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+ + + + + + +Vin walked into the house before Chris, toeing off his wet boots right inside the door. Chris followed behind, the men taking off jackets and Chris reaching for hangers in the coat closet while Vin moved Chris's briefcase into the hall leading to the den.
"You want me to see to the horses?" Vin asked.
"No, they're fine," Chris told him. "I talked to the Hendersons earlier today. They had heard that there might be an ice storm coming, and wanted to know if I wanted their son Mike to come over and get the animals taken care of before the weather hit."
"They're good neighbors."
"That they are," Chris agreed.
Both men heard the ice tinkling against the glass, as the little bit of freezing rain they had driven home in turned even more treacherous. Chris turned to Vin and gave a rueful look as he saw the younger man shiver.
"Seems like we made it home just in time."
"Can't tell you how many times I've driven past those big SUV's off in the ditch in weather like this," Vin grinned. "Folks seem ta think that if they've paid a huge amount fer a big ole vehicle, its a guaranteed tank ta protect 'em from anything. But what they don't seem ta remember is ice is ice, and no dollar signs are going to keep yer tires from flyin' across a sheet a ice. Ya still gotta slow down an' go cautious."
Chris chuckled at the image. He'd never thought about it before, but now that Vin mentioned it, any time there was a snow storm there did seem to be a higher percentage of big, expensive vehicles sitting in the ditch or the median strip.
"Good night for chili?" Chris suggested. "I think Josiah left us a lot from the last batch he brought over last weekend."
Vin's grin took on a different look. He closed the gap between them, sliding his arms around Chris's waist and pulling him into a gentle embrace.
"Better night fer a fire," Vin's voice purred in Chris's ear while he reached up to find the skin above Chris's collar.
The taller man felt a tingle race through him, his breath getting quicker as he felt the blood heating his veins and rushing to his cock.
He leaned down, finding that luscious mouth, opened and waiting for him. Tongues met and joined, seeking and sharing the hot, moist spaces, bodies pressing closer and tighter while arms embraced and hands roamed over muscled backs. Vin pulled at the fabric of Chris's shirt to reach warm skin.
"Ah! God, Tanner!" Chris yelped, pulling back. "Your hands are like ice cubes!"
The older man pulled Vin's arms from around his back, holding the slender wrists.
Vin frowned, "I cain't help it. I was wearin' gloves."
"Well, you need to warm those hands up."
"I thought I was," Vin raised an eyebrow and grinned wickedly.
"Go get changed if you want to," Chris told him. "I'll set the chili out to start warming to room temperature. Won't take long to simmer on the stove."
Vin nodded and headed toward the wide stairs, pulling off the navy sweater he had on over a heavy white cotton shirt. Chris's eyes tracked the movement of that perfect ass, his mouth suddenly dry as he couldn't tear his eyes from Vin as he glided up the steps.
Dinner didn't seem so important right now. Chris hurried to the kitchen. He removed the container of leftover chili and put it on the counter, then rushed to the stairs, pulling off his tie as he went.
Chris entered the bedroom and froze. Vin had taken off his belt and placed it over the back of the easy chair that occupied a corner of the large master bedroom. He had chosen his loosest jeans today, since a hard, 'accidental' shove in the weight room by one of the biggest jerks on Team Two, Al Reuben, had crashed Vin into a piece of equipment that had left a huge bruise high on his outer thigh near his hip. It was healing, and Vin had had to restrain Chris from either going after him or filing a complaint with Travis, but Vin had done what he could to not irritate the painful bruise while it slowly faded.
"Wait," Chris's low command caused Vin to look up, puzzled. "Don't move."
Vin stared at Chris, watching as his lover's eyes caressed his body from across the room. The green eyes darkened in lust, and Vin felt a shiver of desire flare along every nerve ending in his body.
Chris couldn't take his eyes off Vin, and as much as he wanted to touch, he needed to look. Tanner had removed the cord holding his hair back while he was at the office, and it cascaded in gentle waves to his shoulders. When Vin had removed the belt, the too-large jeans slid nearly off the slender hips, leaving a mesmerizing gap below the shallow navel until the loose waistband of soft denim. Vin had unbuttoned the heavy cotton shirt, and for once wasn't wearing an undershirt. The white fabric hung open, hanging off the powerful shoulders and showing an expanse of smooth, tanned skin.
"Let me look," Chris barely whispered.
Chris stared, awed again by Vin's stunning beauty. Vin had put on the overhead light, but Chris had installed a dimmer switch that fall so the light was gentle and not glaring. He had also put on the bedside lamp, which bathed the room in a soft, muted glow. The light from above and behind the younger man accented and caught the golden highlights in Vin's hair. The soft curls shone, and Chris knew how silky they would feel when he finally ran his long fingers through the dark waves. Chris saw the sapphire blue eyes, large and dark with lust. The hard planes of his cheekbones were flushed with desire and a hint of shyness and embarrassment at Chris's scrutiny, which only made the blond more excited to see the effect he had on the smaller man.
Chris stared, intrigued again by the complicated mix of slightly hollow cheeks between the high cheekbones and strong jaw, that created a unique and slightly exotic look to Vin's features that was both angular and delicate at the same time. Long, softly curling hair caressed the long neck. Chris let his eyes trail down the perfect body, taking in the jut of collarbones that made him want to press his mouth to those strong bones and the dip of skin above them.
He held himself still, loving the sight of the bright white shirt framing the soft, tanned skin. The gentle light caught and shadowed the curve of lean muscle and hard bone, Chris noting and marking each dip between the firm pectoral muscles and the solid outline of packed ab muscles. Larabee half-smiled to himself, remembering the time Buck had teased Vin about being nearly hairless. After seeing only a light amount of golden hair on Vin's arms and legs during a summer volleyball game at the beach, Buck had accused Vin of waxing.
JD had left his tee-shirt on so as not to burn, and Ezra had worn an unbuttoned linen shirt while he watched from the sidelines with his glass of iced tea. The rest of the team had pulled off their shirts, and Buck felt compelled to comment on everyone. He had noted Josiah's chest and belly and upper back covered in gray curly hair, Nathan's expanse of chest hair, Chris's spattering of hair in the center of his pectorals, and a faint line of hair down from his navel. Buck was extremely proud of his own hairy chest and slightly less hairy belly and back, but had teased Vin about his baby smooth, silky, tanned skin. He had claimed that Vin must be shaving or waxing his body, and Vin's laugher had revealed the flash of bright, white teeth and sparkling blue eyes. That had been a day that Chris had rushed across the sand and into the icy sudden shock of the water to hide his reaction when Buck compared Vin's body to those of male underwear and swimsuit models. Oh, yeah. Chris could definitely picture that!
Buck probably would have been astonished to know just how close he came to revealing one of Chris's secret fantasies. Vin had the body most male models would kill for, and while he worked hard at exercising both for strength and endurance, his training was geared toward keeping himself fit and strong for the job. His only thought was to put himself in the best possible position to keep his teammates safe and to be able to do whatever he could to catch the bad guys. It was never about perfecting his own looks.
Chris pushed aside the memory of holding a trembling Vin after nightmares. What little Vin revealed allowed Chris to picture the rest. Vin had done everything he could as a kid to try and hide his looks, knowing the temptation evil men had to use his body for their own pleasure. He had taken to wearing hats more to hide his large, expressive blue eyes than for protection from the elements. He wore layers of oversized clothes to make himself seem larger, and when he ran and did strengthening exercises in the privacy of whatever abandoned warehouse he'd managed to use for temporary shelter, it was with the aim of being able to escape whoever was after him to hurt him.
Sometimes Chris wished that Vin was a little more willing to show off his body and his good looks. Larabee loved the times he went undercover with Ezra, wearing what he called his 'gangster bodyguard' suit. At those times his hair would be slicked back into a tight ponytail, and the angles and planes of his face would be that much more pronounced; his eyes that much more incredibly stunning. There had been other undercover assignments in which Vin had been required to wear revealing outfits or leather pants or other extremely sexy clothing. Chris had used up more than his supply of cold water showers and had to do everything he could to turn his attention to the perps and not stare, fascinated, at his strikingly beautiful lover. Vin's looks had certainly drawn the attention of the criminals they were investigating, a couple of whom they caught literally with their pants down.
But Chris was awed, stunned, that Vin only willingly revealed his beauty to him. He never felt like he was attractive or good looking, and seemed confused or embarrassed by any attention he got based on his looks. His shy behavior and genuine blushes only made him more beguiling, and Vin was appalled at the number of giggling, flirting women of all ages, as well as barely more subtle men, who had fallen over themselves to try to get his attention.
With Chris, though, Vin endured the caresses from his lover's eyes as well as his hands. He couldn't understand it, truly did not believe it was deserved, but saw the desire and lust, and mostly the love, in the deep green eyes. He knew, into the very core of his being, how much Chris loved him. It still startled him, scared him even, that someone could love him. That the love was so overwhelming, so all-encompassing, was staggering, and that the one person who loved him with all his being was Chris Larabee stunned him even more.
Vin stared, fascinated, as Chris's lips parted, the sight of the indentation in the lower lip making him catch his own lower lip between his teeth. He'd never felt so loved and cherished as he did when they were alone at times like this. Sometimes their love making was hard and quick and even rough, but then there were the moments like this that he wondered if this was what forever could be like. Slow, romantic, sensual.
Suddenly Chris was moving across the room, and while it startled Vin a little, with what looked and felt like stalking, it was less the feeling of a rabbit being eyed by a lion as it was being surrounded and enveloped by a sense of overwhelming passion and desire.
Vin stood there, too mesmerized to move, and then Chris's hands were on him. Both arms slid under the open shirt, finding the smooth, warm skin at his waist and back. They ghosted up the ladder of ribs to find and press against the center of his back between the wings of his shoulder blades. Vin reached his hands up, too, around Chris's waist, moving them toward the powerful shoulders.
"Mine," Chris growled into his neck, lips searching for and finding the willing mouth of his young partner.
