blind5

Blind Man's Bluff

It had been a couple of days since Rosco's snooping, and so far Jesse and Daisy hadn't heard any rumors floating around town, so it appeared that at least for the moment, Rosco was keeping his mouth shut; either that or Boss was waiting to use this when it would really hurt.

Luke spent his days working around the farm, never straying too far from Bo, always checking in every couple of hours. And every time, he found the same thing; Bo just sitting there in his favorite chair, listening to the radio, bored out of his mind. Waiting for the darkness to go away. With each passing day, he got more and more withdrawn.

Luke knew it was bad when he came in for lunch Friday. Even the radio was turned off. And there was something in Bo's posture that warned Luke. He crossed the room quickly, knowing Bo knew his footsteps. Before he even got there, Bo spoke.

"The racing commission called. They heard about my accident. Said if I can't appear before them on Monday, fit to drive, we have to name a substitute driver."

Not that it wasn't expected; still, the news hit Luke like a punch in the gut. // Imagine how HE feels � // He laid his hand on Bo's shoulder. "I'm sorry, love � "

Bo angrily shook off his hand, exploding out of the chair. "Sorry? What good does sorry do? Damn it, Luke, I'm BLIND! I can't drive. I can't work. I can't even play a goddamn game of solitaire! I can't even cut up my own damn dinner!" He turned toward where Luke's voice had been, his fists lashing out in anger and frustration. "And all of you, fussin' over me, I can't stand this! I don't want your pity! I just want my sight back!"

Bo's anger shocked Luke; he'd never heard his cousin swear like that. And yet somehow he knew Bo needed this, this release. He didn't fight back, just let Bo's fists rain down on him, taking the blows until at last Bo collapsed into his arms, sobbing.

He sank down into that big old chair and pulled Bo into his lap like you would a small child. Not an easy feat, seeing as how Bo was a couple inches taller than he was. But somehow he managed it, holding Bo close, letting him cry it out.

"Easy, love, it's ok. It's gonna be ok," he whispered softly as he stroked Bo's soft, silky hair. "Hush now. Hush."

It was a long time before Bo's sobs quieted. Luke continued stroking his hair, letting him stay there as long as he wanted. Finally, he felt Bo shift, trying to sit up, heard the sniffle as Bo tried to clear away all the runaway tears. He guided his cousin toward the arm of the chair. Once Bo was out of his lap, he stood up, stretching, moving to stand beside Bo. He grabbed a tissue from the box on the end table and placed it in Bo's hand. Bo took it gratefully, still sniffling, wiping away the last of his tears. When he was done, Luke leaned in and kissed him gently.

"You ok now?"

Bo took a deep breath, letting it out as a sigh. Remembering what he had done, he asked "Should I be asking you that? Did I hurt you?"

Bo had gotten in a couple of good shots, Luke was definitely going to have some bruises. "I'm fine, love. You couldn't hurt me."

Bo's hands gently searched Luke's face for any sign of damage. He couldn't see the bruises, but he could feel the slight, involuntary flinch when his fingers passed over a sore spot.

"I did � Luke, I'm sorry �"

Luke caught his hands. "It's nothin', Bo. Really." He kissed Bo's hands.

Bo knew he wasn't going to get any further acknowledgement, so he just nodded. A moment later he felt Luke's lips against his cheek.

"Come on. You want something cold to drink?"

Bo suddenly realized how dry his mouth was. // Guess all that cryin' diverts the water elsewhere! // He nodded, and let Luke lead him into the kitchen, parking him at the table.

Luke grabbed a clean washcloth and ran it under some cold water, then wrung it out before placing it in Bo's hands. "Here, this'll make you feel better. And I think Daisy made some lemonade this mornin'."

Bo gratefully ran the cool, damp cloth over his face. Luke was right, it was just what he needed. He could hear something being poured into a glass, and then the sound of a spoon stirring something in.

"Here you go. Extra sweet the way you like it."

Bo smiled. Just a little while ago he'd raged against having to have everybody take care of him. But now, when it was just Luke, somehow it seemed ok.

"Thanks, Luke."

Luke's arm wrapped around his shoulders, and he felt a soft kiss on the top of his head. "I'm here for you, Bo, you know that. Even if what you need is a punching bag �"

Bo grimaced, bringing his arm up to wrap around Luke's waist. "Luke, I'm so sorry �"

The arm around his shoulders tightened. "Forget about it, Bo." One more kiss, then Luke let go. Bo could hear one of the other chairs scraping against the floor as Luke moved it closer to him and sat down. His hands wrapped around the one of Bo's that wasn't full of lemonade.

