Chapter Text
BILL
⦁ As is suggested in game, Bill is gay.
⦁ He learned a long time ago (through one of Dutch's long winded speeches about the ills of "polite society") that Dutch and Hosea didn't care. As long as you're not forcing yourself on someone they don't judge who a person loves, whether that be someone of the same sex or someone of a different color.
⦁ But, he also knows not everyone at camp is Dutch or Hosea. He knows Swanson wouldn't approve, and he's fairly certain Micah would turn him over to the law.
⦁ So, other than the occasional drunken tryst in whatever town they're camped near (and even those are few and far between) he tries to suppress that part of himself and he spends a lot of his life miserable and ashamed.
⦁ A couple years after they settle on the ranch he starts seeing a fellow in town who seems to look at Bill the same way Bill looks at him, but Bill pretends not to notice. He's not exactly confident in his looks, and he's still somewhat in denial of his preferences, at least when he's sober.
⦁ The man's name is Andrew, he's about 8-9 years younger than Bill, and practically his opposite looks wise. Andrew is tall, thin, blonde, and just plain pretty. He is the son and eventual successor of the aging General Store owner, recently returned from college.
⦁ One day as Bill walks into the saloon, he sees Andrew who quickly hides his face behind a book. Bill can't keep his eyes away from the blonde, however, and soon notices that the book is Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (he's had enough experience to know that is often a code). Andrew watches him notice and when they finally make eye contact, and Andrew smiles at him Bill realizes he's a goner.
⦁ Within the hour they're making out in the back room of Andrew's father's store.
⦁ They begin a secret romance. Arthur and Hosea (who have both long suspected Bill's inclinations) are the only ones to know at first, both of them help out with cover stories from time to time, and Hosea helps talk Bill through some of his insecurities and shame over his feelings.
⦁ With Micah dead and Swanson living above his church in town, Bill doesn't have to be worried about the adults on the ranch finding out, but there are children on the ranch, too. And sometimes kids talk too much about things they shouldn't, and if the Sheriff found out he'd hang them.
⦁ Bill's not afraid of being hung, he knows his family at the ranch would rather revert to lawlessness than allow harm to one of heir own, but he doesn't want to uproot everyone now that they're safe and happy (and the Marston's are popping out babies like rabbits...). Plus, he's not sure they would be willing to give it up to save Andrew's life, and Bill would rather die himself than risk the man he loves.
⦁ So they keep their love hidden. Until one day Bill, sitting on the porch of the big house cleaning his rifle, overhears a conversation between Dutch, Hosea, and Sheriff Davis through an open window.
⦁ When Ambrose (Sheriff Davis) was 22 he went to live with his newly widowed sister, who was twelve years his senior and had a son of 17, Ben. The two young men became fast friends. One day a farm hand caught Ben and another young man in a compromising position. They were drug out onto the main street of the town, half-naked and terrified, and Ambrose had to hold his crying sister while he watched his best friend strung up and hung by a rowdy mob while the town Sheriff just stood by and laughed. All for hurting no one. He would never stand for such a thing in his town.
⦁ Unbeknownst to the others, Hosea (having heard the story before) had orchestrated this conversation knowing Bill was outside the window.
⦁ Not long after that, Andrew starts spending a lot of time at the ranch. The Sheriff might stop the townsfolk from hanging them, but they knew it still wasn't looked on too kindly by most people. On the ranch, however, they could be free. Uncle and Sean sometimes made jokes, but it was never mean spirited and since neither was particularly inclined to public displays of affection for the most part no one paid any mind.
⦁ When Keiren marries Mary-Beth and moves out of the bunkhouse Charles moves into his old room, leaving the room next to Bill empty. The wall between rooms is knocked down and Andrew moves in with Bill.
⦁ The rest of the gang would be happy to build them a little house like all of the other couples have, but they are happy in their little 2 room apartment. Neither of them cooks, so they take their meals in the chow hall, and they're pretty quiet so no one in the bunkhouse has any complaints.
⦁ Andrew eventually sells the store to Pearson.
* When an old Bill passes on in his sleep years later, Andrew stays on the ranch where he has long been considered family.