Horsing Around

"..."

"And you're sure this is what you want?" Walt asked.

Neo gave him a look arching her eyebrow.

Walt shook his head. "No. I can do it. Used to do it a lot infact. It was one of my standard "tricks" but..." his right hand fingertips tapped the butt of his revolver and flexed, already limbering up, while his left hand reached onto his pocket for a cigar. "It's dumb... foolish and foolhardy. It's something a dumb cocky kid does... I'm too long in the tooth to entertain that kinda foolish-"

Neo signed to him "I heard" and held up her phone which had one word on it, [Ocelot].

"...Behavior," Walt said knowing he was busted. "Who told you about that? I know neither he nor any of the Snakes would... no, wait... it was "Joy" wasn't it?"

Neo shot him the finger gun with a wink.

Walt sighed shaking his head. "Well shit... I ain't gonna be able to talk m'self outta this'n am I?"

Neo shook her head and Walt nodded. "Alright... I won't miss if'n you don't. Yer up first."

Neo points at him and wags her finger back and forth.

Walt smiled and tilted his hat to a rakish angle. "Ah promise not to cheat. Ah wouldn't do that to ya... but if'n Ah make it look easy that's jes' cause Ah'm that. Damn. Good."

Neo grinned at that and put her arm around his waist and stuck her hand in his back pocket. She liked when he acted a bit cocky.

Walt chuckled as they headed for the ring. "Can't believe ya want this'n stead uh kinky bedroom stuff..."

Neo squeezed his ass and wiggled her eyebrows up and down. Walt laughed and nodded. "You would want both!" He could hear Tony talking up the crowd and shook his head. "That fool dunno when tah shut the hell up. C'mon and gather round and watch something stupid." He shook his head. "Yah know I seen this get messed up... twice. Why I stopped doing the damn thing."

'Bad?' She asked.

Walt snorted. "Sure as hell weren't good. One feller lived. But damn was it a mess... though not as messy as the one who didn't. Neither one were purty. I love you... don't want nothing to harm you. Least of all myself... I won't miss though and I trust you to do the same... just don't cut off too much, ok?"

Neo smiled and nodded leaning her head against him. It was great having a real partner again. Some one who she could trust... and love.

She wouldn't miss either.

---

Walt took his hat off and held it in his hands behind his back.

He heard the crowd "ooh" and "ahh" watching Neo. It was tempting to look... but he really didn't need to. He could hear it.

The thundering of hooves. The breath of the horse. The creak of saddle and tack. Her blade slicing or piercing the fruit they'd setup as targets.

They were drawing closer now. He grinned. This was reckless and dumb... but he was enjoying it. He clenched the final target tighter between his teeth while standing perfectly still. Cowboy shit.

Neo and her horse came thundering past. With a woosh she cut the cigar in his mouth nearly in half.

The crowd cheered and clapped. Walt put his hat on and looked at the cigar shaking his head. He pulled out a match to light it up muttering, "I said "not too much". She's fucking crazy... cuttin' off purt near half... *puff, puff... sigh* Well... nothing fer it."

He picked up the smaller half from the dirt and brushed it off. Neo came skipping up with a grin. He shook his head snorting but she saw him smiling at her. He kissed her then passed her the lit cigar poking a hole in the other end. She nodded and he bent down lighting the slightly smaller half pressing it to the cherry on the lit one.

He loosend the revolver in it's holster."I'll be right back," was all he told her. She nodded, smiling as she took her position.

Walt replaced the damaged fruit with fresh as he walked admiring her cuts. She was damn good for never having done it before... to the best of his knowledge. Her blade wasn't as suited for cutting as it was for thrusting so she'd lanced half her targets... but she'd still done a nice clean job on her cuts. He brushed off one of the apples she'd skewered and took a couple big bites.

He walked over to where Teddy was waiting for him. He patted the big horse who gave him a slow nod and blink. He fed Teddy the rest of the apple before double checking on everything again. He saw Neo puffing away at the cigar and shook his head. "Durn fool making it smaller on purpose... showtime partner." He climbed up into the saddle to applause. They'd all moved out of the line of fire. He held up two fingers. He rode around the ring once, twice and then on the third drew the pistol and fired.

*Bang*

---

*Bang*

*That's two,* Neo thought as she tapped the ash from the cigar and stuck it between her teeth. The gun was faster than the blade obviously.

*Bang*

Still it was even trickier she knew. The movement of the horse, the rider and everything else made it more difficult then physically just striking the targets.

*Bang*

Not that that was easy either. She'd had some skill with horses from before. She and Roman had even done a certain heist from horseback. She briefly thought about taking off the hat but didn't and instead clamped her teeth on the cigar tightly as the heavy hoofbeats drew closer.

*Bang*

Walt was her partner now. He was different obviously but he was as good if not better than Roman. He trusted and supported and loved her... and she felt and di the same for him. She puffed the cigar. He wouldn't miss.

*BANG*

The shot rang loudly and the bullet hit smack in the middle of what was left of the cigar, extremely close to her face. Walt and Teddy rode past in a thunder of hooves as she crossed her eyes to look down at the little stump that was left. She grinned and turned to the crowd who let out a breath, taking off her hat and bowing.

The crowd clapped and cheered as Tony said something into the microphone but she didn't really notice much because suddenly she was in his arms. As he kissed her the rest of the world just kind of faded into the background. She was dimly aware that people were congratulating them, Sasha had taken Teddy's reigns from Walt, etc... but it was all background. Secondary. Unimportant in this time, this moment.

'I love you,' he signed to her and she signed back. She glanced up at the general direction of the hay loft and he nodded. She could feel his erection growing against her. "As soon as we can distract folks... and I got just the idea for that." She bit her lip and nodded.

She watched Walt walked off to tell people that trick was dangerous and other things but if they were up for more "cowboy shit" he had a game they all could play if they didn't mind getting dusty. Sure enough that got their attention and in short order she was laughing silently as he had a bunch of them with lariats taking turns roping each other and drinking. Everyone was having a good time.

Then Penny caught her. "I caught you, Neo!" She said with a big sunny smile on her face. Neo nodded and when Penny let her go she grabbed her hand and hugged her.

Penny hugged her back. "I know. I love you too!" Neo nodded. She did love her friend. She saw Manami with her camera recording them and reached out to grab her too pulling her into the hug. She loved her friends. Something she'd never had before. They were all precious to her.

That was when Walt hugged them all, wrapping his big arms around them. He squeezed them together and lifted them up twirling them around as they laughed.

Neo kissed his cheek and jerked her head at the barn. Walt nodded. Her wish was his command and smiling he carried them away.

[Walter Stark Penny Polendina F.R.I.D.A.Y Neopolitan Pyrrha Nikos Nora Valkyrie Yang Xiao Long Blake Belladonna Kali Belladonna Sienna Khan Willow Schnee Glynda Goodwitch Zwei Ahnassi Lifts-Her-Tail Senko Sayoko Shinozaki Roberta Cisneros Haruna Sasha Blouse Ilulu Rachel "Raven" Roth Manami "La Brava" Aiba Tsuyu "Froppy" Asui Haruhime Sanjouno Anastasia "The Baroness" Cisarovna/DeCobray Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress Serana Mission Vao Curie Ada PAM KL-E-O Merida Gwen "Gwenom" Stacy Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee and Jennifer "She-Hulk" Walters

Will Return In

Roll In the Hay

Coming Soon]