Chris sat at his desk, his chair facing the window, though the view went largely unnoticed. He really did understand Vin´s need to get away from time to time. The man needed his space and it had been in short supply lately, what with all the hours he´d been spending out at the ranch. Still, he couldn´t deny his disappointment that his lover didn´t want to spend Valentine´s Day with him, despite the fact that he´d already convinced himself to let it go by without fanfare. Even though he hadn´t planned anything special, he´d thought they´d at least be together.He glanced at the clock on his wall and sighed. In a little over three hours, Vin would be leaving for the airport. His mood spiraled steadily downhill as he contemplated the lonely weekend ahead. Only the sharp rap on his door brought him out of his contemplation and he swiveled around, a slight frown on his face.
“Yeah,” he called.
Buck opened the door and leaned in. “Hey, Chris. I was hoping I could skip out a little early this afternoon.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Got some things need taking care of before tomorrow.”
He was about to bark a retort about keeping personal business separate from professional, but realized that he´d spent the better part of the last hour silently lamenting his own personal circumstances. “Why the Hell not,” he finally sighed dejectedly.
Buck instantly picked up on both the expression and the tone. “Hey,” he said, stepping into the office and closing the door. “What´s up?”
Chris leaned forward in his chair, picking up a small stack of reports from his desk. As he pretended to study them, he answered in the most indifferent tone he could manage. “Nothing´s up.”
Suddenly, Buck´s eyebrows were. “Oh?” he said softly. “Then why do I get the feeling somebody just ran over your dog?”
Chris debated whether or not to answer. Buck was his oldest friend and had seen him through times when others would have run screaming. He deserved better.
“Vin´s going out of town,” he finally stated, trying to sound casual. “He´d…” He took a deep breath and put the papers down, dropping the pretense altogether. “He´d rather leave than spend Valentine´s Day with me.”
“He say that?” Buck asked, frowning slightly.
“Not in so many words,” Chris admitted.
“What exactly did he say in so many words?” Wilmington asked, taking a seat across from Chris.
The blond sighed. “He said he wanted to go off for a couple of days. Said it was something he had to do, something he wanted to do.” He paused for a moment. “I think …”
Buck waited for a moment to see if he´d continue. When he didn´t, he prodded, “What do you think?”
Running a hand distractedly through his hair, Chris breathed a heavy sigh. “I think I pushed him, Buck. I didn´t mean to. I just …I mean we´ve never really talked about where things go from here.”
Buck couldn´t resist a smile. “You propose or something?” he teased, trying to lighten the blond´s mood.
He received a cold glare for his efforts.
“I´m sorry,” he offered. “How exactly did you push?”
“It doesn´t matter,” Chris grumbled. “The fact is, he´s ready to run because he thinks I want more than he´s ready to give.”
“What do you want?” Buck pressed.
“I want…” Chris stopped as he thought about his answer. All he could really think of was what he didn´t want. “I don´t want to be without him,” he finally said so quietly Buck had to strain to hear.
“And you don´t think Junior feels the same way?” Buck asked softly.
“I did,” he replied. “Now I´m just not sure. What if …”
This time Buck didn´t urge him to continue; he just waited. He knew Chris well enough to know that he´d talk when he was ready.
Chris struggled to put voice to the fear he´d been trying so hard to hide. “What if I´ve just been seeing what I wanted to see? Maybe all this time I´ve been projecting my own feelings onto Vin, thinking he feels the way I do because that´s what I want him to feel.”
Buck took a moment to contemplate the words. “You think he´s leaving because he doesn´t love you?” he simplified.
“He´s never said it,” Chris admitted quietly. “I thought it was just hard for him, knowing how little love he´s had in his life, but what if it´s not that? What if he´s never said it because… because he just doesn´t feel it?”
“You really believe that?” Buck asked softly.
Chris got to his feet and paced toward the window, running his hand once again through his hair in frustration. “I don´t know,” he replied. “Yesterday I was trying to decide what the Hell to do for Valentine´s Day and now I just … now I just hope I don´t lose him altogether.”
