ATF Universe
Comments: A HUGE thank you to my cyber-sis Deb for all the late night ponderin' sessions. ;) Your encouragement, suggestions, laughter and especially your friendship are appreciated more than you know. Love ya, pard!
Disclaimers: I'm not even sure who all the rights belong to at this point, but I know darned well it isn't me. No copyright infringement is intended. The author is just having fun.
Feedback: Always welcome!
SIZE: Approx 210K
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
He couldn´t tear his eyes away from it. It wasn´t so much the tree itself, but what it represented that held him spellbound. While it wouldn´t be the first Christmas they´d shared as friends, it was to be their first as lovers and housemates. He thought back to the previous Christmas and couldn´t help a small smile. The entire team had been together at the ranch for dinner, along with Nettie and Casey Wells and Nathan´s wife, Raine. It had been a magical time, filled with all the warmth that inevitably came from having good friends and loved ones close. He´d treasured that time, capturing the strong sense of family to hold in his heart no matter what the future held.And it had proved to hold more than he´d ever dared hope for.
He was, once again, on the sofa in the den where they´d enjoyed the previous year´s festivities, but now it was home – not just in the sense that he was always welcome there – but his actual, permanent residence, shared with the man he loved more than life itself.
He just couldn´t picture anything more perfect.
“Some heavy thinking going on there, pard,” a voice murmured in his ear.
He sighed and snuggled even closer to the warm body at his back, slowly stroking the strong arms that held him. “Don´t get any better than this, Chris,” he replied softly, contentment colouring every word. “Being here with you, our first Christmas together, our very own tree.” He paused as emotion welled within him. “Just feel like the luckiest guy in the world right now,” he finally finished in a voice made raspier by the extent of his feelings.
A soft kiss landed on his cheek and his lover tightened his embrace somewhat. “Sorry, cowboy,” Chris whispered, nuzzling the soft skin at the back of Vin´s neck. “I´ve already claimed that distinction for myself.”
Vin turned to look into the smokey green eyes, his own sparkling with happiness. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?” he asked, stroking one finger along Chris´ jaw.
The blond chuckled. “Not unless you count ‘Jesus, Larabee, hold the fuckin´ thing steady, will ya?´ as a way of saying you love me,” he teased.
It had been a struggle getting the huge fir through the front door and firmly secured into the corner of the room they´d decided on. Tempers had flared occasionally, but in the end, they were both pleased with the result and had collapsed on the sofa to admire their prize, undecorated as it was.
Vin smiled, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. “As a matter of fact, I do,” he replied. “Ain´t just anybody I´d go through that for, ya know.”
“You´re the one who insisted on the biggest tree we could find,” Chris countered.
“Got a lotta Christmases to make up for,” the Texan responded, nipping at the inviting lower lip so close to his own.
Chris pulled the lithe body more firmly against him. “We´ve got a lot of years to make up for every single one of them,” he stated sincerely. “Don´t have to pack ‘em all into one tree, you know.”
Vin smiled, allowing the commitment in those words to warm his heart as the body against him warmed his flesh. “You want we should take it back out and get a smaller one?”
“Hell, no,” Chris replied in mock horror. “Think I want to go through that again? Once a year is plenty, thank you very much.”
Vin turned again, still within the comfort of his lover´s arms, and gazed up at the tree. “Was worth it though, wasn´t it?” he murmured happily.
“You´re worth it,” Chris corrected softly, kissing his neck while allowing his hands to begin caressing the body in his arms. “And anything that puts that light in your eyes is worth whatever it takes.”
Vin swallowed hard and closed his eyes as both the words and the tenderness of his lover´s hands enveloped him. “Don´t take much,” he said softly. “Just knowin´ I belong here with you.”
“You do,” the blond replied. “Right now, and every second to come for the rest of our lives, this is where you belong.”
Vin turned again to meet his lover´s lips in a slow, lingering kiss, giving a physical outlet to the love flowing so strongly between them.
A barely audible moan escaped the Texan as Chris´ hands continued their seductive path up and down his back, hesitating only to pull the shirts from his waistband, exposing the warm flesh beneath to the questing fingers.
“God, I love you,” Chris gasped as their lips parted for a much needed breath.
Vin shuddered slightly at the feel of his lover´s hands stroking his back beneath the layers of clothing. “Love you too, Chris,” he replied in a breathless whisper. “Need ya.”
The larger man angled himself up a little, shifting their positions until Vin lay beneath him, the blue eyes looking up at him with a mixture of love and desire.
After taking a moment to drink in the handsome features of his lover, Chris lowered his head to claim another kiss, one deeper and more intense than the last, and Vin melted into it, relinquishing all that he was to the safe keeping of the man who loved him.
