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Reality Sets In |
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When Buck returned from the coffee shop he cracked the door slightly, peeked inside and saw Chris sitting once more by the bed. Entering with a flourish, he handed the fresh cup of hot coffee to Chris and asked how Vin was."He woke up last night." the blond answered, his smile lighting the room.
"He's gonna be okay."
"Well, hell, Chris," Buck gloated, "we've been telling you that all week."
"Hey! Ya'll wanna keep it down?" the lump in the bed drawled at them.
"And where's MY coffee, Bucklin?"
"Vin!" Buck cried as he reached over to take the hand that had snaked its way out from under the blankets.
"Not trying to hold yer hand, Buck, gimme that coffee!" the voice grumbled. Vin turned over carefully, trying not to jar his chest and side. "Man could starve here an' no one'd even notice."
Chris grinned as he handed the man a small cup of ice chips. "Not getting coffee after just waking up from a serious injury would hardly constitute starving, and I'm pretty sure it won't be on your menu for a few more days at least."
Vin's glare made both the other men smile as they guiltlessly sipped their coffees.
It was good to see him awake and able to glare.
Josiah showed up a short time later, and Buck finally dragged Chris out of the hospital for his much needed shower, meal and eight hours of sleep. This time, with Vin joining the argument, Larabee had been outnumbered. Josiah would stay until Chris returned or one of the others came to relieve him. Vin, of course, complained that he didn't need someone to nursemaid him every minute but was similarly outvoted.
As Buck and Chris were leaving they could hear Vin's complaints as his breakfast tray was delivered. None of them liked the hospital food, but Vin really hated it. The two men looked at each other and chuckled in relief as the outraged voice echoed down the corridor.
Buck knew that he'd have to have a talk with Chris, and with Vin, later, but decided to wait until the exhausted man was fed, bathed and had had a good night's sleep.
TWO
Chris hadn't slept for eight hours... he'd slept for fourteen. But when he woke he definitely felt better. He'd stayed at Buck and JD's place since he'd been so tired when he'd left the hospital that it would have been dangerous for him to attempt to drive all the way out to the ranch. By the time he'd finished his shower, Buck had cooked up a hearty breakfast, despite the fact that it was almost nine P.M.
JD was spending the evening with Vin and, after explaining that Chris was still sleeping, they were watching a movie. During the first half of the movie JD had had to rewind it a half dozen times because Vin kept falling asleep. He would then wake up and want to know what had happened since he'd dozed off. JD was starting to get a bit frustrated trying to figure out just how far to rewind when he remembered that he and Vin had watched this very movie several times in the past year and that Vin knew exactly what had happened. He was yanking JD's chain.
When he realized what Vin was doing he decided to get back at him, the next time Vin fell asleep and then asked what had happened when he woke up JD started to describe scenes from completely different movies, the more outrageously unsuited to the actual movie the better, until he and Vin were sitting there laughing like a couple of kids.
By the time Buck and Chris arrived they were making up an entirely new movie using scenes from dozens of other favorite movies, casting and recasting all the parts and assigning many of the parts to members of the team and other people they knew.
Chris just rolled his eyes as the kid announced that they had decided that he should play one of the "villians" in the popular western "Tombstone" and that Josiah would make a great "beast" in Beauty and the Beast.
A quick inspection of the wastebasket provided an answer to the sillier than usual behavior. They had consumed large quantities of candy and were on a massive sugar high.
Chris suggested that JD would be wise to get rid of the evidence before Nathan arrived.
By the end of the week Vin was more than ready to go home. Unfortunately the doctors didn't agree, and he would be staying at least through the weekend.
7 7 7 7 7 7 7
Saturday afternoon was pretty quiet with just Chris visiting for most of the day. The others were finally tending to necessary household chores, such as laundry and grocery shopping, that they'd neglected while spending so much time at the hospital with Vin. But by early evening the entire team had arrived after arranging with the hospital staff to have a small gathering.
Josiah brought Vin's favorite Chinese takeout and Ezra had rented a newly released to video movie that none of them had been able to see at the theaters. Soon everyone was contentedly munching as the opening credits for Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone came on.
