A 'Lonesome Dove' fanfic, featuring Tom Andrews and Newt Call… with references to Mattie Shaw.
Poor, lovely Tom. After much pondering and careful consideration I've decided to toss my patronage in a direction I've already dabbled in. Tom Andrews needs someone to take care of him.

This story trails after 'Way station' but it will stand very nicely on it's own.

September 2001
Summary: A plot? No, not really, just some rain and bathwater.
Tom Andrews is attempting to get comfortable in Curtis Wells. He's found a lady worth courting but Newt Call, the local bounty-hunter/gun-slinger, still holds Tom's attention.

Rating: NC17 for graphic male/male sex.
Disclaimers: 'Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw years' is the property of Rysher Entertainment. A group of writers, producers and actors who are far more talented than I am deserve the credit for creating these toys.

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In a rather strange twist of the weather, rain had been falling in Curtis Wells on and off for going on two days now. It ranged from a heavy, soaking downpour to a light sprinkle but it was almost continuous. The local farmers seemed happy enough so far with the odd, over-heated moistness of the air but it was making Thomas Andrews itchy. The relentless humidity that made his clothes cling and his hair hang lank. It reminded him of places he'd rather forget.  The rivers of mud that the rain had made of the dirt street didn't help either. Tom hadn't felt clean in days.

He'd arranged for a bath earlier in the day. Admittedly, the pleasure of it would be short-lived once he left the bathhouse and had to return to his damp room in his damp clothes, but even that brief respite would be appreciated.

Making his way down the wooden sidewalk, Tom noticed that the town had an almost deserted quality to it between the setting sun and the misty air. Unfortunately, one resident of the town seemed indifferent to the inclement weather. Newt Call was sprawled in his usual seat, looking the part of scarecrow designed to ward off horse thieves rather than crows.

Newt's leg extended out into the puddled walkway, preventing Tom from easy passage.

"Shouldn't you be out hunting down some criminal, Mr Call?" Tom shifted the bundle he held from one arm to the other. "Don't tell me all the outlaws are behind bars and you've no livelihood left."

Slouching even further on the bench so the other man couldn't pass by, pale blue eyes peered up from below the brim of his rain-soaked hat. "I'm between jobs right now."

"It seems to me that you spend a great deal of time 'between jobs'. Perhaps you should consider a different line of work." Tom backed up slightly. He should just step down into the street. A few inches of mud wasn't much when balanced against yet another of these strange, semi-hostile encounters with Newt Call. He could clean his boots off with the damp towels and used bathwater when he was done washing up himself. "I'm sure one of the ranches or farms hereabouts could use another strong back. Have you tried that?"

Carefully shifting on the hard bench, Newt glanced about the darkening street. The move was intended to be casual but the tightness of his shoulders suggested something else entirely. "Business is fine. It's just lately."  One finger extended to push his sodden hat back, revealing more of his face. Call frowned up at Tom. "I've been over at Twila's a coupla times lately. The ladies say you've yet to come by and pay them a visit. One of them mentioned she's looking forward to yer business."

Tom's shoulders squared up. He looked around nervously. The street was deserted. "I'm a school-teacher, Mr Call. That's not the sort of thing I should ever do. I could loose my job." A crease formed betweens his dark brows.

"Then again..." Newt interrupted the impending rant. "...the kind of thing you'd be interested in ain't t' be found at Twila's. Is it school-teacher?"

"Don't Call." Tom hissed, annoyed into forgetting the façade of manners he'd been holding onto.

"The kind of thing you're interested in..."

"I said DON'T!" Tom lifted one hand in warning only to have Newt jump up and smack it to the side quicker than Tom could see.

Newt frowned intently, closing the distance between them. "I've been thinking about you." The admission was a thin whisper, a tone not to be shared beyond the two of them. "I've tried not to but I can't help myself." They had shared a brief encounter on the trail before Tom had arrived in Curtis Wells. Now, by turns, Newt either pretended that the tryst had never occurred or the cowboy went out of his way to revile Tom over his sexual tastes. "It's as annoying as hell."

