Learning a Lesson

by Stan Lee *

ATF Universe

"I said no and that's final."

Chris' voice was rising to a dangerously high level. Anybody else would have backed down long ago, but Buck Wilmington was not a man who was easily intimidated.

"You know this is the only way outta this mess. Tell me again why you're saying no."

"Because it's a stupid and dangerous and it doesn't make any sense and it's dangerous....."

"You already said dangerous," Buck interrupted, watching as a slow flush of anger spread across Chris' face. The rest of Team Seven cringed, trying to make themselves as small as possible. They knew enough not to try to get between these two when the gloves came off.

Chris choked down his anger and made a supreme effort to control his voice. He knew that if he pushed Buck, the man would push back for all he was worth. He had to approach this differently.

"Look, Buck," he tried again, his voice sounding fairly reasonable, "we'll find another way. I'm not having one of my men risking his life just to get a result on this case."

Buck shook his head stubbornly. "If we don't take these scumbags out now there's no telling what they'll pull next. If you were really concerned about protecting lives you'd see that."

JD flinched visibly as Chris smashed his fist onto his desk and shot to his feet.

"Don't you dare preach to me about saving lives," he shouted, his resolve to keep things calm pushed aside once more by anger and concern.

Buck leapt up. "Well somebody has to remind you what's at stake here," he shouted back. "You know my plan will work, but you're such a stubborn, pig-headed, short-sighted, jackass ....."

"That's enough," Chris thundered. "In case you've forgotten, I'm in charge here. If you don't like the way I run things you can get the hell off this team."

The other team members sucked in a collective breath. Buck slowly straightened, never taking his eyes off his oldest friend. "If that's the way it has to be," he said, so quietly that the rest of the men had to strain to hear him. Then he turned on his heel and stormed out of the office.

There was absolute silence when he left. The others looked at each other wondering what had just happened. It was pretty obvious to all of them that something was at work here that they didn't understand - which wasn't unusual between Chris and Buck. Those two had a complicated history and their relationship was sometimes a mystery to their colleagues. But the men realized that this was different, somehow more intense, more damaging.

The tension in the room ratcheted up a notch when Chris picked up a coffee mug from his desk and hurled it at the wall of his office, shattering it on impact. "Out," he screamed at the rest of the men, who were only too glad to retreat to the relative safety of the bullpen. JD was the last to leave, scrambling out as fast as he could. He slowed down when he caught Vin's eye and nodded when he realized that Vin wanted him to close the door on the way out. Staying in the same room as Chris Larabee when the man was in this mood meant Vin was either extremely brave, or he had a death wish. Either way, JD didn't want to stick around to witness the outcome.

After the door closed Vin waited, knowing that Chris would speak when he was ready. He didn't have to wait too long. "You think I was wrong don't you?" Chris asked.

"Nope. Buck's plan was dangerous. It would have put him right in the line of fire." Chris looked up, startled. Now it was his turn to wait, knowing that the team's sharpshooter had more to say. "And if anybody else had come up with that plan you would have agreed to it. You know it, and so does Buck."

Chris sat down heavily and at his desk. "Shit. Was I that obvious?" he asked.

Vin grinned, "To some of us, cowboy. I don't think the rest of them know what just happened," he jerked his head in the direction of the bullpen, which was unusually quiet, "but Bucklin sure knew what was going on."

Chris hung his head in his hands. "Is it so bad to want to protect him?" he asked softly.

Vin shook his head. "It ain't a question of protecting him, Chris. It's about treating him differently than the rest of us 'cos you're sleeping with him. You know he ain't gonna stand for that."

Chris winced, acknowledging the truth in Vin's words. He sighed and looked up, "You're right. I let my personal feelings get in the way. Buck's plan made all the sense in the world. I was just afraid for him."

"Don't tell it to me, cowboy, tell it to him," Vin said softly.

"You think he'll listen to me now?"

Vin grinned, "I reckon you can find a way to make him listen," he winked. "Look, why don't you go over to his place now and clear the air. I'll keep JD busy for an hour after work so he won't barge in on ya."

Chris nodded, "It's worth a shot. Thanks, Vin." The sharpshooter saluted and turned to leave the office.

"Oh, and Vin .... about JD," Vin turned back. "Keep him busy for two hours," Chris grinned. Vin shook his head and left muttering, "Horny old goats."

