Fourth installment in the Bloody Ghost series.
PART 4
Chris and Vin stood inside the locker room at Ernie's Gym, next to the doorway leading into the showers. They listened as Buck led the other four agents into those showers.
For a short time the only sounds the two men heard were the splashing of running water and a few scattered comments about a recent NASCAR race.
Then Buck's voice rose above the water and voices, saying, "You know, I heard some guy got the shit beat out of him in here the other day..."
"Really?" came Ezra's reply; he sounded mildly surprised, which of course he wasn't since it was Vin who had been hurt, and the entire team knew all about it. "Not what I would expect for an upscale gym like this one. Have you heard about this?" he asked someone.
"Yeah, I heard," came a reply, the man's tone decidedly amused, which immediately pissed Chris off. He took a step toward the doorway, but Vin reached out and stopped him just as the speaker added, "But it wasn't a guy..."
"It was a woman?" they heard JD ask. He sounded affronted by the very idea, and he no doubt was.
"No," another stranger's voice said, "just a fag. But I'll bet he knows better than to come back here again."
Chris and Vin exchanged looks, Tanner going a little pale as he realized that their coworkers were talking to the same men who had beaten him.
"I'm sorry," came Josiah's voice, "you mean this isn't a gay gym?"
There were a couple of derisive snorts before yet another unidentified voice replied, "Gay gym? What the hell're you talking about? We don't want any queers in here."
"You aren't a homo, are you?" demanded another of Vin's assailants.
"Might be," was Josiah’s reply.
A slightly feral grin lifted the corners of Chris' mouth. Josiah was a big man, and given the tone he'd just used, he was taking full advantage of that fact.
"Hell, we all are," they heard Buck add.
"What?" another of Vin's attackers yelped, the tone of his voice matching the surprise on Tanner's face.
"You're all a bunch of fuckin' fags?"
"That's homosexuals to you, ignoramus," Ezra told them.
Vin choked back a laugh at that, shooting Larabee a look that asked if Chris knew the other men had been planning this.
Chris shook his head. He had been as clueless about why they were here as Vin had been. But he suspected it was really their friends' way of apologizing for some of the things that had been said recently.
Nathan's voice rolled out to them, the words half-growled at the men in the showers with them. "And we're pretty sure you're the assholes who hurt our friend. If that's true, we figure some payback's due."
"You queers run in packs or something?" one of the men demanded nervously.
"Safety in numbers," was Nathan's reply.
"And it looks like you're outnumbered," they heard JD remind the men.
"Why don't you just go to your own gym?" one of the bigots asked, his tone more than a little whiny. "Then there won't be no trouble."
"Won't be any trouble if we don't see you around here again," Buck growled back at him. "But, if we do, and we hear there's any trouble - with anyone - we'll teach you a lesson... gay style."
"What the hell does that mean?" a man demanded, and Vin and Chris exchanged looks, obviously wondering that very same thing.
"Use your imagination," they heard Buck say. His tone was part seduction, part vindictive promise.
"We're not gonna let you turn this into some faggot gym," one of the men argued, but his voice broke a little, prompting a hike of Larabee's eyebrows. His men had them on the run now - it was time to move in for the kill.
"Too late," JD taunted the man. "We're already everywhere. One out of every ten, you know."
"He's right," Josiah said. "We're your friends, your coworkers..."
"Your family..." Nathan added.
"The cop who protects your sorry ass," Buck tossed in.
"The physician who saves your life..." was Ezra's contribution.
"And we're the people working out next to you and taking a shower with you," Buck added. "So we better not hear about you giving any of us any more trouble - right?"
There was some mumbled agreement, but it was clear to both of the men listening that the attackers were only doing so to save their skins.
"We're not any more interested in your bodies than you are in ours," Ezra added, "but we will not tolerate abuse. Don't make us do something you'll regret, gentlemen."
"You can give Ernie your membership cards on the way out," Nathan told them. "He's got the right to deny service to whomever he damn well pleases."
"And it pleases him to deny service to bigots," Ezra added.
"Don't want to be here if the place is full of faggots, anyway," one of the men sneered.
"And you aren't on the down low?" JD snapped at the man, prompting a confused look to cross Larabee's face.
Vin opened his mouth to explain, but stopped when he heard the man reply, "That's different!"
"Man having sex with another man... sounds gay to me," was JD's reasoned reply. That sent both of Chris' eyebrows shooting up again. Vin just rolled his eyes at him. Larabee wasn't exactly up on all of the latest social trends.
"You sleep with other men?" one of the attackers demanded.
"It ain't the same thing! I am not gay!"