It was a magical night.
Chris spent the night at Buck and JD's again after Vin convinced them that he wasn't going to vanish into the night if he was left alone. "'Sides, " he said with a grin, "It's Sue's night on, and she always keeps me entertained." Chris suspected that he'd overheard his conversation with the nurse the previous morning, and his suspicions were confirmed when the younger man grinned at him as he emphasized the word entertained. Larabee just hoped that Vin hadn't seen his blush; he knew that the prankster would torment him if he had.
On Sunday morning, after JD had left to spend the day with Casey, Buck decided that he might as well take advantage of the privacy and have his chat with Chris.
This wasn't gonna be easy.
"Uh, Chris," Buck began as they sat drinking coffee and reading the Sunday paper.
"Yeah, Buck," Chris replied, without looking up from the Sunday crossword.
"You know the other day at the hospital... ?"
Larabee looked up at the hesitant tone in Buck's voice.
"Buck," he leveled his well rehearsed glare at the man. "You got something to say?"
"Yeah, well, I kinda actually got to Vin's room a little bit earlier than when I brought you that coffee." He paused and took a sip of the strong coffee to further fortify himself, wishing it were whiskey. Then he continued, "I... um... came in when you were still...."
Chris stopped him with a gesture, "Oh... so, you know." He paused, meeting Buck's eyes and trying to figure out just what it was that he saw there. "This gonna be a problem?"
Buck smiled then, liking that Chris was obviously uncomfortable. After his own shock the previous morning, he wanted a little bit of pay back, but he also didn't want to lose one of the best friends he'd ever had.
"It's like this, Chris," he started, "When I first realized, I was kinda shook up, but then I realized that there was always something special with you and Vin. When he came into your life it was like he turned on a switch inside you that had been on off for way too long. And now that I know, I can see how much you mean to each other, so I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you two are happy, then I'm happy for ya."
"Thanks, Buck." Chris looked back into the understanding eyes. "We were planning on telling the team after we got settled in and all. It's only been a little over a month and we're still kinda figuring things out."
"Aaaah, still on the honeymoon..." Buck crooned as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively, "You gonna.."
He was cut off abruptly, "No, you nosy old woman, you're NOT getting any juicy details."
"So there are juicy..."
"Buck!"
"Okay, sheesh, ya don't have ta get yer knickers in a knot." He grinned then, not really wanting to know any details, just trying to push a few of Chris's buttons. "So you gonna tell the rest of the guys..."
Larabee glared again. "Yeah, although I suspect that Josiah may have it figured out, and Ezra, well, let's just say that it might have taken a lot longer for Vin and me to figure it out if our team Yenta hadn't played cupid."
"You're kidding!" Buck gasped. Then remembered the flowers and other gifts delivered to the team office a few weeks ago. "You two sent him those roses and..."
"Yeah."
"That sneaky little..." Buck mused, "He's known all this time and never let on." Then he stopped as he realized that telling anyone about what he knew would have been a major invasion into into the privacy of Vin and Chris.
"I guess you really can count on him when it really matters."
Chris just nodded.
"Listen, Buck," Chris began, "we're gonna need a little more time before we're ready to tell the others. Vin and I need to talk about how and when. He's kinda nervous. He thinks that you guys will be mad at him."
"Why would we be mad at Vin?" Buck mused aloud. "You two are consenting adults and... Oh, I see, he's worried that we''ll somehow think that since you used to... Oh, man, just tell him it's okay."
"Yeah, Buck, you're so articulate and all." Chris grinned.
"It'll be okay, we just need a little more time. You think that you can keep it under your hat for a little while?"
"My lips are sealed," the smiling man vowed.
"Yeah, that's what I was afraid of..."
On Monday, Vin was set free.
Sort of.
Chris decided to take some time off to keep an eye on Vin.
If any of the team wondered at the fact that Vin didn't put up much of a fight about being taken to Chris's ranch rather than to his apartment in Purgatorio, they didn't mention it.
