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Ben Cartwright breathed in through his lips, the warm smoke settling in his lungs and heating his throat. The smoke curled in his nose when he blew it out, and he breathed in again only to open his mouth and calmly blow the rest out. His eyes were shut, and he had his feet up. He breathed in again on his pipe to repeat the calming motion.
It was the first break he'd gotten from his boys. Not that he didn't love them; but by God, it was much too stressful to deal with them right now. Adam was fifteen, was showing his two younger brothers how to rope a calf. Hoss, eleven years old, was tasked with keeping their much younger three year old brother, Joe, safe. Besides, Hoss and Adam could take care of themselves for just a little while.
Another cloud of smoke settled in front of him, two streams of it blowing from his nose. It pleasantly settled something in his brain, soothed his headache, made him relax further back into the post.
There was one set of fast, excited steps on the ground and Ben opened his eyes. Adam was running up with Little Joe slung over his shoulder, a happy grin wide across his face.
"Well!" Ben lazily smiled at him. "You look accomplished."
"Pa, Hoss did it! He did it!" Adam practically bounced with joy, little Joe on his shoulder giggling and kicking his feet.
"That's great, Adam!" Ben grinned, removing his pipe from his lips and turning towards the two boys. Adam was there, Joe was there, but where was Hoss?
"Say, where's Hoss gone off to?" Ben curiously looked behind Adam, looked around for him.
"He found a baby deer or something.. He should be along. Joe's hungry!" Adam started walking inside, and Ben chuckled and smiled at Joe, gave him a little wave. His happy son waved back with his small little arm, smiled wide.
Wait a second. Did he say.. did he say a baby deer?
Ben knocked his pipe against his hand and emptied out the smoldering tobacco, stood up and placed it in his pocket. He hastily walked to where the boys had been playing.
Hoss was trying to free a small baby deer, caught in their fence, who was stomping and..
Ben stopped in his tracks when he heard a high pitch scream, straight from the deers mouth. It was trying to call for its mother, but it's mother was nowhere to be found. Hoss turned and looked at him coming up, a helpless look of despair painted on the young boys face. Ben's heart softened.
"Pa!" Hoss practically whined, looking between him and the deer. The poor thing looked terrified, like certain death awaited. Ben knew it was part of nature for fawns to leave their young behind, but.. Could he really just let this little fella go back out in the wild and get eaten by a coyote? Let it stay stuck in the fence?
Ben slowly walked forward and hopped the fence, helped from the other side by gently pushing the poor little animals legs through the fence, freeing it onto the Ponderosa's land. Hoss squealed in delight, and the deer stumbled back from his open arms, getting it's bearings on its feet.
Ben shoved his boots in between the boards of the fence and stood up, put his arms through to the other side.
"Do you think you can pass me the little guy, son?" Ben softly spoke, gestured towards the deer.
Hoss looked shocked, and he crossed his arms and stayed straight in place. The deer stopped backing away, and it was left stomping in place, huffing and snorting. Ben pointed.
"C'mon, go get it!"
Hoss pouted and stayed firmly in place. "But, pa.. she's hurt real bad."
She? Ben didn't question it.
"Yes, I know, son, but she's a wild animal. She has a mama to go back to."
Hoss shook his head, his voice high pitched and sad. "But.. but she doesn't, pa.. Her ma walked right by, left her in the fence."
Ben's heart cracked; none of his boys had mothers, either. Hoss must've been unconsciously been protecting the little animal like it was one of his siblings. And Adam would never forgive him if he were to hear about him throwing an injured baby animal to the wolves. And Joe would be mad by association.
Ben sighed and climbed back over the fence. The baby deer stumbled back.
Hoss's eyes widened. "What are you gonna do, pa?" He cautiously asked, voice squeaking and quiet.
Ben crouched down and offered out his hand, stretched it towards the deer. "C'mere, sweetie. That's it, that's the good lil deer-y."
The fawn advanced a little bit, knobby knees making its little body wobble. Ben felt the cool air on his hand as the deer sniffed, sniffed at his fingers. His stomping had stopped. Hoss watched with fear and anticipation, unsure what his pa would do.
When the deer had advanced close enough, Hoss gratefully watched his pa slowly scoop him into his arms and cuddle the deer to his chest. He pet the little animal on his head and scritched behind her ears. Hoss squealed in delight.