Josiah's booming laughter rang out. "Like we told you, we're everywhere!"
Vin choked back another laugh when they heard a wet kiss coming from the showers.
"Oh, Jesus Christ!" one of the men yelped. "Let's get the hell out of here!"
"Yeah, you better get on outta here before I get an itch I need ta scratch," Buck called after them.
Vin's eyes rounded with surprise. Buck? Buck had kissed one of them?
"One thing," Josiah called as well. "How did you find out our friend was gay?"
Finally, one of them said, "Heard another guy say he'd seen him at a gay bar... Said he thought he was hot."
"Indeed he is," Ezra replied, sending a blush racing onto Vin's cheeks. "Nice to hear that at least one of the other patrons has good taste. Now, gentlemen, it's time for you to go... And do not come back."
"Not you!" one of the men said. "You stay with your own kind!"
"I'm not a fag!" the other man bellowed.
"Fuckin' are queer if you're sleepin' with other men," the third argued, the voices getting louder as they got closer to the door.
Laughter from the team followed the three men as they stepped out of the showers and into the locker room where Chris and Vin were waiting for them.
Larabee was grinning as he drew his gun and said, "Hold it right there, boys."
The three men came to a stop, their eyes rounding with surprise as they stared at the gun that was pointed at them.
"What the hell?" the white man in the group said.
"ATF," Chris said, flashing his badge at the men.
Vin's attention was pulled back to the showers when he heard JD say, "You actually kissed him!"
"And I have to say, Mr. Wilmington," came Ezra's voice, "I just don't see what the ladies find so irresistible."
"Hell, Ezra, that was just a little ol' peck on the lips. You want to see what the ladies find irresistible, c'mere and I'll show you."
Vin's eyes rounded and he shot a grin at Chris, who was enjoying the continuing show being put on by their friends. Besides, it was patently obvious that the three men were unarmed.
"I fold, Mr. Wilmington, I fold," they heard Ezra say. "This hand most certainly goes to you."
"Damn straight it does," Buck crowed.
"Did you just say 'straight'?" Nathan asked him.
"Yeah, I guess I did... Ah hell, what difference does it make?"
"Amen, brother," Josiah said. "Amen."
Chris shook his head, saying to the three men, "You're under arrest for assault on a federal agent."
"Federal agent?" the black man squeaked, looking from Larabee to Tanner and back again.
Larabee nodded at Vin, who pulled out his ID and showed it to the men. "Might just be a fag t' you boys," he told them, "but good 'ol Uncle Sam calls me 'Special Agent.'"
"Jesus Christ," the Latino groaned. "I told you we should've just told him to find another gym, but no, you two wanted to teach him a lesson."
"Shut up, asshole," the white man snapped. "Ain't got any proof we did a damn thing."
The others walked into the locker room, towels wrapped around their waists.
"Gentlemen," Larabee said to the three men, "Agents Wilmington, Sanchez, Jackson, Standish and Dunne."
"Shit," the black man hissed, shaking his head. "Look, it was his idea," he said, pointing to his white friend.
"You fuckin' queer!" the man exploded, pulling his arm back to take a swing at him, but the Latino jumped in, grabbing him and keeping his other friend from getting hit.
"Fuckin' idiot!" the black man yelled back.
"Fag!"
"You're all three idiots!" Larabee bellowed at them, shutting them all up. "Get your goddamn clothes on, you're under arrest."
The three men headed to their lockers to dress, cursing and grumbling the entire way. Chris and Vin kept a close eye on them to make sure they didn't try to slip away.
Chris pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called the Denver Police, asking that they come pick the three men up. Vin had filed a report the day he was attacked, and an officer had been assigned to see if any other gay men might have been attacked or verbally threatened by the three men who had hurt Tanner.
When the three men were dressed, Chris and Vin handcuffed them and escorted them outside to where two DPD units were already waiting. The Black man and the Latino were put into the back of one of the units, already trying to place all the blame on their white friend, who was taken over and placed in the back of the second unit.
One of the officers watched, shaking his head. He turned to look at Vin. "Agent Tanner, I'm the investigating officer assigned to your case. Thought you might like to know that I've already found four other gay men who have been harassed by these three, and two more who were battered. All of them said they'd be willing to file complaints, if they hadn't already, and testify against them. So it looks like these three are going to be spending some time behind bars."
Vin nodded. "Really appreciate this."
"My pleasure." The officer looked over at Chris, and said, "Pleased to meet you, Agent Larabee, just wish it was under different circumstances. Mitch Roberts. I'm one of the LGBT task force officers at DPD."
Chris shook the man's hand. "I appreciate your help with this, too."