Tom glared down into blue-grey eyes. "You're the one that's annoying," he countered in a low snarl. "Stay away from me. Just leave me alone, Newt." He dared to use the other's first name, earning a growl of anger from the cowboy. Bad enough Tom was already hiding his criminal record from everyone. His and Newt's tryst was yet another black strike that he dare not let become public knowledge.

Tom had been carefully trying to establish himself. He'd made a few tentative moves towards one of the women in town. Mattie Shaw was a smart, lovely lady. She was quite the modern woman but Tom suspected that her morals would be sorely tested if she discovered that Tom liked fooling around with men as much as women. Not to mention how the general population might react to that twist in their new schoolteacher's character.

If either of his secrets got out he'd be dragged through the streets of Curtis Wells behind a wild horse.

"I can't leave you alone." It was Newt's turn to fearfully eye the street. There might a few other people about, hidden in the gloom, but no one was near enough to overhear. Call swallowed and his breath shallowed. "I want you again." One grubby hand clenched, on the verge of lifting.

A sigh gusted out of Tom. "It doesn't work that way. You made it quite clear last time how you felt... or rather... didn't feel, about being with me." Tom tried to back away. "I don't need that kind of aggravation, Newt. Just stay away from me." Shifting tactics, Tom tried pushing past the shorter man instead. He needed that bath he had planned even more now, to scrub at the grime that he was feeling inside too.

Newt Call caught at the school-teacher's arm. His grip was tight enough that Tom couldn't shake the touch away.

"Go to Twila's if you're after a roll in the sheets." Tom's whisper was venomous. "I'm not here to make your life easier, Mr Call."

"You think this is easy?" Newt responded in a hiss even lower than the other man's. "Can we just go somewhere, Tom? We can't do this in the street. Someone will see us."

"There's nothing to DO." Raising his voice made Call nervous and his grip faltered. The restraint was shaken violently off.  Walking swiftly, Tom headed towards the bathhouse once more. His destination should scare the cowboy off. Call wasn't likely to waste what little money he had on cleaning up when that could be done for free in the stable's water-trough.

Against all expectation, the grubby blond followed Tom all the way there and, braving the astounded look of the attendant, Newt fished out a coin so he could follow the other man inside. Call kept up a muttered monologue about map reading and traveling around Mexico as they passed the attendant. Of course the ramble dried up as soon as they were past the entrance.

It was a mistake. Tom realized that. He should have turned around and gone back to his room as soon as Newt showed an interest, but Tom had been anticipating this bath for too long now. It had been prepared in expectation of his arrival and he would have had to pay for it anyway. Steaming water filled the bathtub and orange-tinted lamp light illuminated the dim interior.

"It's not safe here either, Newt. Go away." Tom tossed his bundle of clean, mostly dry clothes down on a chair and shrugged out of his brown jacket. Dark green eyes lifted, seeking out Newt's face. The hunger that Tom discovered there was enough to make his breath catch. He'd expected to see desire, but the extremity of it was far more than Tom could believe.

"Please Tom." Newt continued to whisper as he voiced the request. "I got Florie, one of the women at Twila's to..." He squirmed in place, looking cautiously at the gauzy fabric that substituted for walls on two sides of the enclosure. "...to use..." Beneath his scruffy moustache and thin beard Newt's face was burnt red. "...her fingers." He edged closer to Tom. "It wasn't the same." Reaching, Call touched his fingertips to his one-time lover's mouth. His expression was wonder crossed with absolute horror.

"Check the building, Newt. You have to make sure we're alone first." It was a near repeat of their last encounter. Tom was walking into it knowing it was a bad idea but unable to resist the handsome blond. A lovely face topped with irresistible golden hair was most of the reason Tom had ended up in prison. Some angel-faced blond was likely going to be the death of him eventually.

"It's late, no one will..." Newt grimaced, drawing back reluctantly. "Promise me you'll stay here if I go look around."

A weary sigh gusted out of Tom. He had considered fleeing when the cowboy left the room. "I'll stay if you promise to take a bath after me."

In the warmth of the bathhouse Newt was sweating profusely and there was a definite odour that the perfumed water wasn't masking.

Call's nose wrinkled. "What the hell. I guess I paid for the damned thing after all." An annoyed breath was blown out. "If that's what it takes." Backing away, Newt ghosted off to secure the building.