Two sets of hands explored familiar territory, gently stroking and caressing every inch of exposed flesh as they slowly undressed one another. Lips melded together, parting only when necessary to accomplish the removal of shirts and jeans before coming together again in a sensual dance of heightening arousal.
Vin couldn´t help a contented sigh as his lover´s nude body settled upon his own, blanketing him with its warmth. The scent of fresh pine tickled their senses and added a new element to the familiar coupling.
Chris moaned deep in his throat as his lover´s hands played over his nipples, bringing them to peak hardness in seconds. His lips moved from the swollen mouth of his partner to trail along the strong jaw and down to the more sensitive skin at his neck, nibbling and kissing as they went.
Tanner writhed beneath the onslaught, his body trembling with barely controlled need. “Ya feel so good,” he breathed, his hands cupping the blond´s firm ass cheeks. “Want ta feel ya inside me.”
Without allowing his lips to leave the tender skin, Chris reached out to the small table beside the sofa, opening the draw to extract the tube they kept there to ward off winter´s drying effects on their skin. Or, at least, that´s what they´d claim if it were ever discovered. The truth was, they often found themselves far from the bedroom when moments of uncontrollable desire overtook them and had learned to keep things handy to save breaking the moment.
Having retrieved the tube, Chris flipped the top open before finally raising his head and sitting back on his heels between his lover´s long legs. Squeezing out a generous amount, he warmed the cool gel in his hands, his eyes never leaving the dark pools of blue that drew him so. When he was satisfied that it wouldn´t be a shock to the Texan´s flushed skin, he began gently stroking the strong thighs with slicked hands, eliciting a whimper of desire from the lithe body as the legs twitched with barely checked need.
“Shhhh,” Chris soothed, his hands moving to stroke the sensitive flesh at the inner thigh. “Soon, pard. Just enjoy.”
Vin was powerless to do anything else, biting back a groan as his lover´s talented fingers found their way to his heavy balls and began gently kneading the hardened globes.
Chris watched the blue eyes close, licking his lips as the Texan´s body arched, head back, long neck exposed to his lingering gaze. With a growl, he lowered his head and swiftly engulfed his lover´s engorged erection in one smooth motion. His hands quickly moved to steady the other man´s hips as the pliant body bucked wildly beneath him. He let his tongue roam freely, licking up one side and down the other while his lips coaxed the first drops of precious fluid from the hardened shaft.
“Chris,” Vin panted. “I´m … I´m…”
Hearing the warning in those words, Chris intensified his efforts, taking his lover´s shaft deep in his throat and moving one searching finger to the puckered entrance behind the taut ballsac. Just as he felt the body beneath him tense, he pushed the long digit inside, past the ring of muscle to stroke the gland hidden there.
The effect was immediate. Tanner´s body arched up, Chris´ name spilling from his lips on a raspy cry as thick streams of cum shot deep into the blond´s throat.
Chris milked the twitching balls to ensure he got every drop, then moved his hand to coat his own aching length. Withdrawing his finger from his lover´s depths, he positioned the weeping head of his cock at the opening. He knew he could take Tanner hard and fast, would probably come even before the lean Texan was fully recovered from his own orgasm.
But Chris wanted more. He wanted – needed – to give the man he loved even more pleasure.
And he knew just how to do it.
“Look at me, Vin,” he commanded, the tone soft despite clenching his teeth to fight off his own release as he pushed into the tight channel. It took a moment for the words to register, but when they did, he was rewarded with the appearance of two heavily lidded slivers of blue.
Their gazes locked and Chris had to still his slow strokes for a minute to retain what little control he had. “I want to see your eyes when I fill you,” the blond continued, resuming the tortuously slow, deep thrusts, his words breathy and sensual. “I want to be looking deep into your soul when I make you come.”
The words had the desired effect. Tanner´s eyes opened wider, his softening cock already beginning to harden once again. A tremor ran through him and he wrapped his arms around the blond´s back, pulling the larger man closer to him, their gazes locked together as much as their bodies.
Chris quickened the pace a little, adjusting the angle so he went deep into the welcoming channel with each thrust and rubbed against the sensitive prostate with every withdrawal. Long fingers closed around the throbbing dick of his lover and he began to stroke his hand in time with his hips. He could feel the other man´s body reacting to his ministrations and allowed a small, wolfish smile. “That´s it, cowboy,” he breathed. “Come for me.”
It was like throwing a switch. The barely voiced command, combined with the internal and external stroking, sent a current of white-hot heat coursing through the younger man and he struggled to maintain eye contact as his body obeyed his lover´s words, his release coating his belly and the blonde´s hand.