Chris reached for Vin's arms, sliding down until he captured the small-boned wrists. He moved them behind Vin's body, captured both in one hand while his other reached up to tangle long fingers in the silky waves of shining dark hair. Chris used his body to narrow the space between them even further, then suddenly pulled back just a little. Chris used the strength in his right hand which had captured the slim wrists to pull them down and arch Vin's back. He gently tugged on the captured mane to pull the long throat taut, as Vin's body arched backwards and pressed into Chris's.
With the left hand grasping the waves of Vin's long hair, tugging the head backwards slightly and exposing the long, slender neck Chris paused briefly to marvel at the trust Vin had given him. No one else would have been able to capture Vin's wrists and hair without him panicking and fighting. As he lowered his mouth to attack the long, graceful neck, he was in awe of the love that Vin showed which allowed Chris to hold him like this, to love him like this.
Tanner whimpered as talented lips found his throat, nipping with sharp teeth and then soothing the bruises with gentle kisses. Chris nuzzled behind his ear, leaving him panting and breathless. He teased Vin briefly, breathing softly into the shell of his ear and feeling the shiver that ran through the slim body he held captured. Finally Chris tightened his grip slightly harder, twisting until luscious full lips met his own hard, demanding ones.
Vin felt rather than saw Chris's smile, by the movement of the man's cheek against his throat.
"Mine," Chris said again, this time more of a whispered caress than a growl, and Vin's shudder was one of desire and passion.
"Chrissss...."
Vin struggled to remember how to swallow. He wasn't sure he could remember how to breathe.
And then he knew he couldn't remember how to breathe, because Chris's nose nudged his shirt further off his shoulders from where it was already pulled open from his wrists, and a hot wet mouth latched onto his nipple.
Vin jerked in reaction, gasping as flashes of electricity flared through every nerve ending as it raced toward his already straining cock. His breathing turned more shallow and rapid, as Chris's talented tongue played across the tiny, rose-brown nipple. Chris pulled his head back from where it had been pressed firmly into Vin's chest, and his tongue lapped at the small nub. He smirked at Vin's reaction, glancing up and seeing the pupils dilated nearly black with desire and the dazed look on Vin's face.
Getting the nipple thoroughly damp, and keeping his eyes glued to Vin's face, he blew softly across the wetness. Vin shuddered as a hard surge of passion coursed through him, and he felt his legs turning to jelly. Chris wasn't ready yet, though, to ease them both onto the bed. It was too erotic to have Vin under his power like this, knowing that only Chris would ever be allowed to hold him subdued.
Seeing the small nipple tightened into further hardness, Chris bent again toward the prize on that perfect, smooth, golden tanned chest. He bared his teeth, and captured the nub between them. Holding it tight without biting or hurting the younger man, he used his tongue to flick over the small nipple. Vin's moans turned to whimpers, and he begged wordlessly for relief.
"Hang on, Cowboy," Chris murmured, pulling away to let Vin catch his breath. He wanted this to last, and knew that Vin was nearly ready to go over the edge any moment, and Chris would be right behind him. There was nothing so erotic as a lust-filled Vin Tanner. "Gonna make this last. Gonna take care of ya."
"Chriss...," Vin panted. "Need you. Need ya, bad."
The blond leered down into the dazed eyes of his lover. "Oh, yeah. You'll get me bad."
Vin's eyes widened even further, and he licked his lips and swallowed hard.
Chris had to look away for a second, because the sight of that tiny pink tongue was enough to tempt him to throw his young lover onto the bed and fuck him through the mattress. Not that they hadn't done that before, but it wasn't what he had in mind for tonight. At least not yet.
"Hang on, okay?" Chris murmured. "Gonna make it good for you, baby."
"Always good," Vin panted, "when it's with you, Cowboy."
Chris startled and felt another surge of excitement course through him. He saw the truth, and the trust, in those big blue eyes, and knew that he would kill himself before he ever hurt Vin. He would never, ever betray that trust and the love that Vincent Michael Tanner handed over to him, would always treat it as the precious gift that it was.
"Never better," Chris replied, suddenly serious, "than when it's with you."
Vin blinked, hearing the change in tone. Chris saw the doubt and worry and disbelief flash across the wide blue eyes. Vin frowned and shook his head in denial, but Chris tightened his hold on the younger man.
"Vin, look at me," he ordered softly. Finally the wide, slightly scared blue eyes met his, searching for a truth that Chris knew he would find if he would only let himself see it. "Never. Better. Never. Than it is with you."
Vin stared, anxious eyes seeking the sincerity and honesty in the deep sea green eyes. Chris knew the moment he realized the truthfulness of his words, because the mouth tightened and the blue eyes glistened behind unshed tears.
"Oh my God," Vin whispered.
"I love you, Vin Tanner. With every cell of my being."
Chris cupped Vin's head with his large hand, pulling the mouth to his and trying to devour that luscious mouth and tongue with his own. Soon his talented mouth pulled away, although Vin tried to hold them suctioned together.
"Mmmm...," Chris teased as he pulled away. He looked down at the golden tanned chest, now glistening with a faint sheen of sweat. "What do we have here? Looks like this side needs attention now."
With a growl, Chris pulled Vin's hair harder, arching his chest into Chris's mouth. He proceeded to torment the tiny nipple, alternately sucking on it forcefully, then pushing his tongue into the nipple to try to press it into the firm pectoral. Chris lapped at it with his tongue, and after getting it thoroughly wet he blew across it to harden it further. Larabee was fascinated by Vin's nipples. They were tiny and rose-brown and sexy as hell.
"Chrissss...,"
Chris barely registered Vin's softly moaned pleas, but pulled away. Looking at Vin's face, dazed with passion and desire, he decided it was time to move onto the next fascinating body part.
Chris pulled his hand from the tangle of curls at the same time he released the slender wrists. Vin's knees almost buckled, so Chris reached to hold him up. He moved Vin's arms up and they wrapped around his neck as the smaller man clung to him. That was fine with what Chris had planned next.
"Love ya, Chris," Vin's soft rasp was enough to melt Larabee's bones, and he struggled to maintain the control he needed for the both of them if this wasn't going to end right then and there.
"Love you, too, Tanner."
Chris moved his hands to Vin's waist, treasuring the feel of smooth, silky skin under the rough calluses of his hands. As much time as Vin spent under the sun, his skin should be dry and wrinkled, but instead was soft as velvet. Chris knew that his hands weren't as large as some men's, but he marveled at the tiny waist. No one should be that small, as Chris mentally measured the spare few inches across the small of Vin's back and the slight distance across Vin's belly that Chris's hands couldn't reach. Not that he ever wanted to find out, but the though flickered through his mind to wonder if Josiah's hands could span their young sharpshooter's waist and meet on both sides.
The thought of Josiah touching Vin this intimately had him growling, and Vin twisted to try to see into Chris's face.
"It's okay, baby," he soothed. "Just feeling a little possessive."
Vin tightened his hold on Chris's shoulders and neck.. "Ain't nuthin' ta worry about. Ain't goin' nowhere. Don't b'long t' nobody else. Jist you."
"Always."
"Always."
Chris let his hands move lower then, across the protruding hip bones and teased the front of Vin's body. He pressed a hand into the flat belly, feeling the flutter of muscles jump as his long fingers caressed the smooth skin.
Chris pressed their bodies closer, and he felt both their dicks straining against each other as groin met groin. He slid his hands behind Vin's back, slipping the long fingers under the waistband of Vin's denim jeans. Chris chuckled when he realized his hands met only skin. This was a treat, to find Vin not wearing any underwear.
"Goin' commando now?" he teased.
"Shut up, Lar'bee," Vin growled. "Jist knew I's puttin' on the looser jeans, so decided not ta have anything else rubbin' m' leg."
Chris frowned, pulling away slightly to look at the younger man more closely. Knowing Vin, it was probably a lot more painful than he would ever admit. He might have to have a little conversation with Reuben after all. "You hurting?"
"Yeah, I'm hurtin'," Vin glared. "An' if ya don't get movin', I'm gonna be hurtin' even worse."
Chris tilted his head down and kissed the straight nose. "You're cute when you're mad, you know that?"
"Ain't cute! Am I gonna have ta' shoot ya ta get ya t' drop this? 'M fine. At least, m' leg's fine. Got somethin' else hurtin' an' I need me a cowboy ta' make it all better."
"Mmmm..., like the sound of that. Got anyone in mind?"
"Like 'em tall. Like 'em blond," Vin teased, looking thoughtful. "Green eyes are a plus. Sexy as hell don't hurt, neither."
"Better be only one tall, green-eyed blond touching you, and it had better be me," Chris growled, leaning down to nuzzle Vin's hair off his neck and nibble on the tempting space below Vin's ear.
"You gonna talk all night?" Vin complained.
"Might," Chris teased. "You want to talk?"
"I want you to shut up and kiss me."
Chris leaned back slightly to stare into the deep blue, lust-filled eyes.
"Sounds like a plan," he nodded with a smirk that turned into a leer. "Always like a man with a plan."
Vin groaned as Chris's mouth attacked his own. He felt Chris's tongue press for entry and he opened his already kiss-swollen lips further to meet his lover's passion. Vin shuddered as Chris's hands, resting on the top sweet curve of Vin's ass, started moving. Large, strong hands slid down to cover the fullness of Vin's small butt. Long fingers alternately caressed, grabbed, pulled at the firm roundness, and Chris moaned into Vin's mouth.
"God, I love your ass," he murmured.
