NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Well...now that WWE has re-introduced the anonymous RAW General Manager, I've lost any and all interest in the WWE until the identity's revealed. If it's Hornswoggle (again), then the WWE's not only jumped the shark, but it's done a faceplant/belly flop on the water, and it will be sinking shortly unless someone decides to pull it to shore. At least I have this to work on, not to mention years and years' worth of genuinely good and entertaining WWE footage to look at.
If you can believe it, I'm actually looking FORWARD to being a Thanksgiving orphan this year. My mom's roommate is working two jobs, and I'm housesitting, so I have the day all to myself. I'll be at WORK (really!) watching movies and taking advantage of the pre-Black Friday deals after I leave (I want a portable hard drive or a large capacity USB stick). I did some shopping before Thanksgiving and bought myself two pair of super cozy plush jammie pants. Perfect for lounging around.
After this chapter's finished, I may take some time off from this story to do a Christmas themed one. I like the idea of the Wyatts celebrating the holiday season, so that may be the one I'll post.
DISCLAIMERS: Please see the previous chapters. Too lazy to type them all out. Trucking story from classadrivers dot net, groucho was the contributor.
Chapter Six
After lunch, Luke and Jay washed their dishes and put everyone's clothes together for the trip into town. It would be the first time Jay had traveled since the day he was taken from Baltimore. In a striped, long-sleeved button down shirt, denim cargo shorts, and flip-flops, Jay was appropriately dressed for running around. He wore dark sunglasses not so much for protection for his still-healing eyes as for anonymity.
Luke and his companion drove into Crowley in a Ford extended cab truck. It was an old and rumbly blue beast, but it was reliable, and it was sturdy.
At the Laundromat, a clean, modern-looking facility, Luke gave Jay a small radio that he'd found in the truck's glove compartment, the kind that you can stick in your pocket. Jay looked down at his radio and grinned as he stuck the earbuds in his ears and turned it on. The radio was tuned into the classic rock station out of Lafayette. It was a small gift, but much appreciated, and it would keep Jay occupied while the clothes were being laundered.
Whenever Bray's "sons" appeared at a WWE show, their clothes always looked like they'd never been washed. Now, after spending time in Crowley's best coin-op Laundromat (truthfully, it was Crowley's only coin-op Laundromat), Jay figured out why that was the case. Luke had only one rule when washing his clothes and everyone else's; wash everything in warm water.
Later, at Walmart, Jay and Luke picked up staples that could be eaten quickly, or stored for extended periods of time without spoiling; beef jerky, cheese, crackers, breakfast cereal, raisins, mayonnaise, pickles, a couple cases of RC Cola, onions, carrots, a couple of heads of lettuce for salads. Even a few bags of cookies. All that was left then was picking up takeout for dinner.
The rib-and-chicken shack was in a building along Highway 90 that had once been a gas station. The thick smell of deep-fat fry oil, sweet wood smoke, and barbecued meat made Jay's stomach growl.
The girl at the counter, a rather chubby looking high-school aged girl with mousy blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, barely glanced up from her order pad as Luke ordered two full slabs of ribs, four large orders of fries, and four 32-ounce Pepsis.
"And add two orders of chicken dinner," Luke continued; he couldn't forget Bray and Erick. "The four piece. White and dark meat. With extra salt."
"Okay. Two chickens," the girl said, waddling off to place the order.
Jay glanced around. The place was quiet, and even though he and Luke were the only two in line, he felt self-conscious.
It was always fun to watch food get prepared in restaurants like these. The layout of this particular place was such that Luke could easily look around the corner to the kitchen. Two high school-aged kids were chatting away and putting together the fried chicken meals. Luke watched a young man wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and plastic gloves take a chicken out of a large industrial fridge and pull it apart expertly before handing the pieces off to a similarly-clad girl. She rolled the meat in egg wash and then flour and spices before dropping the pieces into a fry basket and lowering it into a vat of oil. The oil popped and spat as the chicken pieces cooked and turned golden brown.
With the same economy of motion, the counter girl washed her hands and whipped on a pair of gloves before she grabbed a large bag of fries (they looked like the fresh-cut variety with the skins still on) and emptied it into a fry basket to stick in the hot oil to cook along with the chicken pieces.