"Yeah, well, idiots like this make my life a pain, too. If I wasn't going to Gold's with my lover, I'd probably be coming to Ernie's, too, and I probably would've run into these guys since I'm out on the job and off the clock."
"Well, if y' ever want t' switch gyms, I'll bet y' won't have t' worry about this place now," Vin told him.
Mitch grinned. "I'll bet you're right."
"Hey, why don't you and your partner drop by the Shooting Star some Friday night? Chris and I are usually there after nine. I'd like t' buy y' a beer."
"Yeah, I know the place. Capital Hill area, right? Sounds great," the officer replied, glancing over as one of the units pulled away. "Guess I better get this guy back to the station."
"Thanks again, Mitch," Chris said.
"Anytime. Take care, guys," he said, flashing them a smile and heading over to slide in behind the wheel of the remaining police unit. A moment later he and his partner were pulling away as well.
Chris and Vin watched him go, the others joining them, now dry and dressed in their street clothes once again.
The five men looked a little uncomfortable when Chris and Vin turned to look at them.
"You should've told me," Larabee scolded them.
Buck nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right, but we wanted to—"
Vin stepped up and grabbed the ladies' man, dipping him over and planting a kiss on his lips that would have left Chris weak in the knees. Right there in the middle of the parking lot, in front of God and everybody who happened to be walking or driving past. There were a couple of hoots from some of the spectators before Tanner finally let Buck up.
The others were all staring at the two men, their mouths open, their eyes as round as saucers.
For his part, Buck looked like he had been pole-axed, and his mouth was opening and closing like he was a pole-axed fish.
But Vin just looked over at Ezra and said, "You're right, Ez, don't see what the ladies are so excited about, either."
Chris, Josiah and Nathan burst into laughter. And JD was laughing so hard he couldn't breathe. He ended up dropping down to sit on the ground, his eyes streaming with tears as he stared up at Wilmington.
Ezra managed to harness his grin and nodded thoughtfully. "There must be something to the 'animal magnetism' claim Mr. Wilmington makes. It must cloud their judgment somehow."
That just made the others laugh even louder, except Buck, who looked positively wounded. "Now, wait just a damn minute," he said, drawing himself up and puffing out his chest. "That's not fair, not fair at all."
Vin grinned and reached out to give the man's shoulder a slap. "Just wanted t' say thank you," he said.
Buck blinked, realizing he'd been had. He blushed and nodded. "Damn, Junior, give me a heart attack, will ya? But it was the least I could do," he said, then shook his head. "Hell, Vin, I was a damn fool before."
"Wouldn't be the first time," Larabee said, stepping over to his oldest friend and sticking out his hand.
"Not, I guess not," Wilmington replied, "but it'll be the last time on this subject, I can tell you that for a fact." He looked from Chris to Vin. "I really am sorry..."
Chris nodded, his hand still out.
Buck frowned slightly at it. "You ain't planning to put me in a lip-lock, too, are you?"
"Hell no," Larabee replied, looking downright horror-struck by the very idea.
Buck grinned and reached out, taking the man's hand and shaking it.
And, as he did, Vin said, "Ah hell, Chris, wasn't that bad."
Buck jerked his hand free and spun around to face the sniper. Ezra and JD, who had climbed back to his feet, hastily moved away from Tanner, afraid the big ladies' man might just take a swing at him.
But Buck only wagged his finger at the sniper. "You're an evil man, Vin Tanner."
Vin's smile was open and honest in its affection. "Damn, Buck, never thought I'd ever hear you say you were gay."
That brought a smile to the big man's lips and he shook his head. "Hell, kid, neither did I!"
"Yeah, I think that might come as a real surprise to Tammy and Brandy and Willow and Stacy," JD said.
"Not to mention Lindsey and Bambi and Bridget," Josiah added.
"And don't forget Alison, Megan and DeeDee," Nathan reminded them.
"As I said before, Mr. Wilmington," Ezra said, shaking his head, "you are, without a doubt, a flaming heterosexual."
"Guilty as charged," the ladies' man said sincerely, his hand pressed reverently over his heart. "But I have to say, comin' out like that... Well, it gave me a whole new appreciation for how the other ten percent lives." He met Vin's eyes, his expression and tone turning serious. "And I have to say, Vin, it kinda sucks. If it had been me walkin' in your shoes... I wouldn't have told us, either."
Vin shrugged slightly. "Reckon I should've been honest with y', but I wasn't lying when I said I just didn't think it was important."