Chris groaned low in his throat as he felt his partner´s warm seed erupting and allowed himself to be drawn even further into the deep blue eyes even as his body sank further into the one beneath him. Within seconds, he found his own release, grasping Tanner´s hips and thrusting deep as he filled his young lover with all he had to offer.
Once spent, he lowered himself to the sofa beside the still panting Texan and took the trembling body in his arms. “You´re something else,” he murmured, kissing one flushed cheek.
“What can I say?” Tanner chuckled softly. “You bring out the best in me.”
Chris returned the laugh and pulled his lover closer, pressing the length of their bodies together. “We do that for each other,” he replied softly.
Vin snuggled into the warm embrace, both his mind and his body sated for the moment. “Gonna keep on doin´ it, too,” he whispered sleepily. “Right now and every second to come for the rest of our lives.”
The blond smiled as he heard his own words handed back to him. “That´s right,” he murmured, planting a gentle kiss on his lover´s forehead. “But at this particular second, we´d best get cleaned up. The guys´ll be here soon.”
Vin raised his head slightly to meet the green gaze. “Sure that´s today?” he asked with regret that was only partly feigned. At the moment, all he wanted was to remain wrapped in the strong arms that held him.
“The decorating party was your idea,” Chris reminded him with a smile. “Personally, I like the tree the way it is.” He nuzzled at the soft skin of his lover´s throat. “It inspires me.”
Vin laughed, rolled off the sofa and came to his feet in one fluid motion. “That figures,” he smirked. “Wouldn´t have anythin´ ta do with the fact that it´s the same colour as those eyes´a yours, would it?”
“Maybe I just appreciate things in their more natural state,” the blond leered, making a grab for the nude body standing so close.
Tanner sidestepped the movement easily and began picking up hastily discarded clothing. “Weren´t you the one sayin´ we had ta get cleaned up ‘fore the guys get here?” he teased on a chuckle.
Chris heaved a resigned sigh and got to his feet. As Vin turned toward the hall, he grabbed him and pulled him close. “Fine. But once they leave, I won´t be responsible for my actions.” He drew the younger man in for a deep, passionate kiss before turning and heading for the bathroom.
Vin stood breathless, his mind still reeling from the sheer excitement his lover could incite with just one kiss. “Damn,” he breathed with a slight shake of his head. The sound of the shower running brought him more fully to his senses and he hurried to follow the path the blond had taken.
+ + + + + + +
To his credit, Buck at least rang the bell when he arrived, even if he didn´t wait for it to be answered. Chris was approaching the door when it opened, allowing access to his oldest friend and the team´s youngest member. “Boys,” Larabee nodded with a smile.
Buck immediately took in the still wet hair and grinned. “Little late in the day to be showerin´ ain´t it Chris? Or maybe a little early,” he added, waggling his eyebrows.
“Since when are my showering habits any of your business?” Chris asked with a raised eyebrow. The teasing twinkle in his green eyes took any sting out of the words.
“Hey, Chris,” JD greeted his boss and friend with a smile. “Don´t mind Buck. Since Bobby-Jo stood him up, he´s taken to living vicariously through the rest of us.”
“She didn´t stand me up,” Buck argued good- naturedly, his smile still in place. “She had to go out of town, but she promised to make it up to me. And boy, does that sweet thing know a thing or two about makin´ it up to a man.”
Vin chose that moment to appear from the direction of the master bedroom. “Hey, Buck, JD,” he greeted their guests.
The Texan´s damp locks garnered an even bigger grin from Buck. Taking a few strides, he looked into the den. “Yep, thought so,” he chuckled.
“Thought so what?” Vin asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
“Tree´s up,” Buck replied with a snicker. “That explains it.”
Vin was about to question the comments further when the phone rang. He went to the den to answer it and the others joined him there. Once he´d hung up, he turned to Chris. “That was Josiah. He´s gonna be tied up for another hour or so at the church. Said we should go ahead without him.”
Chris´ lips twitched slightly in a knowing smile. “And you said?”
Vin grinned. “Told him we´d wait. Ain´t a party less´n the whole gang´s here.”
Larabee´s smile widened. The Texan´s enthusiasm was not only contagious, it filled Chris with a warmth he´d thought long gone from his holiday seasons. He wanted this Christmas to be perfect for Vin and if that meant postponing the decorating for an hour or a week, he´d do it without question. “Then I guess we´ll need some drinks while we wait,” he suggested.
“Whatcha got there?” Vin asked JD as he noted the small box tucked under one arm.
“Uh uh,” JD grinned with a shake of his head. “It´s a surprise. You´ll find out when we decorate the tree.”
Vin´s eyes sparkled at the idea of a surprise. “Aw, come on, kid. Just a hint. I won´t tell Chris, I promise.”
