CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Noah grabbed a hold of a rock and pulled himself up. He and Cooper had gotten to the cabin just a couple hours before. After dropping off their stuff, the first thing they'd done, was go for a hike. They both loved being outdoors. Always had. The weather would be changing soon, winter keeping them from doing a lot of the things they loved to do.

"I still can't believe you don't like skiing," Cooper told him , as they worked their way along the path. "I'm making you go with me this winter. You'll end up loving it."

Noah shook his head. He loved that Cooper thought he could do anything , but this one wasn't happening. "Didn't you tell me that when we were kids? It didn't happen then and it won't happen now."

"Eh, I guess I thought you were a little smarter now then you were then. What kind of Coloradoan doesn't like to ski?"

"The kind you're fucking," Noah tossed back at him.

Cooper shoved Noah's arm, as he stepped over another rock. Noah grabbed a hold of him. "You put your hands on me and I'm not letting you go."

He wondered if Coop would pull away , but, he didn't. But then, it wasn't like there were a whole lot of people out here. It was just the two of them.

"How we going to climb if we're holding hands? I didn't know you were such a romantic, Noah."

Noah stopped walking, t ugging Coop toward him. "I like my hands on you, whenever I can have them there."

Cooper leaned forward and pressed his lips to Noah's. "You're good at this. Usually I'm the one using lines like that."

He tried to start walking again but Noah held him in place. "It's not a line, Coop. Tell me you know that."

The look in Cooper's eyes changed. Softened , but flared with heat, too. "I know."

Before Noah tried to take him right here in the trail, he let go , and they started hiking again.

"You haven't talked about your parents once since you've been back. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little curious ," Coop said.

Noah was surprised Cooper had gone this long without asking. Wasn't like it was a huge secret , but he also didn't like talking about his family. He also was never very good at keeping things from Cooper.

"Dad died about a year ago. Heart attack. Went to bed one night, never got up the next morning." He was grateful when Cooper didn't try to stop hiking as they spoke.

"Shit, man. I'm sorry about that."

"Yeah," Noah said. "Me too. I miss him. We always kept in touch over the years, even when I didn't speak to her. He loved her till the end. Didn't matter how many times she hurt him."

"Or you?" Cooper asked.

Noah looked over his shoulder and nodded. Those simple words cemented all the reasons Noah was in love with him. Because he knew he was. Trying to deny it wouldn't change it. In some way or another, he'd always loved Cooper Bradshaw. Now, he was in love with him.

"Or me."

It was another few minutes before Cooper spoke again. "And her?"

"She's alive and kicking. I went back home when Dad passed. He'd left me half of everything, so there were papers to sign and all of that. I planned the funeral. I wanted to do it for him. Not that she wouldn't have but…I don't know why, but it was important to me, and she gave me that. I left the day after and haven't seen her since."

There were days he missed her, days he even thought about calling her , but then he'd remember his father and pain he had endured all those years. He'd remember leaving different homes, leaving Cooper, and Noah just couldn't do it. He was so different than his father. The other man had forgiven so many times, Noah couldn't bring himself to ever do it. He saw forgiveness as a weakness, a way to get hurt.

Cooper let the conversation go after that. They climbed for another hour and a half before they made it to the top. Noah took in their surroundings. The thick trees, mixed with rocks and the world below them that looked a million miles away.

"It's beautiful." Noah glanced at Cooper beside him to see him looking off at the distance.

"The air feels different up here. Like it's not the same air others are breathing."

There was this sort of awe in his voice that hit Noah right in the chest. He wanted to show Cooper everything. For him to see the world differently when they were together. It's what Coop had always done for him.

"My parents used to hike. Did I ever tell you that?" Coop asked.

Noah put his hand on the back of Cooper's neck, letting his fingers run through the hair at his nape. "No. I'm even more glad we came then."

Without looking at him, Cooper replied, "I already was."

They enjoyed the view for a little while longer before having lunch. The hike down went much faster than the one up. When they made it back to the cabin, they showered before heading to a restaurant for dinner.

They were in a small town, about two hours from home. It reminded Noah of a movie from the past— an old town feel, that he'd always loved.

"I'm stuffed. Haven't had a steak that good in a long time." Cooper said, as they walked down the street.

"I'm glad you liked it." Noah wanted to touch him. There was a little voice in his head that told him he shouldn't. He wasn't sure how Co oper would deal with it. The man was still adjusting to being with another guy. Touching in public might send him over the edge but damned if he didn't want to stake claim to him in that way.

"Hey." Cooper nudged him with is arm. "We just went on our first date. I hope you don't expect me to put out."