"It's not, Vin, it's not," Buck said, his voice becoming softer, a sure sign that he was both sincere and earnest. "I'll admit, it threw me, but now..." He shook his head. "Who you sleep with," he said, his gaze shifting to Chris for a brief moment, "doesn't mean a damn thing. It's who you are, in here." He reached out to tap the man's chest. "And your heart's as big as they come." He smiled then, stepping up and wrapping Vin in an affectionate hug. He said softly, so just Tanner could hear him, "You and Sarah are the best things that've ever happened to him. You take good care of him, y'hear?"
Vin nodded, his throat tightening. "I will," he promised.
"I know ya will," Buck replied, pounding Vin's back and then stepping away. "Now, if you're all through pickin' on me, why don't we head over to the Saloon and get a couple of beers and something to eat?"
"Sounds good to me," Chris said.
"Yeah, me, too," Vin agreed, his eyes bright as he looked around at the men - his brothers. His family was whole again.* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
After supper at the Saloon, the team piled into their vehicles and headed out to Larabee's ranch, where they all settled into the comfortable living room. Beers were fetched and passed around, and then the coffee began to flow, ensuring everyone would be safe for the drive home later.
As they sat, working on their drinks, the conversation also began to flow, made up mostly of apologies and explanations. Punches weren't pulled, but the honesty didn't pull them apart this time, it brought them closer together.
"I've gotta say," Nathan said into one of the silences that fell, "most of what I thought about homosexuality came from my church." He looked over, meeting Vin's eyes. "And I want you to know that Raine and me, we've found ourselves a new church, a welcoming church, and I'm... educating myself."
Josiah, who was sitting next to Jackson, smiled and reached over to pat the man's shoulder. "He and Raine will be joining me at St. Philips on Sunday mornings."
Vin smiled. He'd always liked the small Episcopal church mission down in Purgatory. "Reckon you'll see Chris and me there sometimes, too, then."
Nathan nodded. "Looking forward to it."
Before silence could fall in the room, JD admitted, "Well, I guess it's Casey who's been giving me an education."
Buck grinned. "We already knew that, kid."
Dunne shot him an 'oh please' look. "She said even she'd kissed her best friend - her best girl friend - and it was no big deal."
"When she was in high school, JD," Buck added. He could clearly remember the night Casey had read them the riot act over Vin's orientation. "Like I told you, Vin, women are a lot more flexible than we are."
JD looked indignant. "Yeah, but, I bet DeeDee's never kissed another woman!" he argued.
Buck grinned. "Oh, you'd be surprised what all DeeDee's done."
The younger man rolled his eyes. "What if she decides to leave me for another woman?" JD lamented.
"I don't think y' need t' worry, kid," Vin told him, trying not to smile.
"Really?"
"Really," Vin assured him.
Chris stood. "I'm gonna go make some more coffee. Anyone want me to toss some of those frozen turnovers into the oven?"
He was met by nods and a chorus of affirmatives. He grinned, heading off. Beer and pastry were always hits with this crew.
"And I'm gonna go water the snake," Buck said, bouncing up off the sofa and heading for the bathroom.
JD also bounced up, but he went for the big screen TV, turning it on and finding a game they could watch with the sound muted.
Vin went to the fireplace, turning on the gas and lighting it. Ezra moved over and sat down on the hearth, watching as the flames danced. "I hope you're feeling better about your position among us."
Vin nodded. "Yeah," he said quietly, a serene grin on his lips. "Glad I still have m' brothers... real glad, Ez."
Standish nodded, enjoying the contentment on the man's face.
"So, your secret's out, huh?" Tanner asked softly. He'd heard from Josiah that Ezra had told the others he was a bisexual, although in a fashion that left the veracity of the comment in some doubt.
Standish grinned. "Yes, well, I felt it was the right time."
"That mean you're gonna be datin' women and men from now on?" Buck asked, coming back into the room in time to hear the exchange.
Ezra's smile grew wider. "All the world's a stage, Mr. Wilmington, and for me, every actor is a potential paramour."
"Yeah, right," the ladies' man replied, shaking his head. "Well, I, for one, don't believe a word of it."
Ezra shrugged, his expression as enigmatic as they expected from him.
"You're not, are you?" Buck asked him.
"And if I am?" was Standish's reply.
Buck flashed him one of his most charming smiles. "Just leave a few of the ladies for me, stud."
"I think that can be arranged," was Ezra's droll reply.
Vin just grinned as he stood and headed for the kitchen to see if Chris needed any help getting the coffee and turnovers out to the living room.
Larabee was just finishing with the coffee, and he looked up and smiled as Vin entered. "So, how's it going?"
