You Take The Breath Right Out Of Me

Adam grinned and shook his hand, "I'm Adam Copeland, it's nice to meet you too man. I'm glad you asked Jay to go with you." Adam grinned at his brother.

Carter smiled, "It's nothin' really. I thought that he could use a nice vacation too. I know sis is always complaining about how rough school is on her social life."

Adam smiled softly, "I'm glad he's finally made a new friend, it's been a while since he's tried thanks to a certain jerk that made him afraid of trying..."

"Addy please... I don't think Carter would want to here that... It was back in high school and I've been happy with my three close friends..." Jay said quickly, hopeing his brother wouldn't continue with his tale.

"Jay... Have you even told him yet?" Adam asked his little brother.

Carter smiled, "I'm not one to shun people because of something that happened in high school. High school was a bleak part for a lot of people. That's why I never went most days. I got tired of bullshit."

He looked at the two brothers, sensing that there was something that was hanging in the air but not being said between the two of them. He just couldn't place what it was exactly.

Adam lowered his voice, "Jay you should tell him... Make sure he isn't like Tyson..."

Jay looked away, his eyes on the floor. "Nobody is going to be as mean Tyson was when he found out..." He glanced at Carter before deciding to explain it too him. "Tyson was a friend i made in the beginning of my first of high school, he was on a lot of the sport teams. For a few months he, my three other friends and I hung out a lot... Then he found out... Well..." Jay stopped, nervous to go on.

"Found out what? You don't abuse animals or somethin' do you? Cuz I can put up with a lot of shit but people who abuse animals and children deserve a special place in hell," Carter replied, looking up as he cleaned his class. "I ain't gonna hate you for nothin'."

"No i'd never hurt animals!" Jay said quickly, he hated the thought of hurting anyone or anything.

Adam laughed softly, "He has five cats at home, pretty sure he would be thought of as a role model for any anti abuse movement for animals..."

Jay gave a small smile before sighing, he looked at Carter nervously "I'm... I'm gay..." He held his breath as he waited for a reaction.

Carter didn't know what to say. All his life he had held in feelings of being gay and not wanted to let anyone know about it. He denied himself from the dating scene. Now here was a young man, a very handsome one might he add, that was very openly gay.

"Cats huh?" Carter replied, taking his mind off the fact that Jay was gay and showing him that it wasn't a big deal all at once. "I'm more of a dog man myself."

Jay let at his breath and started to relax again, he wasn't being yelled like Travis had done when he found out. He dug his nails into his hand to make sure he wasn't dreaming, he was happy to find out he wasn't dreaming. He smiled before answering, "I like both, but my uncle will only let me have cats."

Adam smiled as he watched, he knew his little brother had at least found a good friend if not a future boyfriend.

Carter smiled, "I'm not allowed to have cats cuz sis is allergic. If we do get one, I'll have to make sure the hair isn't going to bother her."

Jay smiled, sipping his drink before answering. "There are short haired cats that are supposed to be good for houses where someone is allergic to them." He looked at his drink shyly, wondering if it was weird he knew about that stuff.

"Well you might wanna tell her that. She loves 'em but she's so god damn allergeic," nodded Carter as he took a sip of his drink. "I wish I was good with animals, but I ain't so much. Horses and dogs mostly."

"Wow horses?" Jay asked softly, "I've never had the chance to be around a horse." He said with a slight look of awe.

Adam leaned back with a beer as he watched his brother talk with the young man. He found himself hoping that Jay didn't get his heart broken by the young man.

"I've worked with 'em on a secondary job," Carter replied as she poured another patron a glass of whiskey. "They're big but they are good animals. The human race really relied on them until we invented the car and now they rely on us just as much."

"I've never thought about it that way." Jay said with a thoughtful smile, "My mom liked horses, but she never got to be around them." He finished his drink and leaned back a little in his seat, looking over the bar curiously before smiling back at Carter.

Carter smiled and nodded, pouring himself another beer before making sure that Jay had another. "That's a shame. If yer mom was still here with us, I'd make sure that she got to go horseback ridin' whenever she wanted."

Jay smiles softly at that, "She would of loved that... Before our dad left he and momma were going to by a ranch and teach other's how to ride." Jay replied, before taking a small drink, a thoughtful look on his face.

Carter chuckled, "I know about dad's leavin'. Ya think you're gonna have a simple childhood and then..."

He took a deep sigh and shook his head, turning back around to the drinks so that he didn't have to talk about it.

Jay had a feeling he had brought up a bad subject, he hoped he hadn't upset his new friend. He sighed softly, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to bring up something at upsets you man..." He said softly looking down.

Carter shook his head, "You're in the right here. I just...well...my dad wasn't the greatest guy in the world. If you've lived here all yer life you've probably heard the rumors about him..."

Jay nodded slowly, he had heard some of the rumors. "I've heard some of them, but I don't like listening to rumors... Too many rumors in this town that hurt a lot of people." He said softly.

Carter looked ashamed, the look in his eyes fearful. If this man had heard rumors, he more than likely knew the truth about the Lacroix family. They were a bunch of homeless rednecks was the rumor but the truth of the matter was that while they had grown up homeless and they did enjoy the country life, they weren't rednecks.

Life had been cruel to them and Carter was bound and determined to change it in any way he could.

"Well...their true. The ones about us being homeless as kids..." he muttered to himself but hoped that Jay had heard.

"Im so sorry you had to grow up like that, no one deserves that. E-Especially a sweet guy like you, your a strong person to still be so kind after having to go through that..." Jay said softly, a slight pink he had to hide on his cheeks.

Carter chuckled, "Me? Sweet? Nah, I've had a lot of terms used to describe me but I don't think any of those was ever sweet. Rude, crude, and tattooed is a common one."

"I think your great..." Jay said softly before asking, "I don't see how other's don't see it..." He tilted his head curiously before asking, "You have a tattoo too?"