Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes of Hazzard, not making any money, just cheap thrills.
Warning: Slash, Incest, First Time, Angst
Rating: FRAO
Italics and/or * indicates thoughts
*
Several hours later we headed home. After Bo had come back to the cabin, we had a long talk about where we would go from here. It was ironic really, I had been in the Marines, had been to war and yet I was the one who was afraid. As my cousin drove us home, it gave me plenty of time to think about what was scaring me. By the time we reached the farm, I was sure I'd figured out that I was most afraid that Bo would give up on me. I wasn't really afraid that he didn't mean it when he said he loved me. I know Bo better than anybody and though I'd seen him in love, I'd never seen that look in his eyes before. I couldn't help the warmth that spread through me, knowing that it was me Bo was looking at with a love more intense than anything I've ever seen.
When Bo parked the General next to the house, I saw Uncle Jesse at the picnic table, snapping grean beans, and the warm feeling fled. Taking a deep breath, I swallowed hard and climbed out of the car, steeling myself to face my uncle. I sure hoped Bo was right when he said that Uncle Jesse would understand, not that I planned to tell him everything. Walking over to the picnic table and sitting down, I looked up from the ground when Bo sat beside me, his smile giving me the courage I needed.
"Uncle Jesse, guess we need to talk, or at least I need to tell you what's been going on with me. I suppose the first thing I should tell ya is, I ain't been doing anything illegal." I was ignoring the fact that the club I'd gone to was considered to be an illegal club. "Uncle Jesse I figured out something about a year ago, I'd suspected it for a while but...." I stopped speaking, unsure of how to continue.
"Luke, whatever it is you can tell me, ya ain't got to be scared boy," Uncle Jesse assured me, giving my hand a squeeze.
"Well, the thing is...Uncle Jesse I'm gay," there I'd said it, now all I could do was wait for his reaction.
"That's why you've been sneaking off?"
"Yeah, been going to Atlanta. There's bars there, for men like me," I replied.
"Why didn't ya tell us?"
I couldn't believe how calmly he was taking this. I just told my uncle that I'm gay and he sits here asking questions, as calm as if I'd just told him I liked peach pie over apple. "I was afraid y'all would hate me if you knew," I finally admitted.
"HATE YOU?" He yelled the question, guess I should've known he wouldn't like that. "Lukas K. Duke, how could you think that any of us would hate you for being gay? We're your family boy, I thought you knew what that meant." The hurt in his voice was so clear, I couldn't help wishing he'd go back to yelling.
"I'm sorry Uncle Jesse, I should've known that you wouldn't hate me. It's just that, well there's so many people that think it's a sin. Like I told Bo, before I realized that I'm one of them, I thought the same thing. It wasn't until I accepted that I'm gay that I understood it's not something you choose. I know now that this is just the way I am, the way God made me, but I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it. I never meant to hurt or worry any of you, can ya ever forgive me?"
"Forgive ya? Of course I forgive ya Luke. I know ya never meant to hurt us, and I sure don't blame ya for being the way God made ya. Now is there anything else you need to tell me?"
I hated lying to him and I knew that Bo didn't agree with me, but he was going along with my decision to keep our feelings a secret for now. I wasn't sure how Uncle Jesse would take the idea of his two nephews together, and besides we weren't even sure yet if there was an us. "No Uncle Jesse, that's all there is," I told him, before standing up and heading out to the barn for evening chores.
After Luke went to the barn, I got up to follow him, stopping when Uncle Jesse called my name. "Yes sir?"
"I know Luke didn't tell me everything and I'm not going to ask you what he's holding back. I would never ask you to betray his trust like that, I just need to know one thing. Is there anything else I need to worry about?"
I let go the breath I hadn't even known I was holding, I thanked God that Uncle Jesse didn't expect me to tell him the rest of Luke's secret. I couldn't help being relieved that he'd asked a question I could answer honestly, "No sir, there's nothing you need to worry about."
"Alright, you better go help Luke with the chores."
Giving a short nod, I jogged off to the barn to help Luke. Coming inside the barn I saw Luke sitting on a bale of hay, staring off into space. "Luke? You okay?"
"Huh? Hey Bo, yeah I'm fine. Did Uncle Jesse ask you anything?"
"Just if there was anything else for him to worry about. I wish we could tell him...never mind, forget I said anything."
"I'm sorry Bo, I know it's hard for you to hide stuff from Uncle Jesse, especially something this important. But we talked about this cousin, it's not gonna be easy to get past my problems. At least if nobody else knows about our feelings and it doesn't work out we're the only ones affected by it."
I knew that what he said made sense, but that didn't mean I had to like it. "I know Luke and I ain't arguing with ya, I'll just be glad when we can tell them about us. Well come on, we got chores to do," I said, trying to act normal.
Three weeks later and I was starting to feel the urge to return to Atlanta. I just didn't know how I was going to explain it to Bo, heck I didn't know how to explain it to me. Things between us had been going really well, not that we'd done anything beyond kissing and cuddling, but it was a start. I woke up every morning with my arms wrapped around the man I loved and thanking God for letting my dreams come true. Even after three weeks, I still kept expecting to wake up and discover it really was just a dream. I hadn't figured out yet how he could love me, especially after what he'd seen. His love was the only thing that kept me from running to Atlanta, back to the club. *Lord this doesn't make any sense. What's wrong with me? I have everything I've ever dreamed of and I still feel the need to go back to that...sickness. Dear God give me strength, please help me to resist the temptation, don't let me hurt Bo like that. You know it would tear him up if I went back, if I let those men, but I'm not sure I can fight it. Help me please,* Luke prayed, jumping in surprise when Bo walked into their bedroom.
"Hey there you are. You trying to get out of helping me replace the General's brakes?"
"Nah, just wanted to grab a bandana that's all," I explained, picking up a bandana from the dresser. "Well what are ya waiting for?" I asked when he just stood there looking at me, not saying a word.
"The truth," Bo answered simply, folding his arms across his chest and leaning casually against the wall.
"What are ya talking about Bo?"
"I'm talking about the last three nights, you waking up from nightmares. I've heard you talking in your sleep, you're dreaming about what happened at the club aren't you?"
I looked away from him, dreading what was coming, knowing that I couldn't lie to him.
"Luke?"
"Sort of," I told him, delaying the inevitable for as long as possible.
"Sort of? What do you mean?"
"In my dreams, it's not me that's in the club...it's you."
"Me?" He squeeked out, clearly not expecting that. "Why would you be dreaming about me being in that.... Luke, am I being hurt or am I hurting somebody?"
I looked up at that, surprised to find him standing next to me, one arm on top of the dresser. I must've really been out of it, if I didn't even notice him moving towards me. "You were being hurt and I was in the observation room watching. Somehow when you look up, you're able to see me and you...Bo you look at me with so much hatred in your eyes. That's when I finally see the face of the man who's hurting you, it's me Bo...."