Evenin' Sheriff

Chp.9: Yep, Costed One Whole Eye

For Sophia,
...

_

RED ALWAYS aspired to be more. Blue knew that; he saw that as clear as day.

Red had his dreams set in stone when he pronounced himself "Red Bandit" and dubbing the title of Greatest Criminal to ever roam the west to belong to him.
When he first met Red, Blue admired him for it. He wanted Red to achieve it, because it meant something. It was thrilling to have that. To win it all. Blue never felt like more than he was, nothing. But Red inspired him to be more.

Over the years however, Blue built up more of a motive. He grew attached to Red and shared his dream; and warped it. It'd only work out if they were together when it happened. Only if Red had the honor to have to the title of Daisy Bell.

Blue thought he had achieved his dream after awhile. But he soon realized that he really didn't because Red hadn't either.

Now, Red had. It was no big surprise to Blue that it had turned out this way for Red either. To finally be on top. It was his dream after all, a dream that he chased and ultimately caught.
Yet why couldn't Blue catch it too?

Blue watched Red pack his things -what little things he had, as if he was watching a funeral. He was still rambling on and on in his head.

Red was spending his last nights in a temp room in the basement before he was sent away. He needed to be ready to leave first thing in the morning after the last day.

With his bags packed, Red didn't get the chance to even look at Blue when the other promoted criminals in the same playing field as Red ushered him to pick up his slack. Red glanced over to his closest conrad, shrugging his shoulders with a slant to his smile.
Red couldn't see the hurt in Blue's eyes, but Blue could see the intent in Red's. He wanted a proper goodbye, while Blue didn't want one at all.

-

By the time it was past nightfall, Blue couldn't bring himself to fall asleep. He was never really fond of after hours spent resting instead of doing something worth a little more productivity. But now, he found himself tossing and turning like any regular insomniac, unable to shut his eyes for longer than ten seconds without feeling an ich of discomfort.

In retaliation to his restless body, Blue sat up in his bed, leaning his back half against the splintering wall.
Blue felt resorted to think all night. Because if his day brain had failed him, who's to say his intrusive nightly one would too? He was clinging on to every last idea or hope he had to finding, planning, and executing his escape. It was just so hard to think and Blue had no idea why.

A hollow knock on the door broke into the ghostly silence. It shook Blue up by hearing it now, but regardless he climbed out of his bed and approached the door silently.

When he opened it, he almost half expected for Red to not be there on the other side, but he was; standing there, leaning his weight on one leg with an awkward smile. Blue stepped aside to let the other in immediately, as if it was a human instinct.

Not a word passed between them as Red walked into his old room and stood by the bedframe of his old bed. It was only when Blue closed the door -eyes still trained onto him, that Red would speak up.
"Hey," he started, his voice soft. "I was kinda kicked out earlier... But my temp room has the most uncomfortable mattress ever, so."

Blue didn't reply. He shakily stood beside the door, his grip finding themselves at the fabric of his coat. Red in turn, leaned off the bedframe and took two patient steps toward Blue, which was already enough to put them at an arms reach away.
"And...I leave soon. I wanted to say goodbye-"