Friends or Lovers?

Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes of Hazzard, not making any money, just cheap thrills


Warnings: Angst, Slash


Rating: FRT


Friends or Lovers?
Chapter 6


On his way back to the farm Luke radioed Daisy, letting her know that he'd found Bo. Taking a deep breath as he parked the General, he braced himself and reluctantly climbed from the car.

"Where is he Luke?" Jesse asked, glancing behind his nephew, as he came in the door.


"He didn't come home with me Uncle Jesse, but he's safe."


"Safe? He's with that man he was talking about, isn't he?"


"Why does it matter where he's staying?"


"How can ya ask that? Don't you realize what could happen if word gets out about your cousin and this man?"


"Well how is word going to get out Uncle Jesse? We're the only ones who know that Bo has fallen in love with a man, you don't think he's going to tell everybody do ya?"


"Bo are you..." Daisy began as she came hurrying into the kitchen, stopping when she realized her youngest cousin wasn't there. "Where's Bo?"


"He's not here Daisy, he's staying with a friend," Luke explained.


"He's safe though?"


"He's safe," Luke confirmed.


"Tell me where he is Luke," Jesse said.


"Why? So you can go over there and give him more grief?"


"So I can go over there and make him come home."


"He's not going to come home Uncle Jesse, not now."


"I ain't having him living with his...friend," Jesse said, emphasizing the last word.


"What are you going to do Jesse?" Luke asked. "Beat him until he agrees with you?"


"Don't you take that tone with me boy," Jesse snapped. "You know better than that, I ain't gonna beat him anymore than I would beat you or Daisy. But I ain't gonna let him ruin his life with this sin and foolishness, now tell me where he is."


"No."


"Fine, it's not like Hazzard is that big, I'll find him myself," Jesse declared. Knowing that there wasn't any point in looking tonight, Jesse went to bed.


"Are you sure Bo's okay Luke?" Daisy asked.


"He's upset Daisy, but he's safe."


"This friend he's staying with, is it the man he's fallen in love with?" she quietly asked.


"Does it matter?" Luke asked, wondering if maybe she felt the same way as Jesse.


"I don't care that he's in love with a man, don't exactly understand it, but I love Bo and as long as he's happy that's all I care about. I just want to be sure he's safe, are you sure this man isn't going to hurt him?"


"Trust me on this Daisy, the man Bo loves would never deliberately hurt him."


"You're sure?"


"Positive," Luke replied. "I think I'm going to bed now, gonna have extra chores to do in the morning," he pointed out. "Goodnight Daisy," he said, kissing her on the cheek.


"Goodnight Luke."


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Cooter woke up the next morning, his arms wrapped around Bo's waist, bringing a smile to his face. Though he hated to do it, he knew he'd have to get up, so carefully untangling himself from his lover, Cooter climbed from the bed and quietly left the room. Showering quickly, he got dressed and headed to the kitchen to start breakfast.


"Morning love," Bo whispered, coming up behind Cooter and wrapping his arms around him a short time later.


"Morning," Cooter greeted, turning his head and giving his lover a quick kiss. "Sleep well?"


"Yeah, didn't like waking up alone though," he whispered in his lover's ear. "Why didn't ya wake me?"


"Figured you could use the sleep," he replied. Flipping the sausage in the pan, he laid his spatula down and turned in his lover's arms. "Breakfast'll be ready soon but I think ya got time for a shower if ya want."


"Trying to say I stink?" Bo teased.


"Well..." Cooter replied. Pulling Bo's head down, he kissed him deeply, "You feeling okay?"


"I feel great," Bo replied, lowering his head for another kiss.


"Ya sure do," Cooter agreed, pulling him closer. "Ouch," he cried out as the grease in the pan popped, hitting him on his bare back.


"You okay?"


"Yeah, just got popped with grease. Could you get me a shirt?"


"Sure," Bo answered. Going to the bedroom, he quickly returned with a clean shirt, "Here ya go."


"Thanks," Cooter said, laying down the spatula and slipping the shirt on. "Get the eggs out?"


"You got it."


"Thanks babe," leaning over to kiss Bo. "How ya want your eggs?"


"Sunny side up?"