While the fries and chicken were cooking away, the young man picked up a metal bin full of barbecue sauce and a basting brush and opened a large oven door. With the brush, he painted the sauce on a slab of ribs that were grilling away in a large metal pan.
"This may take a while," Luke told his companion. "Why don't we sit down?"
"Fine by me," Jay shrugged as Luke escorted him to a table covered with a red and white checkered vinyl cloth. "My feet are getting tired."
Luke and his companion sat in comfortable silence as their food was being prepared. Something caught Luke's eye and he gazed across the restaurant at the black and purple jukebox next to the front door. "I never thought I'd see one of those funky-looking old jukeboxes again," Luke smiled. "Must be at least forty years old."
"Really?" Jay tried to follow Luke's gaze. "Sorry. Everything looks really blurry to me, like I'm seriously nearsighted."
Luke smiled inwardly; Jay's vision was definitely clearing up. Perhaps in another day or so, his eyesight would be back to normal. "Yeah. I saw those jukeboxes all the time when I was traveling with my dad during the summer. I think they were at every truck stop we visited. He'd give me a dollar and told me to put the money in the jukebox and chose the music I wanted to play." He paused. "I never played the pop tunes. It was always rock and roll. That takes me back a long ways. Really good memories."
"I wouldn't mind listening to a few of your memories," Jay smirked. "You have a dollar?" Luke did, and soon the two of them listened to Marshall Tucker Band, Journey, and the Eagles, until the counter girl called out their order.
"Okay. Two chicken dinners, four-piece, white and dark mix, two full slabs, four large orders of fries, and four 32-ounce Pepsis," she announced, arriving with the food in several white paper sacks (they were stuffed in a cardboard box) and a cardboard cup holder. Luke handed the girl a fifty dollar bill, and she stuffed it into her register drawer and gave Luke back the change.
"You get to carry our food," Luke ordered Jay gently, gesturing towards the jammed-full box and the cup holder.
"Only if you carry our drinks," Jay fired back, just as gently, as he balanced the food in his arms and followed Luke out of the restaurant.
~~~ANGEL~~~
Later, Bray helped Jay and Luke put the groceries away and took the barbecue outside. Erick had cleared away some dead brush and branches and debris and created a small area for the four of them to sit and eat their supper. He dug a hole and created a fire pit to sit around later. They would have a simple picnic outside in the clearing outside the house, then sit around the fire pit and watch the sun go down.
"Come on, Jay," Luke encouraged him. "Dig in."
Jay eagerly took a bite of the spicy barbecue. He could taste tomato, sweetened with brown sugar and cane syrup, and spiked with cayenne pepper, mustard, hot sauce, onion, garlic, and other seasonings he couldn't identify, with a tangy finish that had to be vinegar. He ate part of his slab (Erick finished the rest) and a couple pieces of chicken, as well as all of his French fries, and drank the full container of Pepsi. To Jay, it felt like he'd eaten a seven-course gourmet meal.
Later, in the fire pit, Bray cooked some popcorn in a cast-iron skillet with olive oil and salt. As the four of them ate, Bray spun a few tales of his own about his life on the road:
"I once had a co-driver named Ed and we were forced together by the boss to take a load to California. We used a cabover Freightliner. We hadn't gotten through Pennsylvania when Ed decided to try my patience. He was driving for about 2 hours, when he decided to park at some rest area and nose the truck near a drop off. He jacked the cab up and yelled "We're going over!" I woke with a start and rolled out of the sleeper into the windshield! Needless to say I was not happy.
"I didn't say anything to him about it, but was he in for a big surprise. Somewhere west of Oklahoma City it was raining a ton so I pulled off on to the shoulder, got out and tossed a smoke bomb into the cab and yelled "Oh no! The cab is on fire!" Ed jumped out of the sleeper and dove out the passenger door and right into a huge mud puddle. A highway patrolman had stopped and asked what had happened and I said my co-driver had Swine flu and one of the symptoms is a craving for mud puddles!
"After that we got along fine!"