Buck got to his feet and moved to stand behind his friend at the window. “You have to trust him, Chris. If you really love him, you have to let him do what´s right for him, whatever that is.”
“Even if that means getting as far away from me as he can?” Chris replied bitterly.
The tall agent was silent for a minute. “Maybe it´s not you he´s trying to get away from.”
Chris turned a questioning eye on the other man.
Buck considered his words carefully before continuing. “Maybe he´s just scared, Chris. Maybe he doesn´t know exactly how he´s supposed to feel, if what he does feel is enough or too much. He spent the better part of his life without the things most of us take for granted – family, friends, love. Not that I´d wish that on anybody, but as lonely as that life can be, it does come with its own set of safeguards.”
After a moment, Chris let out a long breath. “Those who have nothing have nothing to lose,” he said quietly.
Buck allowed a sad smile. “He´s the only one who can decide if it´s worth it, Chris, but you and I both know that boy doesn´t back down from much. He assesses the situation, calculates the risks and takes them anyway. He just doesn´t have it in him not to.”
Chris snorted, thinking about the feisty Texan´s approach to things that would scare most sane men. “Sometimes he just skips the assessing and calculating steps,” he grumbled, though he couldn´t resist a small smile.
Buck chuckled. “He does have a knack for jumping into the frey, doesn´t he?”
“The money that goes to pay his hospital bills alone would support a small country,” the team leader replied in agreement.
“And as crazy as that makes you at times, you wouldn´t hesitate to trust him with your own life,” Buck pointed out.
“No,” Chris agreed. “I wouldn´t.”
“Then trust him with your heart, Chris. He´s never let you down.”
Chris shook his head, one corner of his mouth turning up in a wry smile. “How the Hell do you know so much about this stuff?” he asked.
The ladies´ man looked offended. “You´re kidding, right? That´s like asking a dermatologist how he knows about a rash, or a dentist how he knows about a cavity, or a proctologist…”
“I get it,” Chris cut him off with a grin, pushing him toward the door. “Go on, get out of here and do whatever it is you have to do.”
Buck allowed himself to be ushered as far as the doorway. “You gonna be OK?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Chris assured him, slightly embarrassed by the concern. “I seem to be thanking you a lot lately.”
Buck winked. “Just wait ‘till the honeymoon, pard. My rate doubles.”
He barely ducked in time to avoid the swat aimed at his head. “Have a great weekend,” he said with a grin, closing the door quickly behind him.
*******
Chris stopped at Vin´s desk, pulling his jacket on. “You ready?” he asked casually.
“Yep,” Vin replied, shutting down his computer. The others had left half an hour ago, all except Buck who´d skipped out an hour before that. “I ‘preciate you doin´ this, Chris,” he said sincerely as he got to his feet. “I know you ain´t ‘xactly thrilled with the situation.”
“I won´t lie,” Chris replied. “I wish you weren´t going.”
Vin nodded once in acceptance of the admission, averting his eyes momentarily from Chris´.
“But I do understand,” the blond added quietly. After an unusually tense moment of silence, he smiled. “Just like I understand you not wanting to rely on that piece of scrap you call a vehicle to get you to the airport on time.”
Vin snorted. “Hell, it´s not gettin´ there I´m worried about, it´s leavin´ her sittin´ there for two days.”
“Afraid somebody might be desperate enough to steal that bucket of rust?” Chris teased.
“More like afraid she won´t wanna start again after sittin´ so long,” Vin admitted with a lopsided grin.
Chris felt his heart lurch as that smile reached him. Clearing his throat, he grabbed Vin´s jacket from the coat rack and handed it to him. “We´d better get going or you´ll miss your flight.”
Nodding, he took the jacket and put it on. Without another word, they left the office and headed for the elevator.