Tom pulled in a sustaining breath. It was going to happen. Hell, from the moment Newt's leg blocked his path tonight this was inevitable.  Both of them were hungry for it and Tom didn't even have the option of blowing off tension with a whore. Heaven knew how long it was going to be before he and Mattie were close enough for Tom to get more than a kiss from her. Romance had to take hold with a woman before anything else happened. That was just the way of the world.

Tom's shirt landed on top of his jacket. He stripped quickly, wanting to be immersed in the cloudy water before Newt returned. There was no need to display just how eager his body was for this encounter. It felt wonderful too. After the steady annoying humidity of the day, this was better than wrapping a blanket around himself.

Considering his meagre salary and the cost of visiting the bathhouse, Tom was going to try and keep his indulgences to once a week but one of these days he'd have a proper home again and damned if it wouldn't have a bathtub. Vague wisps of memory attempted to tickle at the edges of Tom's mind along with that decision but he banished them quickly. This was a brand new life. Tom was starting over and none of those other times mattered any longer.

Closing his eyes, Tom sank slowly under the surface of the warm, scented water. It was so perfect he likely stayed submerged just a little too long. A hand seizing Tom's shoulder dragged him up into the thick air and back to reality.

Tom's sudden movement splashed newt, who was kneeling by the bathtub. The cowboy didn't hiss or jump away however. Instead he stared at Tom with an apprehensive expression.

"It's all right." Tom's hands wiped the water out of his eyes and shoved back sopping wet black hair. "I knew what I was doing." Stretching out, Tom let his head ease backward. "It feels wonderful."

Pale eyebrows pushed together. "If'n you say so. Myself..." Newt glanced nervously down at some of the petals floating on the surface. "I ain't fond of water... especially in rivers and suchlike." Blue eyes lifted once more. He still hadn't removed his hand from Tom's shoulder.

Tipping his head, Tom rested his cheek against the calloused fingers. Half-closed eyes stared at the other man's face. "Lord, but you're a hidden gem, Newt. It's always the pretty, golden ones that fuck up my life."

Newt startled slightly, his hand jumping just a bit but he didn't withdraw. "Don't." The request was softly spoken. "I don't want you to talk like that. I just want... " Newt's thumb rubbed restlessly against Tom's cheekbone.

"I'm not one of Twila's girls, Newt. You don't get one without the other, not from me," Tom reminded. "And you are pretty, although you try your damnest to hide it." Shifting position made water slop over the rim of the bathtub. Tom knelt on the smooth porcelain bottom. Staring straight into Newt's eyes, Tom turned his face and parted his lips so he could suck Newt's thumb into his mouth. One of Tom's hands caught at the cowboy's wrist to keep him from flinching away while the other lifted to explore Newt's face.

Using the backs of his fingers, Tom traced up the line of Newt's scruffy beard right into lank blond hair and around the ear. The dark hat was pushed back and off to land on the floor, making a sodden thud.  With one last hard suck, Tom let Newt's thumb slip from his mouth. Newt's head was gently angled by the grip Tom had on his ear. Exhaling warm air, Tom brushed his lips over the other man's, not exactly making contact but more teasing with the shadow of a kiss. A tiny shiver quaked through Newt, so slight Tom felt it rather than saw it. The not-quite kiss teased Newt's mouth three more times before the blond groaned and surged forward to desperately press his lips to Tom's.

Whimpers of desire sounded in the back of Call's throat and he stood, dragging Tom upright with him. Careless of the bathwater running off of Tom's body, Newt clasped the other man tight. Newt's arms wrapped around Tom. His grip was almost mauling.  One hand dropped to grip Tom's ass while the other dug into the wet skin of Tom's spine.

"I need... I've been waking up... " Newt's words continually vanished in favour of crushing his lips against Tom's. "...messing my unders... I get hard every time... " Teeth almost cut in eagerness and fingers nearly clawed. "Thought about... shoving something up inside me, not just fingers... I hate... can't stop thinking about your dick. God Tom!" Newt's groan was edged with a sob. "What did you do to me? I can't forget... I need... Bastard."

"Stop! STOP IT!" Tom shoved violently at the other's shoulders, knocking Newt back a couple steps.