“I believe you,” JD laughed. “But this surprise isn´t just for Chris, so you´re going to have to wait.”
The words weren´t meant to have any real significance, but they seemed to strike a chord in Vin´s heart. The surprise wasn´t just for Chris – it was for both of them – for their tree, in their home. He had to swallow the lump that suddenly formed in his throat.
Chris watched the exchange, still marveling at how quickly his lover could go from boyish excitement to being choked up with emotion by the simplest of words or gestures. “Want to help me with the drinks, pard?” he asked.
Once alone in the kitchen, Chris slipped his arms around Vin´s waist and pulled him close for a brief kiss. “You OK?” he asked gently.
“Better´n OK,” Vin smiled, snaking his arms around the blonde in a loose embrace. “This is going to be the best Christmas ever.”
“It already is,” Chris returned with a smile of his own. “I´ve already got the best present I could ask for.”
As Vin reached up to brush his lips lightly over Chris´, Buck entered the kitchen. “Don´t you two ever take a break?” he teased on a chuckle.
Vin stepped away quickly, shooting Buck an embarrassed look as he felt the colour rise in his cheeks. “Don´t you ever knock?” he countered.
“Not usually when I enter a kitchen,” Buck answered with a grin. “But knowing Chris, maybe I´d best start.”
Vin´s face flushed an even deeper shade of red and he turned away toward the fridge. Retrieving enough cold beers for the four of them, he hoped the subject would just drop.
Thankfully, the sound of the doorbell caught the attention of all three men. “Sounds like the others are here,” Vin said, thrusting the bottles into Chris´ hands as he headed to answer the door.
Once they´d all gathered in the den and had drinks in hand, Nathan suggested they pass the time by sharing some of their favourite Christmas traditions and memories.
Vin smiled as JD reminisced about holidays spent with his mother. He was glad that the younger man had such nice memories to hold on to and he hoped that time wouldn´t diminish the feelings they invoked.
Ezra´s stories didn´t prove to be as warm as JD´s but they involved exotic places and the southerner´s voice had Vin engrossed from the first word.
When it was his turn, Nathan shared even more tales of happy family gatherings and the others felt themselves being drawn into the warmth of those memories.
“Every Christmas Eve,” the dark man reminisced with a wistful smile, “Daddy would gather us ‘round the tree and we´d each make a Christmas wish. Couldn´t be for toys or nothin´,” he added, shaking his head. “Had ta be for something meaningful, Daddy´d say, things that money couldn´t buy.”
Vin liked that idea and realized, as he looked around the room, that anything he could possibly wish for was already his. Smiling contentedly, he was somehow sure Nathan´s daddy wouldn´t mind if he saved his wish for a time when he really needed it.
Chris shared only a few memories, all centering around Adam and his excitement over the holidays. Vin watched the blonde´s eyes light up when he spoke of his son´s first time on Santa´s lap and couldn´t contain a small smile. He´d forever be grateful that his lover had happy memories to offset the tragic ones.
“At first, he was scared to death,” Chris reminisced, “But all the way home he couldn´t talk about anything else. He wanted a picture of Pony on Santa´s lap.” He chuckled. “Took us nearly the whole drive to convince him that it just wasn´t possible.”
“How´d ya do that?” Vin asked, smiling.
“Finally told him horses just weren´t allowed in the mall,” Chris replied. “Seemed to buy it … at the time.”
“But ol´ Adam had his daddy´s knack for solving problems,” Buck chortled.
Chris shook his head with an amused smile. “Next day, he came up to me with the keys to the truck. Said I´d best hurry and go pick up Santa. Pony was ready for his picture.”
They all laughed.
“So what did you say to that?” Nathan asked.
“Hell, Buck was ready to go and haul Santa´s ass back here for that picture,” Chris replied, shooting his old friend a look of feigned exasperation.
“Those big eyes just melted me,” Buck smiled. “Didn´t have it in me to break his heart.”
“Surely you didn´t, to use your own crude terms, haul Santa´s ass back here for that photo, Mr. Larabee,” Ezra declared. The expression he wore was an attempt at incredulity, but there was a twinkle of mirth in the green eyes.
“Naw,” Chris answered, shaking his head slightly. “Reminded him that we were gonna have a whole ranch full of horses one day and asked how he thought they´d feel if Pony had a Santa picture and they didn´t.”
“And that worked?” Nathan asked in surprise.
“Adam had a real feeling for what´s fair,” Buck chuckled. “Decided he didn´t want all the other horses ta feel bad, so he told Chris they could wait until they were all there and could get in on the picture.”
The group of men chuckled quietly at the image. Then, the room fell silent as they each commiserated with their leader about the plans that never had a chance for fruition.
