passed, they released eachother’s hand and stepped back.
“Well, I’ve gotta get us back to our hotel before I have to carry her there.” Dallas said, and something in his tone implied that it wouldn’t be the first time he would have to do that. Cody snickered, nodding. “Understood.” With one last glance at Dallas, he smiled.
“G’night, Sunshine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Cody.” With that, Dallas turned away with the softest expression Cody has ever seen on a person, making his way over to the black haired girl.
Cody watched as Dallas gently nudged her shoulder, causing her to blearily look up at him, clearly having fallen asleep at some point. Dallas said something to her, and she nodded, yawning. Carefully, she stood up, though her movements were clumsy, and it reminded Cody of a newborn fawn. Dallas kept an eye on her, making sure she wouldn’t fall, and once he was sure she wasn’t going to make friends with the ground, he moved to grab his guitar from off the table.
Cody took that as his sign to leave, lest he be caught staring fondly at a man he just met, and he made his way to the door of the bar. Looking back once more, he saw Dallas waving bye to him. Cody gave a small wave back, before turning and opening the door to the bar.
The cool night air welcomed him as he stepped outside, giving him a very welcome reprieve in contrast to how warm he had gotten inside the bar. He made his way down the dusty streets of town, and it was a short walk from the bar to the hotel he was staying in — Something he was grateful for.
Before he knew it, he made it to his room and locked the door, kicking off his boots once the lock was in place. Then, heaving one big sigh, he fell onto his bed, shoving his face into his pillow.
How had so much happened in the span of an hour? All he had done was go to the bar for a simple drink, and now he had agreed to travel with two whole people. Two!
It’s not like he didn’t want to — He very much did — But the idea was still a slight bit daunting. Change in his routine always made something inside him feel uneasy, and he preferred to keep whatever semblance of normal he had at the time — But, despite that, he had still welcomed this man into his life without hesitation.
Flipping over to lay on his back, Cody sighed for the nth time that night. Once again, his thoughts made their way back to that same silver-haired man — It was embarrassing, honestly. Was he so lonely that only a warm smile and gentle eyes could make him uproot everything he expected out of his future? (The answer was a resounding “Yes.”, though he didn't want to admit it.)
With one final sigh, he resigned himself to his fate, accepting that he could very well meet his end via a way-too-bright cowboy that made him feel far too many things at once.
Well, he figured that there were far worse ways to go out, anyway, and Cody would be damned if he didn’t at least try to see this through.
Hazily, he realized how tired he had actually gotten. Sleep gently tugged at his mind, eyelids heavy, and as much as he wanted to shower before he slept, he figured that was something that Future Cody could worry about. Right now, all present Cody wanted was to allow himself to drift off into sleep. And Present Cody was a very weak man, so he allowed himself to close his eyes, consciousness fading by the second.
The final thought he had before he fell asleep was a realization — Which was; He felt eager about what tomorrow would bring, for the first time in years.