Cowboys Read Yaoi

The forest was covered in a thick layer of fog, trees swaying in the wind as birds chirped, flying from branch to branch. Only dim light lit the wooded area, the tree tops and clouds hiding the sun, causing the forest to have a bluish-gray tint. A normal look for the pacific northwest during this time of the year. 

It was a cold day, while not freezing, the air still nipped at Grace’s face as he hurriedly walked through the forest’s trees, Simon’s footsteps quickly following behind him. He was careful to watch his step, dodging any roots that reached up out of the dirt so as to not trip, his heart racing.

He didn't know if what he was feeling was fear, curiosity, or resolve. Maybe a mixture of all three. He was going to finally get the answers he desperately needed, he had to.

He had been feeling crazy, trying to think up logical reasons for the things that were happening- no, trying to explain Simon’s crazy abilities, but he kept coming back even more confused than when he first started. 

Grace was a scientist through and through, everything has an answer. But the only answers that came back were few and far between insane. He didn’t know whether he wanted this specific hypothesis to be correct or for him to be so mistakenly wrong and only to be seen as a crazy fool for even entertaining this idea at all. 

He slowed to a stop in a small clearing of the trees, clenching his fist to stop himself from knocking his beanie off to run a hand through his hair. He let out a small shaky breath as he began his confrontation, not turning to face Simon. 

“You’re impossibly fast,” He started, swallowing down his nerves, “And strong.”

He heard Simon slowly approach his back as he continued his little speech he prepared, “Your skin is ice cold, your eyes change color, and sometimes you speak like,” He takes another shaky breath, “ Like you’re from a different time.”

Grace’s eyes scan the forest floor as he pauses, faltering, for a second. He’s starting to feel ridiculous that he is going along with his dumb thoughts. Regaining his confidence, he pushes through with his mental list. “You never eat or drink anything, you don’t go out in the sunlight.”

His breathing hitches as he feels Simon’s presence directly behind him, nearly touching now. Grace bites his lip for a second as his heart rate jumps even higher and struggles to speak, voice almost straining. “How old are you?”

It’s silent for a moment, but Grace can only hear his own thundering heartbeat while he waits for the answer.

Simon speaks up, his low and husky voice extremely close to Grace’s ear, a small cool breath causing the blond man a shiver to run down his spine. “Thirty-two.”

Grace gnaws a little more on his lips, “How long have you been Thirty-two?”

Simon hesitates before replying, “A while.”

Grace swallows the lump forming in his throat, the two stand in silence for what feels like an eternity but was more likely but a few seconds. “I know what you are.”

He can feel Simon’s gaze burning into him, an uncomfortable feeling sweeping over Grace as he fights the urge to turn around.

“Say it,” The other man practically growls, “Out loud.”

Grace is starting to feel like this might have been a mistake, but it was too late to stop what he had started. It felt nearly impossible to speak. He almost flinches when he hears Simon speak again.

“Say it.” It almost sounded like a mixture between a plea and command. He could see the other man from the corner of his eye now, the stare was intense.

After closing his eyes for a brief moment, Grace finally forces his voice to work, mustering up his courage to say it quickly, like pulling a band-aid off a wound. “Vampire.”

Regret spreads through his body the moment it leaves his mouth, feeling so silly. Yet it was the only answer coming up over and over when he was doing his research. He didn’t have much time to mull over that regret as Simon spoke once more. 

“Are you afraid?”

It felt like his stomach had grown a pit, a sharp inhale caused the cold air to fill his lungs. He wavered before turning around to look at the other, eyes searching to see if this was truly some bad joke and Simon was going along with it. But Simon’s face was practically stoic, his eyes lacking any levity within them.

Simon was being serious. 

Grace’s theory wasn’t wrong, he wasn’t crazy, and his world was flipped upside down all at the same time. 

Was he afraid?

Grace wasn’t too sure, he didn’t think so at least. After all, if this was real and truly happening, not some sort of weird dream trying to say something about his preferences, Simon had so far only done things to protect him. 

“No,” Grace answered after a beat.

