You Take The Breath Right Out Of Me

Carter chuckled, "Lets just say you're one of the only people I've felt I should be nice to in a long damn time."

He nodded and rolled up his sleeve, showing off a cross tattoo with a star in the center of it. "Says raised rebel. Means I'm a good ol' fashion country boy."

Jay studied the tattoo, "It's very cool... A lot better then mine..." He slowly raised his sheeve to show the tattoo that graced his upper arm. "I got it when I was seventeen...." He felt foolish showing it to him.

Looking at the tattoo, Carter smiled, "Nah, it's nice. Mine was a spur of the moment thing that me and my three brothers. Besides, it's better than the one I have on my upper arm."

Pulling up his sleeve to show his own shoulder, Carter showed off a tribal looking deer's head. "My brother Kip thought we should all get them, my family. It signals an idea we had when we were kids. Stupid, I know."

"Me and my brother had sort of the same idea when we got ours, we got different ones though. I think they look good on you." Jay said with a smile, he thought it sort of fit him perfectly. He looked away, afraid that he would make a fool of himself by staring.

Carter smiled and nodded, "Me and my brothers thought they looked good."

"I think it gives your tattoo a good story behind it and it does look good on you." Jay said with a small smile.

"Your tattoo looks good on you too," smiled Carter charmingly.

"Thanks." Jay said with a shy smile, looking down at his drink hoping he wasn't blushing or something.

"Is that a blush across yer cheeks?" Carter pointed out as he peeked at Jay over the top of his glass.

"No!... No... I-Its not... I..." Jay was flusted that he noticed that.

"You are, you're blushing," Carter teased with a jovial smile. "Ya think I'm hot?" he waggled his eyebrows at Jay.

Jay hid his red cheeks behind his hands. "I... I mean... Your good looking... But... I'm not hittin... I mean..." Jay whispered, wanted the earth to swallow him up while he was embaressing himself.

"It's alright if you're hittin' on me. Hot piece of man like yourself hittin' on me would be welcomed if...if I was gay..." Carter replied, trying to keep his preferences hidden.

"Sorry.. I know it makes a lot of people uncomfortable... I don't really hit on anyone, espcially since I never know if they're straight or not." Jay said softly.

Carter wanted to tell him, since he knew he wouldn't mind, but didn't know how. He had kept it silent for so long it was a feeling that he no longer had. "Well...it's not a bad thing..."

"I've seen a lot of guys get mad about it..." Jay said as he rubbed the back of his neck. It made him nervous about hitting on guys.

Carter shook his head, "I'll never get mad about something like that. If you like a guy, you like a guy. Simple as that."

Jay nodded, relaxing a little at that. He was glad Carter wasn't like a lot of the other guys in the town.

Carter smiled, "Want another drink?"

Jay smiled and shook his head politely, "I think I'll just have a soda." He always tried to not drink too much.

Carter smiled and poured him a soda, looking over at the stage. "Must be open mic night, I don't see Jacen here."

Jay nodded as he looked at the stage, "It must be, it's been quiet for a while." He said with a small smile, "I wonder if anyone will go up."

Carter took a deep breath, his hand shaking slightly, "Well...I mean...if anything I could...I do a bit of singing..."

"You should go up then, I'm sure you'll do better then I did last time." Jay said softly, but reassuringly.

Carter smiled softly and headed to the stage, taking his guitar with him as he did so that he could sing. Leaning into the mic he smiled, "Howdy folks, I'm gonna sing an original song I wrote...hope it's not to bad for yah likin'."