"Hike!"Maverick raised up and squeezed Old Babe around her barrel just enough to get her to a gallop.

They'd been driving cattle from Montana to Wyoming every summer for the past three years now. This year, they had fifteen hundred head on a three-day drive between ranches and only one day left before they reached Pepper Tree Ranch.

The weather had been in the mid to low eighties, which was a welcome change from past years. Previous summers had been unbearable, so the cooler temperatures were a relief. Maverick looked forward to the cattle drive every year to just get free from everyday life, and enjoy some alone time.

"Wait up, dude," called Casey. At sixteen, he was just a year younger than Maverick but immature for his age and green behind the ears. He wanted to be a real cowboy, so he looked up to Maverick as a mentor, who was teaching him the 'ropes' so to speak. This was his first cattle drive, and there was a little hero worship going on there, although Casey would never admit it. Maverick just found it amusing.

"We only have a while to go before nightfall. Why don't you run up ahead and help those guys round up the herd so the rest of us can set up camp?"

"On it!" Casey eagerly rode ahead to put his new skills to good use.

ooo

The next morning they got an early start, and after only a few hours they had already covered quite a bit of ground.

Just over the hill was the Pepper Tree Ranch. Maverick gave a sideways grin and began to ride a little faster. There was a good meal and a warm shower waiting. And of course, there was Alana.

"She'll never give me the time of day," was the mantra that Maverick had been repeating the entire journey. "She's not interested in me."

Maverick was a loner by nature, and always had been, so thinking about Alana this much was a new sensation. This led to other 'new sensations', all of which increased tenfold when they crested the peak overlooking the ranch.

ooo

Maverick, Casey, and the other cowboys whooped and hollered as they rode quickly down the hill, guiding the cattle into the large pasture.

"Hi, there!" Alana stood on the front porch, waving enthusiastically and yelling loudly over the activity and excitement caused by their arrival. It looked like she was waving at Maverick, but that just couldn't be... but sure enough, she was.

"Hi," Maverick said, riding up to her with a cool grin, not wanting to seem overly excited. Alana was a striking girl of nineteen, with long brown hair, brown eyes, and thick eyelashes. Her 5'5" frame was that of a woman, and Maverick was already tongue-tied looking at her.

She walked up to the loyal old Palomino and took the reins, handing them to the stable boy. Maverick was understandably nervous, feeling awkward and self-conscience as he dismounted. It was surreal.

Alana reached up to remove Mavericks hat, but Maverick held it tight.

"What's wrong?" she asked, with genuine concern. "It's fine, Maverick. I like you," she said in a quiet, private kind of way. "I know you're a girl, you know," she whispered.

Maverick reluctantly let it go. Alana removed her hat carefully, as she would with a wild horse. It was a symbolic gesture. She wanted to show Maverick that she cared for her and respected her secret.

"You really are a cute boy," she smiled sweetly and took her by the hand. Maverick did, too. He'd lived like a boy since he was very young and had always had short hair. He hated her female body and even had the doctor put him on hormones, and even had a little stubble on his face.

"Come on. I've run a hot bath and arranged separate sleeping quarters for you. I got my dad to let you sleep in the shack next to the pasture since someone has to be near the cattle anyway."

The 'shack' was really a guest house with French doors looking out onto the pasture. It had a small kitchen, a full bathroom, and a queen size bed. Maverick felt out of his element completely in a nice place like this.

"This is pretty nice, you don't think the other guys will be... you know, jealous or something, do you? I don't want them to think I'm getting special treatment." Maverick immediately felt stupid at having said that. He was so insecure and self-conscience that when she heard herself speak, he wanted to take it back.

Alana smiled and laughed just a little bit. "Are you kidding? None of these guys want to keep an eye on those cattle at night. They have no idea that this room is as nice as it is. George Murray had this job last year, and he didn't even want it this year."

Standing in front of Maverick, her smile softened. He could see her expression change, and the funny thing was, he could feel the same look on his own face. There was an undeniable and mutual attraction. He wasn't imagining it. His cheeks began to feel flushed, and Alana reached over and took his hands. Alana's palms were sweaty, and as they stared at one another, they began to lean in and shared a small but meaningful kiss.

The moment passed and they both stepped back, awkwardly surprised by their spontaneity.

"Dinner's at six, so I'll save you a seat, okay?" she asked, and waited for an answer, but Maverick couldn't speak. He wasn't used to talking to girls, let alone kissing one, and was overwhelmed with emotions. "Are you okay?" Alana asked, sincerely. She was afraid she'd overstepped a boundary, or misunderstood the signals she'd been reading these past three summers.