Both of them were panting. Newt's pale blue eyes were unfocused as he ran the back of his hand over his mouth.

When it looked at if Newt might attempt to grab once more, Tom lifted a warning hand. "Not like that," Tom whispered. "I don't like it like that. Slow down."

"I want..." Newt began only to snap his mouth shut when Tom's chin lifted and green eyes narrowed in warning. Slowing his eager panting took time and all the while Newt's hands kept clenching and unclenching. When a moment of near calm was finally achieved, Newt tried again. "Please." It sounded as if the single word hurt the cowboy's throat as it croaked out.

A sigh gusted out. "Come here." Tom's index finger crooked.

When Newt was once more next to the bath, Tom slowly lifted his hands to ease the jacket off the other's shoulders. "Slowly," came the reminder. "I will do you but it has to be my way." Palms smoothed down the front of Newt's grimy vest to catch hold of his gun belt. "These have to go..." When the buckle released Tom tossed the belt and two guns as far from the bathtub as he could. "...and so does that layer of dirt on you." Tom let himself ease back downward into the warm water once more. "Undress Newt, then climb in here with me. There's room enough."

Tom was half-tempted to chuckle at the frantic way the cowboy skinned out of his gear, but he knew it would only upset Newt. The clothing ended up in a haphazard pile in the middle of the floor. It wasn't until he was completely naked that Newt seemed to suddenly run out of steam. The blond froze in place, staring at the bathtub as if he wasn't sure what to do next with one hand in front of him unsuccessfully attempting to shield his blood-dark erection.

"Get in." Tom beckoned. It was going to dirty up the bathwater but getting 'perfectly' clean wasn't the only thing that mattered any longer.

Newt stepped cautiously, letting Tom guide him. His feet ended up on the outside of the seated man's legs.

"Down... first to your knees, then settle," Tom instructed.

Newt's knees were pinned between Tom's hips and the walls of the bathtub. Eyes closed, Newt sat the rest of the way down. He shuddered as the cheeks of his ass parted slightly, coming to rest on Tom's half-hard cock. A squirm embedded the partial-erection even more firmly in the crease and Newt's mouth opened to let out a breathy gasp. Before even a full minute had passed, Newt's body rocked unconsciously in place.  His breath shallowed and sped up while his head fell backwards, baring his throat to Tom.

"Not yet." Tom said softly, answering an unspoken request. The washcloth that had been hanging over the wall of the bathtub was caught up. Dipping it first into the warm water, Tom began running the wet cloth up and over Newt's barely furred chest and shoulders, soaking the skin that wasn't under the water. "You're all wound up... try to relax, Newt." The nubby material chafed at Newt's nipples instantly hardening them to stone.

"I can't wait." The admission sounded pained. "I haven't stopped thinking about... that... you pokin'... I mean... you, being inside me, since the stable... Jeezus... Tom, please."

"Shhh..." Tom hushed the other man, his lips to the base of Newt's throat. "I know you're close but... I need more. I want to kiss you, Newt." There was still a taste of salt to Newt's skin. Tom licked anyway, nuzzling at sharp collarbones and into the exposed curve before him.

Tom's left hand dipped into the water to wrap around the base of Newt's erection and tighten down while his right curved around to stroke up the blond's spine. Newt's ass flexed, attempting to tighten up at the contact but the column of flesh trapped there wouldn't allow it, making Newt moan in reaction.

"Oh God! This was a mistake." Newt's voice shook. "Do it. Do it quick before I loose my nerve. Jeezzzuss, Tom. I can't. Please. Shove it in me now or let me up." His body jerked in place only to push back down harder.

"You're not ready. It'll hurt."

"I don't care." Newt groaned, lifting and squirming in place.  By some bit of luck he managed to find the right spot.

Insane pressure made Tom release Newt and move his hand to steady his own cock. It was painful for Tom so it had to be even more so for his lover but Newt's body jerked, forcing the head of Tom's shaft upward into pressing heat. More, almost violent lashes of Newt's body deepened the penetration until they were flush together.

Whispered curses spilled from the blond's mouth and trickles that definitely weren't bathwater ran from Newt's eyes.

"Hold still. Hold still," Tom soothed. "Give your body time."