Vin was just glad to be home. He was still in a lot of pain, but that was never enough to keep Vin Tanner in the hospital one day longer than absolutely necessary. He could be in pain at home just as well as in the damn hospital, with the damn hospital food and the damn doctors poking and prodding him every five minutes.
Chris wasn't so sure. While he was really glad to have Vin home, he wasn't entirely sure that he was really recovered enough to be out of the hospital. Nathan had explained that the doctors felt that Vin's extreme dislike of being confined on the hospital could actually hamper his recovery. But Chris wasn't convinced. He was still worried that Vin would be too far from help if he had a relapse or sudden setback.
Vin's injuries, although serious, hadn't been as bad as they could have. The bullet that had ripped its way into his chest had somehow missed hitting anything vital. It had, as it entered, torn up the muscle and tissue and left considerable damage. Not to mention a lot of pain. The fall had also left its own damages, but again, nothing as devastationg as one might have expected. His left shoulder had been dislocated, he had a number of cuts and scrapes, and so many bruises from slamming into the pile of crates that there was barely an inch of skin that wasn't black and blue. But aside from being in a lot of pain for the next few weeks he would recover completely.
All in all, even though the near future promised to be a challenge both physically and mentally, he was a very lucky man, or at least he had a very competent team of guardian angels.
After three days of putting up with Chris's mothering Vin put his foot down and insisted that Chris go back to work. And while Chris didn't really want to leave Vin alone at the ranch he decided that it would be easier than having a useless argument. After he had conceded, Chris realized that a few hours apart might actually be good for them. Vin was likely to get frustrated with the enforced inactivity, and Chris knew that if he was there to witness Vin's inevitable disregard for the doctor's orders he himself would be ready to strangle the stubborn Texan.
And now that the the shock of the incident was over Chris's concern was also tinged with a fair dose of anger. If fact, as he drove into work the next morning, he was getting angrier by the minute. How could Vin have been so careless that he would unclip his safety line in the middle of a gun battle, and then move around and make a target of himself?
By the time Chris pulled into the parking garage at the federal building he was ready to hit someone, preferably a long haired, skinny-assed Texan, but right about then he was mad enough that he'd take whatever, or whoever he could get. Unfortunately for Buck, he was the first person that the fuming Larabee ran into. Literally. Buck was standing by the elevator waiting for a car to arrive when the doors opened and Buck found himself flying as the storm named Larabee flew through.
"Damn it, Buck," the seething blond ground out as he nearly tripped over the man that he'd just bowled over. "What the hell are you doing in the middle of the hall?"
Before the dumbfounded man could reply, the storm had passed by, entered his office, and slammed the door.
"Looks like there's trouble in paradise." The big man muttered as he picked himself up off the floor.
7 7 7 7 7 7 7
Vin was just happy to have five minutes of privacy. He was finally home; that was how he'd begun to think about Chris's ranch, despite the fact that he wasn't living there full time and still had his own apartment. He now knew that wherever Chris was, was in fact where he felt at home.
He'd gotten up with Chris but had returned to bed after the truck had pulled out of the drive. He'd had almost no sleep, being unable to find any position that didn't leave some part of him aching. Knowing that any further attempts would alert Chris, he'd forced himself to lay still until he was sure that Chris was deeply asleep and then had slipped out of the bed. Unwilling to take any medication, he spent most of the night awake waiting until the weight of his eyelids overpowered the aches in the rest of his body. He'd finally rejoined Chris in bed and drifted off only to reawaken when the alarm sounded shortly thereafter.
Now that he was back in bed he realized it was a futile attempt. It was morning and his brain just wouldn't let him rest. So after another hour of tossing and turning he gave up.
After over a week in the hospital without any, and three days of Chris's coffee, the prospect of a pot of his own brew compensated somewhat for the lack of rest.
7 7 7 7 7 7 7
Back at the office Chris was fighting the urge to call Vin and check to see that he was resting and taking his medications. So far he'd stopped himself before actually dialing the phone, but it hadn't been easy. More than once he'd found himself pacing back and forth in front of his desk with no memory of rising from the chair.