Half an hour later Chris was ringing the doorbell to the townhouse Buck shared with JD. Buck opened the door but didn't move aside to let him in.

"If you've come here to rag on me anymore you can...."

Chris pushed passed him, "Shut up and get me a beer."

Buck closed the door, muttering something Chris didn't think he wanted to hear. Before Buck had a chance to walk off, Chris slammed him up against the door and pulled him into a long, hard kiss. Buck resisted for a moment, but soon he was moaning into Chris' mouth as his lover's hands skimmed up and down his body. Chris pulled his mouth away and whispered into Buck's ear, "Fuck now, argue later." He felt a shudder going through Buck's body, but then the bigger man pushed him away.

"You're pretty fucking sure of yourself, aren't you?" he said angrily.

Chris grinned and quick as a shot he unzipped Buck's fly and cupped the other man's rock hard erection. "Tell me you don't want it," he purred, stroking until Buck pushed forward into the tormenting hand. "Yeah, you want it alright," Chris whispered.

Buck trembled again, torn between gut-wrenching desire and deep anger at the way Chris had treated him. "I'll show you what I want," he ground out and grabbing Chris by the arm, he pulled the man up a flight of stairs and shoved him into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

Chris spun around and waited, a slight smile on his face. Buck moved towards him slowly, allowing his passion to build. What he wanted more than anything right now was to shove that face and its shit-eating grin down onto the mattress and fuck the man so hard he wouldn't sit down for a week without being reminded of this encounter. But as he closed the space between himself and Chris, something about the look on his lover's face told Buck that that was exactly what Chris wanted him to do. To lose control, to express his anger physically instead of talking it through. Buck paused for just a moment, long enough to push his anger down deep. Then he smiled sweetly at his partner. He knew exactly how he was going to handle this.

Chris registered the smile and knew precisely what he was in for. But knowing it and being able to do something about it were two different things. Still he fought against the inevitable, trying everything he knew to reach completion before Buck could break him down, could make him beg. It was useless. Alternating between hard, fast thrusts that slammed him into the mattress and made him moan with pleasure, and soft, sweet strokes that had him trembling with desire, Buck brought him to the brink of release again and again, only to pull back at the critical moment when Chris refused to give him what he wanted. Buck continued to work his body, destroying his defenses touch by touch until finally, when Chris was almost sobbing with need, the word was torn from him. More of a demand than a plea, he finally ground out, "please...". Buck stopped. He pulled Chris' head back, almost cruelly, and looked deeply into his lover's eyes.

Chris tried to turn his head away from the probing look, but Buck held him firmly in place. Chris felt tears well up and slide down his cheeks. He felt completely naked, totally open to this man who knew more about him than any living soul, who touched places in him that nobody else knew existed. "Do you know how much I love you?" he whispered. Buck kissed his tears away. "I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you."

Buck held him tightly and stroked his hair. "You can't control me, Chris. Not here ..." and he thrust slowly making Chris arch and groan with renewed need. "Not at work."

It was a hard lesson for Chris to learn. But he knew he had no choice if he wanted to keep this man in his life. He swallowed painfully against the lump in his throat and nodded. Softly now, a real entreaty this time, Chris whispered, "please, Buck," and Buck smiled at him, a smile so full of love and warmth and trust that Chris came, without any further stimulation, crying out and writhing in ecstasy as he felt Buck follow him into pleasure.

When at last they had regained their breath and lay tangled tightly together Chris whispered, "Am I forgiven?"

Buck nodded. "This time. But you won't get a chance to do it again. If we can't have this and still work together I'm gonna ask for a transfer. I won't lose you, but I won't let you treat me like a rookie either."

"I wasn't treating you like a rookie," Chris tried to argue.

Buck shut him up with a hard kiss. "You can't coddle me, Chris. It ain't fair to me and it ain't fair to the rest of the team. If you won't let me pull my weight, you're putting us all in danger and I won't stand for that," he said sternly.

"Alright, alright. You've made your point," Chris grumbled. "I'm an asshole. Let's leave it at that."

Buck grinned, his natural good-humor restored. "No arguments there, pard," he said. "By the way, love you too." They shared another long, passionate kiss, then Chris yelped as Buck's hand slapped him hard on the backside. "Now get your lazy ass outta my bed and get me a beer."

The next day Chris announced that they were adopting Buck's plan and that Buck was going to take lead. And if the rest of the team were surprised at Chris' change of heart, they had the good sense not to show it.

The End