Vin caught Chris´ eye and gave him a warm smile, hoping the memories weren´t too painful. When Chris sent a smile and a nod back, he felt somewhat reassured.
“What about you, Buck?” Tanner prodded. “Ya got ‘nuff a those stories a´yours any other time.”
Not surprisingly, each of Buck´s stories involved a woman. And considering how long he and Chris had been friends, it came as no surprise that the woman was often Sarah Larabee. He chuckled as he told them how Sarah had always insisted he be there for the decorating of the tree, even after Adam was born. He was family, she´d insisted, and family should be together at Christmas.
The more he talked, the more Vin began to draw parallels between the Christmases of Chris´ past and the one that was to become their first. He´d cited the same reasons for inviting the guys out for the tree-trimming party. The team was family and they should be included in their holiday plans.
“And Adam always had to have the biggest tree he could find,” Buck was saying, shaking his head in amusement as he brought the memories forth. “Sometimes me and Chris had a helluva time getting it into the house, but we always managed.”
Vin looked at Chris and thought back to the blonde´s words earlier in the day.
You´re the one who insisted on the biggest tree we could find.
Did his enthusiasm for the holidays ever remind Chris of his son? Was there anything about the whole holiday that didn´t remind him of either Sarah or Adam?
“Of course,” Buck was continuing. “There was one year I didn´t make it out in time to help get the tree in. By the time I got here, it was already standing proudly in the corner just waitin´ to be decorated.” He cast a sly grin in Chris´ direction. “And there were those two, just snuggled up on the couch starin´ at it like it was already the prettiest damned thing they´d ever seen.”
Vin had no trouble picturing the scene – Hell, he´d lived it just that morning. The room suddenly felt like it was starting to close in on him and he hurriedly got to his feet. “Who needs another beer?” he asked over his shoulder as he headed for the kitchen. Merely nodding in reply to the responses, he headed straight for the fridge and retrieved the cool bottles. After placing them on the kitchen table, he braced his arms on the maple top and closed his eyes tightly, taking a deep breath.
He was startled only slightly by a hand on his shoulder. “Vin?”
“Yeah,” Vin replied, pulling himself together to begin opening the beer bottles.
“I´m sorry,” Chris said softly, running his hands in a slow pattern up and down the Texan´s back.
Vin finally turned to look at him. “For what?”
“All the Christmas talk, I guess,” Chris replied with a shrug. “Don´t imagine it was easy hearing about everyone else´s happy times when you didn´t have many of your own.”
“I enjoyed it, Chris,” Vin hurried to assure him. “Listenin´ to them stories made me feel like I´s a part´a them.”
Chris slipped his arms around the younger man. “And you´ll be a part of every one of mine from here on,” he promised with a gentle kiss. “The biggest part.”
The words warmed Vin´s heart and he reached up to stroke his lover´s face tenderly. “Maybe I can make my own memories now,” he said softly. “Thanks ta you.”
“Least I could do after you gave Christmas back to me,” the blond replied sincerely. “Never thought it could mean this much again.”
The last word stoked the small flicker of misplaced emotion that had been struggling to take hold for the past few hours.
The slight tensing of the smaller man´s frame didn´t go unnoticed by the blonde agent. “What is it, Vin?” he asked quietly, studying the deep blue eyes.
He was saved from answering by the sound of the doorbell. “Josiah´s here,” he said. “Time ta get the party started.” He hurried from the room, leaving Chris to stare after him, the concerned frown deepening.
+ + + + + + +
Vin was surprised to discover it wasn´t Josiah standing on the other side of the door, but Orrin Travis and Paul Richards, the leader of ATF Team Three. “Hi,” was all he could think to say, trying to keep the surprise out of his voice.
“Vin,” Orrin nodded. “I´m sorry to bother you guys on a weekend, but I need to talk to Chris.”
“Sure, Judge,” Vin nodded, using the older man´s nickname as he opened the door to allow the newcomers entrance.
“Orrin,” Chris greeted, “Paul.” He shook both hands, his expression carefully guarded. “What brings the two of you out here on a Saturday?”
Travis looked hesitant for only a second. He offered the others each a nod of acknowledgement. “Are we interrupting a celebration?”
“Decorating party,” Chris explained with a half smile. “As soon as Josiah gets here, that is. You´re welcome to join us, but something tells me that´s not why you´re here.”
“No, it´s not,” Orrin confirmed with a wry smile. “I wish it was, Chris.”
“What is it?” Larabee asked, his tone even, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Travis seemed relieved when the arrival of Josiah stalled his answer. Once he was inside with the others, however, he had no choice but to explain.
“Lawrence Reynolds,” he breathed on a sigh. “They´ve arranged another bail hearing.”