The ride to the airport was relatively quiet. There was a lot Chris wanted to say, but he didn´t want to risk making the next few days more uncomfortable for either of them. It was only when he made the turn into the airport grounds that he finally said the one thing he felt he really needed to. “I´ll miss you.”
His heart sank when Vin merely nodded in response. He pulled up to the curb in the white zone, wondering for the first time since his talk with Buck whether he´d been misinterpreting his lover´s feelings.
Vin hesitated before opening the door. “Chris, I …”
The blond took advantage of the pause and smiled ruefully. “Have a good weekend, Vin,” he said around the lump in his throat.
“I will,” Vin responded, suddenly nervous, “long as…”
He was interrupted by a sharp rap on the tinted passenger window and Chris frowned as he pushed the button to lower it, only to see ng Buck Wilmington peering in.
“What the Hell are you doing here?” he asked in surprise.
Buck cast a questioning look in Vin´s direction and Chris turned to face his flustered passenger.
“Buck,” Vin hissed.
After mouthing a silent ‘Oh´, Buck smiled sheepishly and straightened. Vin hit the button to raise the window again before turning to Chris. “I asked ‘im ta come,” he said in way of explanation.
Chris didn´t understand and it showed in his expression.
“Actually,” Vin was hurrying to amend the statement, “he offered and I agreed.”
“What´s going on, Vin?” Chris asked, suspicious of the other man´s sudden nervousness. He tried to quell the little voice in his head that was screaming at him.
He´s not coming back. Buck´s here to pick up the pieces just like he always does. He´s not coming back. He´s never coming back.
“Vin?” he rasped in a broken whisper.
Vin took a deep breath and forged ahead. “I wasn´t sure I´s doin´ the right thing, Chris,” he hastily explained, his drawl thickening as he became increasingly flustered. “I didn´t know how you´s gonna react. I mean, I´s plannin´ it for a while, then I just wasn´t sure, then ya said what ya said out at the ranch last night and…” His voice trailed off as he tried to get his thoughts under some measure of control.
“That´s it?” Chris demanded in a hoarse whisper. “You´re leaving me because of one stupid, fucking comment?”
Vin whirled to face him. “What?!”
“Jesus Christ, Vin!” he practically shouted. “Don´t you think we could have talked about this?” The startled look on the other man´s face barely registered as his hurt and frustration spewed forth. “Or were you just going to leave that up to Buck? Did you think I´d cry on his shoulder for a while and then just get on with my life? Well I´ve got news for you, Tanner. I don´t need Buck and I sure as Hell don´t need some Goddamned, ornery, pain-in-the-ass Texan who´s too fucking afraid of his own feelings to take a chance.”
Vin stared at the angry man for a moment. “Chris,” he began again, his voice trembling as he realized what the blond was thinking. “I ain´t leavin´,” he said softly. “Least not without you.”
It was Chris´ turn to stare and he did for a long, hard moment. “I don´t get it,” he finally admitted. “You said Buck offered…”
“Buck offered to pack you some things,” Vin explained, reaching into the pocket of his jacket to pull out not one plane ticket, but two. “Some flight attendant friend´a his´s got this place out on the coast near Monterey. Said he´s welcome ta use it whenever he wants. When I told ‘im I´s thinkin´ about gettin´ away for a couple´a days, he offered it ta me… ta us”
Chris was shaking his head slowly, still trying to understand exactly what the other man was saying. As the truth finally started to dawn, he managed to find his voice, husky though it was. “So all this time, you were planning this for me? For us?”
Vin nodded. “I made arrangements for Charlie ta look after the horses. Everything´s already taken care of. All ya gotta do is say yes, Chris.”
The harsh words he´d spoken came rushing back to him, infusing him with a strong sense of guilt and shame. “Jesus, Vin,” he gasped. “What I said, I didn´t …”
Vin leaned over and silenced him with a gentle touch. “I know,” he said quietly. “What ya said then don´t matter. What ya say next does.”
