In The Mountains (Tennessee and Paxton)

We're friends

* We're Friends. *

The next day Tennessee took him to see the doctor. The old doctor didn't seem so bad, and he surprised Paxton by being no-nonsense and not judgmental. After he checked Paxton over and told him he would be fine as long as he rested, the doctor persuaded Paxton to have STD testing and check for AIDS. Although Paxton was checked every few months by Keyon's doctors, he still agreed. Some tiny part of him still whispered that he could have sex with Tennessee one day. If Paxton ever gave into his attraction to Tennessee, he wanted to make sure he would never hurt the other man. He owed Tennessee his life.

When the doctor's visit was all over, Tennessee drove them to the little town hidden in the valley. Once he parked the truck at an automotive store, he sprang out of the vehicle to head inside. After that stop, Tennessee then entered what looked like an old-timey drug store. All the while Tennessee was running his errands, Paxton flipped through country radio stations and tried to get the air-conditioning to work.

Less than six people were on the streets walking in and out of the hardware store and the ice cream place on the corner. There was something comforting about how quiet the little town was and the peacefulness hinted at Paxton being safe here.

"Ready to go?" Tennessee returned from the drug store with a smile. He leaped into the truck and handed Paxton two plastic bags. He then turned and set his automotive bag behind his seat.

Ever since the doctor told them that Paxton would be fine, Tennessee was all smiles and whistling a tune. The man fished his keys out of his pocket and rolled down his window to grin at the sunshine.

"Yes. I'm ready. Are we heading home?"

"Yeah. I'm fixin' to get somethin' to eat. I skipped breakfast, and now that I'm not frettin' 'bout ya, I've got my appetite back. Whoo-ee, cowboy. Fussin' over ya could be a diet plan."

"You don't need to worry about me." Paxton peeked into the first plastic sack on his lap, and the package caught his eyes. "But you should make biscuits again."

"Whatever ya want."

Opening the bag, Paxton pulled out a pack of boxer briefs. Seeing the size, Paxton instantly knew these were not for Tennessee's muscular hips and rounded ass.

"Is this for me?"

Tennessee glanced at him and then started up the truck and changed the radio station.

"Tennessee? Is this for me?"

"Ya need 'em is all." Tennessee shrugged as Paxton read the label. The boxer briefs were exactly his size.

"What made you get boxer briefs for me? And how did you know my size? Is this just a good guess?"

"That's what he tore off ya. I read the label on yer underwear. The band of plastic was caught and wound inside yer suit pants."

"Oh," Paxton noted the socks and the box of bandages. No doubt Tennessee used all his bandages on Paxton. He didn't know how to feel about that. A strange warmth seeped into his soul. No one had ever cared about him like this stranger, and a lump started to form in his throat.

"Listen here, Paxton." Tennessee set his hands on the steering wheel and gripped the top so hard his knuckles paled. "I gotta say that I'm sorry fer what he did to ya. I won't bring it up again if ya ain't want me to, but I just gotta say that."

Paxton nodded. That was the first time Tennessee didn't use cowboy or Pax to address him, and Paxton instantly wished the other man would call him something other than his name. For some reason, Paxton liked the way Tennessee had created an immediate intimacy between them.