The name brought an immediate frown to Chris´ face and he quickly looked around to see the expression mirrored on that of his team. Lawrence C. Reynolds was a big name both in Washington and Denver. He´d moved up the political ladder with the aid of his smooth style and quick, confident smile. Of course, his money hadn´t hurt either. That is, until it was discovered that most of that money came from a gun-running operation working out of a gay bar on Denver´s South side.
The bust had been a joint effort, the ATF´s two best teams, despite being sorely outnumbered, easily taking down Reynolds and his accomplices and confiscating a huge shipment of illegal weaponry in the process.
“Another bail hearing?” Chris repeated.
“His lawyer managed to appeal the original,” Travis clarified.
Chris´ jaw clenched. “When?”
Orrin hesitated again. “Monday,” he replied after a brief pause. “As the arresting officer, you´ll need to be there.”
Of course, ‘there´ couldn´t mean Denver. That would be too damned easy. Reynolds had practically admitted his part in the death of two unfortunate buyers in the nation´s capital and he´d been transferred there to face the more serious charges. Chris had not only been the one to slap the cuffs on, but he´d been the one to overhear the man´s incriminating remarks.
“Monday?” Chris repeated Travis´ answer again. “Less than a week before Christmas?” His anger was evident. “Who was the fucking magician who worked that one out?”
“He claimed special dispensation,” Richards explained with a scoff. “Claimed that ‘innocent until proven guilty´ granted him a right to be home with his kid at Christmas.”
Larabee looked from Richards to Travis. “So why do they need me?”
“Once you give your statement, we´re hoping they´ll retain their original decision to keep him behind bars until the trial.”
“I´ve already given a statement,” Chris pointed out. “My report was thorough, Orrin, you know that.”
“I know,” Travis concurred with a nod. “But the judge wants to speak to you face to face before he makes a decision.”
Chris´ eyes moved to Vin and he immediately noticed the hard set to the man´s mouth. “How long?” he asked, turning his attention back to Travis.
“You attend the hearing on Monday and we´ll get you the first flight home afterward, I promise.”
Chris noticed the assurance didn´t do anything to allay his lover´s concern and felt renewed anger at that. “Tell me his political connections didn´t have anything to do with this change in schedule,” he growled. “This is bullshit, Travis.”
The AD winced inwardly at the use of his surname. Only when Chris was truly pissed did he use it.
“I wish I could,” he sighed. “His wife had a baby a few months back. He´s anxious to be there for the kid´s first Christmas.”
Richards scoffed again. “More like those faggots he´s anxious to get back to,” he sneered. “Missing out on all that Christmas cheer and all.”
Chris glared at Richards while six other sets of eyes flitted briefly, but uncomfortably in Vin´s direction. The Texan didn´t miss the looks, but kept his steely gaze riveted on Richards. He´d never liked the man; that was no secret. The whole time they´d been staking out the gay bar, he´d heard the derogatory comments and had tried to ignore them, knowing they weren´t directed at him personally. Hell, if Richards even suspected Chris and Vin were together, he was pretty sure the man´s own narrow-mindedness would have escalated to the point where Team Three would be needing a new leader before the year was out.
Not that that would necessarily be a bad thing.
“His personal business is none of yours,” Travis reminded the other man flatly. “Stick to the job you were hired for.” He turned his attention back to Chris. “While you´re gone, Paul will coordinate details on this end.”
“Like Hell he will,” Wilmington fumed, unable to hold his temper in check any longer.
“This isn´t a suggestion,” Travis stated, locking eyes with the blue-eyed ladies´ man. “It comes straight from the Director in Washington. Given Reynolds´ reputation, they want every I dotted and every T crossed. They´ve insisted that the two teams work together to go over the reports with a fine- tooth comb. As SAC, Richards will be overseeing that effort. Do I make myself clear?”
Buck´s glare rivaled Chris´ as he stared heatedly at the smirking leader of Team Three. “Crystal,” he finally ground out between clenched teeth.
Orrin sighed again, rubbing a hand wearily through his thinning hair. “My hands are tied on this one, gentlemen. The sooner we get it over with, the sooner things can go back to normal.” At least he hoped that would be the case. The animosity between Richards and the members of Team Seven certainly hadn´t gone unnoticed. Team three´s leader was homophobia personified. But despite that flaw, he was a damned good agent and Travis could no more transfer him for his feelings as he could Tanner and Larabee for theirs.
The difference was, he liked both Vin and Chris on a personal level, while he despised Richards and his narrow-minded beliefs. Seems they all had their prejudices.
“Agent Tanner,” he continued, trying to diffuse the situation as best he could. “I´m sending you over to surveillance for the next day or so. We need to scour our copies of those tapes closely and I need a man with a good eye. We don´t want Reynolds´ people springing any surprises on us.”