The hopeful look in the blue eyes was almost more than he could stand. “Yes,” he rasped in a voice thick with emotion.
Vin seemed to relax for the first time since they´d left the office. “Then I guess we´d best let ol´ Bucklin off the hook,” he said with a small smile. “He´s prob´ly out there worryin´ on ruinin´ my surprise.”
*******
By the time they disembarked in San Francisco two and a half hours later, Chris´ mind was still reeling.
Vin glanced at his watch. “Got nearly an hour ‘fore our connectin´ flight,” he pointed out, slightly unbalanced by the other man´s near-silent demeanour. “Wanna get a drink or somethin´?”
Chris managed a sheepish smile. “Yeah,” he replied before following the younger man to a nearby lounge. Only once they´d been served did he speak again. “I can´t believe you did this,” he said, a tinge of wonder in his voice.
Vin blushed slightly. “Aw, Hell, Chris,” he murmured. “I didn´t know for sure what ta do. Ain´t ‘xactly had a lot of Valentine´s Days I wanted ta share with anyone.” He raised expressive blue eyes to meet the green ones watching him. “Just knew I wanted ta spend this one with you.”
Chris wanted nothing more than to reach across the table and take the other man´s hand, but knew it wouldn´t be a move appreciated by the private man, not even in San Francisco. “I hope this is just the first of many,” he replied, trying to infuse as much meaning as he could into the words and still sound casual.
A small smile touched the corners of Vin´s mouth. “Could be,” he allowed softly.
The blond nodded in acceptance of those two little words. He´d been secretly hoping for a ‘Me, too´ but he didn´t really have to hear it. He could see it shining in those damnable blue eyes. Besides, a softly drawled ‘Could be´ from Tanner held as much promise as any vowed oath he´d ever been the recipient of. He didn´t need any more than that; maybe neither of them did.
They finished their beer in comfortable silence, both choosing to wait until they were alone to verbally express anything that needed to be said. Anything that didn´t would no doubt be expressed in other, more physical ways.
*******
By the time Vin pulled the rental car up to the beach house, it was nearly eleven.
“Nice place,” Chris said in appreciation upon getting his first glimpse of the dwelling. It wasn´t overly large, but nicely maintained, soft lights dotting the landscaping and giving the property an aura of understated elegance.
“Buck said it was,” Vin replied as he pulled into the drive and cut the engine. “Weren´t expectin´ this, though.”
“Flight attendant, huh?” Chris mused, once they were out of the car and able to get a better look. He could only guess how much such a piece of property would cost in such a prime location. “We must be in the wrong business.”
Vin chuckled. “Ponderin´ a career change, Cowboy?”
“Somehow I don´t think the uniform would suit me,” Chris answered with a smile.
“Don´t know ‘bout that,” Vin teased as he retrieved their bags. “Buck showed me a picture of Melissa. Cute little hat, short skirt. Ya got the legs for it.”
Chris cocked an eyebrow. “Oh? You got a secret fantasy you want to share, Tanner?”
As Vin brushed past him toward the front door, he winked. “One ‘r two,” he replied in a seductive tone. “I ‘magine we´ll get around to ‘em sooner or later.” With a chuckle, he easily sidestepped the hand that reached out to grab him and continued up the steps to the wide verandah. Putting down the bags, he took a slip of paper out of his pocket and, while Chris watched, followed the instructions there to retrieve a cleverly-hidden key.
“And we´re sure Melissa isn´t going to be coming home at any minute, right?” Chris asked as Vin unlocked the door. “Did Buck bother to tell her he loaned her place out?”
“Said she was more'n happy ta have the place used,” Vin replied, swinging the door open and grabbing the bags. “She don´t live here. According ta Bucklin, she inherited it when her folks died a couple´a years ago. Think she pays somebody ta look after it when she ain´t here.”
They stepped into the small foyer and looked around. “Nice,” Chris breathed, his eyes glancing into the tastefully decorated rooms opening off the entryway.
