Texas Pride

Kitt didn’t hesitate as he rose. His movement interrupted the meeting, but he gave no explanation as he went straight outside. Austin followed on his heels. They made it down the porch steps and across the fenced back yard as Micah and Jimmy came through the gate.

“For the record, I knew it,” Jimmy said.

“Me too,” Micah said as an immediate follow-up. All three of them came to a stop about two feet apart. They all stood in about the same stance with their legs apart, fingers tucked in the front pockets of their jeans. Austin was still a couple of feet from them. He broke the pattern, walking straight up behind Kitt, putting his hand on his back until it slid to the side of his waist. It took everything Kitt had not to move away from the hold, to stay there and let Austin prove himself and their relationship to these men.

“It’s weird to see you two together like this, but we talked it over, and we’re standin’ by you. I don’t like what’s bein’ said. We called Jimmy’s cousin. He’s an attorney and said he can try to stop some of it. We can pay him out,” Micah said looking from Kitt to Austin as he spoke. A dirty, dusty Mike came to stand behind Jimmy and Micah.

The show of solidarity caused emotion to well up in Kitt. He didn’t speak for a long moment fighting back the relief. He’d been so afraid of losing them all. For his entire life, he’d feared being left completely alone if anyone ever found out the truth. When Kitt stayed quiet, Austin spoke up, helping him out. He stepped up against Kitt’s back and slid his arms completely around Kitt’s waist, holding him tight.

“It’s what we’ve been inside talkin’ about for most of the day. There’s no reason to waste your money. I’m gonna stop as much of it as I can. The best thing you guys can do right now is get the people to stop talkin’, no more interviews. No more tryin’ to take up for Kitt, no defendin’ him. The press’s gonna twist and edit their words until what they said comes out completely different. They’re just makin’ it worse. Can you do that for me?” Austin asked.

“We can try. I’ll get Heather on it and head into town.”

“Me too. JoLynne can get on the girls,” Jimmy said. There was no messing around with this group of guys. Once given the job, they were on it. Before they ever hit the gate, all three were dialing their cell phones.

Within an hour, the town was silent. Kitt and Austin watched the local news and then national news. All were still in town covering the area, but no one was talking anymore.

It didn’t stop the reporter’s speculations or the nude shots of Kitt going viral, but after a few days Austin started teasing Kitt. He’d say if Kitt wasn’t such a good looking guy, no one would care. Those times always caused Kitt to blush, and he would duck his head down grinning at the suggestions that always followed. The whole interaction became their own kind of foreplay, and the end result always had them in bed, Austin trying hard to make Kitt blush again.

Within a few weeks the frenzy in town slowly came to an end. Being out allowed Austin to stay with Kitt fulltime, there was no need to hide. They worked together during the day and slept together every night. Austin kept Kitt with him, by his side pretty much twenty-four-seven and for some reason for a guy who lived his life in virtual solitude, Kitt didn’t mind having Austin with him.

“I was thinkin’ about takin’ you into town tonight for dinner. I have something I want to talk to you about.” Austin finally said a little over two weeks after everything came out.

“Do you think it’s too soon?” Kitt asked.

They were standing in Austin’s bathroom, both just showered from a particularly dirty day of running cattle. Austin’s suggestion caught Kitt off guard, causing him to stop drying his body in mid-wipe and look up at a shaving Austin’s reflection in the mirror.

Austin lifted his eyebrows. “Embarrassed to be seen out with me?”

“No, I didn’t say that.” Kitt slowly began drying himself again. His eyes narrowed in speculation.

“We need to get out as a couple if this community’s ever gonna accept us.” Austin spoke as he finished shaving.

Kitt brushed his teeth and shaved himself. Austin stayed in the bathroom after he was done and stood with his butt against the counter. He was still completely nude, his arms crossed over his chest watching Kitt. After a few minutes of Kitt staying quiet, Austin continued on. “Look, I’ve wanted to take you places. It’s reasonable to have dinner out, it’s what couples do. We need to think about travelin’ together, weekends away, goin’ out into the world together. It’s reasonable, Kitt, but the first step’s gonna be tacklin’ this town. Just because they supported you doesn’t mean they’re comfortable. We need to get them there. Plus, I’ve been thinkin’ about something. We could have a nice little dinner, talk, and then go over to that bar, have a drink or two, shoot some pool and come home.”

“Okay.” Kitt didn’t move his eyes from his reflection in the mirror to look at Austin as he patted aftershave on his face.

“Okay? That’s all you have to say?” Austin asked clearly surprised he didn’t have to fight this out.

“No PDA. Zero! None at all,” Kitt said as he turned to the closet. He had clothes here now. Not lots, but some. And, Austin had bought him a set of all his toiletries to have on hand.

“Alright. I can live by that rule for tonight. We can go as buddies so we don’t freak anyone out too badly.” Austin followed Kitt into the closet.

They dressed quietly. This was a big step for Kitt. Austin had already tackled this one by going on Late Show, but for Kitt this was his voluntary public coming out and it scared the crap out of him. After all the times of never being seen together, they were going into town for dinner. Would the photographers be gone? How would the townsfolk take them? The questions never stopped running through Kitt’s mind, and he was nervous as hell. Kitt chose his clothing carefully, feeling like a cold beer, maybe a shot or two of something would be in his very near future.