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Noah stopped walking, tugging 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’ again but Noah held him in place "It’s not a line, Coop Tell ed Softened, but flared with heat, too "I know"

Before Noah tried to take hi 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 fas froo Heart attack Went to bed one night, never got up the next rateful 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 hie it In some way or another, he’d always loved Cooper Bradsha, he was in love with him

"Or ain "And her?"

"She’s alive and kicking I went back ho, 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 knohy, but it was iave me that I left the day after and haven’t seen her since"

There were days heher, but then he’d remember his father and pain he had endured all those years He’d re Cooper, and Noah just couldn’t do it He was so different than his father The otherhiiveness 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 s The thick trees, mixed with rocks and the world below thelanced at Cooper beside hi off at the distance

"The air feels different up here Like it’s not the sa"

There was this sort of awe in his voice that hit Noah right in the chest He wanted to show Cooper everything For hiether 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’ at him, Cooper replied, "I already was"

They enjoyed the view for a little while longer before having lunch The hike doent much faster than the one up When theyto 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’ tilad 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 Cooper would deal with it Thein public e but damned if he didn’t want to stake claied him with is arm "We just went on our first date I hope you don’t expect htened the rasp 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