"You got it," Cooter smiled, cracking a couple of eggs and letting them slide from the shell into the hot grease. "You want to get plates and silverware?" A few minutes later and they were sitting down to breakfast. "Bo?"


"Yeah?"


"Do you want to come to the garage with me?"


"Hadn't thought about it, just assumed I would."


"I'd love to have you spend the day with me, but if you're there Jesse'll probably find ya," he reluctantly pointed out.


"I hadn't thought of that," Bo sighed. "Maybe I should stay here, don't want to cause trouble for ya."


"Trouble for me?"


"If he finds out I'm staying with you, he'll probably figure out you're the one I'm in love with."


"Bo, I love you and I'm not ashamed of that. Hold on," he said when Bo started to interrupt him. "I know I haven't advertised the fact that I prefer men, but it ain't cause I'm ashamed of it, I just didn't figure it was anybody's business."


"What about your business? If Uncle Jesse knows you're the man I'm with, he could tell everybody about you being gay, it could affect the garage."


"First of all, I don't care what happens to the garage as long as I have you. Secondly I don't think it'll be that much of a problem."


Bo didn't say anything, just gave him a disbelieving look.


"Oh sure there'll be a few that will refuse to come to the garage, and probably make a few threats," Cooter said when he saw the look. "I just figure most folks won't care that much, especially when they're needing their cars fixed or towed."


"What if they do? I don't want to cost you the garage."


"If I end up losing the garage because folks can't accept me being gay, that won't be your fault. If things get bad enough that I can't keep the garage, I'll sell it and do something else."


"We'll do something else."


"We'll do something else," he agreed with a grin. "So, ya coming to the garage?"


"Guess so," Bo smiled at his lover.


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The moment breakfast and chores were done, Jesse got in his pick-up and left the farm, searching for Bo. Deciding the best place to start was in town, he drove as quickly as he could and parked at Cooter's garage. Getting out he was surprised that Cooter wasn't already at the garage, shrugging it off, he began walking through town, asking if anybody had seen Bo.


"Bo," Cooter said, nodding towards the garage.


Turning towards his lover, Bo saw the gesture and looked in the direction he indicated, his eyes widening. "Guess it won't be long before he finds out," he commented when he saw the pick-up.


"I can take ya back to the house if ya don't want to face him yet," Cooter quickly offered.


"No," Bo refused, "thanks anyway."


"It'll be okay babe," he assured his lover, reaching over to give his hand a comforting squeeze.


Smiling weakly at the older man, Bo took a deep breath as Cooter parked the truck in it's usual spot. Shakily opening the door, he climbed from the truck and followed his lover into the building. He was just starting to relax when he heard somebody coming into the garage.


"Well there ya are," Jesse greeted his nephew, relieved to find him.


Turning towards his uncle, Bo mentally braced himself, "Here I am."


"Can I talk to ya son? Privately," Jesse asked.


"Cooter, it okay if we use the office?" Bo called.


"Sure Bo," Cooter replied, watching with concern as the two men disappeared into the office.


Leading his uncle into the small room, Bo waited for the older man to move away from the door before he shut it. "What would ya like to talk about?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest and leaning againt the wall.


"I'm sorry about last night Bo, I had no business threatening to hit you," he apologized.


"That the only thing you're sorry for?"


"I know ya want me to say it's okay that you've fallen in love with a man, but I can't do that Bo."


"I didn't expect ya to jump for joy Uncle Jesse, but I thought you'd at least let me be who I am. You've always told us that people have a right to live like they want to," Bo softly pointed out.


"They do, but you ain't like that Bo, you're just mixed up."


"I ain't mixed up Uncle Jesse, I'm in love, just happens to be a man I'm in love with."


"Ya ain't never been attracted to a man before," Jesse pointed out.


"Not true," Bo countered. "I just never had the nerve to do anything about it before, heck it scared the hell out of me the few times I realized I was attracted to a man."


"There ya see, that proves this ain't really you," Jesse jumped on Bo's words.


"Seems to me it proves that it is me, just that I had to fall in love before it stopped scaring me."


"No!" Jesse yelled. "This man must've twisted ya up somehow until ya don't know who ya are anymore and I know it's partly my fault."


