Work Text:
"What are you doing," Jack asked coming to lean on their porch railing and over watch Ray mess around. He’d seen the smallest lad fiddling with something from the kitchen window when he was marinating the chicken for dinner and now that the dead birds breast were in the fridge, he’d decided to investigate further.
Ray was looking at a bottle of motor oil or that was what Jack guessed it was, trying to guess how much was still in the bottle. He was dressed in a tank top that looked to be Michael’s and already covered with yard stains. The instruction manual for their new lawn mower was at his feet, open to a random page. Ray looked up, eyes squinting at the sun shine that was filtering over the top of the house. “Hey Jack,” Ray said and gave a adorable smile, “I’m setting up the mower.”
The mower still had the handle down over the actual cutting part of the machine and it was still sitting on the cut cardboard of the box it came in. Amused, Jack raised an eyebrow. “Why,” Jack asked.
Ray shrugged his shoulders. “Wanted to,” he said, his voice dipping into a mumble and he looked back to the bottle of oil in his hand.
“Do you need help,” Jack asked, still very much amused and turned on from his smallest lover appearance. He enjoyed working men a lot and seeing Ray- their sweet, “I’d rather curl myself up in the house than do yard work” Ray-out doing yard work was a turn on.
“No,” Ray said bending down to look at the instructions and then to the machine.
Jack sipped at his beer for a few minutes and Ray had finally put aside the bottle of oil to set up the lawn mower. “You have to pull out those T-bolts to pulled the push-handle out,” he commented when Ray was trying to get the handle to not jiggle.
“You’re being patronizing,” Ray grumbled but unscrewed the said bolts.
“I’m sorry Ray,” Jack said, “I’ll let you do it.”
“Now you sound sarcastic,” Ray said looking up to Jack, who shook his head. “If you’re going to tease me you might as well go back inside,” Ray said and Jack frowned at his lovers tone.
“I wasn’t trying to be sarcastic Ray,” Jack defended, “is everything okay?”
“I’m sorry,” Ray said, sitting down on his butt next to the machine and wiping at his forehead. It was still hot out in Texas, even in the afternoon and Ray was very hot. “Gavin came out here earlier,” Ray said and Jack could already tell where this was going. Gavin was sweet but sometimes his mouth worked before his mind did. “And he teased me for not knowing how to work this stupid piece of shit,” Ray continued, kicking at the lawnmower, “and I’ve been trying but I’ve never-I mean never- had to use one of these. My parents have lived in apartments since I was born and the complex’s took care of the grass and I’m trying, because Geoff mentioned how I just sat inside while you guys did all the yard work.”
Ray looked really upset after he was done and his hand’s had run through his hair twice in his explanation leaving his hair sloppy and oiled. Jack left his beer on the porch railing and had come down to their smallest lover. He had picked Ray up and stood him on his feet only to hug him close. “I’m alright,” Ray said even though his tone said he was happy for the hug, “I’m just trying to show Geoff-“
“Geoff says things without thinking,” Jack interrupted, ” and Gavin’s a fucking idiot a lot of times but you don’t need to figure out how to work a lawnmower by yourself just to please them.”
“I know,” Ray said, “I just wanted surprise them- show them I was-” Ray cut himself off this time and Jack knew what was going to be said. Their tiniest lover was very confident in himself when he knew he could do something but things like this left him grasping at straws.
“You’re worth the sun, the moon, and every planet in the solar system Ray,” Jack said, kissing at Ray, soft little pecks, with each emphasized word. “Just because your new to assembling a lawnmower doesn’t mean we’re going see you as an idiot” Jack pointed out.
Ray nodded and the smile that had grown with each word Jack had said was soft. “Thanks Jack,” Ray said and he kicked at the instructions on the ground. “Will you help me put this together,” he asked.
“I would love too,” Jack said, “and then I’m gonna watch you be sexy as you cut our grass to a reasonable height to keep the neighbors from complain at us.”
Ray laughed and moved to let Jack bend down to work the push handle into it’s position. “I may have to take of my shirt,” Ray said and Jack glanced up to Ray’s tempting smile, “you know, to keep cool.”
“You can,” Jack said with a laugh, ” but be prepared to be fucked senseless against the shed.”
“Promises, promises,” Ray laugh. When Jack had the handle in place he explained the oil and how much goes in and they poured some gasoline in. “Can I start it,” Ray asked.
Jack nodded and moved aside. Ray bent over and grabbed the string starter and pulled at it. It took a couple of tries but the engine whirred to life and Ray smiled. Jack kissed Ray’s cheek and then said into his ear so Ray could hear. “I have to go put dinner on but I’m watching-be careful of twigs and stones, they’ll shoot out from under the rim of the lawnmower.”
Ray nodded and kissed Jack as the man pulled away before he linedup the mower with the high grass. Jack slipped back inside and was pulling the chicken out of the fridge when Ryan came around the corner, freshly showered from doing some scene’s for Burnie and Gus at work that day. “Are the boys home,” he asked walking toward the kitchen window, “I heard the mower start while I was drying off.”
“No,” Jack said laying out the chicken breast on the cooking pan, “Ray’s doing the lawn.”
Ryan looked back to Jack before turning back to the window to catch Ray doing a pass across the yard with the new mower. “That’s hot,” Ryan said.
“I promised him shed sex later, you in” Jack asked.
“Fuck yeah,” Ryan said before turning back to Jack. “Just us,” he asked.
“Maybe Michael, I’m annoyed at Geoff and Gavin right now,” Jack said.
“Need help,” Ryan asked moving up behind Jack who nodded, ” and you can tell me why as we dominate the kitchen.”
“Yeah, I can do that. Grab the sauce pan,” Jack said, ” and open the blinds wider.”