Vin was making his way toward the back of the house. A large bedroom sported a queen-sized bed decked out in red, satin sheets and a soft duvet. One wall was all windows, looking out onto the dark beach. An elaborate ensuite opened off one side of the room, and a set of French doors in the opposite wall exited to a private deck, complete with hot tub and chaise lounges. Vin dropped the bags beside the bed and stepped out onto the deck to admire what he could see of the view. It was everything Buck had said it was and more.
He felt a pair of strong arms encircle his waist and leaned back into the embrace. “Beautiful, ain´t it?” he breathed.
“Yeah,” Chris murmured, nuzzling the warm skin at his partner´s neck. “Beautiful.”
Vin turned within the embrace, slipping his own arms around the blond and flashing a cocky grin. “Why do I get the feelin´ you ain´t talkin´ ‘bout the view?” he teased.
Leaning in to continue nibbling the younger man´s neck, he murmured, “View? What View?”
Vin chuckled and gently pushed him away. “First things first, Cowboy,” he said with a smile.
Chris watched as his lover grabbed his duffle and swung it up onto the bed.
“You want to unpack?” Chris asked, his voice tinged with incredulity.
Vin grinned. “It´ll save rummagin´ ‘round for things later,” he explained, taking out a tube and placing on the bedside table in easy reach. “´sides, those black shirts´a yours get all wrinkled and I ain´t gonna be the one spendin´ the weekend ironin´ ‘em.”
Chris flashed a smile, even as he grabbed his own bag. “Didn´t plan on needing many clothes this weekend,” he teased.
“Then ya might raise a few eyebrows when we go walkin´ on the beach tomorrow,” Vin bantered back, taking out the few things he´d packed and placing them in the empty bureau he´d been told they could use.
Chris chuckled as he opened his luggage. He paused momentarily as an unfamiliar flash of colour caught his eye. Pulling out the top two items, he grinned. “Leave it to Buck,” he laughed, shaking his head.
Vin turned to see Chris holding two pairs of red and white, heart- spattered, silk boxers. “I´ll be damned,” he said with an amused grin.
“Wouldn´t we raise some eyebrows strolling down the beach in these,” Chris chuckled as he put them aside and then placed the rest of his clothes in the drawer adjacent to the one Vin had used.
The Texan, still shaking his head and chuckling softly, grabbed the last item from his bag. Waving the CD case briefly at Chris, he crossed the room to where the stereo stood. “Well, he does claim that mood´s everthin´,” he chortled
Chris raised an eyebrow but couldn´t contain a smile. “You taking lessons from Buck, now?”
“Man´s always tryin´ ta give advice ta somebody,” Vin murmured as he inserted the CD. As soft music filled the room, he turned with a smile. “Don´t tell ol´ Bucklin but, once in a while, I´m actually listenin´.”
Without conscious thought, they moved toward each other, meeting in the middle of the room, arms encircling one another, foreheads touching.
“You´re just full of surprises, aren´t you?” Chris said with a smile, placing a soft kiss on his lover´s lips. “This is all just so … overwhelming.”
“There ya go gettin´ ahead´a yourself again,” Vin murmured, nipping at the enticing lower lip. “Ain´t even begun ta overwhelm ya yet.”
Chris sighed into the warm mouth as his lover pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss. Moments later, their lips still locked, he felt the edge of the bed pressing against the back of his legs. Before he knew it, he was flat on his back, the smaller man´s warm body covering his own.
When they finally parted for a much-needed breath, Chris smiled up at the face above his. “Might have been easier to get undressed first,” he teased.
Vin pushed himself up until he was sitting astride his lover. “Oh, I plan on gettin´ there,” he murmured, long fingers already reaching for the buttons on Chris´ shirt. “Don´t wanna rush it, though,” he continued, slowly teasing open the black shirt. “Some things´s meant ta be savoured.”
The blond slid his hands beneath his lover´s shirts, skating hands slowly up the warm flesh to the hard chest awaiting him there. “You got that right,” he breathed, caressing the silky skin beneath his fingers.