Buck had been watching and could clearly see his distraction. He finally approached Chris in the coffee room and suggested that being at home to look after Vin might be better than wearing a hole in the carpet. Chris just glared at Buck as if he were an imbecile and stomped back into his office.
"That went well, Mr Wilmington, Ezra commented from the doorway. "He's having a hard enough time being here while Mr.Tanner remains at home without any additional reminders."
"So why is he here then?" Buck asked. "It's not like he's getting any work done."
Ezra smiled. "Mr. Tanner has, no doubt, become annoyed with Mr. Larabee's... shall we say... hovering. And in all likelihood has insisted that our leader return to work, regardless of Mr. Larabee's desires."
Seeing that they were alone for the moment Buck took the opportunity to discuss the change in Chris and Vin's relationship. While he was happy for his friends, he was a little unsure about how to integrate that information into his perception of reality. It still felt downright weird.
"Uh, Ezra," Buck began, "I'm not quite sure how to say this, but I know about them, Vin and Chris that is... and Chris said you knew, so I wondered, ah, could we, I don't know, I'm still kinda confused about how I should act around them and..."
Ezra smiled again. "Mr. Wilmington, Buck, there is nothing you need to do differently, they are the same people you have known. Just treat them like you always have."
"I guess, but, I don't know, Ez, I feel like I should be buying them a toaster or something?"
Now the Southerner laughed. "Only if you want to risk gaining an additional bodily orifice, dear sir."
7 7 7 7 7 7 7
It hadn't been easy but Chris made it through the day without calling Vin, and, more importantly, without shooting anyone. He finally did call as he prepared to leave, ostensibly to find out what Vin wanted him to bring home for dinner, and was irrationally glad when his call was answered by an alert and unharmed Texan.
By the time he pulled into the drive he was beginning to feel like himself again, despite the fact that he still had some residual anger to deal with. He was simply too happy to be home with the man he loved to let that get in the way of enjoying their time together.
He also hoped that Vin was feeling well enough to discuss Buck's awareness of their relationship and the need to address the issue with the rest of the team. Keeping the secret from Travis and the other ATF offiicals was one thing, but the closeness with which the team worked, and relaxed, would make it nearly impossible to keep it private. Besides, Chris didn't want to hide how he felt, not from friends who he was relatively sure would be happy and supportive of them. He also was sure that none of the team would worry about him giving Vin preferential treatment; they all knew him too well to even consider that as a problem.
As they ate dinner Chris could see that Vin, although still sore and stiff, was feeling more relaxed than he had for the last few days and realized that the time apart really was what they both had needed. It didn't mean that he wouldn't worry about his lover; that was a given. Until the day that he was back at 100% Chris would fret. But now he was beginning to think that they would get through this with some sembalence of sanity.
Vin could tell that Chris had something on his mind; that just came naturally to the two of them. The unspoken understanding could be a pain in the ass at times but was mostly a blessing. Even when he didn't know exactly what was on his partner's mind, he knew when there was something going on and would be ready to listen when Chris finally opened up.
As things frequently worked out, given how attuned they were, there wasn't any real disagreement about informing the rest of the team, it was just a matter of deciding how and when. Since there was a long holiday weekend coming up soon, they decided a cookout and "coming out" party would be the answer.
They had almost two weeks to plan for the "event" but the time just seemed to fly.
Chris had asked Ezra to help with the plans and for ideas about how he and Vin might announce their changed status.
Ezra was in his element. He loved to plan things, but his main challenge was helping them to figure out a way to tell Josiah, Nathan and JD without making them feel awkward. He really wasn't too worried about Josiah; the old closet hippie probably had it all figured out. Nor was he really concerned about the other two. JD was young and seemed to be very accepting of various lifestyles. Still, the idea of it being so "close to home" might give him pause. Nathan, the most traditional of the seven in many ways, was also a gentle soul who just didn't have it in him to harbor hate or bigotry.
No, the main trick here was to make everyone feel like they hadn't been "left out" of some big secret.
7 7 7 7 7 7 7
Vin, while wanting to share his feelings for Chris with his other friends, was still a bit nervous. But he felt somewhat better after Chris told him about his conversation with Buck after he'd walked in on them at the hospital.
