Not a Game Anymore

by Valentine

Disclaimer: Nothing herein belongs to me. This story is meant only as entertainment and is not intended to infringe upon the rights held by MGM, Mirisch, CBS, TNN etc.

The image of Ezra not letting his lover kiss him on the mouth is from Lumina's Offering, Yearning and Watershed. Borrowed with her permission.

Sequel to Too Quiet

Ezra could feel the gaze of five men on his back as he followed Buck up the stairs.

What the hell was he doing? Had he gone completely mad? How had he gone from playing poker to skipping off to his room with Buck? Why had he answered the gunslinger's strip poker challenge with one that was even more outrageous?

It probably all came down to his inability to yield in any game.

Or it could have been the temptation to find out how far he could go with the ladies' man or because he wanted to find out if Buck lived up to his famed reputation as a lover.

Or it could have been the fact that he was bored. Restless. In need of some distraction and company. Lonely.

+ + + + + + +

Buck turned toward Ezra at his room and waited for the gambler to unlock the door, unaware of what was going through the other man's mind.

He smiled contentedly. He might have lost the poker game downstairs, but he'd won something else. Raise the stakes indeed! Who'd have thought the tastes of the mercurial Southerner ran towards men?

+ + + + + + +

Ezra went in first, lit a lamp and motioned Buck inside.

Buck stepped over the threshold looking around curiously. He'd never actually been inside Ezra's room.

The room was fancier than a normal hotel room and as neat as the gambler's outward appearance. The bed was meticulously made up, with crisp, clean sheets and the blinds were drawn to protect the interior from the glare of the sun.

Buck thought the room looked a little too perfect. He preferred something a bit more homey and messy. Perhaps that's why he tried to mess with, wind up Ezra so often, trying to get a look behind the gambler's amiable mask.

But today, now, Buck had a foot in the door, literally. Perhaps he'd get Ezra to open up to him. Only Buck had never thought he'd achieve it by seducing him.

"Make yourself comfortable, Mr. Wilmington. Then we can continue playing," Ezra said, sitting down on his bed and dealing out some cards.

"Ya're forgetting something," Buck said grinning.

He turned his back on Ezra in mock-modesty and stripped off his long johns at last, deliberately taking his time to let them slip down his body and wriggling a little.

Ezra couldn't help but stare at Buck's broad shoulders, muscular back and firm behind. He noticed several scars adorning smooth, tanned skin. One was from a bullet he'd taken through the shoulder. Another bullet had ripped open his flank. Another had grazed his hip. One scar looked like someone had tried to stab him from behind. And the oldest scars Ezra could make out, and which were very faint, looked like someone had taken a whip to Buck's back.

Buck turned around finally, stark naked and totally unself-conscious as he sat down on the bed beside Ezra.

"I'm comf'table now."

+ + + + + + +

Some time later Ezra was almost as nude as Buck. He was playing badly and losing fast. It wasn't like he was cheating to lose, only he found it extremely hard to concentrate with a naked man on his bed so close to him.

Buck didn't seem to mind being naked. He lounged back on Ezra's bed, stretched out in a relaxed fashion like a big, lazy dog his whole attention devoted to the cards in his hands.

Ezra tried not to stare in a too obvious way, but he kept sneaking glances at his companion's body. He felt his gaze drawn again and again to the long scar on Buck's chest and remembered their fight at the Seminole village when Buck had taken the slash from Colonel Anderson's sword that had been intended for JD.

Even then Buck had been protective about the youngest member of the seven, just as he was now protective about all of them. Ezra had found himself liking the gunslinger because of his protectiveness and compassion, despite his sometimes too boisterous behavior.

He was staring once again when Buck suddenly looked up and met his gaze.

"Your heart doesn't seem ta be in the game, Ez. Why don't we end it?" he asked.

Ezra felt a pang of disappointment. Buck wanted to end the game and leave?

"By all means, if that's what you want, Mr. Wilmington. You're free to go," he said poker face firmly in place.

Buck smirked, apparently looking right through it. "We'll end it with ya dealin' out two cards. Whoever's got the highest wins. And that's final," he whispered.

Ezra felt a shiver of lust going right through him down to his groin at Buck's suggestion. His voice had been hoarse with desire, and Ezra was sure if he'd dared to look he'd have found Buck as hard as he himself already was.

Ezra contemplated for a moment just throwing the cards away and throwing himself on top of Buck. But he was a gambler. A gambler finished every game he'd started.