Ben nuzzled the top of the fawns head and warmed her up. She was still shivering, nervous but Ben tried to hold her steady and calm the little animal down.
"Hoss, you go in the house for a second, okay? I'll bring our new little friend in soon." Ben wanted to search for the mix he knew he had, when mixed with water it would be a good substitute for the nourishment in the milk fawns needed in the young stages of their life. Thankfully, he had bottles for feeding babies, and that would probably work perfectly for the little deer.
Hoss mulled it over for a second before listening with an "Okay, pa." And turning to walk back into the house. Ben could just imagine the excitement of the other two boys.
Hoss scurried back in the house and Ben raised an eyebrow with the situation he now was in. He had a small baby animal in his arms, and she was shaking, but she wasn't absolutely terrified anymore.
"Hey, little feller, it's okay, you're okay." Ben softly spoke, calmed the little animal by petting and kissing her small fuzzy head. He still didn't understand why Hoss had chosen to call her a she. But maybe it was just because she was cute, and he considered men to be rough and tough.
Suddenly, the little mouth of the deer opened, it breathed in, and it breathed out a happy little bleat, in a near questioning sort of tone. Ben answered with an encouraging little "That's it, sweetheart!" And the deer repeated the noise, more confidence in it. "Good, honey! Good!"
The fawn happily bleated again. He just couldn't wait to show his sons.
***
Ben came into the house through the kitchen door after he found the mix for the fawns replacement for milk. He was just walking in, when two strong arms folded around his chest and another man pressed into his back.
"Hello," Hop Sing quietly murmured, nuzzling his head into Ben's shoulder.
"Hello," Ben chuckled, leaning back into him.
The fawn in his arms seemed to give her own little hello and bleated.
Hop Sing was startled and put his neck right in Ben's shoulder, looked down at the little fawn.
"Is that.. for dinner?"
Ben chuckled, and the deer squirmed in his arms.
"No, not for dinner."
"Then.. what?" Hop Sing was an inch away from his face, giving him a purely bewildered stare.
Ben gestured to the bag he was holding below the fawn, nudging it with his knee. "Can you mix this with some water for her?"
"Her?" Hop Sing was extremely confused now, shaking his head and just totally clueless. "Okay, then."
Ben smiled and turned his head to just barely nick Hop Sing's cheek with his lips. "Thank you."
Hop Sing swung around and carefully leaned over the baby deer, placed his hands on both of Ben's shoulders. The younger man leaned in and kissed Ben on the mouth, and Ben happily kissed back.
Hop Sing had always been interested in Ben, but it was only just very recently that Ben expressed his interest in turn. It was still very much a new thing, and they didn't let the boys know about it. Not that they felt any shame, necessarily. Just that they weren't sure a new explanation for the boys about their pa's relationships after they had lost their mothers would be such a good idea.
Hop Sing's kissing got less gentle and he tried to step closer, cupped Ben's jaw in his hand. Ben kissed him passionately and-
MYAAAAH
There was a high pitched scream from the baby animal between them; aparrently he didn't much like being smothered. Hop Sing stepped back and looked down at the little animal. It was a good thing, too, because the next second Hoss and Adam rushed in the room, little brother in tow running behind.
"What's happening?" Adam assertively asked first, wild anxiety running across his face. A pang struck through Ben's heart at that. Adam was always anxious.
"This.." Hop Sing pointed at the deer, face red from kissing Ben so passionately. He struggled to find the words, tossed his arms around.
"She screamed." Ben went with, petting the baby deer, scritching between her ears. It looked totally unbelievable now that she was bleating and happy again. "She's.. just hungry."
Hoss and Adam rushed forward, and Joe followed behind them. The two young boys pet the little fawn, but Joe couldn't reach. Ben crouched.
Hop Sing awkwardly took the bag from under the Fawn and walked over to the stove. Ben's face was also red, less so than Hop Sing's, and he gave the man a little wink. The baby deer was bleating and happily absorbing all the attention, and all his children believed his story. Other than Adam, who was giving him anxious little looks of curiousity.
Ben walked out of the room with his boys and left Hop Sing to boil up some of the deers dinner. Huh.. he needed to start calling this thing more than just "the deer" and "she".