"Bo, you been moping around this place all week. Maybe you need to get out a bit, do somethin' different for a while. How about we head over to the Boar's Nest after dinner tonight? It's Friday night, lots of folks will be out."

Bo shook his head. "I don't think so, Luke. I don't want people's pity �"

Luke squeezed his hand. "It don't have to be like that, Bo. Our friends know better than that, anyhow. It'll do you good. So how about it?"

Bo took a deep breath. As long as they went after dinner, nobody would see how clumsy he was at the table. He supposed he could manage to drink a few beers without spilling them all over himself. And it would be nice to just do something different, have some other people to talk to. Yeah, maybe Luke had something here.

"OK, you win. We'll go out tonight."

Luke lifted Bo's hand to his lips for a soft kiss. "You won't regret it, love. I promise."

Just then the back door opened and Jesse came in. He took one look at Luke's bruised face and was about to say something when he realized Luke was mouthing the words 'don't say anything' at him. He quickly changed tactics. "So what're you two up to?"

Luke's eyebrows flashed silent thanks to Jesse as Bo replied, "Not much, Uncle Jesse."

Jesse could hear the boredom in Bo's voice. He poured himself some of that lemonade and came over to sit with them. His hand landed on Bo's shoulder. "I know you're bored, son. You never was good at sittin' still. Always doin' somethin', runnin' around at high speed. It's one of the reasons school never sat well with you; it was the sittin' part you didn't like."

Bo had to laugh at the memory. "You got that right, Uncle Jesse."

Jesse eyed Luke's bruises, and nodded towards Bo. Luke just nodded, confirming Jesse's guess that Bo had been responsible. Jesse squeezed Bo's shoulder again. "I wish I knew some way to make this easier on you, Bo."

Bo sighed, touched by his Uncle's concern. "Me too, Uncle Jesse."

Luke wrapped his arm around Bo and hugged him. "Well, tonight we're goin' out for a while after dinner. I thought it would do Bo good to get out of this house for a bit. Maybe catch up with Cooter for a couple of beers over at the Boar's Nest."

"I don't think you'll find Cooter around tonight," Jesse said without thinking.

Luke looked at his uncle, curious. "What makes you say that, Uncle Jesse?"

"We's .. uh, he's got plans tonight," Jesse quickly corrected himself. "I was just talkin' to him a little while ago."

If the slip hadn't tipped Luke off, the bright red creeping up Jesse's neck would have.

"Uncle Jesse? What're you and Cooter up to tonight?"

"Who said we're up to anythin'?"

Bo couldn't see Jesse's face, but he could hear the defensiveness in the old man's voice. "You did, Uncle Jesse. You started to say 'we's got plans tonight.'

Comprehension was dawning on Luke's face. "Bo? Remember when Uncle Jesse told us why he got so mad at us at first?"

Bo was confused by the change of subject. "Yeah?"

Luke held Jesse's gaze as he worked it out. "It was cause he was like us, but never had the chance to find someone the way we did. And you know what Cooter told us �"

The puzzle suddenly snapped together for Bo. "Uncle Jesse? You got a date with Cooter tonight?"

Hearing it said out loud was more than Jesse's frazzled nerves could take. "You gotta make such a big production outa it? Just pretend you never thought of that." He turned to Luke. "You, git back to work! And you!" he spun towards Bo, poking a finger into his chest just to make sure Bo knew who he was talking to. "Wipe that silly grin of'n yer face. Can't a man have some peace and quiet with his lunch anymore?"

Bo and Luke got up and hurried out of the kitchen before breaking up into a fit of giggles. They laughed so hard they almost forgot to breathe. Finally Bo gasped, "Uncle Jesse and Cooter? Good lord, what's the world comin' to?"

Luke was leaning against Bo for strength, he'd been laughing so hard. "Oh, god, Bo, I wish you'd seen the look on Uncle Jesse's face when you said it. You'd've thought he'd just eaten the sourest cherry in the box! I ain't never seen his face so red!"

Bo held Luke close as they both struggled to get ahold of themselves. Finally, they calmed down, and Luke stood up. "Whew! I guess I better get back to work before he does �."

