Kayce's first I Love You

                                    

                                          
Request – Kayce saying I love you for the first time to Y/N maybe around new years?
You got out of your SUV and pulled your coat around you tighter. It was New Years Eve and even though you knew the life of a cowboy, John Dutton was not your favorite person right now.  
You had been dating his youngest son, Kayce, for about four months. Things were going well, really well. Kayce was a good boyfriend, his only flaw really being his father and this ranch. For the most part, you were able to look aside because you knew what running a place like this must take. The sacrifices the Duttons had already been through were troubling at best, morbid at worst. 
You knew Kayce in high school but didn't really run around in the same crowd. He was friendly and you were sweet, but he always seemed distant, like his mind was full. You went off to college while Kayce went into the military. He had a son and was married for a hot second to a girl from the Reservation, but that ended terribly. 
The two of you reconnected when he was going through his divorce, and he was sitting outside an ice cream store with his son. You were carrying in a box and Kayce opened the door for you. The two of you remembered each other and struck up a conversation...seeing as how it was your ice cream shop. 
Then, Kayce and his son, Tate, would stop by every week to get an ice cream cone. That turned into two times a week...and then at one point, you saw Kayce just by himself come in and it was then he asked you out to dinner. 
One dinner turned into two, which turned into Kayce staying at your place, which turned into you staying at the ranch a few times...and here you were four months later. You glanced around all the wranglers working still until you saw yours. Kayce was driving one of the large tractor-things with hay while a few wranglers followed slowly behind him, dropping the barrels to feed the horses. 
You marched over, happy you changed into your boots instead of kept the heels you had wanted to wear. A few weeks ago, you asked Kayce to come to a New Year's Eve gala that an environmental foundation was throwing. You volunteered with them some, but you had also promised Kayce that you would only have to stay an hour or two and then come back here to the ranch and drink beer with the wranglers while they shot off fireworks. 
Kayce was supposed to pick you up an hour ago but since you hadn't heard from him you decided to drive the extra thirty minutes out of your way and see what happened to him. You knew before you got here that it was because the job wasn't done. Even though Kayce was in charge for the most part, he'd usually be the last one done too...one thing you appreciated about him any other day than today. 
You were already an hour late to the gala and seeing how Kayce was not dressed, nor was he particularly clean looking, something told you to start giving up on that dream of yours. 
Teeter saw you walked over and banged on the tractor door. Kayce looked down at her and saw Teeter pointing at you. His face smiled at first but then you could see him remember who you were there and why you had on a black satin gown under your coat...even though your boots were on. You raised an eyebrow at him as he got out and nodded to Ryan to climb up and finish. 
Kayce jogged over to you, removing his working gloves as he got closer. 
"Y/N...I am so sorry," Kayce huffed. 
"Are you?" You rolled your eyes. "Because we both know you didn't want to go in the first place." 
"I was going for you," Kayce sighed. "I lost track of time, and we got off on a late start to begin with this morning." 
"So then why did I even do all this?" You held out your arms and your coat opened to reveal your gown.
 The cold wind made you shiver but you wanted Kayce to know what he was missing out on. You crossed your arms again. 
"Damn, you look pretty," Kayce stepped closer to you, but you held out your hand. 
"I worked really hard on all of this," You laughed. "It doesn't just happen, and your dirty hands are not touching this until they're clean." 
Kayce smirked at you. He glanced back around him and then sighed. 
"Give me another thirty minutes," He said. "Go wait in the cabin and I'll be there as soon as I get the tractor up...I promise." 
"You have thirty minutes," You eyed him. "Or I'll kiss someone else at midnight." 
"Baby," Kayce sighed out of frustration. 
"Baby-nothing!" You laughed, walking away from him. 
Thirty minutes later and Kayce was walking through the door of the foreman's cabin. You had changed out of the gown you were wearing, borrowing a long-sleeved t-shirt of Kayce's and a pair of leggings you kept here. He eyed you as he took his boots off by the door. 
"You don't get to see me pretty anymore," You giggled, finishing pouring two glasses of whiskey. 
"I'll take you like this over everything else any day," Kayce walked up to you, wrapping his arms around you. 
He leaned down and kissed you deeply, his hands pulling you toward him. One of your hands pushed some of his hair back as you tilted your head, nipping at his bottom lip. Kayce reached down and lifted you up onto the counter, his lips moving to your neck. 
"You smell," You smiled as your fingers ran through his hair. 
Kayce bit down on your skin before moving his face back up to yours. He knew you were joking with him. It was one thing that adored about you. You were this lighter sense around him, you were this breath of fresh air in his life. 
"I love you," Kayce smiled at you. 
Neither of you had said those words to the other yet. While you'd deny it, you also knew there was a part of you that loved Kayce the day you saw him in front of your ice cream shop with Tate. But you were scared too of rushing him. His past was messy and chaotic, you didn't want to add to it. You hadn't expected Kayce to say those words first, so you were sure your face looked shocked. 
"Kayce..." You swallowed. 
He leaned back some, reaching up to hold your cheek against his palm. His thumb gently rubbed back and forth under your eyes as he looked down at you, his smile still on his lips. 
"You don't have to say it back," Kayce whispered. "But I just wanted you to know." 
You moved his hand away from your face and wrapped your arms around Kayce's neck. Your lips pressed against his in a sweet, slow kiss. You felt his hands hold your hips. 
"I love you," You whispered into his lips. 
"Even though I made you miss your dress party?" Kayce smirked. 
"The fact you just called it a dress party, clearly tells me we were never going to begin with," You laughed. 
Kayce pressed a kiss to your cheek before he leaned back. 
"Maybe I just wanted New Year's with you?" He asked. 
"We were gonna end up here by midnight any way!" You shook your head. 
"But now I get more time with you in my clothes," Kayce grabbed his whiskey glass and took a sip, his other hand still on your hip. 
"You're gonna have to make this up to me," You raised an eyebrow at him. 
"I just told you I loved you," Kayce looked at you like you were crazy. 
"Fine," You hopped off the counter, but Kayce didn't move. "I'll just go celebrate with the wranglers by myself then." 
"Oh yeah?" Kayce sat his glass down. 
"Yeah?" You challenged. 
It turned out to be a mistake, seeing as Kayce hoisted you over his shoulder and walked around the island. 
"Put my down you Neandertal!" You laughed, hitting the back of Kayce. 
"You want me to make it up to you?" Kayce smacked your ass. "I'll make it up to you." 
You laughed as he walked you back to his bedroom...the two of you enjoying the New Years celebrations between just the two of you.