A pleasant shiver coursed through the Texan´s lean body as calloused thumbs stroked lightly over his nipples. “Keep that up and neither one´a us is gonna last long ‘nuff ta savour nothin´.”
Chris´ hands moved up to grasp the other man´s shoulders, pulling him down for a long, lingering kiss, his tongue probing deep into the warm mouth and pulling a small whimper from his partner.
Long moments later, he released the captive lips, gazing into the slightly dazed blue eyes looking back at him.
“Planned on takin´ this nice´n slow,” Vin rasped, his tongue flicking absently across his lips, capturing the lingering taste of the man he loved.
Chris smiled. “You know what they say ‘bout the best plans,” he murmured in imitation of his lover´s drawl.
Vin´s eyes crinkled in amusement before he dove in for a harder, more passionate kiss, his fingers making short work of the remaining buttons, all thoughts of a slow seduction abandoned in favour of ravishing the body beneath him.
He removed the blond´s shirt and began stroking the bare skin with hands and mouth, nipping, stroking, kissing. He captured one rosy nipple between his teeth, gently tugging before soothing it with his tongue. Chris emitted a small gasp and began to move beneath him, body writhing with increasing desire. With a small smile, Vin turned his attention to the other dusky nub, bringing it to the same state of arousal as its twin.
Chris was tugging at the shirts the other man wore, anxious to give as good as he was getting. After a moment of frustrated fumbling, Vin sat up and slid off the bed, his breathing quicker than it had been just a moment before. Without saying a word, he quickly stripped off his clothes and leaned over to aid his partner in doing the same. Once they were both naked, he pounced once again upon the warm body.
“I need ya, Chris,” he breathed into the man´s ear.
Chris cupped his lover´s face in his hands and pulled the tousled head up until he could look into the expressive blue eyes. “Whatever you need, Vin. It´s yours, you know that.”
With a warm smile, Vin leaned in to deposit an almost chaste kiss on the lips beckoning to him before trailing his lips across the strong jaw and down to the warm flesh of his lover´s neck. As his mouth continued to explore, his hands joined in, caressing every inch of flesh they could reach as he slowly moved down the long, lean body beneath him.
When he got to the hard cock jutting from the bed of wiry curls, he paused a moment to place a soft kiss on the rosy head before taking the straining length into his mouth.
“God,” Chris gasped, arching his back and fisting his hands in the smooth satin sheets.
Vin smiled around the mouthful of flesh, reveling in the affect he had on the man who usually exhibited such control. He took the pulsing rod deep and swallowed, stroking the hard flesh with the muscles in his throat and eliciting a harsh gasp from the trembling body now at his mercy.
He continued his ministrations, alternately sucking and swallowing until he felt the blond´s hips begin to buck in uncontrollable spasms. Raising his head, he gazed lovingly into his lover´s flushed face, gently stroking a strong thigh with one hand while reaching for the lubricant with the other.
“´s´okay,” he soothed, squeezing a generous amount of clear gel into one hand before tossing the tube aside and coating both hands. “Gonna make ya feel real good, Cowboy.”
Chris could only moan helplessly in response. His body was on fire, desperate for his lover´s touch. When Vin began pushing his legs back gently, he rallied what sense he had left to help, pulling back the long limbs and planting his feet firmly on the bed.
Kneeling between the trembling thighs, Vin used one hand to gentle his lover, stroking one strong leg gently while his other hand reached for the puckered entrance. He slowly circled the opening before pressing one coated finger inside.
Chris´ back arched off the bed, his breath quickening in anticipation as he was breached. When the finger began moving slowly in and out, he emitted a long, low moan.
Licking his lips, Vin added another finger, stroking deep and scissoring, gently opening his lover. His own body was thrumming with barely controlled need, but he held it in check, determined to make this as good for the other man as he could. When he felt the muscles begin to relax, he added yet a third finger, swallowing hard at the needy gasp that reached his ears.