Bo nodded, wishing Luke didn't have to go. "Yeah, I guess so."

Luke's hands grasped his upper arms, and his lover claimed his lips in a tender kiss. Bo sighed as Luke gently pulled away from him. One hand came up to caress his cheek, now covered with several days' growth of beard. Luke's thumb rubbed over that one tiny spot on his cheekbones that wasn't covered with hair. "You gonna be ok, Bo?" Luke asked softly.

Bo nodded. "Yeah. I think that laugh did me more good than just about anything �"

Luke chuckled and pulled him close. "They say laughter is the best medicine." He leaned in and kissed Bo.

"Second best, to your kisses," Bo answered when they separated.

Luke smiled, glad that Bo felt that way. One last kiss, and he let go. "I'll see you in a bit."

Bo settled back down in his chair, but this time he wasn't bored. He was wonderin' just how Jesse and Cooter had ended up with 'plans' for tonight �

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All afternoon, Jesse studiously avoided Luke while they were working out in the barn. For his part, Luke couldn't help chuckling every time he thought about Uncle Jesse's face when Bo had said those words. The idea had surprised him at first, felt really kind of 'not right.' But he quickly realized that the only reason for that was that you just never thought of your parents having sex. And Uncle Jesse, being like a father to them, definitely fell into that category. It didn't matter if it was Cooter or Miss America. Or Miz Tisdale for that matter. // ok, THAT was an image I sure didn't need! // Luke nearly choked keeping that laugh inside.

But finally the work was done, and they went back up to the house for supper. Daisy had gotten back from town a while back, so the food was just about ready. Bo had warned her about the bruises he'd given Luke earlier, so she only fussed a little over him. Luke got Bo situated at the table, then turned to help Daisy set everything out.

"Hey, Bo, I made this special for you tonight, honey. Nothin' to cut up, it's all in there," Daisy said as Luke set out the big pot of chili. She didn't have to tell Bo what it was, that smell couldn't be anything else. She turned back to the oven to take out a fresh loaf of cornbread.

Once everybody was situated, Uncle Jesse said grace. Or rather, mumbled it. Even Daisy could tell he was a mite distracted. She glanced over at Luke, the question in her eyes. Luke just gave her a quick nod; he'd fill her in later. The young 'uns kept the dinner conversation lively, trying to not notice how Jesse nervously picked at his food.

Finally, Jesse pushed his bowl away. "I gotta go get ready �" he mumbled as he got up. Throwing a challenging glare in Luke's direction, he stormed out of the kitchen.

As soon as he was gone, Daisy turned to Luke. "What on EARTH is goin' on?"

Bo and Luke were both laughing. "You ain't gonna believe this, Daisy, but he's got a date tonight!" Bo offered.

"I think he's a bit nervous," Luke chimed in.

Daisy stared at the two of them. "A date? With who?"

That sobered the two of them up real quick. Neither one of them felt real comfortable talking to Daisy about this. They'd never told her about Cooter.

"Um �" it came out in stereo.

"Boys � you can't just let that drop! You gotta tell me! Who is he?"

That took the boys by surprise. Again, Bo spoke first.

"Daisy? How � how'd you know it was a he?"

Daisy gave them both a pained look. Her cousins tended to think she was some na�ve little flower who wouldn't know about such things. "Guys, Uncle Jesse told us he was like you two. It don't make no sense now that it's out in the open that he'd go chasin' after a woman. And besides, why do you think he's so nervous? He wasn't like this that one time he went out with Miz Tisdale!"

Bo grimaced as he remembered that night. What a disaster � but at least it had gotten Miz Tisdale uninterested in Jesse Duke. And come to think of it, now it all made sense. Jesse had WANTED it to go badly �!

Luke had to chuckle, remembering the image he'd had earlier that afternoon. "OK, Daisy, you got a point. But you know it ain't really out in the open, just here at home." The laughter left his eyes as they all remembered Rosco's snooping and what might still happen.

Daisy reached out and squeezed his hand. "I know, Luke. Don't worry, I wouldn't say nothin' anyhow. It's nobody's business but theirs."

Bo laid his hand on Luke's leg, silently agreeing to tell her. Luke nodded. "OK, Daisy. Now, there's somethin' we never told you �"

"It's Cooter, ain't it?"

Bo burst out laughing at the way Daisy had outfoxed them twice in one conversation. "You knew all along, didn't you?"