The tempo and urgency picked up, as Chris pressed his fingers deeper into the hard muscle under the slight layer of padding. Vin's butt was almost solid muscle, but Chris was fascinated by the feel and soft give as he pushed his hands into the ass cheeks. His hands spread to the outside, soft and gentle as he smoothed over the satin skin. Then he pushed his hands closer together, finding the gentle curve where the top of Vin's thighs met his ass. Cupping his hands around the fleshy mounds, he pulled higher to lift Vin onto his toes as he pressed their bodies even closer. Grinding their cocks side to side, Chris knew that a few more minutes of this and they'd both be coming. He backed off slightly to break the connection as their dicks strained toward each other, but continued his assault on Vin's ass. He pulled the cheeks apart, sliding his thumbs down the crack and then using his fingers he pushed the mounds closer together. Using one hand he pulled the cheek to the side, and ran the fingers up and down Vin's crack, teasing lightly across the opening and pushing down further under the curve until he had his entire hand cupped between Vin's legs.
"Damn, Tanner," Chris's voice was soft and rough with desire, while his hands continued their assault on Vin's butt. "You have the sexiest ass...."
"Oh God," Vin's voice took on a pleading tone. "Need ya now, Cowboy..."
Chris knew that neither one of them was going to last much longer. It was time to complete this the way he wanted to, or both of them would be coming while they stood there.
"Me, too," the blond nodded, pushing them backwards until Vin's legs met the side of the bed.
They pulled apart long enough for anxious, hurried hands to undo Chris's belt and each man found the respective zippers of Chris's dress slacks and Vin's jeans. Chris kicked off his shoes and pulled his underwear off with his slacks while his hands caught at and tugged off his socks. Vin slipped out of the jeans, his finally freed cock standing high and proud from the nest of surprisingly soft curls. Vin white shirt was unbuttoned and he as he went to slide if off, Chris put a hand out to stop him.
"No. Leave it on," he ordered. Vin's eyes met his, and he sat and scooted to the middle of the large bed. Chris followed behind, reaching into the drawer of their bedside dresser and pulling out the tube of lightly scented lube.
Putting the tube down by his knee, Chris straddled the younger man's thighs. He took the slender wrists and pushed them up, pressing them gently up on either side of Vin's head.
"Stay put," he said, half questioning and half ordered. Vin heard the question under the command and nodded softly.
Chris moved his hands down and over Vin's body, running his fingers lightly down the skin where it met the partially open shirt. He placed a hand, fingers spread, in the center of Vin's chest, and smoothed it slowly down the tanned skin across the quivering muscles and belly until he reached the jut of Vin's cock. Chris's own dick was jerking as both men ached for release.
"God, you're so tan," Chris's voice caressed the younger man. "So gorgeous. So beautiful."
Vin bit his lip and struggled for control as Chris's words combined with his touch threatened to break him into tiny pieces that would fly around the room. He could hardly hear what Chris was saying, as concentrated as he was on trying to make himself last.
Using only the index fingers of his hands, Chris pushed the shirt open another inch or so leaving the sides covering the hard curve of ribs.
"Ummm..., what do we have here?" Chris teased quietly. His index fingers only reached up and circled the tiny nipples, pressing in at the center lightly and then flicking across the nubs as they peaked into instant hardness. Chris quickly raised his hands and sucked on his fingers, licking them quickly to get them wet, then instantly putting the solitary wet finger back to flicker across the small peaks on the firm chest. The blond saw Vin's eyes widen and the cords of his neck strain as Vin's body arched up from the bed. His lips were pressed tightly together, but small gasps and whimpers escaped as the smaller man began thrashing under the exquisite torment of his lover.
Chris grasped the peaks then between his thumbs and fingers, first pulling the nipples lightly up from the tanned chest, and then twisting them a little side to side, The twisting and pulling had Vin bucking harder until Chris thought he might be thrown off. He loved seeing this side of Tanner, his wild child, so giving and trusting during their love making. His ego couldn't help the thrill he felt knowing he was driving Vin over the edge, and knowing that Vin had only ever let himself go so completely at Chris's hands and no one else's. He cherished the moans and whimpers and gasps as he touched his lover, seeking to find how far he could carry them together.
Larabee saw the small drop of pre-cum glistening at the tip of Vin's erect cock. His own was throbbing but he wanted to make this good for Vin. Chris spread his long fingers, and was able to reach one tiny nipple with his thumb and the other with his little finger. Lightly pressing in with that hand, he trailed his other hand down the firm stomach, pushing into the shallow dip of Vin's perfect navel, then pressing harder into the flat belly until he grasped the long, thick cock.
At Chris's warm touch on his aching member, Vin arched high off the bed and screamed. His hands gripped the bedding where he fisted the material between white knuckles, and his head thrashed side to side. Suddenly white ropes of come jetted up across Vin's belly, coating him with the thick creamy wetness.
"Look at me," Chris commanded softly.
Vin forced his eyes to meet Larabee's deep blue meeting lust- and loved-filled green. He was panting and whimpering, gasping and moaning as Chris milked him until there was nothing left and he collapsed, exhausted, back into the bed.
Chris moved off Vin's legs, moving to lay beside him. Vin tilted his head to the side, leaning into his lover's kiss as Chris lay on his side along Vin, raised up on one elbow.
"Damn, Cowboy," Vin finally managed to rasp.
"Yeah. Damn," Chris grinned.
"Awful cocky, ain'tcha," Vin's eyes narrowed, seeing the smug look on his older lover's face.
"Damn straight," Chris smirked.
"Or..., not so much," Tanner grinned, his eyes sparkling with teasing laughter when he saw when Chris made the connection.
"Smart-mouthed, long-haired, scrawny-assed Texan...," Chris growled, pressing his lips into Vin's laughing mouth.
Finally Vin came up for air, eyes still bright with wicked laughter.
"Thought you liked my ass," he teased.
Chris's eyes darkened with desire as he stared down into Vin's beautiful face. He'd never get tired of see Vin so open and unguarded, eyes full of love and laughter and happiness. Chris knew that the trust Vin offered was hard-won and a fragile gift that was only given to him, and he knew in that moment that he would die before he would betray that trust. Vin had no idea how beautiful he was, cheeks flushed from love-making, hair tangled across the pillow in waves of brown and caramel and reddish-gold. The tan that never quite completely faded set off his large, startlingly blue eyes and the dazzling white, straight teeth.
"Nope," Chris said seriously and Vin frowned. "I love your ass."
"Think yer so smart," Vin pouted, then glanced down with one eyebrow raised appraisingly. "Still cocky, though."
Vin smirked when Chris's partially flagging erection suddenly came to life.
"I'll show you cocky," Chris growled.
Vin yelped with surprise as Chris grabbed him by the shoulder and flipped him over onto his stomach. Vin's arms tangled briefly as Chris pulled at the fabric of his shirt, trying to remove the offending garment without tearing the material. He suddenly needed to see and have Vin with nothing on, to have nothing between his own skin and the tanned, silken skin of his Texan. Vin was twisting and struggling playfully until Chris finally got the material pulled free and tossed it across the room.
Chris dug his fingers into the hard ribs, and Vin gasped and giggled as Larabee found the excruciatingly ticklish spots on his sides. Chris sat on the back of Vin's thighs, his own powerful thighs pressed hard to the slender ones under his own to keep Tanner from being able to get free. He knew that if he felt truly threatened, Vin could easily break his hold and escape. But for now he would never do anything to hurt his older lover, while still breathless and gasping.
"Chris, don't! Stop!" Vin squeaked.
His twisting and turning from trying to elude those long fingers made Larabee's mouth go dry. While he loved eliciting the tiny squeaks and gasps from his younger lover, his eyes widened and all the rest of the blood in his body shot to his already hard cock to see the way the muscles of Vin's back and shoulders and ass would squeeze and contract and flutter under the soft skin.
"Behave," Chris ordered, swatting a hand down firmly onto one full, rounded ass cheek.
Chris held Vin steady with one hand firmly under his hip, fingers sliding around Vin between the bedding and curling into the jutting pelvic bones. Rubbing small circles on Vin's back, he let the younger man catch his breath and calm himself. When Tanner was able to get his breath back, Chris moved both hands to the round firmness of Vin's ass cheeks.
"Did I ever tell you I love your ass?" Chris murmured, caressing and kneading and pressing his hands into the lovely tan skin. He was fascinated by the barest line between the deeper tan of the rest of Vin's body and the more faint tan of Vin's ass.
"Mighta..., mentioned it...."
He thought back to the summer when he would come home from working on a Saturday to find Vin sound asleep - or maybe not so sound asleep - lying nude in the sun on the deck lounge chairs. Another assignment a month ago required Vin to go undercover with Ezra, and the arms kingpin had been a former college swimmer. His estate had large, Olympic-sized swimming pools both outdoors and in, and their evidence showed he had an immediate lust for Ethan Sloan's bodyguard. Their background research indicated a fascination for younger men, and if they could tempt information from him, the end result was worth it. Josiah had suggested Vin take advantage of a tanning booth, and Chris nearly lost it the first time he saw Vin completely tanned all over. Chris had tried to discreetly place an icy cold can of soda into his lap just from listening in with JD and Buck in the surveillance van from the mental image alone.
'Ethan' had retired for the night, because when it became clear to everyone that the owner was far more intrigued with Vin they had agreed to play up that angle. Vin had come to the pool that evening to watch Ethan swim with their host, and when he had retired Vincent Taylor had been asked to stay and enjoy the pool. Vin had grinned and admitted he'd been hoping for an invitation, pulling out a tiny sky-blue speedo suit that perfectly matched his eyes. They could hear the audible gasp from their subject, and the man had painted a vivid image of what he could imagine was happening when he decreed that it was so much more lovely, so much more free-ing, didn't Vin think, to swim in the nude. Buck and JD had been giggling like crazy, and Josiah and Nathan not much better, as they heard the man panting harder and harder while Vin swam. When the splashing stopped and they heard Vin thanking him again and saying he was getting out, they could hear the man's groan of completion from the fantasy he'd been engaging in.