"I'm great," Maverick laughed a little, as he wiped a tear and left a trail of clean skin on his face. "Nobody's ever been as nice to me as you've been today." He was grateful but was never very good with words. "Thanks, Alana," he told her. The emotions he was feeling at that very moment were welling up fast, and he didn't want to cry, but, if anything could bring him to tears, it would be this.

Alana squeezed his hand, "Come on, I'll help you find a place for your things." Maverick said a small prayer of thanks for Alana's kind words and amazing gift of unconditional friendship. He had never had anyone accept him so easily, before. Not ever in his life and he was thankful that it was Alana.

ooo

Dinner was a big affair, celebrating the arrival of the cattle and welcoming the cowboys that had brought them in. Alana's mother, Alice, had made a huge dinner of roast beef, turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet corn on the cob, dinner rolls and more banana pudding than anyone could eat. It was a party, and easy to get lost in the revelry, so that's what they were going to do.

"Let's take a walk," Alana whispered to Maverick. Since everyone was sure that Maverick was a young man, they thought it was adorable that these kids had gravitated towards each other so quickly. The truth was it had taken three years for them to even speak to each other.

"Do I need to send a chaperone along with you two?" Alana's dad joked as he smoked his cigar and held his glass of Wild Turkey.

"Oh come on, dad, seriously?" she laughed and playfully waved him off. Maverick tipped his hat to him and smiled gentlemanly.

"I'll respect her, sir," he said, and they walked out onto the front porch. The moon was full and Alana looked like an angel in the moonlight. Her full bosom and long waist were emphasized by the lacy pink knit top she wore, and the blue jeans that fit her so perfectly.

"Can I kiss you?" Maverick asked, trepidatiously. He was very enamored with her, yet afraid of her as well.

"I want you to do more than kiss me," she confessed. "I've been imagining your touch for a while now. I'm old enough to know I want you; I just hope you want me." She looked longingly into Mavericks eyes, and they began to kiss, passionately. As they pressed their bodies together, the sexual tension began to take on a life of its own. Staring into each other’s eyes, they simultaneously left the porch and headed towards the guest house, and into the bedroom.

Alana slowly began to unbutton Mavericks shirt, her fingers trembling slightly, and gently lowered it off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. He stood in front of her, fearing rejection, but wanted her so badly that he didn't stop her.

Alana looked at the bandages that Maverick was wearing around his chest in an attempt to hide his pale bosoms and gently touched him right over his heart. "I'm going to take these off, okay?" She asked, with sensitivity to his feelings that he hadn't expected.

Maverick nodded. His fear was real, and very apparent by the way he was trembling at her touch, but he wanted her to continue. She began to uncover his chest, rolling the bandage up as she went, and uncovering his muscular female body. She reached over and touched his chest, feeling the tender skin that he had hidden so intentionally, that was now showing signs of arousal. Maverick hated his breasts but loved the way Alana's fingers felt as she touched his aureoles and nipples.

Alana began to undress as well, and Maverick took his boots and pants off, leaving his men's briefs on. He was afraid to take them off and was ashamed to have a vagina instead of what he’d known should be a penis. Alana removed all of her clothing and smiled a shy smile.

She was willing to wait until he was ready to take his underwear off and bare the body he hated, although, to her, he was beautiful.

"What's your real name?" Alana asked, with genuine curiosity.

"Miranda," he answered. They both laughed, and the nervous energy they felt turned into sexual desire.

"I like Maverick, better," Alana laughed.

“Me too. If I ever go through with gender reassignment, it'll be Randy," he said, laying her down on the bed positioning himself on top of her. "I've had feelings for you for so long. I never thought you would want to be with me." His eyes welled with tears because he was finally baring his soul to someone. And that someone was Alana.

Alana kissed his eyes. "I'm sorry it's been so hard for you. I can't imagine what its like, having to live in a body that doesn't fit who you are."

This hit Maverick hard since no one had ever spoken about this to him before. He knew what his gender really was, but most people who figured it out, just put a judgment on him, condemning him as a freak, confused or just strange. He'd heard the term 'gender dysphoria' before and felt it was a cold term that didn't describe him well, either, since it seemed more like just another way of calling him crazy.

"Yeah, it's been hard. I'm a guy, but I have the wrong body, you know?" Maverick was beginning to feel a huge weight being lifted off of his shoulders. "I hate it when anyone refers to me as 'she,' or 'her' because that's not who I am."

