Fishing tackle. Bait. Nets. Rods. Gas can. Jesse. Sunshine. Beer. Not bad. Not bad at all.
"Wanna drive?"
"Who me? Yeah, sure." Grinning, he climbed over the stick into the driver's side and held out his hands for the keys.
Jesse tossed them over, stretched out those long, long legs. "This is the life."
"Oh, ho! So you just wanted a driver!" He laughed, starting up the truck.
"You know it, stud. Drive on, MacDuff!" Jesse pointed toward the pasture, grinning like a fool.
Drew's own grin wouldn't leave his face as he followed Jesse's directions, taking it slow, the boat trailer bouncing along behind them.
"So have you got big fish out here, Jesse?"
"Some good sized bass, yeah. Some crappie."
"So we're gonna have good eating tonight then. Cool." He smiled over, thinking that Jesse sure looked fine all stretched out and relaxed.
"Yeppers. Hell, you want, we'll just build ourselves a fire and cook 'em there."
"A real camp out? I haven't had one of those in forever, man." He nodded. Hell, yeah. Him and Jesse, fish around the fire, stars. It sounded like just what he needed.
He pulled up next to the lake on the back forty, looking around. It was damned pretty. They backed the boat right into the lake and hopped in, motoring out into the middle of the pond and settling in.
God, this was the life.
The sun was hot, felt good on his arms, so he pulled off his t-shirt, tossing it into the bottom of the boat and resettling with a happy groan. Hell, if they didn't catch a thing, this was still a great day.
"So you come out here often?" he asked.
"As often as I can, yeah." Jesse popped a top, lazing.
"I can see why, it's nice." He reached for a beer of his own, but only held it after opening it.
He wasn't looking to go numb like he had the last few days, and he was already plenty warm, inside and out. Buzzing a little on the sunshine, the day, and Jesse.
The fish weren't biting yet, but the skeeters weren't either and it was fine, just to float and soak in the rays. He dozed a bit, watched Jesse a bit, and let the sun soak into him, let the peace soak into him.
Out of nowhere, his pole jerked, pulling him up out of a doze with a shout.
"Oooh. Got a bite! Reel that puppy in!" Jesse just hooted for him.
He fought the fish as it tried to get away, cheering as he reeled it in. "You got the net, Jesse?"
"I got it. Good size, man!" Jesse laughed as they got it in the bucket.
He nodded, impulsively shifting close to give Jesse a hug. Jesse squeezed him, a soft rumble sounding. It felt good and he held on, knowing he should probably let go, but it felt so good, holding onto Jesse. Jesse smelled good, like sunshine and hay and outdoors.
One hand stroked his back, just petting him, touching him. He had to bite back a sudden sob, had to hold himself still and pull away to keep from melting against Jesse. He was getting hard, too. Which wasn't all that surprising, really. Jesse was a good looking man, kind, friendly. Drew'd been noticing it more and more. Hell, the last few days he was pretty sure he'd been working himself into exhaustion more so he wouldn't jack off with Jesse in his mind than because it hurt too much to think about Thaine.
And didn't that just make him a slut or something?
He gave Jesse a smile, tried to make it real. "We catch another couple like that and we'll be set for supper." Yeah, that had sounded normal. Aside from the huskiness in his voice.
Jesse's cheeks flushed, but the grin was real. "Yeah. Works for me."
They set his pole back up and settled back in, Drew sitting closer this time, close enough he could feel the heat pouring off Jesse as the man soaked in the sunshine. His prick was half-hard and he was interested, a little shocked at just how much, but definitely interested.
And he didn't know what to do about it.
The best course of action was probably to think cold thoughts and let it go down and remember that Jesse had offered him friendship. Of course, the bulge in Jesse's jeans made it a little tough to do that.
The peaceful, quiet atmosphere was gone, but what had replaced it wasn't a bad thing. At least Drew didn't think so. He wasn't one for games or being coy, knew Jesse wasn't either. At least the man wasn't in the other areas of his life, so probably not when it came to stuff like this, too. Besides, it was hard to keep his eyes out of Jesse's lap, when he wanted the man himself.
He took a deep breath. "Is that for me?" he asked quietly, taking the bull by the horns.
Those dark-dark eyes were damn near black as they stared over at him. "Has been for a long time."
His mouth dropped open and he stared for a long time, assimilating that. He finally closed his mouth with a snap, his own hard-on starting to push almost painfully within his jeans. "Really? I mean. For more than just this last week?"
"Yeah." Jesse looked down. "I. I'm not an asshole, man. I'd never get in the middle of shit."
"Of course you wouldn't!" He'd never even considered that. "I never even knew." He reached out and touched Jesse's arm. "I... I want you. The last few days I've noticed you. I mean really noticed you. But." He looked down at the water, where his line went in. "I don't know if it's real or not, Jesse and I wouldn't hurt you for the world." He was just so confused. Not to mention it felt like he was being disloyal to Thaine, which was just fucked up because Thaine had blown him off just like that.
"Well, then, we'll just fish." Jesse smiled, nodded a little. "Friends are always better than fuckbuddies and you and me both know where your heart is."