When Buck dropped in a few days before the party, he had had a short chat with Vin and assured him that he wasn't upset, and was in fact glad that Chris had been able to open his heart up again. He wished them well and added that he really believed that the rest would be happy for them also.
Vin had now been out of the hospital for nearly three weeks and though he was still a bit sore and hadn't regained his full strength or endurance, he was for the most part back to normal.
He was, however, frustrated. His lover, or as Vin had been referring to him, his former lover, was still reluctant to resume their normal, energetic lovemaking. Chris was worried that Vin wasn't really up to it, and so far had refused to do any more than cuddle. Every tactic Vin had tried had been met with staunch resistance and he'd ended up in a cool shower several times in the last week. What he didn't know was that Chris had also ended up in that same cold precipitation on a number of occasions and was about ready to give in.
7 7 7 7 7 7 7
The day started off much like any of their prevoius team cookouts as the men arrived. The grill was sending out tantalizing aromas and the table was laden with a tempting array of salads and other side dishes. The cooler was stocked with a wide variety of beer and soda and Rain had sent along the makings for dessert -- fresh scones, whipped cream, and freshly picked strawberries. She had made other plans and wasn't offended when the "guys only" event had been announced.
As they sat at the large picnic table ready to dig in, Chris rose to his feet, and, after turning to smile at his fidgeting partner, he addressed the table. "I want all of you to know that I couldn't ask for a better group of people to work... and play with. And your friendship means a lot, so I'm going, "he paused then, as Vin joined him. "We want to share something with all of you..." He paused again and looked around at the men gathered there. The grin that Josiah sent back told him that he had indeed figured it out. So he continued, "A couple of months age, Vin and I realized that our friendship was more than just that." He looked briefly at Ezra, Buck and Josiah, then turned to JD and Nathan. "We've been living together since then and wanted to share our happiness with our friends."
He turned to Vin, smiling, and leaned over to place a gentle kiss on his lips.
It was quite for about thirty seconds before Nathan spoke up. "Well it's about damn time." As a wide-eyed JD looked from Chris and Vin to the hugely smiling Buck, he let out an enthiastic whoop of approval.
"Well, I guess that means you have all of our blessings," Buck added as he also noticed Josiah's happy grin.
The two men at the head of the table turned back to their smiling friends, and Vin replied. "Thanks, now lets eat before this gets cold."
The afternoon provided an opportunity for everyone to spend time with each other and to get used to the new dynamic within the group. As they had hoped, there wasn't anyone who had an issue with their relationship. Nathan later elaborated on his comment, explaining that while he, like the rest of the team, had always been aware of their closeness, he had also noticed the subtle changes over the past months. While it wasn't his own preferred lifestyle, he also believed that love was too precious to deny, wherever and with whomever it occured.
After they had eaten they saddled up and spent a few hours on the trails. All of them kept their horses at the ranch and helped pay for the upkeep, but rarely had as much time to ride as they would have liked. It was a perfect day for it, sunny but with a light breeze to keep it from becoming too hot.
After returning to the barn and grooming, feeding and tucking their equine friends in for the night, they retired to the den and found a game on that sparked the usual debates about whose team was really the best. They all supported the local teams but often took opposing sides just to keep the debates lively.
As the evening progressed, the visitors gradually headed home, but not before each one had taken time to privately speak with and offer their support to both Chris and Vin.
Buck and JD left, with the big man smiling and suggestively wishing the men a good night. JD just shoved his best friend towards the door, telling him that he really doubted that he would be getting any details on Monday.
"Well, shoot, JD," he whined as
hey headed towards Buck's beat-up pickup, "I share my exploits with the team, it's only fair... "
Chris and Vin both grinned at the big man's grumbling, knowing full well that he really didn't expect them or anyone else to share details of their relationships the way he did.
The last man to leave was Ezra. He might have left a little sooner, but as he'd looked around as if to go, he'd caught Vin's nod and realized that he was asking him to stay a bit longer. His relationship with the two men had been much closer since he had taken the risk and helped them see what they both wanted and were so afraid to ask for.