Soon, the conversation turned to some of Bray's philosophies. Bray went on about how fruit and vegetables were supposed to be the main thing that people ate every day. But, the processed-food producers and medical industry didn't want people to be well, so they kept shoving their products and Star Wars type medicines down everyone's throats (of course, the ribs and fried chicken dinners were okay, but just as a treat, Bray pointed out) so that each industry would keep the other in business. He then told a story about a group in Vermont who would visit local grocery stores and dumpster dive for the fruits, veggies, and other foods that were thrown out each day. They'd cook, dry or freeze the fruits and veggies and put the sandwiches, packaged foods, etc., in the freezer to eat at a later time.
After dinner, Bray and the others took the leftover trash (paper bags, cups, etc.) and burned them in the fire pit. When Luke escorted Jay back to the house, the moon was bright in the sky, and the stars were twinkling. Night had fallen; the day was officially over.
~~~ANGEL~~~
Jay's eyesight was still blurry, but it was now clear enough that he could see where he was going. He was even able to climb the stairs, gather his sleep shirt and pants from Luke's bedroom and pad down the hallway so that he could take a shower.
In the bathroom, Jay undressed, turned the shower on, and stepped into the steamy hot spray. He found a bar of soap and some all-natural organic shampoo and washed up. As he soaped up and leaned into the hot water to rinse off, he suddenly remembered the last time he'd taken a shower (up until this point he'd taken baths). The night he'd planned to kill himself.
Jay's heart raced as the reality of his situation became crystal clear. Had he not been taken by the Wyatts, he wouldn't be here, simple as that. He would have been six feet under, a victim of his heartache and depression. He wouldn't be able to enjoy the simple things in life; enjoying a quiet evening and a delicious supper with a group he now considered family, lying in bed at night in rapt attention as Luke read from the Bible or the local paper, or some old dime store mysteries, listening to and gaining a new appreciation for the classic rock on the radio, and just running around doing errands and enjoying the company of another and savoring the comfortable silences.
The truth was undeniable; Bray had frightened and broken Jay into the life he now led (although he'd apologized for his methods later), but Luke's devotion and affections had healed and restored him physically, emotionally, and spiritually, to a profound point of acceptance. Because of that devotion, a new Jay had emerged. One who'd been broken into pieces and reassembled into something different. Someone different. Someone important. Someone who was loved. Lovable. Valuable. Beautiful.
A lump welled up in Jay's throat, and he began to weep. He wept, not out of despair or pain, but out of gratitude, and in relief and in a new-found appreciation for his life. He made no noise; the sobs that wracked his body were silent. The one thought that crossed his mind was, Good thing I'm in the shower. Nobody can see the tears. Even if they are of the happy variety.
~~~ANGEL~~~
While Jay was washing up, Luke took Bray aside. "I wanna do something for him," he announced.
"You've done plenty for him, Luke." Bray's smile was genuine. "I seen the looks he's been giving you. He loves you."
"You really think so, Bray?"
"I know so."
Luke smiled. Deep down, he knew Bray was right. "Well, I still wanna do something special for Jay. I'm gonna go get a flashlight and pick some berries."
"Watch out for the snakes," Bray warned Luke gently as the behemoth went to get a flashlight."
"I don't think there's ever been a snake in that strawberry patch since we first saw it," Luke fired back, before disappearing from view.
Bray watched the big man's retreating form and approached his Second Son. "So, Erick. What do you think?"
Erick, who was extinguishing the fire and drowning the coals, glanced up. "You see how close those two are," he answered, simply. "And I don't think it's because Jay can't see. They're genuinely fond of each other now. In fact, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if tonight they..."
Bray finished the sentence. "Became intimate?"
Erick nodded. "Perhaps we'll find out tonight whether or not Jay's a screamer."
Bray snorted in laughter. "You've always been short, sweet and to the point, Erick."
"You wouldn't want me any other way."
~~~ANGEL~~~
Jay had changed into his sleep clothes and was sitting on the bed when Luke entered the bedroom. He smiled softly. "Hey."
Jay's voice was soft, shy. "Hey yourself."
Luke sat down at the foot of the bed and placed something in Jay's lap. "I have something for you."
The older blonde tipped his head quizzically as he ran his fingers across what Luke had just given him. Carefully, he picked up one of the objects (there were four total) and held it up to his face. It was bright red, slightly rough in texture, and curved on the top and bottom. He felt something frilly and rough on the top. He brought the object to his nose and sniffed. It smelled fresh and sweet, slightly fruity.