"Good," Vin said, dipping his head. "Feels like I got m' family back... Didn't think I was going to, but I think I did. They're— They mean a lot t' me..."
Chris saw the emotion in his lover's eyes and stepped over to Vin, pulling him into his arms and kissing him.
Across the room, Buck stopped on his way back from the bathroom to watch.
The kiss was tender, and Vin melted into Chris' arms like nothing in the world existed except the two of them. It was passionate, too, and Buck could see the same desire in it that he'd seen whenever he happened upon Chris and Sarah. It was beautiful, too, in the same way. But he still couldn't quite wrap his mind around it. He just couldn't imagine being turned on by another man. But love, on the other hand, love he got, and he knew he was looking at it - right now.
When the two men broke apart, he cleared his throat to get their attention.
"Ya know, I still don't get it," he said quietly. "But I know love when I see it, and that was it. I just want you to be happy, I really do, and I'm sorry I ever thought or said anything different."
Vin slipped his arm around Chris' waist and smiled at the ladies' man. "That mean you'd give us your blessin' if we decided t' get hitched?"
Buck thought for a moment, then grinned. "Hell yeah! Son, you should've seen ol' Chris when he and Sarah got married - nervous wreck doesn't even begin to describe it!"
"Fuck you," Larabee growled at the unrepentant ladies' man. But the blush on his cheeks told Vin that Wilmington had been right.
Buck knew there was no heat to those words, and he chuckled softly. "I could tell you tales..."
"No, you can't," Chris told him.
Vin grinned. "What'll it cost me?"
"Oh, just a couple of beers..."
"Vin!" Larabee barked.
The stove beeped, letting them know the turnovers should be done.
"Better take those out," Vin told his lover, knowing he was going to take Buck up on his offer one of these evenings.
Larabee pulled the turnovers out, muttering under his breath about turncoat friends as he transferred them onto a cooling rack.
Buck watched, his eyes alight with warm affection. Chris looked just like he had when Sarah was alive. He really was in love again. He was happy, really living again, something Buck hadn't thought he'd ever see. And it was all thanks to Vin. What the hell had he been thinking?
Buck stepped up next to Vin and slipped his arms around the man's shoulders and drew him into a brotherly hug. "I really am sorry, Vin," he said softly. "All those things I said... Sometimes I can be an asshole."
Vin shook his head. "Way I look at it, we both made some mistakes - some bad assumptions, too."
"Yeah, but that's all in the past now, right?"
Vin nodded. "You?"
"Yeah, for me, too."
"All right, you two, enough of that bonding shit. I need a hand over here," Chris said.
The pair moved over, helping to get coffee and turnovers ready to go and then carrying it all out to the other men waiting in the living room. The rest of the evening passed pleasantly as food and friendship were liberally shared.* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Vin jumped slightly as Chris' arms slid around his chest, the blond giving him a tight hug.
Standing at the kitchen sink, just finishing up the dishes, Tanner turned off the water, wrung out the washcloth, and hung it over the faucet. His chores done, Vin pressed back against Chris' chest, enjoying the feel of the man's touch.
"Mmm," he sighed. "Feels so good..."
Chris hugged him a little closer, marveling at how easy it was to touch Vin. He'd never been a particularly demonstrative person, even with Sarah - not nearly as much as Vin had always been - but now, being able to reach out and touch his lover, was a novel, purely pleasurable experience, and he indulged in it as often as possible, especially in the privacy of their shared home. He couldn't seem to help himself.
"Looks like you're all done here," he said, then lightly kissed the back of Vin's neck, feeling the man shiver in response.
"Yeah, just finished," Vin said, his tone a little airy as he rested more of his weight against Chris.
"Good," the blond continued, "because something's come up that I think you'd better take a look at."
Vin knew exactly what had come up; it was poking against the crack of his butt at that very moment. "Everybody gone?" he asked, his eyes closing as Chris' hands moved up over his shirt to his chest, rubbing circles around his already hard nipples.
"Yep. I set the alarm and turned off the fireplace."
Vin sighed softly, savoring the intimate ministrations. Chris pinched his nipples through the cotton cloth of his T-shirt now, then pulled on them and mashed them down. He knew what Chris had in mind, and he was more than willing to go along with it, but he was reticent to move away from the arousing touch.
"So, what brought this up?" Vin asked, his voice a husky whisper as his hips pressed back against Chris' hard-on.
"Oh, nothing special. I was just thinking about you..."
Vin groaned and pressed his hips back again, harder this time, crushing his ass against his lover's groin. Every time Chris said something like that, it completely undid him. He'd waited so long to hear words like that, although, to be honest, he'd really never thought he would. And after everything they'd been though recently, it seemed a little dream-like. It was as if he was living a fantasy, looking out through the eyes of another man. A very lucky man who'd had all of his secret wishes and desires come true.