Daisy couldn't help smiling. "Well, there are certain things a girl just knows. And Cooter's always nice and polite to me, He treats me like a brother would. Like you two do. And lord knows I gave him enough chances to change his mind �"

Luke just stared at her. "Daisy? You �?"

She giggled. "Lordy, when I was sixteen I had such a crush on him."

Bo couldn't help grinning. "Daisy, when you was sixteen, you was jail bait! He couldn't have if he wanted to! Besides, Uncle Jesse woulda killed him if he went near you!"

Daisy blushed prettily. "I know that, but still, even if he don't DO anything, a girl still knows when she's got a man's attention. And he never once responded like that. He just plain wasn't interested at all."

Luke had to grin. "And if he wasn't interested in YOU, he just wasn't interested in girls."

Daisy just glared at him. "Well, yeah!"

They were all still laughing when Jesse came back down the hall. His hair was all slicked back. He was wearing his best white shirt, complete with string tie, and his best Sunday go-to-meeting pants. The room got suddenly quiet as they took in the sight.

Daisy broke the silence. "Uncle Jesse! Don't you look nice!"

He smiled nervously. "Thank you, my dear." His eyes landed on Luke, seeking his approval.

Luke smiled. "You look great, Uncle Jesse. Not that you really needed to dress up �"

Jesse frowned. "You think I don't know that? But if'n I'm goin' on a date, I don't know any other way to do it. I can only change so much at once!"

Bo laughed, wishing he could see this show. "Don't worry, Uncle Jesse, you'll be fine."

Jesse glanced back at Daisy, a bit apprehensively. "I suppose they told ya."

Daisy nodded, but Luke cut in. "We didn't have to, Uncle Jesse. She had it all figured out on her own."

Daisy swatted affectionately at him. "Luke! Why'd you have to go and say that?"

Their bickering seemed so homey, so normal, that Jesse had to laugh. "All right, you two, stop that! I got to get going, before I lose my nerve entirely."

Bo got up and came over to where Jesse's voice was. His hand reached out, finding his Uncle's shoulder. He squeezed gently. "Have fun, Uncle Jesse. And � don't be afraid."

Somehow, Bo's reassurance meant more to him than he could have imagined. A few tears stung at the backs of his eyes. "Thanks, Bo �" he whispered, then quickly turned and hurried out to his truck before he froze solid.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that evening, Bo and Luke sat in a booth at the Boars Nest, nursing a couple of beers and enjoying being out of the house. Several friends had stopped by their table, glad to see Bo up and around, but obviously uncomfortable when they found out he still couldn't see. They'd chat a bit, then find a reason to move on. Luke could see it in their eyes; but so far at least, Bo hadn't seemed to be hurt by it.

About 9PM they got a pleasant surprise. The Franklin sisters came in. Aimee spotted them and came right over, dragging Annabelle behind her. "Bo! Honey, how are you? I heard about the accident �?"

Bo had to smile as Aimee enveloped him in a hug. Even though he'd dumped her when he and Luke had gotten together, she'd turned out to be a fast friend, one of the few people in Hazzard who knew his secret. They still went out together sometimes, part of the 'smoke screen' Bo and Luke hid behind.

Luke hadn't fared so well with Annabelle. When she'd found out what was really going on, she'd been shocked and offended. How could she have not known? She knew she was pretty, and she knew Luke had liked her. How could he possibly choose a man over her? It just didn't make any sense.

Annabelle glared at her sister as she slid into the booth beside Bo. Aimee glared right back at her, staring her down. "Don't be a pig, Annabelle. Say hello to Luke."

Not wanting to make a scene, Annabelle turned to her ex-beau. "Evening, Luke."

Luke gave her that charming smile of his. "Evening, Annabelle." He laid his arm along the back of the booth, inviting her to sit down beside him.

// Well, it's better that a Friday night at home watching TV � // She knew her sister; especially since Bo had been hurt, there would be no dragging Aimee away from that man. If you could call him that. So either she had to abandon her sister to these two perverts, or make the best of the situation. She sat down beside Luke and was surprised to feel his arm slip around her shoulders.

// Maybe he's still interested after all? // she thought. // Maybe he's tired of buggering his cousin and wants a real woman after all? Maybe he just can't resist ME! // All of a sudden, she turned on the charm.

"Luke, sweetie, what happened to your face?"

Bo grimaced; knowing he was responsible. Luke had answered that question too many times tonight.