Newt's face fell forward once more. His eyes were open but glazed. "Why can't it just hurt? I wouldn't want it if it would just hurt bad enough." Newt's ass muscles tightened and he let out a groan. "I'm not a woman. I don't..." His breath caught. "Bastard. You did this. You messed me up. God, I hate you."

The phrase would have stung more but Tom finally realized what the gunslinger was thinking. Their encounter in the barn must had been more shattering to Newt's ego than Tom had imagined in his wildest dreams.

"Fool." Tom's own breathing was unsteady. "It doesn't change you. It doesn't change anything important." Tom's palm caressed the side of the other's face.

His expression was still devastated even as Newt lunged forward into a demanding kiss. "I like it. I want it." Tom's lips were devoured. "I can't stop thinking about getting fucked... and not just with you anymore. Other men. He looks at me and... I want him to make me... but mostly you. Whenever I see you I get so fucking stiff it makes me crazy. YOU did this to me." His body tightened and released. "Oh fuck! That feels so..."

Tom tasted blood. He knew he should shove Newt off, end things, but it was already too late.

"I feel like a god-damned whore whenever you look at me. I want to do things with you that... I want to drop to my knees in the street and offer to suck you off. I really want... " Newt's open mouth pressed to Tom's forehead. "I want... How many ways can we..." His body rose slightly then pushed back down again making Newt groan deep in his chest. The water splashed over the rim and onto the floor as he repeated the stroke more broadly.

Tom's reluctance melted away. Newt was seized and the flood of nonsense was silenced by a penetrating kiss. Pale, wet flesh was kneaded. Tom's hips jerked, encouraging his lover to move. The tight channel eased slightly, moistened by water and the come leaking from Tom's now rigid cock.

Newt's tongue was sucked into Tom's mouth only to slip out a few moments later. Lips were chewed, as were Newt's chin and jaw. The sounds of harsh panting, almost pained groans and splashing water filled the small cubicle. Fingers left bruises as they dug in. Tom dragged Newt down onto his straining shaft by clawing at the blond's hips. Fucking in the bathtub strained muscles but there was no way either of them were going to stop long enough to move the session.

"God damn!" Newt caught a handful of slick black hair, twisting and tugging so Tom's mouth was dragged tight to his arching throat. The threat of teeth didn't even discourage the pull. Newt's body jolted and he froze. "There... that... do that again. Right there. That's what I felt last time."

With a huff of exertion, Tom guided the other's body so his cock scraped across the nerves deeply hidden inside Newt's ass. The action earned a strangled scream from the blond. Newt shuddered and clung, letting Tom's touch tell him how to move so the sensation repeated. Once they had the right position Newt's legs strained to pump himself up and down without loosing the perfect angle that they'd discovered.

"Do it... so pretty... oh fuck, Newt." Tom hissed, teasing fingernails down the cowboy's ribcage. His hips lifted, following the Newt's body when it lifted and moaning with pleasure when it lowered back down to encase him once more. Satisfaction was drawing closer. Dipping into the choppy water, Tom wrapped his hand around Newt's shaft. He squeezed rhythmically rather than attempting to pump. Each tightening grasp made Newt's ass clutch at Tom's cock.

Mindless keening warned Tom a moment before Newt began to thrash on top of him. The hot flesh in Tom's hand pulsed and Newt arms were flung out. The blond caught at the sides of the bathtub, his body spasming.

Tom grabbed his lover's hips with both hands and forced Newt's body to move.  His own orgasm tore down Tom's backbone and ripped out with bone-rattling force. Tom's tasted blood yet again but he couldn't stop from biting down on the skin above Newt's nipples.  An arm wrapped around the back of Tom's head encouraging the action.

The water settled quicker than they did. Slowly the bite turned into a suckle, then an apologizing lick. Tom's possessive grip eased. A restless caress began to run up and down Newt's thigh. Their bodies slipped apart without effort.

Realization that they were lolling in filthy, cooling water eventually seeped into Tom's brain. He kissed at the warm flesh next to his mouth. "Let me up. We need to rinse off."

Strangely quiet, Newt eased back to sit down when Tom's legs allowed room. He continued to sit even when Tom was completely out of the bath. His lashes cloaked his pale eyes.