Just like that, Cooper lightened the mood; despite the fact that Noah didn't fully grasp why it had been heavy in the first place. Reaching over, he grabbed Coop's hand. "You better put out," Noah whispered in Cooper's ear.

"I knew it. You're using me for sex." Coop tossed back at him. There was nothing except playfulness in either of their voices. And Cooper didn't pull away either. He looked down, studying their latched hands as they walked.

"This doesn't feel weird either." Coop squeezed. "Though it should , and not because you're a guy, but because I don't think I've walked down the sidewalk holding someone's hand since I was in high school."

"Is this your way of telling me I'm being clingy? Childish?" But he didn't let go. He didn't think that was what Cooper was saying, anyway. He only wanted to give him a hard time.

"No. I'm saying when I was a kid I did it because it was expected, and as an adult I didn't do it because I didn't want to give the person I dated the idea that what we had was more than what it was."

Noah nodded , Cooper's words landing right in his chest where they belonged. Trying to find out how in the fuck they got here, yet glad they were, he said, "Who would have thought, all those years ago, that the boy who made me steal magazines with naked women in them and wanted to sneak out and meet girls all the time, would be here with me?"

Coop laughed. "Not me. Hey…I wanted to ask you that for a while, now. That night of the football game when we were kids. When we were camping and supposed to meet those girls but you didn't want to go…. did you know? I mean, I know you didn't really know you were gay then, but was there something?"

"Are you asking me if I knew I wanted you when I was thirteen?"

"You're always accusing me of being cocky. What do you think of me, man?"

Noah smiled. "I think I know you and you do want to know that. But I also think I don't care. It's who you are, Coop. But…." Noah tried to think of how to reply. "Yes and no, I guess. I didn't know I was gay, but I knew I didn't feel the same way about those girls as you did. I never had. I knew then, that I'd much rather be alone with you than with them. That I would have rather been with you than anyone."

They reached Cooper's truck as soon as Noah finished talking. It was in the back of a parking lot they'd walked to, no one else around them.

Noah sucked in a deep breath when Cooper backed him against the truck, one of his hands on the hood, on either side of Noah.

"I might not have known then what it meant , but I would have rather been with you than anyone else too, Noah. Always. You've always been what's most important to me. It's as if, I've just been biding my time until we were together again. In some way or another."

He stepped closer. Lined his body against Cooper's, all ma le and musk and so Cooper; he got dizzy from his presence.

Coop leaned forward, until his mouth was right next to Noah's ear. "I wanna be with you. Want to feel you…inside me. I'm telling you right now, I plan to put out."

Coop's honesty, the way he just put himself out there, stole Noah's breath. Noah grabbed Cooper's hips, pulling Coop to him. "I'll make it good for you, baby. I'll love you so good."

He'd love him. Always.

***

Cooper's fingers shook slightly, as he went for the button on his jeans. The second they got back to the cabin, they'd gone straight to the bedroom. Excitement and hunger enflamed him, but those nerves were there, too. This wasn't a finger or a tongue. This would be Noah's dick, inside him.

But he wanted it. Wanted it so fucking much , he could hardly stand it.

"No." Noah touched his hands and Coop looked up at him, afraid he would stop them. But then Noah added, "Let me. I wanna take care of you tonight."

Cooper nodded as Noah pulled the hem of Coop's shirt up and over his head. Then removed his own, showing Coop those piercings that drove him fucking wild.

With slow fingers, he unbuttoned and unzipped Cooper's pants before dropping to his knees in front of him. He slid his hand in the back of Cooper's jeans, and cupped his ass before pushing his jeans and underwear down.

Coop thread his hands through Noah's hair, letting his head drop back, when Noah leaned forward, burying his face in Cooper's pubic hair. "You smell so fucking good." He sucked one of Cooper's balls into his mouth, then the other. He felt that one touch everywhere, making him weak. Cooper tightened his fist in Noah's hair, pulling slightly.

"You're gonna make me come before you even get inside me."

"Don't," Noah ordered. "Hold off. I wanna play a little. I'm gonna savor every part of you, baby."

Cooper moaned. Oh yeah. "I like the sound of that— Oh, fuck." He hissed when Noah took his prick all the way to the back of his throat.

Noah licked his head before saying, "I'm getting to the fucking."

"Get there quicker," Cooper gasped.

"No. Go lay on the bed." Noah walked over to his bag, pulling out the rubbers and lube. Coop went straight to the bed like he said, but wrapped a hand around his cock, stroking.

"That's my job." Noah tossed the stuff to the bed.

