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After Evan learned how much Tommy enjoyed country music, he kept trying to find different activities that would involved said country music for the both of them.
For the most part Tommy was able to put him off, not really interested in doing most of the ones his fiancée had suggested. Evan’s background in cowboy-ing wasn’t helping matters either; always talking about the things him and the other ranch hands would get up to once they had finished their chores for the day. Tommy did his best not to read too much into that. Green was a bad color on him.
“Come on, babe. It’ll be fun!” Evan’s face is plastered with the biggest grin Tommy’s ever seen. He hesitates before answering.
“You know I’m not very good on my feet, Ev.” His hands are on his hips, full on dad-posing because the current situation requires that.
“Yeah, but I’ll be there to guide you.” Tommy looks at his face. Really gives it a study, wants to make sure that this is something that Evan really, truly, fully wants.
After a moment, he lets out a sigh. “Fine. We can go.” Evan don’s the biggest and most blinding smile Tommy’s ever seen in his life. “But if we run into anyone from work, I’m leaving.”
Evan places a hand to his forehead, cheekily saluting at Tommy’s empty threats. “Aye aye, captain.” Tommy can’t help but push him up against the nearest wall and kiss him about it.
And that’s how he found himself here. On a dance floor. At a honky tonk. In cowboy boots.
He would never curse Evan’s name, because this instance isn’t that dramatic, but there was definitely cursing involved. While he loved country music and how it reminded him of summer — his favorite time of year — he wasn’t sure he was ever willing to become this…traditional.
He had appeased Evan as best he could, wearing a pair of bootcut jeans with the boots that Evan had bought for him as a surprise. But other than that, he was dressed in his usual.
The song that was playing ends and Tommy makes his way back over to their table in dire need of a beer. Or maybe something stronger.
“You tired already, old man?” Evan had elected to wear a denim button-down shirt (with the top two buttons undone, of course), his best fitted pair of Levi’s, a red bandanna tied around his neck like an ascot, a Stetson they had found at one of the local flea markets they frequent, and the cowboy boots he’d bought while working in Montana.
Tommy was surprised he had kept them after all this time. “You never know,” he had said, sliding them on and under his jeans.
The whole cowboy-country get up was really doing it for Tommy. In a way that he hadn’t fully expected either. Sure, he had watched his fair share of westerns. But he couldn’t ever recall the cowboy types doing it for him. If anything, Russell Crowe in The Quick and the Dead was about as close as it got.
But standing in this place, watching Evan as he moved his way around? Tommy can’t remember ever being more enamored.
“Call me ‘old man’ again, and see what happens,” Tommy smirks at him. He watches as Evan’s mouth clacks shut and his eyes go a little wide.
“Tommy,” he hisses through his teeth. It’s clear that what he said had done its job. He sits down on one of the bar stools their table offers and signals to the bartender for a drink.
While he waits, he watches Evan on the dance floor, falling right in line with the other dancers. He’s stunning like this. Absolutely carefree. Focused more on getting the steps right than if anyone is watching him. Tommy envies him in that regard.
When he’s about halfway through his beer, a familiar tune breaks through the haze that watching Evan had caused him to experience.
So here we are, here all alone
The band quit playing, everyone went home
But the stars are still out and you’re so damn hot
Before Tommy had found Evan — before he had found himself, really — he remembers listening to this song in the spring. Playing it on loop on days when he was at his worst. When the rain was heavy and consistent. Wishing, wanting, waiting for something as simple and easy as a love song to find him.
He didn’t meet Evan for another few years, but when he did? He got in the car, hit shuffle on his playlist and it was the first song to come on. He took it as a sign and played it on repeat. He had sat in his driveway for an extra fifteen minutes just because.
Be the buzz in my Dixie cup
My steady rocking ’til the sun comes up
You know I really love to watch you dance
It feels like fate, watching Evan dance to a song that he’s loved so much his whole life. The grin on his face is huge and inviting and Tommy can’t help but make his way towards him, disregarding that he’s joining in after the song’s already part ways through.
“Finally!” Evan practically yells into his ear. His cheeks are flushed and there’s a light sheen of sweat all over him. He’s giddy. He’s gorgeous.
“You’re gorgeous,” Tommy says because he can’t help himself. It causes the red in Evan’s cheeks to go even darker and Tommy eats it up.
Before Tommy can get a real good look at him though, they’re turning and he’s now face to face with Evan’s back. He rolls his eyes. Line dancing.
They cross their feet several times, stomp and clap — with some of the more experienced attendees doing some kicks — and then are shoulder-to-shoulder again.
Tommy puts on his best smolder while keeping up with the moves. “You come here often?” He throws it at Evan when there’s a lull in the lyrics, low enough that he’d be the only one able to hear him.
Evan smiles sheepishly over at him, ducking his head a little bit. Goal: achieved.
It don’t have to make sense and it don’t have to rhyme
As long as it’s you babe, I’m all in
Tommy loses himself in the steps they had practiced together in the living room. He wasn’t nearly as good as Evan, but he was making do.
He shifts forward, placing one foot in front of the other. Does the same thing, but backwards. Taps the heel of his boot to his hand. Shimmies a bit. And now his back is to Evan’s front.
Normally, this is not something he would complain about. But in this moment, he’s in dire need of seeing his man’s face. Brow slightly furrowed in concentration. Tongue stuck slightly out the side of his mouth. Tommy doesn’t necessarily need to see it to know it’s happening.
They continue with their movements and then they’re finally shoulder-to-shoulder again. Tommy’s not sure he can deal with this much longer. He needs to be as close to Evan as possible.
They’re in the middle of the floor — how’d that happened? — so Tommy decides to make a bold move. He interrupts Evan’s flow, knowing that the song is about to come to a close anyways, places one hand on his lower back and the other behind his head, making sure he’s properly supported. And then he dips him. Right there. In front of all these people they don’t know.
He whispers the last few words into Evan’s ear, “Baby be my love song. Oh yeah, be my love song.” And then moves to lay the sweetest, most adoring kiss he can against Evan’s lips.
The final notes of the song play and the people around them hoot and holler. Cheers and claps can be heard. Tommy has never felt so high in his life.
When he sets Evan back up-right, people are still watching them, so he takes a sheepish bow, apologizes for screwing anyone up, and then leads Evan back to their table, fingers laced.
Back at their table, catching their breaths, Evan opens and closes his mouth a few times before finally speaking.
“What—
“I think we should do this regularly,” Tommy interrupts him, pulling him in close by the waist.
“Ar-are you sure?” He goes willingly, wrapping his arms around Tommy’s neck.
“Positive,” Tommy says back, unabashedly staring at Evan’s lips.
“Well," Evan starts, "then we’re gonna need to get you a better outfit.” Tommy laughs breathily, then moves in close and places a slow kiss to his fiancée’s lips.
He wants to live like this forever.