He'd never felt so connected to another human being as he did with Alana, and when they began to kiss, he could feel his heart beating as their lips united their souls. Slowly, he worked his way down to her neck, kissing her collarbone and placed his hand on her breast. Alana's nipples were hard and aroused. She felt the wet ache between her legs making her want Maverick to touch her where she had never let anyone touch her before.

Thankfully, the guest house was far enough away from the main house, giving them the privacy they needed. 

Neither of them had ever experienced this type of intimacy. Two virgins, exploring love and sex for the first time, together, full of young angst and sweet desire. Nature led the way as Maverick continued down her body, kissing her nipples, increasing his desire for her so much that he began to grind his hips against her, desperate for satisfaction.

Maverick ran his hand over her beautiful mound and glided his fingers along the lips of her vagina. Alana gasped and spread her legs, bending her knees up a little. "Oh yeah, touch me there, I like that," she told him, in a hushed voice. Maverick kissed the lips of her most female essence and tasted the sweet honey that was filling them.

He licked her where he had kissed her, and as Alana gasped again, her lips opened like a flower blooming right before his eyes. The pink swollen nub made Maverick feel an insatiable hunger, and he sucked it and licked it more, causing Alana to arch her back and thrash her hips with pleasure. Maverick touched her just inside her vagina, and while he continued to lick her clit, he ran his fingers up and inside her well-lubricated hole.

"Let me know if I hurt you," he said, with genuine concern. He moved his fingers in and out while licking and sucking her clit. His tongue making its way from just inside her back up to pink swollen nub. He thought he must be doing something right because Alana's body was tensed up as if she were cut from marble, and her moans sounded like a long, low hum. She was on the edge of an orgasm and her clit was so sensitive that every lick drove her wild.

Soon, Alana was in full orgasm, and put her hands on the back of his head, holding it close while she rode it, uncontrollably. She could feel his tongue inside of her, and his calloused fingers move up inside her, bringing her to a place she's never been before. She arched her back one more time and felt her entire body experience a rush of ecstasy before she lay like a puddle in the middle of the bed.

"Oh god. How'd you know to do that?" she asked while she ran her fingers through his hair. Maverick climbed up on top of her and kissed her.

"I don't know, it just felt right," he replied.

"Let me do it for you," Alana said, more asking for permission really. She was as nervous as she was sincere.

Maverick wasn't ready for Alana to go down on him and wasn't sure he wanted her too.

"Not yet, okay?" he said in a very shy and insecure way. "Would you prefer it if I had a penis?" He was sincere and wished that he was really a man so that he could pleasure her the way he wanted to on their first time.

"I don't care, I'd want you either way," she told him, and he saw in her eyes that she really meant it. Maverick was so horny and wanted her, badly.

"Okay, but not with your mouth. You can touch me if that's okay?" He allowed her to pull his underwear down his legs and off of him, throwing them on the floor. He was exposed to her now; physically and emotionally. He was about to enter a new world of intimacy that he'd never expected to really happen.

Alana lay down next to Maverick. Snuggling up to him, she reached down, covering his mound with her hand and slowly began to move it back and forth. She could feel the heat swell between his legs as he becomes increasingly warm and wet and she wanted to explore his still female body.

Her fingers opened the lips of his vulva and began to stroke his clit, rubbing the sensitive tip back and forth, going deeper inside with each movement. Soon, he was feeling the ache in his belly grow, and as his body tightened, he opened his legs and she thrust her fingers deep inside while rubbing his swollen organ.

"Oh, ah!" He gasped and wanted her so badly right now, that he put his hand on hers and began to push her fingers up inside of him. She pressed her fingers inside of his female body, bringing him to climax, his body thrashing as he held her hand inside tightly. He'd never even masturbated before so he didn't know that sex could feel so good.

As he began to relax, Alana left her hand inside and began to pull it out very slowly, gliding her fingers out with a back and forth motion. Her hand was wet, and they were both sweaty and smiling.

"I want to tell you something, Alana," Maverick said with more confidence and courage that he thought it would take. "I love you. I have for a long time now..." he confessed.

"I love you too," she told him, with tears in her eyes. "And I'll be here for you no matter if you decide to complete your transition, or not. I just want you to be happy," she said and put her finger in the center of his chest, over his heart. "I love you."

He knew, from the look in her eyes that she meant every word.

Maverick shed a single tear of grateful relief as Alana fell asleep in his arms. The constant fear he'd lived with for years began to fade. He knew that his struggle wasn't over, but with Alana by his side, it was bound to get easier.