With his car in Jesse's hands, River had time and nothing else to do exept wait for Jesse to finish fixing his car.
He had called his brother today and showed him the town, and all the elders he met.
The town was small. Real small. But it wasn't unfriendly.

"River, right?" asked a guy his age stocking crates behind the corner store. "Heard you helped Miss Bonnie with her garden."
"Word travels fast," River muttered.
"Especially when you're the only fresh face in town." he winked.

River kept doing odd tasks, today it was fixing an old lady's laptop, yesterday it was painting a shed and helping at the diner during a rush.

Before he knew, a week had already passed.
Jesse was always around, fixing something, driving someone, chatting and laughing like he had everything he wished for in the world.

"You're makin' us look bad," Jesse teased one day as they carried crates together.
"Keep this up and they'll never let ya leave."
River rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and you'd miss having someone around who isn't allergic to your stupid jokes."

Jesse just grinned.
"Nah. I'd miss the way you keep lookin' at me when you think I ain't watchin'." He said with a teasing spark in his eyes. River choked on nothing. "I do not-"
"You do." Jesse winked. "And it's cute."

One evening, Jesse pulled up in his truck.
"Wanna ride out to the lake again? Bonfire tonight. I'll introduce some folks more ya speed."
"Is this your way of finally admitting you're not the only hot guy in town?"
Jesse chuckled. "Depends, but I'm the only one fixin' ya car though."

..
The bonfire was lively, full of laughter and sining, music from someone's guitar, and half a dozen people around: Jesse's cousins, friends in and out of town, even a couple guys from the next county over.
River didn't know what to expect, but he felt oddly welcomed by everyone.

Jesse introduced River to his circle. "This here's my guy, River. Don't let the city smirk fool ya'll. He's alright." River scoffed, bumping Jesse with his shoudler. "Your guy?"
Jesse leaned close. "Unless you're objectin'?"
River flushed but said nothing.

He was quiet at first, taking everything around him in but slowly, with Jesse's arm brushing his, the warmth of the fire and the pull of something undeniable between them, he relaxed.
As the fire dimmed and the crowd tailed off all around, Jesse and River sat shoulder to shoulder.

"You ever think about just...stopping?" River asked, feeling almost sentimental,
"Not running to the next thing. Just staying?"
Jesse looked at him, face lit gold by the flames. "Yeah. I do now Riv,"
River turned, wanting to be even closer to the endlessly gentle and kind man beside him.
And before either could say anything else, Jesse grabbed River's face between his large hands and kissed him. Softly but certain.

...
The drive back to Jesse's place was charged with sexual tension, that had been building for weeks now.
Jesse's hand kept finding River's thigh, squeezing and stroking as they sped down the dark road. River couldn't stop touching Jesse either, fingers through the other man's hair, tracing the strong line of his jaw, brushing over the growing bulge in his jeans.
Trying to get as close as the tiny space of Jesse's old pickup would allow.

"Fuck, Riv," Jesse growled as he pulled into the parking lot.
"I want ya' all over me, feelin' every part..." River groaned at the promise.
"Less talking, more doing baby," he panted, his hands roaming up and down Jesse's thick biceps, as Jesse tried to open his door handle.

They practically fell into the room, clothes flying in their haste to get naked.

-(CUT OUT)-

A few more erratic thrusts and he was spilling inside River too.
They collapsed together, a tangle of sated limbs. Trying to catch their breath.

Jesse pressed a tender kiss to River's damp forehead. "You're mine Riv, no matter where you are."
River smiled softly, tracing Jesse's lips with his finger.
The glow in his eyes saying everything that he didn't tell Jesse yet.

To be continued...

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(A short Webtoon will follow soon! I'm almost finished drawing it ^-^)