Cooter looked up at the yell, wondering if he should go into the office. Listening carefully, he didn't hear anymore yelling or worse anything that sounded like a fight. Deciding that for now he'd wait, he went back to pretending to work.


"How do ya figure that?" Bo asked.


"If I hadn't hurt you in that warehouse I'm sure you wouldn't have been vulnerable to this man's games."


"Are you kidding me?" Bo scoffed. "Do you really think that I'm so stupid that I'd fall for some game?"


"I don't think you're stupid at all Bo, but I do think that after what you went through you're not thinking straight and obviously this man took advantage of that."


"No he didn't! He loves me and I love him, why can't you just accept that?"


"I ain't gonna accept you doing something that will condemn you to hell," Jesse countered.


"You really think God doesn't have anything better to do than worry about my sex life?" Looking up at the ceiling, he spread his arms wide. "Let's find out...here I am God, Bo Duke and I've fallen in love with a man. We have sex with each other God, what do ya think of that? Want to strike me down for sinning? Go ahead, I dare ya!"


Without thinking, Jesse stepped closer and slapped his nephew's face. "How dare you!" he yelled, furious at hearing his nephew speaking to his maker like that.


Stumbling back, Bo crashed against a shelf, knocking several cans of oil to the floor.


"Shit!" Cooter snapped, dropping his tools and running for the office. "What did you do?" he demanded of Jesse, as he moved closer to his lover. "Are ya okay?"


"I'm fine, he just slapped me," Bo replied.


"What the hell were you thinking Jesse?" Cooter growled, turning to the older man.


"This ain't none of your business Cooter," Jesse snapped. "I'm sorry I hit ya Bo, but ya know better than to talk to God like that."


"And did you notice that the only one who reacted was you? You, not God, don't seem God really cares about my love life."


"Just cause He didn't do anything, doesn't mean He approves," Jesse pointed out.


Shaking his head, Bo looked at his uncle with sadness and resignation, "Go home Uncle Jesse."


"Not without you."


"I ain't going to your home Jesse."


"My home? It's your home too sprout..."


"Don't!" Bo snapped. "Ya got no right to call me that, not with the way you're acting."


"Calm down Bo," Cooter soothed, instinctively running a hand over his lover's back.


Looking between them, Jesse's eyes widened as realization struck. "Cooter's the man you think you're in love with, isn't he?"


"No, Cooter's the man I know I'm in love with."


"How long has this been going on?"


"Why?"


"Is this why you were so quick to help Bo?" he snarled at Cooter.


"What?" Cooter asked, not liking what Jesse was hinting at.


"You were sure mad at me for hurting Bo, or was that just a good excuse to get closer to him. Don't ya see Bo? He didn't help you cause he cares, it was just a way to get you where he wanted ya."


"Get out!" Bo snapped.


"And leave you here with him?" Jesse sneered. "Ya expect me to just let him take advantage of ya?"


"I expected ya to respect me enough to accept what I want and let me live my life as I choose, like ya would for anybody else. Now though I just expect you to leave."


"I ain't leaving," Jesse declared, stubbornly bringing his arms across his chest.


"Fine! I will then," Bo said, striding out of the office and quickly leaving the garage.


Giving Jesse a disdainful look, Cooter hurried after his lover, "Bo wait."


Stopping, he turned back to his lover, waiting for him to catch up to him. "I ain't gonna talk to him anymore."


"I ain't asking ya to," Cooter quickly assured him. "Just don't want ya to take off on foot," he explained. "There's a blue chevy out back, keys are in it."


"Thanks," Bo smiled, wishing he could kiss the older man, but not daring to out in the open.


"See ya at home later?" Cooter asked hopefully.


"Yeah," looking over Cooter's shoulder, he saw Jesse coming out of the garage. "I'm gonna go now," he quickly said, hurrying around to the back and jumping in the blue chevy.


Jesse sadly watched as his nephew practically ran in his hurry to get away from him. Glaring at Cooter, he climbed into his pick-up and drove off, following after Bo.


TBC


Sorry it took me so long to update, hope y'all liked it. Please review and tell me what you think