Luke just laughed it off. "Stepped on a rake in the barn this afternoon; the dang thing swung up and hit me right in the face."

Annabelle only had eyes for Luke, now. "Oh, poor baby!" she cried out, enjoying fussing over him, not paying a bit of attention to Bo and Aimee across the table.

Aimee of course noticed Bo's discomfort and gently squeezed his hand. "That's not what really happened, is it?" she asked quietly.

"Not really," Bo answered just as quietly. "I got kind of ornery this afternoon when the racing commission called. If I don't get my sight back by Monday, I can't race next weekend �"

Aimee knew how much that race meant to Bo. "Oh, Bo, honey, I'm so sorry." She hugged him.

Luke was beginning to realize that playing nice with Annabelle might have been a mistake. He was glad Bo couldn't see the way the woman was hanging all over him. But his cousin and Aimee weren't paying them much attention either. While Annabelle rattled on, Luke wondered why he wasn't jealous of Aimee. But it was so obvious that she really cared about Bo, and although she often hugged him, even kissed his cheek, he never got the feeling that she was competition. She was just a close, loving friend. Not a bad thing to have.

Just then the door opened, and in walked Boss Hogg and Rosco. It didn't take long for Boss to spot his favorite targets.

"Well, well, well, if it ain't the Duke boys. Long time no see. Oh, wait, maybe not. Bo can't see! And if you can't see, you can't be drivin' in that big race next week!" Just to make sure, he waved his pudgy hand right in front of Bo's face. Suddenly, Luke's hand locked around his wrist.

"You got a reason to be interrupting our evening with these lovely ladies, Boss? If not, I'd suggest you go torment somebody else. Bo feels bad enough about that without you rubbing our noses in it."

Hogg tried to shake off Luke's hand, surprised by the strength of that grip. Luke was really mad. Which seemed to confirm Rosco's story about the boys, despite the presence of the ladies. He turned his best scowl on Luke.

"Luke Duke, you'd better let go of my arm right now, or I'll have Rosco arrest you for assault!"

Their eyes locked, and Luke reluctantly let go. "Don't get your hopes up for winnin' that race, Boss. Even if Bo can't drive, I will. So whoever you're backing don't stand a chance."

Luke's defiance just pushed Boss's buttons. He screwed his face up in a snarl and leaned real close to Luke. "Oh really? I figured you'd be much too worried about your COUSIN to be drivin' your best."

Bo's stomach clenched at the way Boss said 'cousin.' // He knows. Rosco told him. // He found himself holding on to Aimee for comfort.

Luke picked up on it too. He just stared Boss down. "Oh, don't you bother yourself about that, Boss. Me and Bo can take care of ourselves."

Boss just smiled. "Oh, I'm sure you can � Come on, Rosco. I need to get me a snack."

Now, poor ol' Rosco had just stood there, holding Flash in his arms, watching and not understanding. He knew what he'd seen; why was they makin' nice with the Franklin girls? It just didn't add up. Had he got it wrong? No; there was no mistaking the angry look Luke was giving him right now. It was only a few notches less intense that the one he'd seen when Luke spotted him watchin' them �

"Rosco! Git over here!"

Boss's voice startled him into motion. "I'm comin', little fat buddy �"

As they left, Aimee turned to Luke. "Luke? What was that all about?"

Luke sighed. "A couple of days ago, we caught Rosco sneakin' around the house. He � kinda saw somethin' he wasn't supposed to see � I really don't want to say any more."

Aimee nodded, understanding. "Boss knows, then. That's bad �"

Bo gave a heavy sigh. Their nice evening out wasn't turning out to be much fun. "Ain't been much but bad news lately."

The sadness in his voice got to Luke. "Now listen, Bo. It ain't over about that race until noon Monday. There's still a chance �"

Annabelle had had just about enough of this nonsense. She snuggled up against Luke again. "I'll take your mind off your troubles, Luke," she purred.

Bo frowned at the sound of her voice; he didn't have to see her to know she was comin' on strong. "Now wait just a minute, Annabelle �"

He couldn't see Luke plucking her hands off him. "Bo's right, Annabelle. You know the score."

Annabelle couldn't believe he was rejecting her AGAIN. "Well! If that's the way you want it, fine. Come on, Aimee."

Aimee stayed where she was. "No, Annabelle. If you want to go, that's fine. Bo and Luke will make sure I get home safe, won't you?"