As Chris closed the door behind Buck and JD, Vin turned to Ezra, who was waiting to see what his friend had in mind. Vin gave Ezra one of his crooked smiles and found himself blushing slightly as he addressed the Southerner. "I just wanted to say 'thanks' for all you done," he said softly, his drawl slightly more pronounced due to the emotion shining in his eyes. He reached out and gave the touched man a warm hug, releasing him when Chris moved over and added his own thanks, needing only a nod and his own quick embrace to let Ezra know how much he'd appreciated his extra support at the hospital on the day Vin was injured.
7 7 7 7 7 7 7
As the headlights of the Jag disappeared down the long driveway, the two remaining men gave identical relieved sighs.
Their world was still in one piece, their friends had accepted their relationship and were obviously happy for them... and they were alone at last.
Vin turned to Chris, knowing without having to speak, their unspoken communication serving better than words could, that tonight they would resume the physical aspect that had been missing in their relationship since the Emory bust. It had been a long time... too long in the younger man's opinion, but his partner had delayed, wanting to be sure that Vin's injuries were completely healed.
As they headed back through the house they turned off lights and locked up, knowing that the next few hours would keep them occupied in the large master bedroom. Chris carried a couple of fresh bottles of beer and Vin had snagged a couple of nearly empty left-over bags of munchies. At the moment, they were the last thing he was hungry for, but he figured they might want something for later.
They entered the room and by the time they had crossed to the bed, the beer and snacks might as well have ceased to exist.
The only thing either man saw, smelled, felt or wanted was the other.
Shirts were history, flying across the room with abandon, jeans were peeled down in enough haste that socks and underwear were snarled within, not to be seen again until they magically reappeared in the dryer after being dislodged while they spun helplessly amidst the denim and dryer sheets.
Aside from a few very faded bruises, and several new scars, there was no remaining evidence of the reason for their recent bout of abstinence.
Once they stood naked in each other's arms the frantic pace slowed, replaced by tender but urgent caresses and punctuated by moans and gasps as they reexplored each other. They had hugged, kissed and cuddled for the past weeks, but had held back, knowing that Chris, at least, was unwilling to go further. Now, with no reason to hold back, the intensity of their foreplay soon had both men beyond want and well on the way to aching need.
The first round wasn't going to last long.
Vin, having felt he'd been ready for weeks, couldn't and wouldn't wait any longer as he pushed Chris back onto the bed and climbed on behind. Stroking the lean body then pulling him up onto his knees, he reached around and hugged him from behind as he rasped out his need against the smooth, hard muscled back.
"I need you, Chris... now!"
By now Chris was as ready to be taken as Vin was to sink into the warm, tight body that he'd missed. As Chris reached into the nightstand for the tube of KY, Vin was stroking the cleft with his fingers, using both his own and Chris's precum to smooth the way. The tube was passed back and he used a good squirt of the goo to prepare the way, then, coating his shaft, he removed his fingers and replaced then with the tip of his penis. He tried to move slowly, knowing it had been a while, but as soon as he entered Chris pushed back, impaling himself all the way onto Vin's long, hard length.
Despite his reluctance to move too soon, Vin found that Chris was overriding his judgment as he began an urgent rocking motion. Moments later he found himself thrusting harder and faster, responding to the need conveyed by the insistent motions beneath him. He had reached around and wrapped his lubricated hand around Chris's erection and was now pumping it in time with his own thrusts. They didn't last long. When Vin hit the sensative spot inside Chris yet again, he caused the blond to let out a satisfied howl as he flew over the precipace. The clenching of Chris's inner muscles sent Vin falling into that place of sweet nothingness only moments later.
Chris regained his senses a short while later to find Vin curled up in such a contented manner that he fully expected to hear the catlike Texan purring. Deciding to let Vin sleep a while, he reached out and gently stroked through the soft, slightly damp curls. Realizing as he did so, that no matter how many obstacles they would have to face, given their profession, and despite how trying the younger man could be at times, he wouldn't trade what they had for all the riches in the world. The only treasure he wanted was right here beside him and he vowed that he would hold and cherish him for as long as he breathed.
The End
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