Unfortunately, Chris had also nearly come, unable to force away the image of his young lover, tanned and sleek, wet hair slicked back revealing the planes of his delicate features, eyes large and blue and teeth startlingly white, while rivulets of water trickled and coursed between the ridges of hard, packed abs and down the taut belly to the lean muscled thighs and calves. It was all Chris could do to grit his teeth and growl that he had to use the restroom, forcing himself erect and stumbling with as much dignity as he could muster to make it to the other car and drive himself to the nearest fast-food location to find their restroom. He'd stumbled inside and slammed shut the stall door, fumbling with his belt and zipper. He'd come, hard and fast and long the minute his hand had touched his cock. He had glared back at Buck's speculative look when he returned, muttering something about bad chicken salad, and forced them all into tasks to get their minds back on business.
No wonder they'd been able to quickly crack the case after Vin began swimming nude. Vin joked that his shoulders were actually bigger and more muscular after they completed the bust two weeks later. At the command thinly veiled as an invitation from his host, Vin had done a lot of swimming. Finally it was set up to make the buy and the ATF Team Seven swooped in and captured everyone with no shots fired. Buck had regaled them all over and over that night when the team met at the Saloon to celebrate that he thought he was going to die at the priceless look on their prep's face when he saw Vin slide down the rope in his Kevlar vest with his rifle slung over his shoulder. Buck had thought the guy was going to have a stroke the way his face turned purple. JD offered his own imitation of the man, bugging his eyes out and opening and closing his mouth in a perfect impersonation of a fish flopping on land.
When Buck had teased Vin that his wet, naked body should be classified as a deadly weapon, Tanner had merely blushed and rolled his eyes, before ducking his head and taking a sip of his beer. His lack of reaction to Buck's teasing soon had the man backing off, especially when Chris motioned toward Inez to bring them another couple of pitchers. Vin caught Larabee's eye, a faint dimpled grin and slight nod offering the tiniest of thanks, as Buck's attention shifted immediately to the lovely manager. Only Ezra caught the exchange as the team leader gave Vin an answering feral grin and a wink before turning to the bowl of nachos in the center of the table.
The memory of that assignment had given Chris many pleasant fantasies, until Vin teased him that he'd have a lot of explaining to do to the guys if he decided to add onto his ranch and dig out the land for an indoor pool. Chris had to admit the Texan was right, but he was anxious for more warm days and looked forward to the first time this season they could use his outdoor pool. After Sarah and Adam had died there had been years he hadn't even taken the cover off the drained cement, and had contemplated filling it in and turning the space back into yard. Once he found out that Vin enjoyed swimming and loved the cool water on a hot day, Chris had opened the pool to all the guys. Looking down at the luscious ass under his fingers, Chris wondered what it would take to coax his young Texan into wearing a tiny white thong. For the five minutes it would take before Chris ripped it off his slender body.
"Chris...," Vin whimpered softly, pulling the older man's attention back from his split attention to his fantasies and the reality of the delicious ass he was alternately squeezing and fondling.
Larabee realized that Vin was getting hard again, and it was probably getting painful to have his erection pushed into the mattress from Chris's weight on his lean thighs and Chris's hands alternately pushing his ass cheeks together and pulling them apart.
"Need ya, Chris. Need ya inside me."
That was all the encouragement the blond needed. He lifted off Vin's legs from his straddling position, and pulled the younger man's hips up until he was on his knees. Chris urged the younger man to spread his legs, then settled himself on his knees between the younger man's body, open and inviting to him.
Chris leaned over the smaller body, pressing Vin's shoulders to the mattress and placing a gentle kiss on the side of Vin's mouth as he turned his head to the side. He own hard erection pushed up between the spread legs, and he was afraid he would come right then and there. Gritting his teeth, he pushed up and away from where his chest was pressed to the slender back, using his touch to let Vin know that he wanted the younger man to stay there with only his knees raising his backside and leaving his head and shoulders down.
"Gonna take care of you," Chris murmured, settling himself and reaching with one hand to retrieve the lube. "Gonna make it all good real soon."
Chris closed his eyes and took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax a little as he squeezed the gel onto his hand. Thoroughly coating his fingers, he circled the tiny opening of Vin's body, seeing the fine tremors in the muscles of his back and thighs.
"I'm not going to hurt ya, Vin," Chris reassured softly, although he knew that his lover trusted him to prepare his opening and not just ram himself in. Chris felt the temptation, and could almost sympathize with men who didn't care anything about Vin, could see why they would rape him, why they would line up their cocks and slam into that sexy ass. And in the next thought Chris realized that if he could find those men, he would hunt them down and easily kill them for hurting this gentle, intelligent, amazing young man.
Vin moaned again. "And you think waitin' longer ain't hurtin' me, Larabee? Move, dammit. I need ya in me."
Chris steadied Vin with a hand on the center of his back. "Deep breath now, Vin," he encouraged. "Gotta get you ready. I'm not going to take a chance on hurting you."
Vin gasped as one slender finger breeched the small opening. Chris moved his hand, gently circling the finger to feel the slight give in the tight ring of muscle. When he thought Vin was sufficiently stretched, he pulled his hand back and then inserted two fingers. Vin was panting and a faint sheen of sweat glistened on the tanned back, almost glowing in the soft evening light of their bedroom. Chris had never believed he could be so patient, and the cords of his neck strained as he gritted his teeth to keep from coming just from the sight of his fingers entering and leaving his lover's body.
"Gonna take ya now, Vin," Chris rasped, squeezing more lube on his hand and coating his hard, aching dick. He pressed the thick, blunt head of his cock against the small, pulsing opening. He held Tanner firmly by the hips, pushing slowly and carefully into the tight heat of the Texan's body.
"Oh God," Chris gasped, voice strained as he was overwhelmed by the breathtaking feeling of being enclosed so tightly into that gorgeous body. "So tight. So hot..., damn.... Jesus. Damn that's ..., ...oh God!"
"Move, dammit," Vin snarled, pushing his ass back hard against the hands trying to hold him still. Chris nearly came as his dick was encased to the hilt in Vin's opening, the crisp curls at his groin pressing against the perineum and curve of butt cheeks of his lover's body.
Chris pulled back until only the blunt head was left inside, then slowly pressed back in. His hands left the sharp hip bones, and gripped the golden, rounded cheeks, pressing his hands in and using the leverage he could gain to hold onto the flesh and muscle of Vin's magnificent ass. He felt himself flushed and hot, sweat dripped from his hair and glistened on his body as he stared, fascinated, at the sight of his own dick moving out of and disappearing into his lover's body. He kneaded the flesh of Vin's ass, alternately pushing the cheeks together and squeezing his cock between them, and then spreading them apart so his eyes could see the tight ring of muscles surrounding and caressing his dick.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god," Chris chanted, trying to hold it together. "Jesus, Vin. Seeing my dick in your ass..., gorgeous..., so beautiful..., so tight..., God, so hot..., so fucking gorgeous...."
Vin began moving harder at the sound of Larabee's incoherent ravings. He shoved his body backwards to meet Chris's movements, and soon the older man was slamming his dick into the willing body beneath him.
"Fuck me," Vin rasped, the voice like honeyed whiskey over sandpaper. "Dammit, Lar'bee..., fuck me, now!"
Chris felt currents of electricity shoot through every nerve ending in his body, and nearly lost all control. His hands gripped bruisingly on the mounds of the rounded ass, as he grasped them hard to push Vin away and then pull him close. He then clenched at the hard bones of Vin's hips in order to get a stronger grip on the Texan's sweat-slickened body, slamming into his lover as passion glazed his vision and pure sensation coursed through every nerve ending. Their moans and gasps and pleading mingled into an incoherency as their lovemaking grew more frantic.
Suddenly Chris bent low over Vin's back, his damp chest pressed to the glistening back of his lover. He reached an arm around the slender chest, then sat up and pulled the Texan with him. With one strong arm supporting Vin's weight, the motion of Vin's wide-spread legs straddling Chris's lean thighs pushed his body even lower onto the throbbing, pulsing dick.
"Oh god," Chris panted. "So fucking tight..., so fucking hot..."
Lean hips thrust up as Chris used the muscles in his thighs to shove his cock harder and higher into Vin's tight ass. The cords of muscle stood out on Larabee's arm that clenched Vin tightly to his chest, as one hand grasped a powerful shoulder to slam Vin down while Chris pounded up into him.
Vin was whimpering and gasping, small moans escaping as his head pressed back hard into Chris's shoulder. The blond looked down and saw the front of Vin's body, chest arched forward and cock jutting high and tight against the flat, hard belly. He felt the coming explosion, and knew he couldn't last another minute.
Chris's hand left Vin's shoulder and moved down to use his fingers to grasp and pull and tweak at Vin's sensitive nipples. The Texan cried out as the exquisite torment caused shards of current to race through his body.
Chris felt everything in him surge toward completion as they both moaned and gasped at the intensity of feeling. Chris had never felt anything so tight and so hot and so amazing, as Vin's opening enveloped him whole. He reached his other hand across the taut belly, finding and grasping the flushed, erect cock straining from Vin's belly.
Vin cried out Chris's name as the long fingers surrounded the swollen, aching member. Chris kept one hand busy tormenting Vin's nipples while he pressed his own chest into the sweat-slickened back, and his arm clenched Vin tightly to him. His other hand kept time to the same rhythm while his hips slammed his cock into Vin's ass over and over, harder and faster, as every muscle in his body strained into the action. Vin's hands gripped Chris's thighs tightly, until the older man would have fingertip spaced bruises on his legs the next day.
Finally neither of them could hold on any longer, and Vin's second orgasm erupted all over his belly and Chris's hand while Chris shot himself into the tight, moist heat of Vin's ass. When Vin collapsed onto Chris's shoulder and he had tugged and milked the softening cock of every last bit, Chris pressed his own hand to grip the lean hips and hold Vin steady while he grunted and pounded his dick into the sweet opening. Vin clenched his muscles as if to grab and hold Chris's cock inside his body, and Chris screamed at the sensation. All reason left him, and with three more hard, deep thrusts, his dick emptied completely into the sexy, willing body.