Bo's arm wrapped around her shoulders. "You know we will, Aimee."

Luke nodded, making it unanimous.

Annabelle huffed, then turned and stalked out of the Boar's Nest. From his office, Boss watched with a smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jesse parked the truck out back of the Hazzard Garage, where Cooter had a small apartment. He was so nervous he almost couldn't breathe. He just sat there for about 5 minutes, not sure what he was going to do. Just when he was about to chicken out and start the truck back up, Cooter came out the door.

"Jesse! Come on in!" Cooter called out to him, a huge grin on his face.

// Well, can't very well take off now � // Jesse took a deep breath to steady his nerves and climbed down out of the truck. He managed a smile as he answered, "Evening, Cooter."

Cooter laid a friendly hand on Jesse's shoulder as he ushered him into the apartment. "Don't you look nice tonight!"

Jesse actually felt himself blushing as Cooter continued.

"Not that you had to get all dressed up for me, Jesse. In fact, it's kinda dangerous. What if somebody'd seen you? We still need to keep this on the Q.T., you know?"

Jesse sighed. "Lord, don't I know, Cooter." Earlier that day, he'd told the mechanic what had happened the other day with Rosco. He sank nervously onto the sofa, noticing that the curtains was all closed.

Cooter could see his friend was mighty nervous, so he went into the kitchen and came back out with a couple of glasses and handed one to Jesse as he sat down beside him.

"To good friends, Jesse."

Jesse smiled and touched his glass to Cooter's before taking a sip. It was a really nice cognac, had to be really expensive.

"Cooter? This is the good stuff!"

The mechanic grinned. "Only the best for you, Jesse! Business has been good lately, I figured it was worth it. This is a special night."

Jesse nodded, clutching nervously at his glass.

Cooter's head tipped to one side as he gazed at his friend. "Jesse? You sure you still want to do this?"

Jesse took another swallow. "I � Cooter, I can't say I'm not scared. But it's like I told the boys 'tother day. If''n they let the fear of discovery keep them apart, then Rosco wins. I been hidin' for over 40 years, never gittin' what I really wanted. It's time for me, Cooter. My turn."

As Jesse spoke, Cooter saw some of the fear leave his eyes. He smiled and nodded, reaching out to put his arm around Jesse's shoulders. He let his hand rub gently over the older man's back, soothing and yet more just because of the unaccustomed intimacy.
"You like that, Jesse?" Cooter asked softly.

Jesse nodded, smiling shyly, reaching out and letting his hand fall on Cooter's leg. He was still nervous as all get out, but there was something growing underneath it now. An excitement, anticipation. A whole different kind of nervous.

As Jesse's hand slid over his thigh, Cooter smiled and reached out to tug at Jesse's string tie. Truth be told, he'd been mighty flattered at the way Jesse had dressed up for him. Not that it had even occurred to him to do somethin' like that. He was wearin' his usual jeans and shirt with the sleeves cut off.

Once the tie was loose, Cooter's fingers tugged at the buttons of Jesse's collar, his hand slipping under the soft cotton, sliding over Jesse's shoulder. He could tell that even this simple touch was affecting the older man as his breathing became a bit ragged. Cooter slid his hand out, his palm coming up to cup Jesse's face, fingers sliding through the snow white beard. He held Jesse's eyes with his for a moment before closing them and leaning in.

Jesse felt a shudder go through his entire body as Cooter's lips touched his. It was softer than he'd expected, gentle. Nothing like the frantic, almost angry memories of his first time, so long ago � He found himself opening to it, welcoming it as Cooter's tongue slid inside his mouth. His arms moved of their own accord, wrapping around the mechanic's slender body, holding him close. It was power, and sensation, and 40 years of need unleashed by that one kiss. He was hard, so painfully hard, so fast he couldn't rightly believe it.

After a while, Cooter gently pulled away from him and stood up, offering Jesse his hand. "Come on, Jesse. Let's do this right."

Jesse let Cooter pull him up from the couch and lead him back to the bedroom. Cooter pulled him into another kiss, but this time his hands worked at the rest of the buttons on Jesse's shirt, tugging it out from his slacks. A threadbare undershirt was all that stood between his hands and the soft white curls on Jesse's chest. He pulled away to give Jesse room to finish getting out of the shirt and undershirt.