“Fine,” Vin agreed, his tone devoid of emotion.
Travis nodded. “The rest of you will meet with Team Three in their conference room Monday morning and go over every word on those reports.”
Chris stole a glance at Vin, hoping to see the same relief he was feeling. Though he didn´t doubt for a second that Vin´s sharp eye was needed for reviewing the tapes, he knew that Travis had intentionally planned to keep the sharpshooter out of Richards´ way for the next few days and he appreciated the effort.
He suspected it was more for the preservation of the older agent than that of the young Texan, but it would be best all around and he was hoping for a sign that his lover recognized that fact.
When Vin avoided returning his look, the blonde´s frown deepened. “When´s my flight?” he asked Travis, hoping to have at least the rest of the weekend with his lover to work through whatever was going on under that long hair.
“I´m afraid you have to leave this afternoon,” Travis answered reluctantly. “With holiday traffic being what it is, it´s the only flight we could get that would get you to the courthouse on time.” He took an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Chris.
Larabee studied the ticket and sighed in frustration. He´d barely have time to pack if he wanted to make it through the seasonal traffic to the airport. “Fuck,” he breathed.
Ezra noticed the look on his boss´ face upon seeing the departure time and suspected it was sooner than he would have liked. “In light of the circumstances, might I suggest we postpone the plans to embellish your charming abode until such a time as you can be present for the festivities?”
“No sense in ruining everyone´s weekend,” Chris replied to Ezra´s words though his gaze was directed at Vin. “I´m sure you guys can handle it without me.”
“We´ll wait,” Tanner stated firmly. “No big deal. Saturday, Tuesday. It´ll still be done in time for Christmas.”
Chris smiled inwardly. He really hadn´t wanted to miss decorating their first tree, but he didn´t want to disappoint Vin either. Knowing that the greater disappointment would be his absence sent a warmth through him, despite the Texan´s cool gaze.
“Then wait we´ll do,” Buck declared with a nod. “We´ll get outta your hair and let you get packed, Chris.” He picked up the box JD had carried in. “We´ll do all this when you get back.”
“The team that plays together stays together, huh, Wilmington?” Richards sneered.
Rather than be angered by the goading, Buck sent him a wicked smile. “I´m sure your team´s doing something together for Christmas too, Richards. More than likely you just ain´t been invited.”
JD and Nathan chuckled quietly while Ezra and Josiah both allowed an amused grin upon seeing Richards´ eyes narrow.
“We´ve done what we came to do,” Travis stated, sending his own glare Paul´s way. “I think it´s time we left and let these men to the rest of their day.”
Once the two men were gone, Vin stormed from the room toward the bedroom. Buck´s raised eyebrows at Chris only garnered him a small shake of the blonde head.
“Need a ride to the airport?” Josiah offered. “No sense in Vin having to drive in when we´re all going that way.”
“I´ll let you know in a minute,” Chris replied on a sigh. Without another word, he followed the route his best friend had taken.
He closed the door upon entering the bedroom. Noticing his suitcase open on the bed, he glanced around until he spied Vin coming out of the master bathroom with Chris´ shaving kit.
“I´m sorry,” he offered. “I know this wasn´t planned, but it´s only for a couple of days. I´ll be back before Christmas.”
“Yeah, I know,” Vin replied, not looking at him as he placed the toiletries in the suitcase.
Chris watched the angry movements for a moment. “This isn´t just about me having to leave, is it?” he asked. “Richards?”
Vin whirled to face him. “I don´t give a rat´s ass what Richards thinks, “ he fumed. “What bothers me is what my friends think – our friends, Chris.”
Chris frowned in utter confusion. “What?”
“In case you haven´t noticed, I ain´t the only one in this relationship, Larabee,” the Texan continued, his ire growing as he took a step toward the taller man and poked a finger into the hard chest. “And I´m damned sick and tired of folks actin´ like I am.”
“Vin, no one´s acting like..”
“The Hell they ain´t!” Vin practically shouted. “When Richards was spoutin´ off his bullshit, not one eye turned to you, Chris. They all looked at me, even Travis. Doesn´t matter that I´ve slept with as many women as I have men, not that either is a very long list, mind you. As far as they´re concerned, I´ll always be a gay man and you´ll always be a straight guy in a gay relationship. How the Hell does that work exactly?”
His lover´s anger came as a complete shock and Chris had no words ready to diffuse it. He hadn´t noticed any looks leveled at Vin, but if they´d been there, he suspected they´d been out of concern for the quiet Texan´s desire to keep his private life just that.