With gasping breathlessness, both men collapsed to the side, laying spooned together on top of the bedding with Chris's arms still cradling the smaller body. His softening cock stayed embedded in the moist heat while Chris tried to get his mind to function again and thought idly that he might actually be able to walk in a week or so. Vin was a boneless puddle in his arms.
Chris smiled as Vin's breathing evened out. His softened cock slid from his lover's body and Vin shivered. Chris grabbed a towel from the side of the bed where he'd kept it handy to clean Vin's body of the cum before it got dry and sticky, then reached behind him and drew the side of the covers over both of them. Hearing Vin's contented sigh and the squeeze of long fingers on his arms, Chris let his eyes close as a feeling of peace and rightness washed over them.
Both men dozed for nearly an hour, until Vin sighed and stretched as his bladder made its presence known. He slipped from the bed, a little startled to see how much darker it was outside than when they'd come home. Chris woke to the sound of the toilet flushing and the sound of water running, and blinked sleepily at Vin as he slid back under the covers.
Chris grabbed another pillow to prop his head up, rolling over to lay on his back. Vin curled on his side pressed tightly to Chris's body, his arm resting on Chris's chest while the strong arm curled around his shoulders and pulled him even closer.
"Mornin'," Vin teased, a soft smile crinkling the corners of his eyes, and Chris caught a glimpse of the dimple that drove the ladies in the federal building crazy.
"Morning, yourself," Chris grinned, hugging the strong, slender body.
"Damn," Vin sighed.
"God, you're amazing," Chris sighed, shaking his head in wonder. "So beautiful. So giving. So damn incredible, and hot and sexy as hell."
Vin blushed and ducked his head, making Chris grin and marvel at the beauty of thick dark lashes curving over the high, hard cheekbones. He'd never seen anyone as strikingly attractive as Vin was, and Tanner's shy denial and disbelief only made him that much more desirable.
"Ain't s' bad yerself," Vin drawled softly, reaching up a hand to clutch at Chris's shoulder before carding through the straight blond hair.
"I think you're trying to kill me, though," Chris chuckled.
Vin pulled away to lay on his back beside the older man. Chris frowned, shoving himself up on his elbow to look down into the exquisite face.
"What is it?" he asked, instantly concerned.
One slender shoulder shrugged, and Vin chewed at his lower lip. Chris knew that he'd have to wait out his lover, and give him time to frame his reply. If he pushed, Tanner would clam up and he'd never know what it was that seemed to have turned Vin so serious and pensive. Chris reached up and smoothed the hair off Vin's face, carding through the soft tangles. He then cupped his hand around the side of Vin's jaw, fingers curved around his ear and thumb gently stroking along Vin's face and cheekbone.
"Can you tell me?" he asked softly.
"Jist,..., ain't tryin' t' kill ya," Vin finally admitted, Chris forced himself not to laugh at the seriousness and hesitation evident in Vin's wide, anxious eyes. "Jist..., tryin' ta love ya."
"Oh, God, Vin," Chris gasped. He pulled the smaller man into a hug, and pressed kisses to his eyelids and nose and cheekbones. "You're loving me more than anyone has ever loved me in my whole life. You give me everything you have and more, and don't you ever, for a moment, think that I don't know that and don't appreciate it and treasure it for the amazing gift that it is."
Vin's eyes widened and he blinked, staring up at Chris searchingly and not able to miss the love shining from every pore and every cell and every ounce of his being.
"God, Tanner," Chris breathed, staring down into the huge blue eyes and cradling the delicately-boned face in his hand. "I know you love me. You love me in the way you get out of bed early and take care of the horses and then come back to bed to me on the weekends. You love me in the way you wash my truck without me asking you to. You love me in the way you never complain about me having to work late or bring work home, and you love me in the way you stay at the office and catch up on the latest weapons manuals or sit near my desk in the den here to keep me company while I work. Every thoughtful thing you do tells me you love me."
"Damn, Lar'bee," Vin whispered. His expressive blue eyes shone brightly behind unbidden tears, and he blinked them away. He reached up his hand and curled his fingers through Chris's. "Ain't nothin' special about none a that. Jist tryin' ta show ya how much I care about ya."
"You do, Tanner. You always do, and I might not say it enough, but I always notice and I always appreciate it."
"You do pretty good yerself, Cowboy. Ya don't yell too much about my icy feet when I crawl back inta bed after feedin' the horses. And ya don't complain all the time about my coffee, when ya try ta claim it'd hold a spoon straight up in the mug," he teased and then grew serious.
"Nobody ever made me feel safe enough ta tell 'em some a' my nightmares," he whispered and swallowed hard, briefly turning away and then looking up searchingly into the compassionate gaze of his lover.
Chris blinked and had to swallow hard himself at the admission Vin would rarely offer. When the deep blue eyes raised and met his, he was struck again by just how young his lover was, and how much pain and brutality and deprivation he had suffered in his young life. Chris felt blessed to have been given such trust, and amazed to think that Vin felt he deserved that trust.
"Nobody ever took such a big chance on me as you did when ya offered me a place on yer team. Nobody ever fought fer me like ya did with Travis when I didn't have a college degree. But ya love me in the way ya worry about me when we go out on a bust, but ya don't make a big deal out of it in front of th' guys. Ya love me in th' way you're lookin' fer me first afterwards. Ya love me in the way yer eyes light up ever' time ya catch me lookin' at ya when we're at work 'r at th' Saloon. And it sure as hell's love that ya asked me ta come ta yer ranch and be here with ya."
"Our ranch, Tanner. Ours. You know I want you here all the time. I'd give anything to have you move out of that apartment and be here forever."
"I know," Vin shrugged, the uncertainty he felt very much in evidence. "Jist,..., the job, ...the guys. Don't want'a screw everything up."
"I don't think it would," Chris shook his head. "I'm starting to think some of them at least suspect something. I've caught Buck looking at me a time or two. I've caught Ezra looking at you a time or two."
Vin chuckled, and Chris was relieved to see the tension easing in the set of the broad shoulders and slender neck.
"Think mebbe J'siah's been wonderin' 'bout us, jist from a couple a' things he's said."
"Might take Nathan the longest to accept us as a couple, but I don't plan on asking for his approval," Chris declared firmly.
Vin laughed and rolled his eyes at the thought of Chris asking Nathan's blessing on the two of them in a same-sex relationship.
"That jist leaves JD, and I figure that while he's kinda clueless about things, I'm pretty sure he'd come around soon enough."
"So does that mean....?"
"It means I'll keep thinkin' on it, Chris. Don't ever believe I ain't considerin' it."
Chris knew just how much it took for Vin to trust even himself that much, and he didn't take that trust lightly.
"I believe that, Vin. Might not mean I stop asking, but I'll try not to push."
Chris leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the still swollen lips, then leaned back and carded his fingers through Vin's tangled curls.
"I love your hair, Vin Tanner," he sighed softly. "Love your hair, your eyes, your face. Love your incredibly hot body. Love your sexy-as-hell perfect ass..."
"Thought you said my ass is scrawny and no-account?"
"Yeah, but it's a scrawny no-account ass that belongs to me, and don't you forget it," Chris growled.
Vin laughed, and Chris reveled in the sound of that laughter, so free and so boyish and so genuine.
"Thought I's the poet here."
"You ain't the only poet in the family," Chris scolded, and nearly missed Vin's gasp at hearing the word 'family.'
"You know," Larabee continued, chuckling. "It just occurred to me what we were saying. I love the way you wash my truck and don't complain about me working late but stay and keep me company, making me happier and calmer just because you're there."
"And you make me happy the way you put up with my strong coffee and my icy cold feet and when ya let me watch th' Cowboys an' not th' Broncos," Vin teased.
Chris's expression grew solemn and he threaded his fingers through Tanner's, holding hands tightly.
"I was just thinking that it was all the trend when Sarah and I got married to write our own vows. As romantic as we tried to be, there was something still a little forced and maybe a little trite or stilted in the way they came off sounding. This, though..., what you and I just came up with? Well, I just think that maybe you and I have a better idea of just what love is when it comes right down to it."
Vin froze, his eyes huge in his face, and Chris swore he stopped breathing.
"Vin? Hey..., you okay?" Chris asked worriedly. Vin looked completely and totally stunned, and finally gasped a shuddering intake of breath.
"You..., ya mean it? Like what I think ya said?" he finally gasped, his voice barely above a whisper.
Chris nodded. "I absolutely mean it, Vincent Michael Tanner."
The younger man's eyes flooded with tears that this time he couldn't blink away.
"Oh my God," he finally breathed.
"I, Christopher Adam Larabee, promise to always cherish the small and the not so small things you do for me."
Vin stared, then swallowed hard.
"I, Vincent Michael Tanner, promise to always love you, protect you, and care for you in every way I am able."
"I promise to appreciate when you wash my truck."
"I promise ta sometimes put on warm socks when I come ta bed."
"I promise to never work later in the office than I have to."
"I promise ta make the coffee the way you like it, at least every once in awhile."
"I promise to hold you when you're sad or afraid."
"I promise ta hold you when you have bad feelings."
"For as long as we both live," Chris's eyes held Vin's, and this time the green eyes swam with unshed tears.
"For as long as we both live," Vin repeated softly.
Chris gathered Vin up in his arms, and they held each other tightly, strong arms encircling equally strong bodies, embracing and tenderly kissing, a little overwhelmed with what just happened.
It was Vin who first pulled back, eyes once again searching and seeking the truth and promise of what just happened. The green eyes gazed back until Chris grinned and then laughed, throwing his head back. Both were a little giddy at the suddenness and impulsiveness of what they had just promised, but each one felt like it was completely and totally the perfect decision.
"Damn," Vin breathed, grinning and blushing faintly pink.
"I love you, Vin Tanner."
"I love you, Chris Larabee."
They settled back in the bed, this time back in their usual position with Chris on his back and Vin's head on the broad chest, being cradled by Chris' arm. Chris could feel the pulse in Vin's neck pounding fast and hard against his chest, and he wondered at just how overwhelmed Vin was right now. The breathing was coming fast and Chris knew that he needed to do a little reassuring.
