I always wanted to be a cowboy

[Anonymous]

"Yeah. I am. Because I learned to hit first. But you aren't doing her any favors. Because that fucked up kid? Protects her! Who's going to fuck with Rachel with the freak kid will eat their face off? Oh, but that's right, you don't care! Things have to be your way or they aren't right!"

[Rhi-Rhi]

"And what the fuck's to stop him from turning on her?" Gabriel felt bad for Nika, but he was also realistic--he was a sociopath. He couldn't help it and he seemed depressingly desperate to learn, but that fact remained. No matter how much he pitied Nika, no matter what he felt for the kid, Rachel was his sister and her safety came first.

[Anonymous]

"The fact that your sister isn't a moron! Why do you act like you are so much better than everyone else?"

[Rhi-Rhi]

"I'm not saying she's a moron, dumbass! Fun fact! Smart people get taken advantage of too!" Gabriel snapped. "Fuck! You really have no idea, do you? Is that how you justify it? They were just too stupid so it's okay?"

[Anonymous]

"What? That doesn't even make sense!" Christian gave Gabe a confused glare, "Stop treating people like they are less than you! You aren't that great!"

[Rhi-Rhi]

"I'm sorry, clearly I'm not as fluent in asshole as you are!" Gabriel shot back. "It makes total sense when you're not a fucking dick!"

[Anonymous]

"Fuck you!" Not his best come back, but honestly, he was a little lost. He was angry and pissed and years of issues were running around his head. He stood up, "You are suck a fucking prick."

Turning, he stomped off into the night, wanting to clear his head.

[Rhi-Rhi]

Snarling curses under his breath, Gabriel turned on his heel and stormed off in the other direction, if a bit more...sorely and awkwardly. He, too, needed a breather before he wound up punching something--like Christian--and anger and confusion and hurt left him feeling kind of overwhelmed. It was always best to withdraw then before he did something drastic, because when he couldn't mentally deal with his problems, he dealt with them physically.

He flopped down at the edge of the camp to fume, appetite gone and replaced by a sick, twisting feeling in his gut.

[Anonymous]

Christian didn't come back for a long time. He just stayed out, under the stars. There were too many thoughts, too many feelings he didn't want to deal with. He needed time to shut it all down, build back up those barriers that kept everyone at bay.

Reject them before they can reject you.

But Gabe always rubbed him wrong. He had hurt Christian and the barriers had never really been able to deal with that very well. Hours later, he finally made his way back to the camp. He didn't even bother with the tent, just opened the truck door, climbed into the cab and went to sleep.

[Rhi-Rhi]

Some time during the night, Gabriel yanked out a bedroll and got as comfortable as he could near the fire--which wasn't very, because no matter how he tossed and turned and moved spots, there was always some rock or other poking at him. Even without the rocks, though, it was an uncomfortable sleep and took him hours to drift off, too angry to relax enough to do so. Eventually, though, he nodded off, but even when he woke up he didn't feel rested.

...It also didn't help that some insect of other had decided to make a snack of him.

The fire had gone out in the night and he woke up cold, stiff, and itchy. And hungry. And with a headache. With a groan, he sat up and scratched at his arms and neck, finding a number of small, inflamed bumps there. Wonderful.

Neck stiff, he had to twist most of his body to get a good look at the cab, and then he looked back to the fire pit. He wouldn't wake Christian, now just feeling uncomfortable and awkward in the wake of their fight--made all the worse since, unlike in other situations, there was nowhere to really go to escape having to deal with it.

[Anonymous]

Christian hadn't slept well, too angry to really drift off well. He woke up with the sun, sitting up and stretching. He was a bit too long for the cab, but it was nicer than outside, being a little too cold to be comfortable. He was too used to Haviah's constant weather. In a few days he would probably be sleeping under the stars.

Getting out, he shot Gabe a dark look, heading over to the fire and starting to rebuild it so he could make some coffee and breakfast, "You better get your ass up and take care of that horse."