“Vin, I …”
Once again he was cut off by the younger man´s angry words. “And Travis ain´t no better. Think he´d be sendin´ ya off this close ta Christmas if you were still married? If this was your first Christmas with Sarah? Or Adam? Maybe if he´d tried it then, you would have at least put up more of a protest!”
He saw the look of shock in the green eyes turn briefly to pain and then anger. As soon as the words had left his lips, he´d regretted them, but his own emotions were too close to the surface to voice that regret.
“What the Hell´s the matter with you?” Chris demanded “This has nothing to do with Sarah or Adam and what I would or would not do if they were here. They´re not.”
God, he´d made such a mess of this. Chris was right; it had nothing to do with Sarah or Adam, not really. And it didn´t have anything to do with whether their friends thought of either one of them as gay.
His anger left him almost immediately and was replaced with a deep shame for his words and actions. “Jesus, I´m sorry, Chris,” he sighed, raking a hand through his hair and sinking down to sit on the edge of the bed.
After a brief hesitation to get his own feelings under control, Chris sat beside him. “You want to tell me what this is all about?” he asked quietly.
He knew the man deserved an explanation, but he had no words to express what he was feeling. Hell, he wasn´t sure how to explain it to himself let alone to Chris.
“Just don´t want you to go,” he finally stated. It might not be all that was bothering him, but it certainly was true.
“And I don´t want to,” Chris replied, putting an arm around the strong, though slumped shoulders of the other man. “But if it was your testimony that could keep Reynolds behind bars, you´d be going in a heartbeat and we both know it.”
Vin couldn´t deny it. As much as he hated it sometimes, part of what made their relationship so good was the fact that they both understood the demands the job could put on their personal lives. With a small sigh and a nod, he turned to look into the worried green eyes. “Then I guess we´d better finish getting ya packed.”
+ + + + + + +
Vin insisted on driving Chris to the airport himself. The nearly three hour round trip didn´t really matter when there wasn´t anyone to rush home to. The silence between them was not exactly strained, but neither was it of the comfortable variety they so often shared. Small talk about upcoming plans and ongoing cases was pretty much it for conversation.
Knowing they´d have no privacy once they reached the crowded airport, Vin reached over to take Chris´ hand just before they arrived. “I really am sorry, Chris,” he said quietly. “I´ll miss you.”
“I´ll miss you too,” the blonde smiled, squeezing the Texan´s hand affectionately. “But I´ll be back before you know it and Christmas will be everything we planned it to be, OK?”
Vin held no illusions that it would be everything he had planned it to be – everything he´d hoped it would be – but Chris didn´t need to be worrying about that on top of everything else. “OK,” he replied, returning the smile. He saw the lingering worry in Chris´ eyes and did his best to dispel it. “Me and the tree will be waitin´ for ya.”
Chris leaned over to brush his lips against Vin´s once the truck was stopped. “I´ll be counting the minutes,” he practically purred.
Vin swallowed hard at the tone. “Don´t be startin´ somethin´ ya can´t finish, Larabee.”
“Oh, I´ll finish it,” the blonde leered with a wink. “First night I´m home, under that very tree, I promise.”
The seductive voice went straight to Vin´s groin. “Keep that up and it´ll be right here in the white zone.”
Chris´ smile faltered only slightly as he gazed into the blue eyes he knew so well. Something was wrong and, once again, he was hit with the feeling that it was more than just him having to leave. “You gonna be OK while I´m gone?” he asked, hoping Vin would give him a clue as to what was bothering him.
“Don´t sweat it, Cowboy,” Vin replied. He knew Chris could read him like a book and found himself breaking eye contact for a few seconds to veil the disturbing feelings he still had. When he looked back, the green eyes were narrowed slightly, studying him. “I´m fine, Chris.”
He didn´t entirely believe it, but he knew from experience that Vin wouldn´t tell him until he was ready, and he obviously wasn´t at the moment. “Think you´ll be ready to tell me about it when I get back?” he asked quietly.
A wry smile accompanied the slow shaking of Vin´s head at his partner´s tenacity. “Yer gonna miss your plane, Larabee.”
The tone in which the words were delivered, as well as the stubborn glint in the blue eyes told Chris that the subject was closed. “OK,” he said with a small nod as he reached for the door handle. “I´ll call you when I get to Washington.”
Vin nodded and watched the blonde retrieve his suitcase. Before entering the terminal, Chris leaned toward the passenger window and waited while Vin hit the switch to lower the glass. “I love you,” he said gently.
“Love you too, Chris,” Vin replied with a soft smile. “Hurry home, OK?”
“Count on it,” Chris responded with a wink and a smile. With that, he turned and entered the bustling building through the large glass doors.
Vin watched until he disappeared into the crowd and then put the truck in gear and headed for the exit. The further he got from the airport, the lower his spirits dropped.