Life had gotten so damn good it scared him, but Chris had been there every step of the way, loving him, encouraging him to talk through his fears and, most importantly, accepting him and his desires.
Vin had really thought that his best friend would be disgusted by his desires, but instead of disgust, Chris had opened his mind to the possibilities and they had, miraculously to his mind, become lovers.
Lovers... Life mates... He wasn't sure what the right word was.
But the thought was like a drug to Vin - a purely pleasurable, very addictive drug.
Like Buck, he often found himself wondering how Chris had accepted it all so easily. He wished he understood that, but he didn't, and probably couldn't. It was just something that had worked for the two of them. But at least he'd stopped waiting for the blond to change his mind.
Well, almost stopped waiting...
He couldn't help wondering what might happen if Larabee ever met a woman he could fall in love with...* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Chris guessed the thoughts running through Vin's mind by the way his muscles tensed slightly and he pulled away ever so slightly, as if he were giving Chris permission to reject him.
He wished he could explain his reactions, his feelings, to the man, but he couldn't. He just didn't have the words. And it didn't seem so as strange to him as Vin thought it should - Buck, too, for that matter.
After all, he'd loved Vin ever since they met. Vin was his best friend, his closest friend, closer to him than a brother. He was friend, partner, family... It just didn't seem like that big a step, to him, to add sex to the relationship.
Knowing he didn't want to let Vin fall too far into his thoughts, Chris turned the man around and hooked his finger into the neck of Vin's T-shirt, pulling him closer. His other hand slid down to cup one of the man's butt cheeks.
Vin had such a wonderful ass... A perfect ass... Life was perfect again. His best friend, his closest confidant, and now his lover, everything he needed or wanted, all wrapped up inside the skin of one person.
Now, if he could just make Vin realize that the fact he was a man didn't matter... Hell, if Buck had gotten past it, Vin should be able to.* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Vin's breath caught as Chris pulled him in, the look in Larabee's eyes loving and predatory at the same time.
Why couldn't he just accept their relationship as easily as Chris had?
Because y' imagined him rejectin' y' almost every day for months, he thought in reply to his own question. Because Buck's initial reaction seems a lot more... normal than this...
But those thoughts scattered a moment later when Chris leaned in and kissed him. There was no urgency in the action, just the promise of sweet pleasures to come.
The word "foreplay" was suddenly redefined in Vin's mind, and he allowed his senses to sink into the feelings that spiraled up from the base of his spine, making his entire body tingle. Those sensations carried him to that special place only Chris could lead him to.
Heaven... This is what heaven has t' feel like, he managed to decide, the strength of the emotion filling his eyes with joyful tears.
When Chris finally broke the kiss, Vin was weak in the knees. He held onto the blond until he felt like he'd finally floated back into his body again. When had he reached up to hold onto Chris? He glanced up, meeting the man's gaze.
"Damn, Vin, when you look at me like that..." Chris swallowed hard and shook his head, holding the man tighter. "Don't deserve that kind of look..."
Vin blushed and dipped his head. "Yeah, y' do."
Still, he knew he must look pretty pathetic - half-scared, half-longing, and all moony like a love-struck teenager.
Chris reached up, one hand going to Vin's neck, his thumb almost touching his ear. "Hey, I like it, okay? I love it. I just don't think I or anyone deserves that kind of—"
Vin silenced him by pressing against the touch and nodding, his eyes filling again. Dreams weren't supposed to come true. That was for the movies, or children's storybooks.
He turned his head, kissing the palm of Chris' hand. It was the move that had started the whole mess with Buck and the others. Well, it had been what he'd wanted to do when Chris had nearly passed out in that parking lot... what he'd almost done... Close enough that Buck had seen it and known he'd wanted to kiss Chris' palm that day...
Chris sighed deeply. "I love you, Vin Tanner - don't you ever forget that. Now, come on," he added, tugging Vin forward a little, the predatory look back in his eyes.
Vin swallowed hard, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe. Chris wanted him. There was no faking that look. Not that look. Chris wanted him just as much as he wanted Chris. He nodded, knowing Larabee was going to take him tonight.
Chris grinned and, taking Vin's hand, led the way to the master bedroom. The curtains were already drawn against the morning sun. In the middle of the room he stopped and cupped Vin's face in his hands, pulling him into another kiss, this one more demanding.