"So...what did you bring me?"
"Take a bite out of it," Luke urged Jay, gently.
Jay took a careful bite. Whatever he'd just bitten into tasted juicy and sweet. He chewed, swallowed, and recognized what he was eating. "You brought me strawberries? We didn't pick strawberries up at the store, did we?"
"No. There's a patch of wild ones on the property. I'll have to take you over there. It's kinda cool. No matter how many berries you pick out of the patch, the patch never seems to run out."
"Well, I'll be damned. That's..." Jay tried to find the appropriate words. "Sweet. I like it...I like them." It felt odd, being fed strawberries like this. It made him feel more feminine than he was comfortable with. But then he chastised himself for the thought. Luke was kind enough to bring him something, and he was being a gentleman about it. Worrying about such a sweet gesture being a threat to his manhood was ridiculous.
So, he gave Luke a genuine smile and let the big man feed him the little fruits. "Thank you."
"Thought you'd like 'em," Luke smiled in return. "And you're welcome."
"Hey, uhmm...I had a really good time today."
"Thanks. I'm glad you did." After a brief, uncomfortable silence, Luke climbed off the bed. "I'm gonna get ready for bed, if that's okay."
"No," Jay stopped him. "Don't go. Take your shoes off. I want you here. Lay with me."
Jay shifted on the bed so as to make himself more comfortable and to give Luke some extra room. Once Luke took off his shoes and socks and situated himself on the bed, the older blonde moved closer. He hesitated for a moment...and then he draped one arm around the big man's neck.
Luke's pulse quickened as he gazed down at Jay. "What are you doing?"
"Call it my way of saying Thank You, for everything you've done for me," Jay answered back, his voice soft. A mischievous twinkle appeared in Jay's eyes, and a dorky little grin appeared on his lips as he lifted his other hand and rested it against the side of Luke's face. Gently, he guided Luke's face down to his, and the gap between their lips closed. Jay lowered his eyelids as he pressed his lips against Luke's.
It felt like time had stopped. Underneath that unruly beard, Luke's lips were warm and plush and soft. To Jay, it felt like a million butterflies had just taken flight inside of him the moment he'd kissed the First Son. Luke felt fireworks. He felt like he'd been hit in the head with a tire-iron. He felt the same rush of adrenaline that would course through his veins if he'd stepped in front of an 18-wheeler on a dark stretch of highway.
They pulled away then. Luke was barely able to breathe as he studied Jay's face and silently questioned his demeanor. Jay gazed down at the red and black bedclothes, a soft blush rising in his cheeks.
Luke was the first to speak. "Something the matter?"
"You tickle," Jay answered, bluntly.
Luke couldn't stop himself. "Get used to it."
"I think I'll have plenty of time to get used to it," Jay chuckled, as he cupped Luke's cheek in his smaller hand. As he ran his fingers down Luke's jaw and ears, it occurred to him that he felt...small...compared to the First Son. Jay knew that his own hands were larger than those of many of his colleagues, so compared to Luke, he was suddenly felt...what was the word? Vulnerable? Fragile? Precious? Perhaps it was cherished. Whatever the word was, it was that in the best, most positive connotation possible.
And he liked that feeling.
Jay tipped his face upwards for another kiss, but this time it was Luke who took the lead. He pressed his lips softly against Jay's and kissed the older blonde, his gestures cautious, like he was approaching a frightened kitten. Jay's lips were soft and moist, plush and inviting, and Luke could taste the strawberries that Jay had eaten. Jay lowered his eyelids almost demurely, as he tried to study the face of his...well, he couldn't call Luke a companion anymore, could he?
He sensed Luke's hesitation after the First Son pulled away. "It's okay, Luke," he said, softly. "I want this. And I'm not gonna break."
That seemed to assure the big man, and Luke nuzzled Jay's neck, inhaling his scent. Jay's skin smelled clean. Luke could catch a whiff of ginger, juniper, orange, the remnants of the soap he'd bathed with. He went for another kiss; this one a bit deeper, and he let his hands slide beneath Jay's arms so that they rested at the small of the older blonde's back.
A sly smile crept across Jay's lips as he lay his hands on Luke's chest. "Feels like I'm snuggling up with a grizzly bear."