Ezra dealt a card to Buck and one to himself.

"I'll go first," he said.

Slowly and deliberately, he turned his card around.

King of Hearts.

"How appropriate," he quipped. "Mr. Wilmington, your turn."

Buck stared at the card in front of him, then turned it around.

Ace of Spades.

"Ace of Spades. What d'ya say to that?" Buck laughed.

Ezra was dumbstruck for once. He'd been beaten. And he'd been beaten by his own trademark card.

Well, but he'd wanted to be beaten, hadn't he?

Yes, you've wanted to be beaten whispered a voice in Ezra's head. You've wanted him.

The gambler took up his pack of cards and put them carefully away on his bedside table.

Buck sensed Ezra's indecision and decided to take the initiative. As the winner, it was his right to claim his prize after all. He reached out and trailed a caress from Ezra's face down his neck, letting his hand come to rest over his heart. He could see that the gambler was even more beautiful when his body wasn't hidden by his fancy clothes. There was nothing soft or languid about him now. The pretty jackets and frilly shirts he always wore softened a compact frame that was all hard muscle and smooth skin. Buck wondered where Ezra had gotten the muscles and the tan from. He'd never seen him engage in menial labour or leave the saloon to catch some sun.

But he was sure of one thing. "I want you, Ezra," he whispered.

Ezra smiled, green eyes sparkling. "I'm all yours," he said, lying back on the bed.

Buck moved over him, gasping when his heated flesh touched Ezra's skin. He leaned down to claim soft lips in a kiss. Ezra turned his head away, and Buck's kiss landed somewhere on his jaw line. Buck looked at him strangely for a moment, but then started trailing kisses down his neck to his chest. Ezra arched his back when Buck's mouth reached a nipple, moustache tickling, tongue flicking out teasingly. Buck continued to kiss and lick and nibble on bare skin until he felt Ezra thrash around under him. He enjoyed it immensely to see the usually so self-possessed gambler out of control for once. With a wicked grin, Buck slid further down and engulfed Ezra's manhood completely in one swift movement.

"Gah!" Ezra bucked off the bed, fancy language forgotten.

Buck's grin deepened. So there was a way to shut Ezra up. He sucked harder, getting another inarticulate cry from Ezra. He started a fast rhythm on Ezra's cock and was rewarded with groans of pleasure.

Ezra had expected Buck to be good in bed, but not that good. Normally, he didn't loose control so easily. He wanted to push Buck's head even further into his groin and fuck his hot, talented mouth. Instead, he tangled his fingers in Buck's hair and felt the pressure build up deep in his belly and, moments later, he shuddered as he felt his orgasm wash over him, leaving him limp and satisfied.

Buck grinned at him, wiping some cum off his chin. He sat up and started stroking himself, staring at the picture of wantonness Ezra presented - sprawled across the bed, hair mussed up, skin flushed, legs splayed apart.

Ezra looked at Buck, green eyes hazy. "I want you to take me," he said.

"Ya sure?" Buck asked.

"I wouldn't offer if I wasn't sure."

"Do you have..."

"Second drawer." Ezra pointed to his bedside table.

Buck rummaged around and produced a small jar. "Hand cream?" he chuckled. "Oh, so that's why your hands are always so soft and pretty."

"Come on, get going." Ezra turned around, got up on hands and knees and offered his ass enticingly to Buck.

This was more than Buck could take. He was painfully hard by now and generously slathered cream on his erection and fingers. Ezra hissed when Buck pushed his first finger in. Buck stopped what he was doing. "We don't have to...."

"You know it only hurts in the beginning. Get going, I can take a little pain," Ezra said, rocking back against Buck's finger. The mixture of pain and pleasure sent shivers straight to his groin. He felt himself becoming aroused again and he relaxed as Buck plunged his slippery finger in and out. It was joined by a second and a third, but Ezra was slowly getting frustrated. He wondered why Buck was so gentle, why he took so much time preparing him. He wasn't a fragile little virgin. They were just doing this for the sake of the damn bet, and Buck knew that.

Didn't he?