When Vin moaned and thrust his hips forward, Chris stepped back, took the other man's hand again, and led him to the bed. But he didn’t push Vin down onto it like Tanner had expected. Instead, he stopped and turned again, pulling Vin into yet another kiss that left Tanner trembling with need.
Vin felt Chris' hands slide down his back, finally cupping his ass, squeezing and kneading until he started to squirm. Against his abdomen, Chris' hard cock pressed and teased, making him hard. He turned his hips slightly, pressing his own erection against the blond's while their lips ground against each other, their mouths suddenly ravenous. He grinned, still able to taste the hint of coffee and apple turnover.
Chris stepped back, then reached out and pulled Vin's shirt off.
The sniper responded by tugging off Chris' T-shirt, then he toed his shoes off and stepped out of his jeans and underwear. His socks were the last to go.
The blond grinned at the sight of Vin's cock, which was pointed almost straight up at him, flushed and leaking. He sucked in a long breath, then pulled his own shoes off and stripped off his pants and briefs.
He grabbed Vin by the shoulders, turned him around, and pushed him down to sit on the foot of the bed. Then, dropping down onto his knees, he opened the sniper's legs and dove onto that waiting cock.
Chris took his lover in one gulp, sucking ferociously for a little while, then slowly drawing back and played his tongue lightly over the wine-red, leaking head.
He looked up, whispering, "Come for me, Vin." He wrapped his hand around Tanner's cock, taking a few long, slow strokes, the man's precome making it easy to friction him.
"'M close," Vin gulped, squeezing his eyes shut as his legs began to tremble.
Chris picked up the pace, the strokes he was using on the other man getting shorter but faster.
And then Vin did exactly what he'd been asked to do. He unleashed a stream of come that squirted straight up Chris' chest.
"That's it, babe, give it to me," Chris coaxed him as he continued to jerk and pull on Tanner's cock. "All of it... That's it." Even when Vin was empty, Larabee continued to hold on to him, squeezing gently until the sharpshooter relaxed.
From the slightly glazed look on his face, Vin was undone, which was exactly what Chris had intended.
Vin's expression went slightly wild-eyed when Chris reached up and pushed him back onto the bed, then pulled up his legs into the air.
"Chris..."
Larabee grabbed a bottle of lube off the nearby drawer and greased himself while Vin watched, his legs still held high, his arms hooked under his knees. Vin wanted him, badly. He wanted him to fill him up, and Chris felt that delicious tingle of anticipation as he moved in to give his lover exactly what he wanted.
For Chris there was nothing quite so exciting as watching Vin's face as he made love to him. The man lost himself completely in the feelings Chris created inside of him. He radiated desire and love, both of which wrapped around the blond and drove him on to higher and higher pleasures.
Larabee moved closer, spreading some of the slick liquid over and inside the waiting pucker of flesh that was exposed for him. He watched the tight ring of muscle dilate.
He set the bottle aside and gently pushed his way inside the man with one and then two fingers. He worked intently for a short while, carefully opening Vin up before positioning himself and pressing his cock head into that tight, hot channel.
Taking a deep breath, Vin tilted his hips up, inviting him to go deeper. Chris felt a tremor pass through Vin's body as he let that breath out in a long, low sigh. "Chris," he moaned. "Need y'... so damn much..."
The blond thrust in farther, swimming in pleasure as his cock was enveloped in the man's tight, hot passage. A final jerk and he sealed their bodies together in the most intimate way he could imagine.
Vin grunted, then growled lowly in his throat, his ass clamping down on the thick cock that was filling him. He trembled again, his whole body then beginning to quake with need. But Chris held still, enjoying the feeling of being buried inside of his lover, and giving Vin the time he needed to adjust to the invasion.
After a short while Vin twitched his hips and squeezed his muscles, saying, "Love me, Chris... please."
"I do love you," Larabee breathed, leaning forward to kiss Vin's lips, then his eyes, chin and, finally, his nipples. He sucked on one of the hard nubs, nibbling at it when it had gone completely hard.
Beneath him, Vin jerked and gasped, his back arching, which allowed Chris to press in a little deeper.
"Oh God, Chris," Tanner gasped. "Take me, damn it."
With a low groan of his own, Chris pulled back and started to work, drawing halfway out and then thrusting back into Vin once... twice... three times.
Then he pulled back until he was only held inside the man by the tight squeeze of muscles under the rim of his head.
"Relax," he told Vin.
Slowly, the tight grip on his cock head loosened and he pulled all the way out, watching as Vin's asshole winked at him. Tanner whimpered and squirmed and Chris immediately plunged back in, driving deeper and deeper until his balls were grinding against Vin's ass.
Then he pulled all the way out... wink... and stabbed all the way back in...