"Hey, shhh...," Chris murmured. He rubbed across Vin's back with one hand, and curled the other over his body to soothe gently up and down Vin's arm. "It's okay. This wasn't for fun, Vin. This is for keeps. I mean it. I'd do anything if we could share and proclaim and celebrate our joining legally..., I would do that in a heartbeat. But this doesn't change how I feel, and the laws don't mean that I love or cherish you any less. And not being able to do this legally doesn't mean that I'll ever stop loving you."
Chris felt the hot tears falling on his chest and he pulled the smaller body as close as possible. Both arms circled the slender shoulders, and he rubbed his chin gently along the top of Vin's head.
"Shhh..., shhh now, baby. It's okay. It's all right. I've got you, and I'm never lettin' you go. I've got you. It's okay...."
Gradually the tears stopped and Vin yawned, as exhausted emotionally as he was physically. The tension eased in the slender body, and Chris noted when the breathing slowed and the pulse at Vin's neck calmed to normal. Soon Vin's limbs grew heavier and his muscles relaxed as his spent body claimed the sleep he needed.
Chris, however, was still a little wired. He couldn't quite get over what had just happened. He'd been straight all his life, from the first crush he'd had on a female teacher when he was in second grade to dating throughout junior high and high school. In college he never lacked for dates, and that continued throughout his military career. He met and fell in love with Sarah, they married and had a child and he was happy and fulfilled. When his wife and son died, Chris had thought his life was over and he prayed that he would also die. Only Buck's friendship and his unwillingness to let him kill himself in the bottom of a bottle kept Chris from serious thoughts of eating his own gun.
Then Travis came along, and by some miracle offered him this team. He'd chosen Buck immediately, of course. The other men came to him, hand-picked and chosen for their unique skills and the assets and expertise they could bring to the team. He'd thought everything was fine, except for the lack of finding a quality sharpshooter as the final piece to the puzzle.
Chris marveled at the twist of fate that brought bounty hunter Vin Tanner to the same warehouse at the same time and location as the months-long planned bust. Chris would never forget his first sight of Tanner, from the toes of his scuffed cowboy boots, tan duster swirling around long denim-clad legs, the bright white tee-shirt that was no brighter than the straight teeth in that full mouth. Long hair wild and tangled as it curled below the strong but slim shoulders, glinting red and gold throughout the rich brown. The square jaw and hard cheekbones somehow fitting with the illusion of delicate, finely boned features, and yet there was nothing fragile or weak about him. Not the least memorable, though, was the flashing, anger filled blue eyes, furious at the older, taller, more powerful Christopher Larabee, as the younger man was clearly not intimated by one of the top Senior Agents of the entire ATF.
Chris chuckled to remember how Buck had had to turn away, trying to hide his smirk, when Larabee fixed him with a threatening glare. The tall, dark-haired agent had gotten a kick to see a skinny, long-haired kid, looking barely old enough to shave, furious and pointing his finger in Larabee's face, bawling him out with the damndest Texas drawl. He'd blamed Chris, his team, and practically the entire ATF organization for screwing up and letting his bounty escape. Buck had told him later that it was the only time he'd seen the team leader left speechless, after the younger man made it clear that no excuse for what he perceived as Larabee's fuck-up was acceptable. It was only after he'd turned on his heel and left Larabee staring after him with his mouth open that he caught Buck's eyes flashing in merriment.
Chris had turned a fierce glare on the rest of them, barking out orders and intimidating everyone in his path with his malevolent stare. Later that night they had toasted their success with frosty mugs of beer in the saloon, but Buck had noticed Chris's pensive gaze into the half-empty pitcher sitting in the middle of the table.
"Still thinking about gettin' scratched by that scrawny-assed Texas wildcat?" Buck had whispered in his ear.
Chris's head had whipped around and he'd fixed Buck with an icy stare that had his oldest friend holding his hands up in surrender and backing off.
Chris had spent the entire weekend feeling guilty, especially when he thought about how Nathan had told them after Tanner disappeared that there was blood at the site, and he remembered thinking how stiffly the younger man had walked away. As though he were struggling to keep from limping. Monday morning found him not only tracking down Vin's skip that they'd inadvertently let escape, but also tracking down everything he could find out about Vin Tanner.
"Did I know then?" he asked himself, silently. "Did I sense something, what there was between us, even then?"
Chris fell asleep, waking up to find himself staring up into sparkling blue eyes.
"Was I snoring?"
"Nope. Jist started ta wonder if'n you was gonna sleep through the night?"
Chris looked at the clock and frowned, "Why, you hungry?"
One bare, tanned shoulder shrugged. "Not especially."
Vin's stomach betrayed him as his stomach gurgled into the silence.
Chris raised an eyebrow and stared pointedly at Vin's flat belly.
"Well, guess I might could eat," Vin admitted sheepishly.
They got up and took turns in the bathroom, both pulling on loose sweatpants, socks, a long-sleeved tee-shirt for Chris and a tee-shirt, thermal henley, and sweatshirt for Vin. As they left the bedroom, Chris reached for Vin's hand, and they walked side by side down the stairs holding hands and grinning foolishly at each other.
When they got to the kitchen they split up, automatically separating with one putting the chili on to heat, the other mixing up a quick, easy batch of cornbread and getting out lettuce for a simple salad while the other got out placements, dinnerware, and glasses.
"You want coffee?" Chris asked.
"Nah. Think I'll jist have a beer. Make it if you want for yerself, though," Vin offered.
"I'll heat the rest in the morning if you do," he added, knowing that the pot didn't brew one cup very well, but worked best when making three or four cups rather than just one.
"Beer's fine for me, too," Chris decided, and put two mugs in the freezer to be nice and frosty when the chili was heated.
Suddenly Vin laughed out loud, and Chris looked over at him, puzzled.
"What's so funny?"
"I was jist thinkin' it was a good thing we didn't start heatin' the chili when we got home. If I remember right, we was jist gonna go up and change, then come down and eat. We'd a' burnt the house down around our ears."
"And somehow you think that's funny?" Chris tried not to laugh, but couldn't quite keep the corners of his mouth from twitching.
"Well, mebbe not burnin' th' ranch. But picturin' you lookin' all fierce, tryin' ta explain ta th' fire chief jist why we was both standin' around outside in our altogether."
"Oh my God, Tanner!"
Vin was still laughing when Chris lunged toward him, grabbing him around the waist and pressing him close. Chris stared down into the startled eyes, smiling and kissing that wicked mouth until they heard the chili bubbling and the timer rang that the cornbread was finished.
The meal was perfect, easy and filling, and the two men cleaned up the dishes, straightened the kitchen together, sometimes talking, sometimes sharing a comfortable silence. Chris sorted through the small amount of paperwork he needed to finish before morning while Vin started a load of laundry. Chris set his briefcase by the door, and snagged two cold beers from the fridge. Vin grabbed the remote, surfing until he found an old western he knew they would both enjoy watching. Vin sat at one end of the couch, one elbow leaning on the arm of the sofa, his legs curled up under him. Chris sat toward the other end, more interested in Vin's profile than the movie. He reached out a hand and snagged a slender ankle.
Vin looked over, questioning, a half-smile on his face. Chris just tugged the ankle again, until Vin shifted his body to lean back against the arm of the couch and stretch his long legs out toward Chris. The older man had placed a throw cushion under his heels on the heavy wooden coffee table. He pulled Vin's feet into his lap, resting them there while he began rubbing the slender ankles.
Vin grew still, looking a little startled and dazed. Just the way he always did whenever anyone did something unexpectedly nice for him. Chris mentally shook his head and frowned, when it hit him with suddenly clarity that any time someone did something nice for Vin it was unexpected. He smiled reassuringly at him, and was rewarded by a faint, shy grin, which made the young Texan look grateful and ridiculously happy.
Chris nodded back toward the movie, and Vin turned his attention to the show. Chris continued his lazy massaging of the slim ankles with one hand as he sipped at his beer held in the other. Once he finished he set the empty bottle on the coaster on the end table, then glanced over to see admire the profile of Vin where he was sprawled lazily on the couch engrossed in the western.
Chris settled both ankles on his thigh more firmly, then using both hands he moved his massage to Vin's feet. Chris loved Vin's feet, and had told him once after they had made love that he had beautiful feet. Vin had blushed and protested and denied that his feet were anything special, and Chris had loved the way Tanner had been so flustered when Chris insisted that he had pretty toes. The truth was that Vin had perfect feet. They were slender and fine-boned, strong from running and the regimented strength and conditioning programs Vin practiced faithfully, and no matter what he said, his toes were straight and even and perfect. Vin had rolled his eyes and declared that, "Well, hell. Who cares if the sharpshooting job falls through? Leastwise I know I kin make a livin' modelin' dorky men's sandals an' flip-flops!"
Chris had laughed hysterically, teasing Vin about his cute little Texas pout, but soon their tickling and teasing had given way to breathless laughter and then their breath had been caught as they had begun kissing. He smiled at the memory of the wild love-making that had followed. Chris was stiff the next morning, and Vin pointed out that he started the whole thing by insisting that Vin had beautiful feet and pretty toes, and Chris had made a note to remember that for the future.
God, Tanner was sexy as hell when he got riled up.
But now the pretty toes and slender feet were encased in thick, soft white socks. Tanner was practically purring, and Chris reached over to remove the empty bottle from long, lax fingers.
"Mmmm..., Cowboy," he murmured drowsily. "Ya got magic hands."
Chris grinned, loving the times he could turn his Texan into a boneless sprawl. He knew that Vin was barely paying attention to the movie, and probably hadn't been for quite some time. Chris never stopped being awed by the trust that Tanner gave him. For a young man who cringed or flinched whenever he was touched, or at the very least avoided even the most casual touch with anyone else, he sought out and longed for Chris's touch. At first Chris hadn't even noticed that Vin didn't seem to mind when he would place a hand on his shoulder when leaning over his desk, or brush up against him as they poured over plans spread out over the conference table. Wilmington had made a comment later to Chris, that Vin shied away whenever anyone else got at all close to him. He'd made the comment that Vin was like a watchful, wild creature, ready to flee at the slightest hint of danger.