Simon’s eyes narrowed, a frown now on his face as his eyebrows pinched downwards. “Then ask me the most basic question: What do we eat?”

While his heart jumped to his throat, Grace studied the other’s expression. He matched the frown with his own, a new determination rising up. “You won’t hurt me.”

Simon’s jaw tightens before grabbing the other’s arm, dragging him deeper into the woods. Grace doesn’t fight it, his feet allowing himself to be tugged along. 

Still, despite his decision to trust Simon, his anxiety spikes a bit. “Wh-Where are we going?”

“Up the mountain, out of the cloud bank.” Simon huffs gruffly. Even though he was dragging Grace, it was still gentle and careful, making sure the other didn’t trip, which didn’t go unnoted. “You need to see what I look like in the sunlight.”

When he heard that, Grace’s newfound wonderment about vampires reared its ugly head. How could it not? This was quite a new discovery and Grace was now desperate to learn what his research was right and wrong about. 

Didn’t vampires avoid sunlight because it burned them? 

Before he could think about that even further, about halfway up a hill, Simon used the arm he was holding onto to swing Grace onto his back in an impromptu piggyback ride. A startled yelp left Grace but it was drowned out instantly by the roaring sound of the wind passing them. 

Simon was running, faster than any car Grace had ever been in, the forest had turned into a blur of green as he held on for dear life. He buried his face into Simon’s back, both his arms and legs now wrapped around the other, adrenaline pumping through his system. He couldn’t help but focus on the hold that Simon had, secure but not too tight to hurt. 

Regardless of the steepness and Grace’s extra weight, Simon ran with ease. Expertly weaving between the trees, avoiding the roots, and rocks. It only took mere minutes before they were high up in the mountains now. 

Simon slowed once he saw what he was looking for, another small opening with a beam of sunlight cascading down through the tree’s leaves onto a small rock. He set Grace down delicately just a few feet away from where the light was. 

Grace had to catch his breath, his eyes glued to the other who marched quickly to his new destination. Grace didn’t even have time to try and stop him or call out as Simon spoke. 

“This is why we don’t show ourselves in sunlight.” Simon stepped onto the rock, his back turned towards Grace as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, “People would know we’re different.” 

Simon slowly turned around as Grace had a gasp leave his lips. Simon was… sparkling. His skin shone under the sun’s beam, quite like a diamond under a show light. 

Simon seemed to take a nervous breath but his face still held blank as best as possible, “This is..what I am.”

He was beautiful. 

Grace’s mind started to race, so many questions were now floating by his brain, his mouth starting to feel dry- probably because his mouth was agape. He couldn't help but just stare, forcing himself to not pinch his own skin. 

Man if this really was a dream he had some really weird tastes and preferences, ones he didn’t want to even touch with a ten foot pole at this point and time. 

He almost didn’t even register the words coming out of his own mouth, it was almost a breathless whisper, “You’re beautiful.”

Simon let out a bitter laugh, his face contorting into an almost painful smile, “Beautiful? This..This is the skin of a killer, Ryland.”

Grace jumped a little in surprise at his first name, only able to watch with a frown as Simon turned back around to button his shirt back up. 

Grace scrambled to follow the vampire, who ducked behind some trees near the rock, walking down the titled ledge.

Simon’s voice had a bite to it as he turned to look at Grace trailing after him, “I’m a killer.”

“I don’t believe that,” Grace had to duck under a tree, careful to watch his balance. 

Simon walked up and around the thick roots that curved from the Earth, Grace nearly tripping a few times to try and keep up. “That’s because you believe a lie.” He shot Grace another look, “It’s camouflage.”

The dark haired man stopped walking to fully turn and look at the human, his fist clenched, “I’m the world’s most dangerous predator. Everything about me invites you in, my voice, my face, even my smell.”

Simon took a second, grimacing, “As if I would need any of that.”

One second he was next to Grace before vanishing and reappearing on a distant boulder, voice loud and full of an emotion unidentifiable, “As If you could out run me!”

Grace had trouble following the other’s movements, who was jumping from one place to another with his extraordinary speed, until he reappeared right behind him. 

