The Driving Force to Love (MXM) ✔

Chapter 56

Dean Axle Lance

I was immediately greeted by a few of Tonio's employees when I walked into his store. All of them had been welcoming and friendly with me even before Antonio came out, but that only increased when he confirmed I was his boyfriend. I sent a text to Antonio that I was there and then went and browsed through the leather jackets while I waited. I felt his eyes on me, but he didn't say anything so I continued browsing.

"This is the spot where we first met," he finally said.

I paused to reflect on that moment. "I'm glad I decided to come in for a jacket instead of ordering one online," I said.

He smiled. "Me too. Do you need a new one?"

I shook my head. "No. My jacket is still in great shape. Let's go." He took my hand in his as we walked out the store. A customer paused to look at us, then continued his way into the store.

"Wouldn't it have been more convenient for me to drive to your house instead of having you come all the way here?" he asked.

"I wanted to head into the mountains as soon as you got off work," I said.

"But isn't the camping spot closer to your house than mine?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. It doesn't matter though. I wanted to take this drive."

"Okay," he said.

I started my way out of town before I said, "Have you lost any customers since you came out?"

"Not much," he said. "I haven't seen a few people who used to be regulars, but business is up in general so I'm not concerned."

He hadn't made a general announcement to customers that he was gay because that would be weird and not really their business. But we no longer hid the fact that we were together so when I came to his store, we did hold hands.

"You haven't heard from your parents?"

He sighed. "No. I sent them a message and Jose told me he's been working on them. I have no regrets though. If it stays this way between me and them, I'm not happy about it, but I won't pretend I'm something I'm not anymore."

I felt his eyes on me. His hand reached out and squeezed my thigh. "And I'm happy," he said. "I wouldn't change this for anything. My only wish is that I had come out sooner." I glanced at him and smiled from the way he was gazing at me.

When we arrived at the camping spot, we unloaded the truck. It was just me and him tonight. The weather was turning colder. School had started again for Vincent and Chet. The leaves on the trees would begin to change soon.

We gathered firewood and made a fire. We set up the tent, but I also spread out a sleeping bag in the bed of my truck. I wanted to watch the stars with Antonio later. The skies were supposed to be clear tonight. We held hands as we sat side by side by the fire. For dinner we wrapped potatoes in aluminum foil and put them in the fire. It was dark by the time the potatoes were done. We also roasted hot dogs over the fire. It wasn't a lavish dinner, but it was good. The food seemed to taste even better as I watched Tonio. The chain with the two metal rings I had made him for Christmas slipped out from underneath his shirt. I smiled at the fact that he still wore them.

At that moment, it was solidified that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. I thought of Liz's and Sarah's wedding and pictured myself and Antonio there instead. Panic rose inside me and I quickly pushed the image away. For whatever reason, I didn't like the idea of marriage even though I intended to spend the rest of my life with Antonio. But that didn't mean I couldn't confirm my conviction with him just between the two of us.

As the night drew on, I put out the fire. I took Antonio's hand and guided him to the truck.

"We're sleeping here tonight?" he asked. His eyes went from the truck to the tent.

"No," I said. I let go of his hand as I sat in the bed of the truck. "I just wanted to look at the stars together."

He smiled. "Alright." He climbed in next to me. He sprawled along his back and stared up into the sky. I scooted in next to him and slowly tore my eyes away from his face to look up into the stars. He didn't say anything as his fingers entwined with mine.

We stayed that way for a long time in silence, enjoying each other's presence under the stars. Eventually I found myself staring more at him than the stars. I sat up. He sat up next to me. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No," I said. "Everything is right."

I got out of the truck so I could face him. He sat with his legs dangling out of the truck. I placed my hands on his knees as I stared into his eyes. Love greeted me from his own eyes.

I swallowed to steady myself before I said anything. "I'm sorry I'm not the type of person to jump at the chance of marriage," I said. "I'm sorry for whatever is inside me that doesn't like the idea of marriage."

"No, no," he said quickly and cupped my jaw in his hands. "I am truly happy with you," he said. "I don't need marriage to know we love each other and are dedicated to each other."

I nodded. "I am dedicated to you," I said quietly.

He smiled. "I know," he said. "And I am to you."

"I know," I said. "And I am telling you now with the stars as our witness, that I am going to be devoted to you for the rest of our lives."

His smile widened. "And I to you," he said. He pulled me closer for a kiss.

My hands trailed from his knees, along his thighs until they rested on his hips as our kiss continued.

After a long kiss, he pulled away from me with a wide smile. He scooted back along the sleeping bag in the bed of the truck and sprawled back to look at the stars again.

I climbed into the bed of the truck next to him. I turned half towards the sky and half towards him. My heart sped up with the words that were so hard for me to say, but I wanted to - needed to - say them in that moment.

I wrapped my arm around his waist, turned towards him and leaned in close to his ear. "I love you," I whispered with everything I had. The words were simple, but the meaning more intense than anything I had ever felt before. I hoped the simple words would somehow convey everything I felt in that moment for Antonio. The words wrapped around us both as he turned to look at me. I could see it in his eyes. Everything I hoped to convey he received.

He gently reached out to touch my jaw. "I love you," he whispered back. It was more than words that touched and enfolded into my spirit. We were connected and whole in that moment. We were one in more than any physical capacity would allow.

I smiled and touched my forehead to his. "So," I said after several moments of silence in that position as our love for each other entwined in our souls, "I guess that was our vows. Was it okay?"

He wrapped both of his arms around me and drew me closer to him. "It was perfect," he said.

Whatever happened in the future, we would be together.

A/N: March 23, 2021 - Another book completed. I'm going to miss these two. Thank you for reading and showing Dean and Antonio love.