He nodded and smiled. He knew Jesse'd know what to do, that Jesse would understand. "Thanks, Jesse. For everything."
"No problem." He got another bite, the line jerking.
"Oh man! I'm having a good day!" He grabbed hold of his pole, but didn't try to bring in the fish yet, turned to Jesse instead. "A very good day."
"Good. Don't let supper get away."
He nodded and turned his attention back to the water, to his pole and the fish struggling to get away on the end of his line. They brought it in and this one was just a bit bigger than his first one and he was grinning all over again.
As they settled at it again, it amazed him how easy it was to be with Jesse, even after what they'd talked about. And he was glad, because the peace came back, the day just about perfect.
They wound up with five fish altogether, another one for him, smaller than the others he'd caught, and two for Jesse, both a good size. Around two the sun got too hot and they rowed back to shore and then swam for a bit, setting up the folding chairs when they were done and drinking beer, sitting and shooting the shit. Jesse was a Cowboys fan, while Drew felt they were overrated, but they both agreed the 'Horns were the best thing to happen to football ever.
When the sun started going down, they worked together to dig out a little pit, building a campfire up in it.
"I don't suppose you brought marshmallows?" he asked. It was a long shot, but Jesse seemed to have thought of everything.
"Nope. Twinkies." Jesse chuckled, going to grab an iron skillet from the truck. "Put them on the grocery list when we get back to the house."
"Okay, I will. I don't think roasting over the fire'll work for Twinkies."
He prepared the fish, using the little bag of "secret fish spices" Jesse'd brought. It smelled amazing. "So is this your own invention or handed down from your ancestors?"
"It's my Grampa's blend. I don't know where he got it."
"Smells great. You gonna share the secret?" There was lots of people who wouldn't. Secret recipes were secret for a reason.
"I might. If you're good."
"Woohoo!" He grinned and took the skillet from Jesse's hand. "I'll cook."
Jesse laughed, grabbed some cornbread they'd had leftover from last night's beans. "Cook away, buddy. I'll lounge."
"You do that." He knew Jesse worked damned hard and it made him happy to be able to help out around the place, to
do stuff like cook over the fire while Jesse relaxed. He put butter in the bottom of the pan and set it up over the fire, sticking the fish in as soon as it heated up. "These won't be long. We got any beer left?" Not that he needed it. There was a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach that felt kind of permanent, just from knowing Jesse wanted him.
"Yeah, there's a whole six-pack in the cooler still." Another was tossed over, Jesse nodding.
"Cool. It just fits the day, doesn't it?" He turned the fish and grabbed the plates. "These'll be ready in two shakes. Fresh fish. Man, I'm getting spoiled."
"It's a good life. Bulls and fishing and riding when we want."
"And either you've been finding busywork for me or you were hurting for help before you took me in." Jesse inviting him out here hadn't just been pity for him, as far as he could tell. That made him feel better about it.
"I was hurting for help. Always am. You've been a lifesaver."
"I'm glad. It's worked out really good for me, too. The workload pretty much stays at this level then?" He tried to make it casual.
"Until the spring, yeah. Then we'll start traveling again, trying out the bulls."
It made him feel good, the way Jesse said 'we'. There was a place for him here. "Cool. I like the work." He smiled over at Jesse. "I like the company." And he wouldn't leave Jesse in the lurch, even if a miracle happened and Thaine suddenly remembered everything and wanted him back.
Funny that the thought of Thaine and what had happened didn't feel like a punch to his gut anymore. It was like that warmth deep inside him cushioned him from the blow.
He dished up the fish and added a chunk of cornbread, handing the plate over to Jesse before settling with his own. The day was a little cooler now, the sun just beginning to set out over the lake. It was damned pretty.
"Thanks, man. Smells fucking good." They sat and ate, not really talking, just watching the fire, the lake.
Silences with Jesse weren't things that needed filling, they weren't awkward, they just... were.
The fish went down real well, lovely and fresh, Jesse's special spices very tasty. He stuffed himself full and then set down his plate with a groan. "Oh, man. There's nothing like fresh caught fish."
"Mmmhmm. I'm thinking this was a good idea. Way better than Dairy Queen." The firelight caught in Jesse's eyes. The warmth in his belly spread outward and his breath caught for a moment.
"Yeah," he said softly. "Although I could go for a Peanut Buster Parfait for dessert."
"Oooh. Hell yeah. Or a strawberry sundae."
"Oh, now you've got me all hungry again." He laughed, stretching out his legs and arms. "They're open late, aren't they?"
"'til eleven, yeah. We could head back in a bit and run out there."
"Yeah, that’d be great. My treat." He'd been living off Jesse for the last week.
"Cool." Jesse looked over, met his eyes. "Speaking of treat, I reckon if you're gonna stay on, we'd better get you on the payroll, huh?"
He nodded. If he was getting paid for his work it would feel less like Jesse was doing him a favor. "And if that's the case, I'd best be paying my share of rent and food and stuff."
"Oh, I don't need rent, but you can help with the utilities and stuff. It'll work out."