Feeling bolder now, Jesse reached out trembling hands to undo the snaps on Cooter's shirt, and soon it joined Jesse's on the floor. Naked now from the waist up, they came together, skin to skin, hands caressing, holding, as they kissed. Cooter eased Jesse down to the bed, lying beside him. One hand slowly ran along Jesse's side, over his belly, down to the hardness between his legs. Jesse let out a gasp as Cooter first touched him, his whole body on fire. Cooter kissed him again as his hand began massaging that hot, hard package.

Jesse thought he was just going to explode from the sensations running through his body. He'd never felt this good; never. Cooter's kisses were something he hadn't expected; it just took his breath away. And that hand knew exactly how to touch him. Somehow, his belt had gotten opened and that hand was slipping inside, under his shorts, right where he wanted it. He groaned as Cooter's long fingers stroked him, spreading around the moisture that had started seeping out. And Cooter just kept kissing him while his hand was working its magic. His hands clutched at Cooter's shoulders and back, the warmth of that contact almost as important as what was going on below.

After a while, Cooter let go and shifted slightly. His lips left Jesse's, tracing a slow trail down his neck, shoulder, chest, ever downward. Jesse realized where he was headin', and helped Cooter finish pulling off his pants and boots. And then those soft, warm lips wrapped around him where it mattered most, and Jesse let out a soft cry. Cooter worked him slowly, carefully, his tongue rubbing circles around the swollen head, then sliding down the side, back and forth, again and again. At this point, Jesse was beyond thought, he could only feel, the incredible sensation of Cooter's mouth sucking him soft and slow. He wanted more, but he wanted this to last forever, too. It was the sweetest torture. His hips began moving, thrusting to meet Cooter's down strokes, demanding more. Cooter responded, picking up the pace, until Jesse came with a hoarse cry, filling his mouth with the thick, musky liquid.

When he was sure Jesse was done, Cooter sat up and moved to lie beside Jesse again, pulling the old man into his arms. "You ok, Jesse?" he asked softly again, one hand brushing some stray hairs back from Jesse's eyes.

"OK. Nope, it'll be a long time before I come down far enough to qualify for just 'ok,'" Jesse rambled.

Cooter gave a soft laugh, and snuggled closer. "I know you waited a long time for that, Jesse. I wanted to make it extra special for you �"

Jesse was touched by Cooter's concern. As he began recovering a little of his strength, he rolled over onto his side so he could see his companion better. "Ya did, Cooter. I'll never forget that �"

Cooter just smiled and nodded, satisfied that he'd done what he set out to do.

Just about then, Jesse realized that Cooter was still wearin' his pants. He let one hand trail softly over Cooter's side, coming to rest on his belt.

Cooter caught his hand. "You don't have to, Jesse. This was a gift I wanted to give ya."

Jesse raised one eyebrow. "You sayin' you don't want it?"

Cooter laughed. "Heck, no!" He moved Jesse's hand down, showing him the proof of what Cooter wanted. "Just don't want you to feel like you have to."

Jesse felt a thrill as his hand found Cooter's prize. His body was far too old to feel the quick rush for round two, but even so, there was something. He let his fingers roam over the denim, feeling the man underneath, all hard and solid. He grinned at Cooter. "Just try and stop me!"

Cooter laughed and flopped over onto his back, his hands tugging at his belt. Moments later they had the jeans off, revealing his lack of underwear. Jesse stared at it, realizing that this was the first time he'd ever actually seen another man aroused. That one other time, long ago, had been rushed, a few moments furtive pleasure in the dark. It seemed like a different thing all together.

His hand reached out, fingers wrapping around the shaft, feeling the weight of it, the softness of the skin, the hardness underneath. He was barely aware of the soft sigh Cooter gave at his touch. He began stroking gently, almost afraid of hurting his friend. But the sounds of pleasure coming from Cooter's throat encouraged him to get more aggressive. His heart once again pounding in his chest, he bent down and took it into his mouth. A heavy, musky scent filled his nostrils, complementing the saltiness his tongue found. It almost left him feeling light-headed.

He tried to remember what Cooter had done, sucking on him so sweetly. But it was hard to think with that big solid dick in his mouth. Even though his body had already found completion, this was doing something to him. It felt so right to be doin' this, to feel Cooter's need, to answer it. It was a pleasure unto itself. He found himself picking up speed, as Cooter joined the effort, his hips thrusting upwards toward Jesse. He vaguely realized his friend was talking.