Simon’s voice was desperate, as if he wanted to convince Grace he wasn’t worth the trouble, worth his kindness and love, “As if you could fight me off!”

Grace could only watch in awe as the tree's roots were grabbed and sent flying, taking the whole tree with it, crashing into the rock adjacent to it, and splintering it into pieces. 

“I’m designed to kill.”

He inhaled sharply before swallowing down any fear that did threaten to come up. “I don’t care.”

Simon’s eyes narrowed, gritting his teeth in slight annoyance that this stubborn, beautiful man before him wasn’t budging. “I’ve killed before.”

Grace stamped down any panic rising, trying his best to be calm. Logically he knew this was a huge possibility when first coming up with this idea, just now it was staring directly in the face. He would think about this and the consequences later. 

“It doesn't matter.”

Simon covered his mouth with his hand for a brief moment, anger flaring up, hoping this would bring the teacher in front of him back to his senses, but still hesitated before speaking softly in a troubled voice. 

“I wanted to kill you.” He looked pained at his own admission as he leaned closer to Grace and his hand hovering to cup his face but never touching, “I never wanted a human’s blood so much in my life.”

“I trust you,” Grace’s voice was a whisper.

Simon choked back a strangled sound, “Don’t”

The two stared at each other for a moment before Grace started to lean in, their lips brushing for just a moment before Simon vanished from in front of him, the other now resting on a tree branch.

“I’m different from the others of my kind. I only hunt animals, learning to control my thirst,” He started to lean downwards, holding himself with the branch next to him, “It’s you, your scent…It’s like a drug to me, you’re like my own personal brand of heroin.”

Grace ran towards the base of the tree as Simon faced down him, holding himself. “Why did you hate me so much when we first met?”

“I did, only for making me want you so badly.” He shut his eyes tightly before meeting those bright blue ones, “I still don't know if I can control myself around you.” 

Grace stared right back before climbing the tree to be face to face with Simon, “I know you can.”

Simon ducked away, climbing down the tree and walking towards a little hiding between two boulders, Grace following close behind, his voice laced with uncertainty, “I can’t read your mind.” 

Grace watched as Simon placed two hands on either side of his head as he backed up into the boulder, effectively pinning him to the wall. The cool moss is a reminder that this is, in fact, not some weird dream he was having. 

“You have to tell me what you're thinking.”

Grace sighs avoiding Simon’s intense stare, “Now I’m afraid.”

Simon backs up after a second, freeing Grace and leaning back on the other boulder directly behind him, “Good.”

What he doesn’t expect, though, is that Grace follows him, now turning the table on who was pinning who, “But I’m not afraid of you,” which causes Simon to scoff silently at this man’s stubbornness, “I’m afraid of losing you, like you’re going to disappear on me.”

Simon looks at Grace’s lips, fluttering to look up briefly at his eyes before back down. He has an expression of disbelief at this truly happening and relief that- for some reason- he hadn’t scared off this angel of man. 

His voice low as he finally speaks up, leaning in, “You don’t know how long I’ve waited for you.” Simon pressed his hand over Grace’s heart, “And so the lion fell in love with a lamb.”

“What a stupid lamb,” Grace whispered, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

Simon mirrors with his own subtle smile, a low cynical chuckle leaving him, “What a sick, masochistic lion.”

Grace closes the distance, finally planting a kiss onto Simon’s lips.

He didn’t know exactly what he just signed up for, but he knew that this was something he truly wanted. 

------

Grace wakes up with a start, covered in sweat, blinking rapidly. A soft groan stirs beside him, the arm draped over his waist pulling him closer.

“Ryland?” Simon’s voice was thick with sleep, frowning in worry as tired brown eyes looked up at him, “Y’okay?”

“Ye-” Grace cleared his throat as he rubbed his face with both of his hands, “Yea, just a really weird dream.”

Simon nodded slightly, a hum leaving him as he settled back down, “Go back to sleep, you've got a long day tomorrow with Rocky.”

A soft sigh escapes him as he settles back down into the shared bed, allowing Simon to cuddle him more efficiently, who passes back out instantly, soft snoring leaving the man. Grace has to hold in his fond laughter.