In The Mountains (Tennessee and Paxton)

Watching the sunset

* Watching the sunset. *

Paxton got everything in his office put away and the documents in the safe. At five, he stepped out of the garage to find Tennessee leaning against the front of his truck waiting for him.

The man must have dipped out of work early to shower. His hair was damp, and he wore a crisp gray button-down shirt and bright blue jeans. Even his boots looked cleaner. A slow sexy smile spread across his mouth as Paxton walked up to him.

As Paxton approached, the sun hit Tennessee's gray eyes. They had a heat in them that drilled down into Paxton's bones. Damn, but Tennessee always took Paxton's breath away. They needed a bedroom.

When Paxton stopped in front of Tennessee, he smiled.

"We aren't getting married on this first date, are we?" Paxton teased. "That's for date number two?"

"I thought 'bout it, but I decided we ain't gettin' married tonight." Tennessee laughed as his eyes sparkled. "I'll save that fer another day."

"What are we doing instead?"

"There's a park near here with a great view of the mountains. We're gonna have dinner there and watch the sunset." Tennessee trotted to Paxton's side of the truck and held open the door for him. Paxton had never had anyone hold the door open for him, not on a real date. His life was primarily meaningless sex acts and being nothing more than baggage. Just seeing Tennessee holding the door had Paxton's heart beating a little faster.

For a second, Paxton didn't move as doubt crowded his mind. There were reasons they shouldn't date, and he knew them, but in the end, Paxton's burning desire for Tennessee won out. One of those sexy smiles, and Paxton couldn't think. He took a few steps toward Tennessee still waiting patiently for him.

"Ya alright, Pax?" Tennessee asked when Paxton reached the open pickup door.

"I have a hundred reasons why this is a bad idea." Paxton caught Tennessee's intense stare.

"Welp, I gotta hundred reasons why this is a great idea." Tennessee leaned over and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. "And that's one of them. Come on, cowboy." Again, one of those smiles graced his features, and that look turned Paxton's insides to mush.

Paxton climbed into the truck, and Tennessee closed the door before he whistled a tune and walked around to his side of the vehicle.

As Tennessee drove through back roads, Paxton watched the forest out his window. Oddly the idea of going to a park to watch the sunset was exciting. He knew it wasn't the location. It was the man sitting next to him that had Paxton's belly fluttering with butterflies. Just hanging out with this man was magical in its own right. Paxton wasn't sure why simple things with Tennessee were so amazing. They never did anything earth-shattering or grand or full of money and fame, but none of that mattered. Tennessee was simple, and there was something about that simplicity that Paxton liked.

No... he loved it.

The drive passed while they talked about nothing and everything. After a while, Tennessee started up a steep side of a mountain. They entered a parking area toward the top, and Paxton had to agree. This was an incredible view.

Tennessee parked and then leaned behind his seat. He handed Paxton a Styrofoam container and a bottle of water. He set one in his lap as well.

After turning on the radio, Paxton set his water to the side and flipped open the lid to his food. The smell of the seasoned chicken sandwich filled the small area between Tennessee and him.

"Gunner works part-time at the café in town. I told him to make us somethin'. I hope it's alright." Tennessee sounded nervous as he set his water bottle on the dash and changed the radio station.

"It looks good."

"Yeah." Tennessee popped open his container and then stared down at the contents. He didn't take a bite but shot Paxton a side glance. "I..." Tennessee paused and then caught Paxton's eyes before quickly looking away.

"What?"

"Nothin'," the other man muttered.

Paxton found Tennessee nervousness cute. The man seemed as awkward about their first date as Paxton, and he liked that. He liked that this seemed new and different and important to Tennessee because that was how he felt. A first date with a man he actually wanted to be with seemed downright monumental.

Staring out the windshield, Paxton took a huge bite of his sandwich and watched as the sunset slowly. The mountain view at the park was spectacular, and Paxton sighed. Maybe he would never get tired of the way the sun rose and set over such a majestic view.

"Yer bored." Tennessee cut into his thoughts. "We can do somethin' else. A movie or a hike or somethin'."

"What?"

"I bet ya go on dates, and it's in the city with all sorts of stuff to do, and ya get in fancy cars, not old pickups, and ya get to see the city lights. I should've thought of that." Tennessee set his container up on the dash and snapped off the radio.

"Yes." Paxton set his sandwich next to Tennessee's. "But I like it here with you."

"Sure, ya do." Tennessee reached for his keys and turned on the truck. The vehicle rumbled to life. "We can go."

"I want to stay here." Paxton leaned over and turned the keys until the truck shut off and went silent. He then scooted closer to Tennessee until their thighs were touching. "It's true. I've been in nicer cars, and I've gone to five-star restaurants and seen the lights of the city from roof-top bars and expensive hotel suits." Paxton used one finger to turn Tennessee's face until the man was staring into his eyes. "But for all that, I wouldn't trade one minute of being with you. I like your old truck, and I like your mountains, and I like you."

A small smile lifted the corners of Tennessee's mouth.

"It's plumb silly, but when I was a youngin', I used to hear about the guys who took their girls to this park to watch the sunset. I knew they weren't really watchin' no sunset, and I thought I'd like to do that with someone someday. Ya know, fog up the windows of my truck with my boyfriend."

"We can watch the sunset, or we could fog up the windows." Paxton laughed as his hands slid around Tennessee's neck and pulled him closer. "I've been waiting all day to kiss you, Tennessee."

"Welp, now. I can work with that."

The light tug was all it took. Tennessee dipped his head and took Paxton's mouth.

*** Thanks for reading! ~autohrcmmoore.com~