Larabee went back to massaging Vin's feet and ankles, moving on to the other one as Vin purred even louder. He swore that if there was such a thing as reincarnation, Vin had been a cat in a previous life.
He stared at the socks, realizing that they looked new. Vin didn't spend much money on himself, but now that Chris thought about it, he always seemed to have really good, bright white, soft, thick athletic socks. Not that they were always brand new or anything, but it suddenly came to him that Vin had a lot of good quality socks. He supposed it had something to do with keeping his feet warm and dry inside his black camouflage boots.
"Hey, Vin," he started softly.
"Mmmm?" Vin opened one eye and glanced up, curious but not quite willing to completely wake up if he didn't have to.
"How come you have so many pairs of these white socks?"
"You want some? You kin borrow 'em whenever ya want, 'r take some fer yerself," Vin offered.
"No, that's not what I meant. I guess I just finally kind of noticed that you have a lot of socks. Makes me smile, since you don't seem to have a 'lot' of much of anything else."
"Oh, that," Vin shook his head, clearing indicating it was nothing. His eyes closed and he curled his arms more comfortably beneath the pillow under his head. His voice was soft and the drawl more pronounced as he spoke while nearly asleep.
"It's stupid, I know, but I love these socks. They're so warm, an' so soft. When I's a kid, I never had good socks. Did you know that people actually give their old socks and even underwear ta orphanages when they donate old clothes? At least they didn't usually make us wear used underwear, but we did have ta wear old socks. The foster homes would never give ya new clothes if they had old ones around. They'd give ya old, worn-out socks, full'a holes after they'd had all th' good use wore outta them. Even if the county spent money on new ones, they's always cheap and thin, usually wearing holes in 'em before much of a month. Jist always had real ratty, torn thin socks when I's growin' up."
"'Course," he snorted, not opening his eyes or he would have quit talking when he saw the shocked, angry, and sad expression on Chris's face.
"...when I's livin' on th' street, I w's lucky an' grateful ta find even thrown-out socks fer under whatever boots 'r shoes I c'ld find ta fit. Told m'self that when I got outta th' mess I was in, I'd buy me some good socks. An' I did."
With that Vin sighed heavily, and Chris knew he was asleep. He continued to rub the slender ankles and feet, knowing that he would never look at a pair of thick, warm socks the same way again. He didn't even notice until a drop fell on his hand that tears were running down his face. What kind of person, what kind of inner strength allowed Vin Tanner to have emerged from all the hellish events of a brutal childhood, to become the man he loved, the man Vin Tanner had become. The kind of man for whom something so small and insignificant to most people as soft, thick, warm socks was a gift and a blessing to be cherished and grateful for.
The movie ended, but Vin didn't stir while Chris slid out from under the long legs, making sure lights were turned off and the alarm was set. He pulled at Tanner's arms, persisting when the younger man told him to go away and let him sleep on the couch. Chris was tempted to let the stubborn man do just that, but knew it could wreak havoc with the sharpshooter's back, which was iffy and uncertain at any given time. He didn't want Vin hurting and having to deal with the painful spasms; especially not because he let him spend the night on the couch when he could be sleeping on a perfect, comfortable mattress.
"Love you, Tanner," Chris whispered as he pulled the comforter high on Vin's bare shoulders and pulled him closer.
"Love you, too, Lar'bee," Vin sighed. "Until ferever."
"Until always," he echoed back, and then there was silence as each man drifted into a deep, peaceful dreamless sleep.
+ + + + + + +
Chris had thought that after that, things would be back to normal between himself and Vin. Or if not completely back, at least far better. However, it seemed like within only a couple days Vin was avoiding him again. Tanner never met them for lunch, and he kept putting off going out to meet with the guys after work at the Saloon. When Chris would call, Vin was rushed and hurried, cutting the phone calls short.
After one such call, when Chris swore that he could hear Eric in the background calling Vin but promised himself he wouldn't let it bother him, he suddenly put his head in his hands and ran them through his straight blond hair. Chris knew the job came first. It always had to come first, and he and Vin had lived with that. But he suddenly had an appreciation for what Sarah had gone through. They had had more than one fight when Sarah felt like his attention was focused solely on the job, and she wanted more from him and wanted his main attention to be directed toward their family.
Vin was patient and had never pressured Chris or tried to make him feel badly about focusing on the job. There were times when it took his entire concentration, and the time just had to be put in. But Vin would quietly stay in the office reading up on the latest weapons and ammunition, just to keep him company, or would go out to the ranch, take care of the horses, make a nice dinner - whatever he could to make Chris's life easier. Chris had appreciated it, been grateful and thankful for all the thoughtful things Vin did for him. But for the first time he was the one on the 'being patient' end and he found he didn't like it one bit. This was the first time in their relationship that Chris wasn't the one buried in work. It gave him a new insight into just how hard it was to be the person trying to be patient and understanding while his lover had to have his focus, time, energy, and attention directed to the job.
Vin hung up the phone, and stared at it regretfully. He was busy, that certainly wasn't an exaggeration. Things were heating up fast, and Team Five's undercover agent had managed to get word that the bust would occur in the next day or two. Vin certainly hoped so, because he didn't think he could last much longer.
The long hours and the stressful situation with Chris hadn't helped his health any, and neither had the days of not eating right - or hardly eating at all. When Vin had waited for Ezra in his jeep out in the cold, he knew even then that he shouldn't be doing that. And now he was sick.
Vin rubbed his hands over his aching eyes, and only hoped that his scratchy throat and pounding head would hold off for another day or two before putting him completely out of commission. He would never jeopardize his fellow agents, but Vin also knew that it could screw up the entire months of work if he couldn't be there for this bust. There was absolutely no time to bring anyone else up to speed, and there was absolutely no time for them to wait for him to be sick and get better.
He sighed and looked at his watch, the numbers looking fuzzy. Damn eyes didn't work right half the time anyway; no point in wearing a watch if his fucked-up eyes couldn't even see right to tell time. Deciding he had five minutes before he had to be in the conference room, Vin decided to make a quick trip to the vending machine for bottled orange juice. He snorted in disgust. Orange juice. Tanner hated to be sick, because then even coffee didn't taste good to him. That's when he knew he was sick, if for no other reason. He stared at the small bottle of Tylenol in his hand, then opened it and shook out two pills. Grinning wryly to himself he decided that Nathan would be proud him. Tylenol and orange juice. Shit. Nathan would kill him.
Chris would kill him.
He sat at the conference table as the other members of Team Five wandered in and took their seats, a soft expression on his face as he thought of Chris Larabee. His lover would beat the shit out of him for coming to work feeling as awful as he did, and then he'd haul him out to the ranch, put him in layers of soft warm clothes, tuck him into their big comfortable bed, and then bring him chicken soup and orange juice and aspirin.
God, he loved that man. No one had ever taken care of him like Chris did. No one had ever made him feel so loved.
"You okay, Tanner?" Eric asked, true concern on his face.
"'M fine," Vin looked up quickly, then reached for the handouts that Frank was passing out to all of them.
"You don't look so good."
"Told ya, I'm fine. But thanks."
Vin hated that his voice sounded even more scratchy than usual. He knew he looked like shit. A lifetime of covering up his hurts and hiding any sign of weakness or illness or injury made him an expert at never revealing just how awful he felt. He knew he was getting a fever, and hoped that the Tylenol would kick in soon. At least this group was easier to fool. His teammates would never let him get away with claiming to be fine. Buck would have his hands all over his forehead checking for fever, JD would be offering to bring him orange juice. Josiah would encourage him to go home and sleep, while Ezra would complain about him 'infestin' them all with his contagion and germs, which Vin had finally realized was only a ploy to mask his concern.
Nathan would be scolding him up one side and down the other, pushing fluids and aspirin and bed rest. Sending him home and threatening to drag him there personally and sit on him until he came to his senses, yelling at him for never taking care of himself, and saying that his skinny butt needed to worry a little more about himself and less about thinking he was letting the team down if he wasn't there every single minute of every single day. Pointing out that all the minutes and hours he came in far earlier than the rest of them had earned him several sick days off over and above what the department gave him.
And Chris. He would never get away with telling Chris he was fine when he felt like he did now. Those deep green eyes would get narrow and icy, one blond eyebrow would raise, and Vin would be pinned like a moth to a board by that fierce glare. Then Chris would gently take his arm, lift him from his chair, and guide him carefully to the elevator while telling the rest of Team Seven that he was taking their sharpshooter home. Then Chris would fuss over him, pretending to scold that if Tanner didn't have the sense to take care of himself, he'd have to do it for him. And Vin would feel all warm and happy inside, that even sick as he was, his cowboy was there to watch his back and let him really sleep and know he was safe. That it was okay to be sick and rest, because Chris Larabee wasn't going to let anything or anyone hurt him when he was sick and hurting already.
Vin struggled to pull himself back to the present. He was an expert at fooling people into believing he was fine, but if he couldn't concentrate on the meeting or the information presented, his acting could only go so far. Not to mention that he was feeling sicker by the minute. He just hoped that no one would ask him anything. He was following the material that Morgan was going over, and listening to the comments and questions by the others. He knew his role and knew that the bust was going to happen the next day. He just prayed that he didn't have to talk, and that they'd get out of there soon. Either way, he knew he was going to start coughing, and once he did he wasn't sure when he'd be able to stop. He wanted to get a drink of ice water, but leaving the room would draw too much attention to himself when he was trying to stay unnoticed.
"Tanner, you set with your position?"
Shit.
Vin nodded, and hoped that would be enough of an answer. His luck held, and Frank Morgan seemed satisfied. Eric looked at him thoughtfully, and Vin tried to quirk a small, half smile. He sighed with relief when Morgan's attention turned to Sutherland and his part of the bust, and then luckily the meeting finished shortly thereafter.