It didn't seem right somehow, getting paid and not having to pay rent, but he didn't want to insult Jesse by insisting. He'd find some way to make sure he paid Jesse back. Maybe he'd just treat the man to Dairy Queen and beer on a regular basis. "Well, we should celebrate with sweet cold stuff."
"Absofuckinglutely." The wood popped and Jesse stretched. "I might even splurge on a banana split."
The image of Jesse eating a banana suddenly popped into his head and his eyes widened as his cock perked right up, going hard in his jeans. He cleared his throat. "Whatever you want, Jesse." Oh, man, he needed to figure out what was going on here, figure out if this was just because of what had happened or if his feelings for Jesse were based in something real.
"Excellent. Let's get cleared up here and we'll ride." Jesse stood up, squatted near the fire. Jesse had great thighs; they were pushing at the seams of his jeans as he squatted there.
"Yeah, okay." He resisted the urge to go over there and slide his hands over Jesse's shoulders, and kiss the man.
Nice ass too, strong, muscled, meant for touching. He took a few steps toward the fire, toward Jesse, just drawn to the man, to that solid, quiet strength. To that peace.
Jesse stood, turned toward him, outlined by the fire. Oh. Oh, he was beautiful. Drew closed the space between them, coming close enough he could feel the heat of Jesse's body. He tilted his head, eyes on Jesse's mouth. God, he wanted. He wanted Jesse.
He maybe wanted Jesse more than he wanted Thaine to remember and come back.
A better man would have waited until he was sure, but Drew didn't wait, just leaned in the last little bit until his lips were pressed against Jesse's. Jesse blinked, then one hand wrapped around the back of his head, tongue sliding right in to taste him. Groaning, he opened wide, letting Jesse in as he melted against the strong, sturdy body. His arms wrapped around Jesse's waist.
Jesse groaned, holding him, tongue taking his mouth, slow and sure, steady. Intense. He'd never had a kiss blow him away like this before. Never. He whimpered softly, fingers wrapping in the material of Jesse's shirt, holding on as his tongue slid against Jesse's.
Jesse moaned, tugged him close, cock hard and hot against his hip. Oh God, Jesse really wanted him. Really, really. And his own cock was hard and a tiny part of his brain couldn't believe he was doing this and the rest of him just closed his eyes and felt.
That body rested lean and firm against him. So hot and the scent of the man rolled through Drew again, all sunshine and hay and musk. A shudder went through him, and he moaned softly, opening wider, giving himself over to the wonderful sensation of being in Jesse's arms, of being kissed.
One kiss melted into another and another, Jesse's mouth exploring him, driving him clean out of his mind as the mustache tickled him. He spread his hands wide, touching as much of Jesse's back as he could. That solid body held him upright, made him want. He felt breathless and lightheaded.
Jesse finally lifted his head, watching him, breathing hard. "Damn. Drew."
He nodded, looking up at Jesse, looking into Jesse's eyes, his own breath just gasping out of him. "I never knew."
Jesse kept holding on. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I think I'm really okay." He kept holding on, too, didn't want to let go. "You?"
"Yeah. Can I kiss you again?"
He nodded. "Please." Now that he'd opened this bottle there was no way the genie was going back in.
He pressed their lips together again, tongue sliding softly along the inside of Jesse's lower lip. Jesse's hand started moving, stroking, loving on him. He couldn't believe how special he felt, just from these few kisses and touches. He could feel the care in every touch, that same care that was always evident in Jesse's smile and his eyes, but more, immediate.
Drew opened his mouth, teasing Jesse's tongue back in as his own hands started to move, sliding slowly up and down along Jesse's back. They rocked together, almost dancing, the crickets and frogs making them music. As they moved, Drew started needing hard, and he rubbed against Jesse, small whimpers coming from him.
"It's okay. I got you." Jesse drew him closer, one thigh sliding between his.
"God, Jesse." That care, that love, nearly had him undone.
He pushed their mouths back together again, rocking against that solid thigh. Jesse panted against him, moaning against his lips, hands encouraging him to move and shift and rock. It felt so good, hot and sexy. The fact that this was Jesse, well that just made it even better, made that warmth that had been sitting in his stomach all day just spread everywhere.
His hand pressed against the bulge in Jesse's jeans, Drew wanting to make sure Jesse was feeling good, too. Hard, hot, straining against his touch. Yeah, Jesse was feeling him. Jesse was big,
thick and long.
Drew moaned into the kiss, hips pushing harder, rubbing himself against Jesse's thigh as his hand slid and pushed along Jesse's cock. He didn't know if it was because of what had happened with Thaine, because they were out under the big sky, or because it was Jesse himself, but this, just this rubbing through clothes, felt better than anything had in a long time.
"You. I. Drew..." Jesse's hands squeezed, tugging him closer, the kiss going wild.
He met Jesse's fierce kiss head on, his hips just sawing against Jesse. He was going to come. Really soon. He didn't stop though, didn't back away or slow down; he just went for it. Jesse groaned, squeezing him tight, hips jerking against him.
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