Luke cocked a glossy eyebrow. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"It's a good thing," Jay smiled, nuzzling Luke's beard. "A very, very good thing..." His voice trailed off as he noticed the lights in the hallway flickering and swaying back and forth. Shadows danced across the room and Jay tensed. "Who's out there?" he squeaked.
Luke sighed in mild exasperation and glanced towards the doorway. "Bray!" he exclaimed. "If that's you, go away! We're fine." The shadows and swaying lights retreated. "Well, then. Where were we?"
Jay placed his hand back on Luke's chest. "I think we were talking about snuggling up with a grizzly bear. In this case, it's a very, very good thing—oh, yeah. Right there!"
Jay shuddered as Luke's hand ventured towards his inner thigh. His heart began to pound, as he surrendered himself to his...lover? He felt those big hands glide up his torso and ease his black sleep shirt up and over his head. Jay's fingers nimbly slid Luke's flannel shirt off his shoulders. Luke removed his wifebeater so that he too was bare-chested.
Luke dropped a line of kisses along Jay's neck, across his collarbone and down his chest. Jay sighed and felt his pulse race as he felt the big man's hot breath on his neck and felt Luke's hair trail across his skin. His fingernails bit gently into Luke's flesh; Luke growled softly before Jay hushed him with another kiss and leaned back in the hopes that Luke would follow him; he did. Jay tensed up when Luke's big fingers slipped beneath the fabric of his pajama pants. But it wasn't fear that made his muscles tighten. It was anticipation. Excitement. Desire.
"Luke?" Jay reached up to brush the big man's hair from his face. "Remember what you said to me after Bray brought me back up here? You didn't want me to say I love you unless I absolutely wanted to say it, and unless I absolutely meant it."
Luke let a smile spread across his lips, and his eyes twinkled. Something told him that he wouldn't need to sleep on the cot anymore. "Yeah. So soon?"
Jay shrugged. "Well...yeah. I absolutely want to say this, and I absolutely mean it." The older blonde twined his fingers into Luke's hair and guided their lips back together, but not before he said, "I love you, Luke Harper."
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: And there it is! My first slash makeout scene. If it sucked, a big fat SORRY! And BTW, I don't write lemons. If you want lemons, go to the supermarket and pick some up in the produce department.
Growing up, I remember the Seeburg jukeboxes that were EVERYWHERE. Restaurants, bowling alleys, truck stops. You name it, they were there. I never liked pop music, and like my Luke, I gravitated towards the classic rock. Here's the list of the classic rock songs that Luke probably listened to while traveling with his dad during his summers as a kid:
Feel Like Making Love - Bad Company
Rock Steady - Bad Company
Can't Get Enough – Bad Company
Seagull - Bad Company
Baby Hold On - Eddie Money
I'll Still Be Loving You - Led Zeppelin
Roll Me Away - Bob Seeger
Main Street - Bob Seeger
Afternoon Delight - Starland Vocal Band
Miracles – Jefferson Starship
With Your Love – Jefferson Starship
Count On Me – Jefferson Starship
How Long - Ace
Lying Eyes - Eagles
New Kid In Town – Eagles
Seven Bridges Road – Eagles
One Of These Nights - Eagles
Flirtin' With Disaster - Molly Hatchett
Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd
I Need You - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
After Midnight (1988 version) - Eric Clapton
Green Grass And High Tides – Outlaws
There Goes Another Love Song - Outlaws
Heard It In A Love Song - Marshall Tucker Band
Love Is Alive - Gary Wright
Dream Weaver – Gary Wright
Straight On – Heart
Magic Man - Heart
Wheel In The Sky - Journey
Stay With Me - Faces
Stumbling In - Suzi Quattro & Chris Norman
I Saw the Light - Todd Rundgren
The Things We Do For Love - 10 CC
Bad Time To Be In Love – Grand Funk Railroad
Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
Fooled Around And Fell In Love - Elvin Bishop
You're My Best Friend - Queen
Someone Saved My Life Tonight - Elton John
Dreams - Allman Brothers Band
Midnight Rider - Allman Brothers Band
Live In Fear and Everything He Says Is True were the two stories from theytalktome that were the basis for the makeout scene.
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