Ezra's train of thought was broken when Buck removed his fingers from his body. Buck moved himself into position, pushing in slowly, running a soothing hand along Ezra's flank. With a cry, Ezra threw his body backwards, impaling himself on Buck's cock. Buck cried out, too, at the sudden sensation of being buried to the hilt in Ezra. He felt so hot, so tight, so right. He wanted to stay like this, but his body wanted him to move and Ezra moved against him. Buck pulled him up, holding him flush against him with one arm while his other hand joined Ezra's own on his cock. He thrust into the gambler in long, slow strokes, moving his hand in time with his thrusts. Ezra met him thrust for thrust, urging him on and Buck knew he wouldn't last long, this felt too good. He moved faster, thrust harder, loosing himself in a mindless rhythm, loosing himself in the other man's body, crying out the other man's name at the moment of release, but muffling that cry by pressing his head into Ezra's shoulder. He slumped against the gambler, shaking hard, and felt his release, warm and sticky, on his hand before they collapsed onto the bed.

Buck rolled off at once, not wanting to squash Ezra with his weight. Ezra turned onto his side, away from Buck. "Our bet is done," he said coolly.

Buck wrapped his arms around the smaller man. He felt him tense before Ezra allowed himself to relax against Buck.

Ezra was so guarded, so aloof all the time, like a wild, frightened animal that trusted no one.

Buck pressed his face into Ezra's neck, into sweaty skin that was cooling off rapidly. His hands moved in a careful caress, like he would gentle a nervous horse.

"Our bet's done, but I hope you'll let me stay for a little while longer," he said in a light tone.

"Far be it from me to throw you out if you want to stay," Ezra answered, seemingly not caring if Buck stayed or left.

Took me long enough to get here, Buck thought. And I'm gonna stay longer than you think, Ezra.

Buck pulled Ezra even closer, molding his body to the gambler's back, feeling comfortable and secure now, so much so that he thought about having a nap. But Ezra's next sentence brought him wide awake.

"Have you been with many men, Mr. Wilmington?"

"I've just fucked ya, and you're still calling me 'Mr. Wilmington?!'" Buck sputtered.

Ezra laughed. "It's an old habit. Have you been with many men, Buck?"

"Some. Nothing serious, though. Just some comfort when the trails get long and lonely."

"Chris?"

Nice shot, pard. Right on target,Buck thought. But he'd be honest; it wasn't often that one could talk to Ezra so openly.

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago, when we first rode together. It suits both of us better to be friends. What about yourself?"

"Have I been with many men? Yes, I've been with men. Occasionally, when I was passing through some town and someone caught my fancy, or when I caught someone's fancy. I've never been with someone who's a colleague. A friend."

Buck should have been content with that, but something kept nagging at him.

"Ya didn't allow me to kiss ya on the lips. Did I do somethin' wrong?"

"No, what you did was perfectly fine. But I'm strange in this regard. I only kiss or allow myself to be kissed if it's done with love. What happened between us was just sex."

"'Just sex?!' Might have been 'just sex' for yourself. But I've been in love with you for quite a while now."

"My, my, and I never noticed."

"I've wanted you for quite a while."

"There's no need to wear yourself out now, Mr. Wilmington. You've had me already."

They were back to "Mr. Wilmington" again.

"So ya think I think you've just been a convenient fuck, and I'm smooth-talkin' now?"

"That about sums it up."

Buck imagined he could feel the temperature in the room dropping. He felt his temper flare up. Why was Ezra doing this? They'd been really close for a few moments, but now the gambler had clammed up again, deflecting Buck's attempts at honesty with sarcastic repartee.

"Dammit, why are ya pushin' me away?"

Buck straddled him and pinned the gambler down with his larger body, staring into those green, green eyes. He put his hands left and right of that handsome face and leaned closer.

Ezra started to struggle desperately, like a wild cat that had been cornered, trying to push Buck off, trying to get his hands off. Something like panic flashed across his face.

"I'm not goin' to hurt ya," Buck said gently. "And I'm not goin' to try to kiss ya."

Ezra stopped fighting him and relaxed again, but Buck could still see a trace of fear lurking in his eyes.

"What are ya afraid of? I'll never hurt ya, Ezra."

For once, Ezra found that he had no choice but to be completely honest. "I'm afraid of myself. I'm afraid of many things. All my life I've been afraid, Buck."

"I'll never hurt ya, " Buck repeated. "And I'll never let ya go. Someday you're goin' to believe me when I tell ya I'm in love with ya. And then you'll kiss me."

Buck placed a tender, almost chaste kiss on Ezra's cheek. He thought for a moment that he could see something like tears in the gambler's eyes, but then he was pulled close, like Ezra intended to never allow him to go.

The End

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