“Please, Vin,” Chris panted, thrusting down to take more of the teasing digits into his body. “So… close.”
Vin took the words to heart and removed his fingers before positioning his cock at the pulsing entrance. “Comin´ in,” he whispered hoarsely, pressing forward to fill his lover with one long, slow motion.
Chris groaned at the initial fullness, his head tossing restlessly from side to side as his body adjusted to the sweet intrusion.
“Sweet Jesus,” Vin echoed his groan. “Ya feel so good.”
Panting softly, Chris met the fevered blue gaze. “Make love to me, Vin,” he breathed.
Vin stilled for a moment, his eyes widening slightly before crinkling in a warm smile. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to those of the blond, sharing a kiss filled with all the love and desire coursing through him. When he pulled back, he ran his hands along the length of Chris´ arms until their fingers met, twining together in an intricate grip. Squeezing his lover´s hands gently, Vin pulled slowly out of the heated channel, catching his bottom lip between his teeth as the sensations flowed through him. When he pushed steadily back in, he felt the body beneath him shudder with pleasure and gripped the hands even tighter.
Chris appreciated the gesture, certain that only the hands holding his were keeping him from losing his mind from the exquisite feelings threatening to engulf him mind, body and soul.
They quickly established an easy rhythm, Chris thrusting upward to meet his lover´s every downward stroke, clenching his muscles in resistance at every withdrawal.
As the tempo increased along with their heightening desire, Vin released one of the blond´s hands to grasp the weeping erection between them.
Chris gasped and pressed his head back into the pillow as the long fingers wrapped around his aching cock, stroking him in time with the hard length that filled him. He´d never known such pure ecstasy in his life and wondered fleetingly if anything in the history of love had ever been as good as it was between the two of them.
“Damn, Chris,” Vin breathed, mirroring the other man´s thoughts.
Chris´ back arched as the first strains of orgasm flowed through him. “Viiin!” he cried out as his seed began to pump over the Texan´s fingers and onto his own heated flesh.
The heat and scent of his lover´s release was enough to push Vin over the edge. With the blond´s offering still spurting over his hand, he pushed in to the hilt and held, his hips undulating as he emptied himself deep into his lover.
Once spent, he collapsed weakly onto the sated body beneath him. “Chris,” he gasped.
Wrapping trembling arms around the other man, Chris kissed the warm, tousled head. “Love you,” he managed, still struggling to control his breathing.
Vin raised his head and planted a sweet kiss on the slightly swollen lips before rolling to one side of the lean body and snuggling in close. They lay in silence for long moments, hands gentling one another as they returned from the heights of ecstasy they´d shared.
After a while, Vin pulled back to look into the eyes of the man he loved. “There´s so much I want ta say to ya, Chris,” he said, his voice husky. “Reckon I just don´t know the right words.”
“You don´t need words, Vin,” Chris assured him, stroking his cheek gently. “What you´ve done here, knowing you did it for me… that says more than words ever could.”
Vin smiled slightly in appreciation of the words. “Ya may not need ta hear ‘em,” he said softly. “But I need ya ta know.” He paused a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. “The first time ya said ya loved me,” he practically whispered “it was like the sun comin´ up, ya know? Everything that had been dark in my life was suddenly filled with promise and light.” A flicker of uncertainty flashed through his eyes, but he continued. “For the first time in my life, I´s afraid´a the sunset. I figured sooner or later ya´d see that I wasn´t what ya thought I was, what ya wanted me ta be.”
“Vin…” Chris began to protest.
“Shhh.” The Texan silenced him with a finger to his lips. “I gotta say this.”