"Oh, damn, Jesse, that's good! Uh! Oh, yeah, that's it! Oh, god, yes!"

Now Jesse hadn't learned yet all the tricks for making it last. And Cooter wasn't about to interrupt him just at the moment. So it wasn't all that long before Cooter cried out a warning.

"Jesse � I'm a comin'! Oh, God!!!"

He nearly choked on the huge amount of liquid that suddenly filled his mouth, his throat. But somehow he figured out how to swallow around the mouthful of solid flesh as Cooter's whole body arched up off the bed. And then, it was over. Cooter's hand slid into his hair, grabbing the back of his head.

"Jesse, come here." Cooter's voice was a bit breathless still. Jesse let his friend pull him down beside him again, settling his head on Cooter's shoulder. It felt kind of strange, and yet wonderful. Cooter's arm wrapped around him, holding him close. He looked up, his eyes filled with uncertainty.

"Did I do OK?"

Cooter couldn't help but laugh. "I think that's kinda obvious, Jesse! Of course ya did!"

Jesse again felt himself blushing as Cooter's hand wove into his hair. He didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything. They just lay together quietly for a while, enjoying the closeness. Jesse began to understand a little of what Bo and Luke shared. It was a beautiful thing. He didn't dare hope that this thing with Cooter could grow into something like that. For him, for now, this was enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was close to midnight by the time Bo and Luke got home. After Boss had butted out and Annabelle had stormed off, the night had gotten a lot better. Aimee had stayed with them, laughing and talking all night. Luke finally understood why Bo was so fond of her. She really was very sweet, and when she was with people she was comfortable with, she could be funny as all get out. She'd just spent so much time in Annabelle's shadow, people thought of her as the fat, shy, ugly sister. But somehow, Bo had always seen past that, and Luke was ashamed to admit he hadn't.

They'd walked Aimee home, Bo's arm around her shoulders, Luke following just behind. He didn't like it much, but understood why Bo was doing it. As they walked, Bo brought up a sensitive subject.

"Aimee? Can I ask a big favor of you?"

"Sure, Bo."

"Luke told you earlier that we caught Rosco spyin' on us. Uncle Jesse reminded us that there's still laws on the books makin' what we do illegal �"

Aimee nodded, then remembered Bo couldn't see her. "Sodomy laws," she answered quietly.

Bo shuddered at the word. It sounded so � evil. "Yeah. We got to know exactly what's illegal, so's we can know whether they could put us in jail for what Rosco saw �"

Aimee squeezed gently with the arm wrapped around Bo's waist. "I got some pamphlets put out by a gay-rights group in Atlanta back at the Library. I'll get you some next week, ok?"

Bo hugged her back. "Thanks, Aimee. I knew you'd have somethin'."

Aimee slowed as they came to the place she shared with Annabelle. "Well, I guess it's time to call it a night. Thanks, boys, I had a real nice time."

Surprisingly, it was Luke who answered. "We did too, Aimee. I just hope we don't cause you no trouble with Annabelle."

Aimee just shook her head. "Don't worry, Luke. I'll deal with her." She turned to Bo and gave him a big hug, then turned and surprised Luke by hugging him too.

"You two take good care of each other, you hear?" she whispered into Luke's ear.

Luke couldn't help smiling back at her. "Yes, ma'am. We always do �"

Luke watched as she went up the steps into the house, then took Bo's arm and headed back to where the General was parked. It felt kind of nice to be able to walk down the street like this, arm in arm. But he knew the only reason they got away with it was Bo's blindness. Once he could see again � and he WOULD, Luke was sure of it � they'd have to go back to 'normal.'

The short drive back home was quiet, each of them lost in his own thoughts, until Luke pulled into the farm. And noticed that Jesse's pickup wasn't there.

"Well, well, well! Looks like we still got the place to ourselves!"

"Uncle Jesse's not back from his 'date?'" Bo was really kind of surprised.

Luke parked the General Lee and they got out. He came around the car and collected Bo's hand, leading him into the house, which was completely dark. As they walked down the hall toward their bedroom, Luke confirmed, "His bedroom door's still open! Don't that beat all!"

Bo grinned. "I hope they had a good time. They both deserve it."

Luke closed the bedroom door behind him. "You can say that again. And you know what? So do we."

He pulled Bo to him, claiming his lips hungrily. It was going to be a good night all around �

Continue on to Chapter 6

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Ch 5