"Boys? What should we name her?" Ben gestured at the happy deer, who was half asleep in his warm embrace. "What do you think, Adam?"
"I like.. Ivy. You said she's a girl?" Adam examined her little head, pat her between the ears. He resolutely nodded and looked Ben in the eye. "Ivy."
Ben grinned and nodded, nuzzled Ivy to his chest
"Okay. Ivy."
Adam looked happy, was smiling and nodding, but he looked just a little overwhelmed. Ben wondered what was going through his head; he was going to try his best from here on out to take the most care to Adam.
Ben walked to the living room and set Ivy down on an armchair. "Hoss, you take Joe upstairs and find a nice little blanket you won't mind giving up to Ivy. Okay?"
Hoss happily took little Joe by the arm and rushed up the staircase. Adam seemed to breathe a little sigh of relief. He started walking towards the deer, but Ben intercepted him and gently put a hand on his boys shoulder. This was a boy with something on his mind, if he wasn't mistaken.
"Adam? Is there anything wrong, son?"
Adam scratched his head, shifted from foot to foot. "Pa.." he quietly spoke, looking away. "I saw you and Hop Sing.. uh.." he paused and just nervously looked down at the floor and mumbled "..kissin,"
Ben hadn't prepared for this whatsoever. He spat out the first thing he thought of. "Yeah.. well, Adam, I uh, well..." Ben scratched his head. "Men do that.. they uh.. sometimes men like other men, Adam."
"And.. that's okay?" Adam asked, eyebrows raised.
"Of course it is."
Adam scratched his head. "Gosh, I didn't know that was okay.. I just-" he abruptly cut himself off, offered up a way too wide smile. "Well, thanks for telling me."
Ben decided to let it go. "Of course, son."
They didn't have long to savor the sweet moment before Joe and Hoss came rushing back down the stairs with a small, fluffy blanket. Hoss gave it to Joe, and his smallest son ambled over to the chair where Ivy was resting and ever so gently laid the blanket over her. He turned back to his brothers and pa with a wide grin, practically bouncing up and down.
Ben clapped Adam on the back. "Well, let's give Ivy some time to sleep, eh?"
"But B-" Hop Sing called from the doorway of the kitchen, caught himself before accidentally saying 'Ben'. "Mister Cartwright. What do you want me to do with the.. deer mix stuff?"
"Oh!" Ben was a little too eager, sprung towards the closet. "I'll get a bottle so we can feed her. I'll be in the kitchen in a second."
Adam gave him a look. Ben silently plead with him; it was a lazy day. Adam or Hoss could bottle feed Ivy while he and Hop Sing spent time together. Adam squinted at him, but quietly nodded. Ben grinned and got the baby bottle out of the closet, hurried to the kitchen.
He ignored Hop Sing to shove the bottle into the warm liquid and put the lid on, rushed back out to hand it to Adam. Adam slyly smiled at him, and he handed the bottle to Hoss and started instructing him to sit on the chair and take Ivy into his lap, hold her at just so an angle where he could place the spout of the bottle in her mouth.
Ben shot him a meaningful smile of gratitude before ambling off to the kitchen.
"Yell for me when you're all done!" He told them, a friendly smile and wave before disappearing into the kitchen.
He was met with the warm smile and open arms of Hop Sing. Ben flung himself into them and kissed him, cupped the back of his head. Hop Sing was delighted and kissed back, walked Ben back with him until Hop Sing was sitting in a chair and Ben was straddling his lap.
"It's nice to see you." Ben purred with a giggle, pulling back just a fraction.
"Same for you." Hop Sing accentuated with another kiss. "What brought this on?"
"The boys are busy with their new deer friend, nd' it's not often I get an afternoon with them on their own." Ben smiled at him, thumbed over his lips.
"Good enough for me." Hop Sing dove back in for another kiss.
***
And meanwhile,
Ivy happily bleated after her first pull from her bottle, snuggling up against Hoss while her stomach was facing upwards and she was wrapped in a blanket. Adam and Joe stood beside the armchair, Adam smiling wide and relaxed and Joe bouncing up and down with excitement.
The scene was complete with yet another happy bleat from Ivy, and a flutter of her eyelids.