"Chris," Vin moaned, his head rolling from side to side, "harder... please... harder."
Chris grinned, but he started alternating between using fast, short strokes that massaged Vin's prostate, to slow, long strokes that drove both of them crazy.
Their loving seemed to go on forever, and Vin savored every moment of it. It was the highest he'd ever gone, and he found himself lost in the sheer bliss being created by Chris' deft actions. It made the sniper say things he'd never said before, made him whine and beg, even when he was getting exactly what he wanted.
Chris listened to the softly whispered words - the admissions of love, of want, of the necessity of having Chris in his life, in his body - and his heart filled with love for the man moving under him. The overwhelming emotion made his cock swell. It was as if he'd found paradise, and he had no intention of ever giving it up - not any of it.
His gaze swept over the man. Vin's arms lay limply at his sides, but then suddenly flailed about, his hands finally coming to rest on Chris' hips, his fingers frantically urging Larabee's hips to a faster pace as he neared release.
Vin's legs were still high and wide, as open as he could possibly get, the rest of his body writhing on Chris' cock, and still he tried to get more, tried to force Larabee farther inside of him.
But it was the raw need on Tanner's face that finally undid the blond.
Sweating profusely, Chris started to growl.
Vin's eyes opened, his gaze locking on his lover's. He watched the blond grimace with pleasure as his load began to rise. Then, with a snarl, Chris grabbed Vin's feet and thrust into him so hard the bed scooted forward a bit, and then Larabee was going over, moaning, whispering his feelings as he pounded out the longest climax Vin had ever felt, slamming into him over and over as the hot shots of come filled him.
The sniper's own cock reacted to those words and sensations, firing off several shots of his own without Vin ever having touched himself.
When Chris was finally empty, his chest heaving, his mouth hanging open, he looked down at Vin with what could only be called a silly grin on his face.
"Good?" Vin managed to gasp.
"Hell... yeah." Chris waited, trying to catch his breath and allowing himself to go soft. And when he had, he carefully pulled out, saying, "I never felt anything so damned good..."
Before Larabee could move too far away, Vin captured the man with his legs, forcing Chris to drop down onto his chest where Tanner held onto him, his body still thrumming with the slowly fading waves of bliss that were still washing over him. His come made their skin slick and Vin moved slowly, rubbing and pressing his chest against Chris', smearing it over them both.
The blond's lips found his again and they kissed deeply, sharing their breaths, their souls.
Several minutes later they finally parted, moving slowly, stretching out side-by-side on the bed, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking.
Vin rolled his head to the side so he could look at the blond. "Don't know how it happened, but I'm damn glad it did."
Chris smiled languidly. "Me, too. You've make me alive again."
Vin flushed and glanced away.
"It's true."
Tanner looked back. "Guess neither one of us was really livin' 'til we found a life together."
Chris smiled. His poet... "Got that right," he admitted.
Vin scooted closer, then reached out and pushed the hair out of Chris' eyes. "You're so damn beautiful," he breathed.
Larabee chuckled. "Checked the mirror lately?"
That colored Vin's cheeks.
Chris reached out, caressing Tanner's face. "I can't get enough of you."
"Tell me about it," Vin replied, the first sparks of rekindled hunger beginning to dance in the man's eyes.
Chris rolled over, his arm reaching over Vin as he kissed the man's shoulder and felt his own cock begin to stir slightly. Glancing over at the clock, he checked the time. The night was still young...
Author's Note: The original version of this story first appeared in the Mag 7 zine, Seven Card Stud #10, published by Neon RainBow Press, Cinda Gillilan and Jody Norman, editors. It is a sequel to "Bloody Ghost, Part 3" in Seven Card Stud #9. "Bloody Ghost, Part 2" was in Seven Card Stud #8 and "Bloody Ghost," (part 1) was in Seven Card Stud #7. The story is part of the Heart's Closet AU, which is set in the ATF Denver AU (thank you, Mog!). When we all decided to post the stories that have appeared in the issues of Seven Card Stud that are more than two years old, we opted to use a generic pen name because, while Patricia Grace is the primary authors of this story, they had so much help from the other folks writing for the press that it just made sense to consider the story to be written by the Neon RainBow Press Collective! Resistance was futile. So, thanks to the whole Neon Gang - Dori Adams, Sierra Chaves, Dana Ely, Michelle Fortado, Patricia Grace, Dani Martin, Erica Michaels, Nina Talbot, Kasey Tucker, Rebecca Wright, and Lorin and Mary Fallon Zane. Story lasted edited 6-3-2008. Art by Shiloh (shigal13@excite.com)