The water in the jugs at the sideboard wasn't particularly warm but it was infinitely cleaner. "You've got beautiful hair. It's paler than I thought... now it's almost clean. Do you want me to wash it before... " Tom frowned. He could almost see the bricks being laid in the other man's wall of disgust. "Christ Newt. I don't want to do this again. I can't do it again. Look at me, damnit."

Still, there was no response.

"Bastard." Tom upended the jug he held over top of his own head using the shock to find his composure. The jug was dropped back into place and a towel was grabbed. "If you do this, Newt, I won't get over it this time." Tom glared. He almost preferred Newt's defensive snarling to this sombre silence. "I'm not expecting much of you Newt, but can't we at least be civil with each other afterward?"

"I hate that see me like that." The whispered response mumbled out. "I hate that you can make me into... It's not right. It's disgusting." Newt's hands rose out of the water to spread over his face. "I hate myself when you're around. I hate you."

Tom's brows pushed together and he flinched as if he'd taken a shot to the chest. "It doesn't matter if you mean that or not." Tom didn't bother with his clean clothes. It wasn't like the bath had done any good. "You're a sorrowful piece of work Newt Call." Pants were pulled on. "I've been told things about you. I'm sorry about your wife."

Newt hunched forward, bunching in on himself.

"I'm sorry things have been so hard on you lately but it's not my fault and I'm not going to let you take it out on me." Tom's socks snagged on wet skin and he had to struggle with them. "It doesn't have to be like this, Newt. I'm not saying we could blow kisses to each other on the street. We can't. Not ever." He sighed. "But we could share something good if we were careful." Stomping his feet pushed his boots on tight.

Newt looked up finally, frowning. His mouth opened as if he was about to say something but Tom shook his head and glared, silencing the other. "Don't! Don't spew out more of your poison, Newt, not yet. Just listen first." Words had become Tom's weapon of choice since leaving Clarkwell prison but occasionally Tom caught himself wishing for a sharp shank. Newt would certainly pay attention to him if he held one at the blond's throat. "What we did... what we could do... it doesn't make you less of a man. I've taken it up the arse before Newt... and I like it."

A mumble ending in 'school-teacher' whispered out of the man in the bathtub.

"Christ Newt!" Tom slid into his shirt. "Right now you and I are sharing a secret. No one else ever has to know and if you'd manage to keep a civil tongue in your head and a cap on your temper we could do this again... as many times as we wanted to." Two steps took Tom to the side of the tub. Newt's chin was caught and with some effort the sullen face was raised. "Think about it, Newt. You can trust me. If you ever want me again..."

They stared at each other a long time. Newt's expression ran a gauntlet between desire and cold fury. "I'm not your friend." The announcement was strangled.

"That's hardly a surprise but it could change, Newt." Tom released the other and rocked back on his heels. "Just think about the possibilities." Standing, Tom reached for the rest of his gear. "Unless you've a plan for finding someone else." Tom paused after pushing back the curtain to the cubicle. "If you could just be decent."

Staring at Newt, nude and exposed was enough to send a shiver up Tom's backbone. "If we could come to some kind of understanding I'd like to be with you again, maybe somewhere safer. We could arrange it ahead of time."

"I don't know. I can't think."  Newt kept his back to Tom.

At least it wasn't a vicious denial. "I'll likely see you around tomorrow. We'll se what happens."

"Do you..." Newt swallowed nervously. He spoke without looking behind himself. "I'll wash my hair for you if it will help but I ain't gonna shave."

"I'll tell Chin to bring you some more fresh water," Tom offered just as quietly. It was tempting to stay and try to figure out where Newt was going with his offer but giving the other man some time was likely a better bet. Withdrawing, Tom paused for a moment out of Newt's proximity to tidy himself.

Newt wasn't likely to become the love of Tom's life. Circumstances wouldn't allow that. The love of Tom's life had already come and gone years ago, lost in the confusion of Tom's messed-up teenage years. Still, it would feel good to have a lover again, even one so touchy as Newt.

Pulling his jacket closed to help cover the less than perfect state his shirt was in, Tom Andrews headed for the bathhouse door.
 

That's it. Milk and cookies time.
 
 

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