"Then get me off. I don't want to wait." His whole body felt primed, eager, frenzied. He'd decided he wanted this and he wanted it now.

Noah's hand covered his, making Cooper open his eyes to look at him. "Do you want me to hurry because you want me, or because you don't want to change your mind?"

That was Noah, always over -thinking, always wanting to make sure he was being the nice guy.

"Shut up and fuck me. If I changed my mind, you know I'd tell you."

A slow smile spread cross Noah's face. It took Coop's breath away.

"You asked for it. Roll over."

He almost said he wanted to do it face to face, but he trusted Noah. Cooper flipped onto his stomach, spreading his legs wide.

"Holy Christ you have no idea how fucking hot you look like that. So damn sexy, Coop."

Cooper's skin burned. His insides tingled. He was afraid one touch would send him over the edge. "Want you."

He watched over his shoulder as Noah took off the rest of his clothes, watched his prick--thick, and hard, the head purple and swollen--as he walked toward him. He lay on the bed, moved on top of Cooper and said, "You have me."

Noah slide down Cooper's body, spreading his cheeks wide. Cooper moaned when his tongue traveled down his crack, settling on his hole. He licked and probed, as Cooper started moving against him, needing more. His own cock rubbed against the comforter, creating a delicious friction he couldn't get enough of.

Behind him, Cooper heard the lube open, felt it cold on his asshole before Noah pushed a finger inside.

There was that moment of discomfort and then his body went loose. "That's damn good. Fuck… you inside me…"

Noah's fingers pumped in and out. "I gotta give you more to get your ready. Tell me if it's too—"

"Shut the fuck up, Noah. Don't treat me like I can't fucking handle this."

Cooper gasped, as Noah's teeth bit into his ass cheek. "You're right."

Then his t eeth were gone. More cold and… . "Fuck…yeah." Cooper didn't know how many fingers were inside him; how many were fucking him, and loosening him up for Noah's cock. It was tight, stretching him in a way his body had never been stretched before. He couldn't breath, couldn't move.

"You got this. Just enjoy it. I can't make you come yet or you're body will be tight and it'll be harder for you."

In. Out. In. Out. Each time Noah's fingers fucked him, it hurt less. The fingers went in easier. And soon he was moving his ass so he met Noah's movements. He started to move faster, his body now wanting more. Wherever Noah was concerned, he always wanted more.

"I need you. Please…"

Behind him, Noah groaned and pulled away. "Turn over. I wanna look at you when I make love to you."

Those words made Cooper shiver with anticipation. He flipped just as Noah was rolling a condom down his cock. He poured lube on himself, then rubbed some on Cooper's hole. When he leaned over Cooper, his body lined up between his legs, Coop froze up for a second.

"Don't…I told you I'd make it good for you. Trust me, baby."

And he did. He trusted Noah with his life. He spread his legs wider, an open invitation. And then Noah was there, his prick pushing into him.

There was pressure, so much fucking pressure.

"Relax and bear down a little."

Cooper did what Noah's said. They both gasped when the head of Noah's erection pushed inside him.

"So tight. So fucking tight I could come right now." Noah held himself over Cooper, looking down.

"You better not." He smiled and Noah started pushing in again, slower, farther until he was buried , completely inside Cooper.

He could hardly talk around his quick, short breaths. He felt so full. Ached…but there was pleasure in there , too. "Noah…fuck. Oh God." His eyes closed, probably rolling to the back of his head.

"Open them. Look at me. Look at us."

So Cooper did. He peered down, watching as Noah's hips pulled out before he thrust forward, disappearing inside Cooper's body again.

And it was incredible.

"More…give me more..."

Noah did. Pulling out and slamming forward , over and over. Cooper wrapped a hand around his own erection and started to stroke as Noah fucked him into the mattress. Each time Noah surged forward, he gasped, felt Noah's sac slap against him.

His orgasm, already pricking at his balls.

Noah was gorgeous above him. All flexing, thick muscles. Coop sped up his movements, jacking himself as Noah fucked him.

Noah pulled out, almost all the way, then leaned more, making him hit inside Cooper at a different angle. When he slammed in again, Cooper crumbled apart, his insides bursting into flames as semen shot out of the end of his cock. Each time Noah pushed in, another jet flew onto his chest. It was like his orgasm would never end, pulling him under, wave after wave.

"So fucking beautiful." Noah moaned, and then he yelled out his own orgasm, before collapsing on top of Cooper.

Coop just lay there and smiled. Fought to breathe. Neither of them spoke for the longest time, until Cooper ran his hand through Noah's hair and said, "I've never…I don't…. That was…Hell, I don't even know. I just can't wait to do it again."