The blond nodded slightly and waited for his lover to continue. When he did, his voice was raspy with emotion. “There´s times I wanted ta run, Chris,” he admitted. “Get as far away as I could from what was happenin´ ‘tween us.” He took a deep breath. “But every time, I´d look inta your eyes and see somethin´ that gave me the strength ta stay.” He paused to search the green eyes, his own filling with emotion as he found what he was looking for. “Ya believed in me,” he whispered. “And now I need ya to know that I´ve never wanted nothin´ more than that. Ya gave me a chance, Chris. A chance ta be everythin´ ya saw in me. I don't know how I can ever thank ya for that.”
Chris pulled him close, burying his head in the silky strands of his lover´s hair. “Jesus, Vin,” he breathed. “You thank me every day you´re in my life. There´s nothing you could do that could possibly mean more to me than that.”
Somewhere in the house a clock began to softly chime the start of a new day. Pulling back to gaze into the other man´s eyes, Vin smiled. “Happy Valentine´s Day, Chris,” he said softly. “I love you.”
Chris´ eyes filled with a depth of emotion he wouldn´t have thought himself capable of. While he´d already known deep down how Vin felt, nothing compared to hearing the words. “I love you, too,” he whispered.
Their lips met in a deep, lingering kiss. When they finally parted, Chris looked deep into the expressive blue eyes. “Happy Valentine´s Day,” he said with a smile. “I´m afraid I don´t exactly have your gift with me, though.”
Vin´s eyes widened slightly. “Ya got me somethin´?” he breathed.
“I wasn´t sure if I should give it to you for Valentine´s Day or wait,” Chris admitted. “I just knew I wanted you to have it.”
“What is it?” Vin asked, his curiosity piqued.
Chris smiled. “Remember last month when we were staking out Delgado?” he hinted.
Vin frowned as he thought back. One could almost see the memories flipping through his mind. Suddenly, his eyes grew round. “You didn´t,” he breathed.
Chris´ smile widened. “I did,” he replied.
Vin was shaking his head slowly. They´d been staking out Delgado´s house from a vacant one across the street. The house next door had sported a vintage Harley on the front lawn, a ‘for sale´ sign inviting interested parties to enquire. “Chris…”
The blond silenced the protests he´d been expecting. “It´s not like it´s new,” he pointed out. “It´s going to need a lot of work to get it road-worthy and I´m not picking up the tab for all that.”
“But still,” Vin replied. “It´s too much, Chris. I can´t…”
“Vin,” Chris argued gently. “It´s no more than what you´ve given me.”
Vin thought about that, weighing the cost of the bike against what he´d spent on plane tickets and the car rental. “That´s different…” The argument was a weak one and he knew it, but his fierce independence balked at receiving such a lavish gift.
“I saw your face when you first saw it,” Chris was reminiscing. “You were seeing more than just a bike; you were seeing freedom, the sun on your face, the wind in your hair. How often does anyone get the chance to give a gift like that? Don´t take this away from me, Vin.”
Vin swallowed hard at the words. “Don´t have any place ta keep it,” he said tentatively.
“I´ve got a place,” Chris said softly, “which means you do too.”
The meaning of that statement hit Vin like a physical blow, eliciting a small intake of breath. Chris meant it; he could see that in his eyes. At that moment, Vin realized without a doubt that he´d always have a place – and it was by Chris´ side.
“That´s a pretty big gift,” he rasped, now talking about so much more than the bike. While the sentiment sent a warmth through him to rival anything he´d ever known, he wasn´t sure how to deal with everything it meant.
“One we can work out together,” Chris said as though reading the other man´s thoughts.
Vin slipped his arms around his lover´s body, holding him close. “Have I told you how much I love you?” he asked softly.
“Only once,” Chris teased with a smile of his own. “But I wouldn´t mind hearing it again.”
“I love you,” Vin obliged, looking deep into the soft, green eyes.
“That´s a pretty big gift in itself,” Chris replied, cupping his lover´s cheek gently with one hand.
Vin pulled the blond into a deep, meaningful kiss, pouring everything he felt and everything he was into it. When the need to breath forced them apart, he whispered softly. “Uh huh. Straight from my heart ta yours.”
The End