You Take The Breath Right Out Of Me

Jay smiled softly as he listened, Carter was amazing on the microphone. He listened almost spellbound by the sound of the other man's voice.

Up on that stage, Carter felt a bit out of place. He had always written songs, sure. Writing is what he did when he didn't want to do anything else. He could sit in front of a pad of paper and write for a long while. But singing? Actually getting up in front of people was something different.

He looked over at Jay, a smile on his face as he saw the man's reaction to her song. Carter grinned and continued to sing.

About a mile off of Old Mill Road
At that spot nobody knows
We’ll park the truck and we take off runnin’
Hurry up girl I hear it comin’
Got a moon and a billion stars
The sound of steel and old boxcars
The thought of you is driving me insane
Come on baby let’s go listen to the night train

Jay couldn't tear his eyes from off the stage as Carter sang, he felt the butterflies fluttering again. He hoped whoever Carter's girlfriend was knew how lucky she was, Carter was just amazing.

He pushed down feelings of jealously, he knew Carter wasn't gay so he had no right to be jealous.

Though the song called for a woman, Carter knew that he had never loved any woman other than the familial love that he showed to his sister and mother. Nolee's friend Amy was close but again it was more like a sister. Carter had a hard time admitting to others he was gay though he found no problem with it himself. Getting a bit bolder, and hoping Jay didn't make fun of him when he got back, Carter decided to try the next verse.

The butterflies fluttered even hard when he heard Carter change the word to boy, he was almost afraid to believe it might mean what he thought it meant. No way a guy as sweet and handsome was gay or into him, he bit his lip shyly.

Carter went into an acoustic guitar riff, his eyes meeting with Jay's before finishing up the song.


Carter put the guitar on the stool and walked back to the bar as other patrons who could play walked up and did so. "So watcha think? I know it's not great..."

"That was amazing!" Jay said quickly before blushing at how forward he sounded. "You were great and the song was really good." He played nervously with the hum of his shirt.

Carter smiled and looked at Jay, "Maybe...if you want...you could come over and see some of the other one's I've written..."

"I... I'd really like that..." Jay said with a soft flush and smile, "I bet their all as amazing as the one you sang..."

Carter shook his head, "No, I don't think so. The one I just sang my sis helped me with."

"Your great and I'm sure your work shows it..." Jay said with a shy smile, Carter had been truly amazing. Jay half wanted to bring up the change Carter had made midway through, but he was scared too.

Carter smiled, "Sis originally wrote it for me to sing for a girl. I just...that never felt right to me..."

"It... It didn't?" Jay asked softly, hoping that he wasn't reading to much into it.

Carter shook his head, "Nah. Ladies try to charm me all the time and it just doesn't work."

Jay nodded slowly before taking a small risk, "That's how I sort of figured out I was into guys..." He said softly.

Carter thought for a moment, wanting to tell Jay he wasn't into guys. But why lie? The young man had bared his soul to Carter, didn't Carter owe him the same sentiment.

"Yeah...guys are easier to date for me too..."

Jay shyly looked down, as he let it sink in. Carter had said he was into dating guys, he looked back up. "I used to wonder why it was easier to like guys..."

Carter cleared his throat, "Well...um...I just have always found it easier to date guys..."

Jay nodded, running his fingers through his hair. He gave a small smile, his heart beating out of his chest.

Carter felt shy but bit his lower lip, "I just...um..."

"Your not used to telling people?" Jay guessed shyly, not looking up.

Carter shook his head shyly, "No...I haven't told anyone..."

Jay nodded, he understood it was hard to tell someone that you were gay and not know how they would react.

Carter smiled and nodded as he poured himself a glass of beer and drank the majority of it in one drink, "Well...now that that's off my chest..."

Jay smiled shyly before finishing his soda, he wondered how Carter felt out finally telling someone. He remembered how strange it felt to admit out loud that he was gay. "Do you feel okay?"