Vin thought that Eric was trying to catch up with him when they were released, but Tanner was one of the first out of the room and Morgan called Eric back to go over one more thing with him. Vin saw that Eric was looking after him as though he wanted to call him to wait up, but he was able to pretend he didn't see the look. He escaped to the restroom, and closed the door to a stall. He sat down on the toilet seat, resting his head in his hands as his elbows were propped on his knees.
This bust couldn't end fast enough for him. He felt himself getting sicker almost by the minute. He was shaking with chills, his head felt like it was going to explode. His throat felt like there were razor blades in it, and when he breathed it was like there were small metal chips in his lungs. God, he hurt. He longed for Chris's ranch, Chris's bed, and Chris's arms around him while he stroked his hair and told him to sleep.
'Cut it out, Tanner,' he scolded himself. 'You got a job ta do, and y'ain't got time fer feelin' sorry fer yerself. Pull yer ass t'gether an' do th' job ya was paid ta do.'
Standing up, he swayed dizzily. Groaning in pain, Vin started coughing. His entire body was wracked with such intense coughing spells until he was afraid he was going to crack a rib. His face felt hot and the rest of his body felt cold and clammy. It seemed to take forever until Vin could get the coughing fit to stop. He had to put his hand on the wall, then lean his head on his hand and close his eyes. Praying that he would be able to walk without passing out, he took a deep breath and waited until the room stopped spinning. He managed to splash some cold water on his face, then went out to face the day.
+ + + + + + +
The next morning Vin Tanner had to sit in his jeep a few minutes trying to stop coughing. He was at the federal building two hours before any of his teammates were scheduled to arrive. There was one more thing he wanted to pull off his computer's hard drive, and he hoped to get in and out before anyone else saw him. This bust had a lot of the same characteristics as one Team Seven had handled several months before, and he had only remembered the similarities late last night. Deciding that he wanted to briefly look over the report from that situation in case there was something that would help today, he decided he'd slip in and out before anyone else showed up.
But right now he was hurting so badly he didn't know how he was going to make it upstairs. Oh, God, he hurt. His lungs were burning until he felt like there were shards of metal chips in his lungs. His throat felt coated by razor blades. His head felt stuffed with cotton, his eyes were red and swollen and he could hardly swallow. For a moment he rested his head on his steering wheel. Lord, just let him make it through this day. Then he was going to sleep for a week.
Vin felt hot and cold at rapidly alternating intervals. His skin felt hot and dry as a burned out husk, but then a few minutes later would be cold and clammy.
'Tanner, y'ain't gettin' nothin' done puttin' off th' day. Now git yer ass up there b'fore Lar'bee shows up.'
Lord, that would be the last thing he needed. Breathing heavily, Vin got out of the jeep and stood there a minute hoping the dizziness would pass. When it did he made his way over to the elevator. There were many days he would take the stairs up the several floors, but today wasn't one of them. He hated the elevator on a good day, but today his stomach did flips when the doors closed and it started upwards. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that it was early enough no one else was there and he never stopped until the doors opened on Team Seven's floor.
Tanner got out and stood leaning against the wall with his eyes closed until he could catch his breath. Thank heavens the plan today was for him to be in the rafters and stationery. Once he got in position his role was to stay put. Vin just didn't think he was up to doing any running around today.
'Provided you kin git yer ass up there without passin' out,' Vin scolded himself.
Vin closed his eyes, and rested his head on his desk while he waited for his computer to boot up and the program to load. God, he felt like death warmed over. He reminded himself that he'd hunted bounties when he was worse off than this. He'd had assignments for the rangers and did his job for them and for the marshals when he was shot or knifed or beat up. He told himself that he'd been sick worse than this before, but for the life of him he couldn't remember when.
'Shit. It's a hell of a thing ta let yerself git soft.'
Vin berated himself until he was able to focus on the files and find the one he was looking for. He'd make it through this day. His job was to protect his teammates, and that was what he, by God, was going to do. A Tanner didn't let anyone down, and he wasn't about to disgrace the Tanner name.
Vin startled when the elevator opened.
Damn! Shit! Fuck! Larabee was here. What the fuck was he doin' here this early? Lord, could his luck get any worse?
"Mornin' Cowboy."
"Hey, yerself," Vin managed to croak, wincing at how hoarse he sounded.
Chris frowned, leaning against the corner of Vin's desk. His sharp eyes noted the sickly pallor, the faint sheen of sweat on Vin's fine-boned features. There were dark smudges under Vin's eyes and his cheeks were sunken in from the weight he'd lost. Bright patches of fevered color stained the sharp cheekbones.
"You doin' okay, Vin?"
It was Chris's soft concern rather than the expected anger that nearly did him in. He thought Chris would be mad and yell at him, but the gentle kindness nearly had Vin losing his resolve.
"'M fine, Chris."
"Vin...?"
"Ain't nothin' ta worry on," Vin insisted stubbornly.
The green eyes narrowed.
"You never could lie to me," Chris shook his head.
"Leave it, Chris. 'M fine. Really. I kin do m' job."
"I'm not worried about the job. I'm worried about you."
Vin had to blink away sudden tears at hearing the truth - and the love - in those words. Lord God, what had he ever done to deserve this man.
"I know, Cowboy. I'm jist a mite tired, I guess."
Chris rested a hand on Vin's arm, and the younger man flinched.
"Shit, Tanner! You're burning up!"
Fuck. There was the Larabee anger. 'Note to self, Tanner,' Vin thought, cringing. 'Don't ever ask how things could get worse.'
"Please, Chris. Let me do this. I know what I kin handle, an' I kin handle this," Vin insisted, trying to convince his lover not to call Morgan and have him pulled from the job, or call Nathan, or even throw him into his big truck and haul him to the hospital. "The bust is goin' down t'day. Then I'll rest, I promise. I'm jist here ta look at this one report, then I gotta git goin'."
Chris stared at him, running his hand through his short blond hair. Vin clearly wasn't well. His eyes were fever bright, he was sweating and trying not to let Chris see that he was shivering.
"Vin....,"
"Chris, I gotta go."
The report was finished printing, and Vin powered down his computer and stood up. It took every ounce of inner strength not to give into the dizziness he felt. The anger in Larabee's eyes had faded, and there was nothing left but genuine concern for him. He bit his lips and blinked hard. All the times he'd worked and done his job when he was really sick, or really hurt - or both - not one time had there been anyone who truly cared about how horribly he was feeling. Maybe the Rangers thought they pushed Vin, but nobody pushed him harder than he pushed himself.
Chris frowned, but stepped back as Vin stood up. Then he reached out and lightly placed his hand around Vin's arm, preventing him from leaving. Vin tensed, afraid that Chris wouldn't let him go do what needed to be done, but instead Chris leaned forward and softly kissed his lips. The older man winced at the heat coming from Vin, but he told himself he had to trust Tanner.
"Be careful, Cowboy."
"Always am, Lar'bee. See ya tonight?"
Chris grinned ferally at the raspy drawl. Nothing was sexier than Vin's voice, all honeyed whiskey over sandpaper. But when Vin got sick and that voice got just a little deeper and just a little rougher, well shit. It didn't help any that they hadn't been together in almost a week. Chris's eyes went to the clock on the wall. God, it was going to be a long, long day.
"Now there's a promise I intend to hold you to, Tanner," he smiled.
Vin grinned back. He was happy that Chris was going to let him go, but he also knew he had to get out of there fast. It was taking all his strength and all his reserves to force himself to look a hell of a lot better than he felt. His voice and his strength were about to give out and he had to get away from Larabee's sharp eyes before he collapsed. Vin grabbed the papers out of the printer, and then headed for the elevator doors.
"Watch your back, Tanner."
Vin nodded, his throat too painful to answer. He just hoped that Chris understood how much his concern meant to him.
As soon as the elevator doors closed, Vin's eyes closed too. He rested his head back against the wall in the corner. He hoped Chris knew how much he valued Chris's trust in him that he wouldn't screw up the assignment.
At the same time, he was relieved to have gotten out of there when he did. The last thing he'd needed was to run into his boss and lover. If he'd have been with his regular team this past week, they would never have let him do this bust. Nathan would have seen how sick he was. Buck would have been worried about him, the kindness and concern showing in those dark blue eyes. JD wouldn't have let him get away with excuses, and Ezra would have produced exotic teas to sooth his throat. He could complain about Vin contaminating them all with his germs, but it was only a cover. Josiah would have been watching him, ready to scoop him up in those powerful arms if he got so dizzy he collapsed, and carry him off to his apartment or Chris's ranch or the doctor or hospital, whichever Chris and Nathan decided would be best. Shit. He'd never had people nearly fighting among themselves over how best to care for him. He'd never had anyone who really cared. Lord, what had ever led him to these people. These friends. His family.
Now he just needed his eyes to focus on this report. See if it really had information that would help today, and then get this bust over with. He allowed himself a soft sigh of relief. After today things could get back to normal. He'd let himself sleep for days, maybe even let Larabee fuss over him. He wouldn't even balk when the older man insisted that he go back to the ranch tonight. He wanted Chris, and as sick as he was, he wanted him bad. Vin shook his head. As awful as he felt and as much as he just wanted to curl up in bed and pull about a dozen blankets up to his ears and sleep for a week, he still wanted that hard muscled body of his lover. He just hoped that Larabee wouldn't realize how sick he was. He wanted slow, sensuous, exquisitely agonizing, mind-blowing, bone-melting sex, and he wanted it tonight.
+ + + + + + +
Chris was moody and antsy all morning. The others all learned quickly to keep their heads down and stay out of his way. Josiah had merely asked Chris to hand him the sugar in the break room when he couldn't reach around the blond who was standing near the coffee pot, and had his head nearly taken off. Ezra was berated for coming in late, and when he unwisely decided to point out that this was the time he normally arrived, Chris threatened to place a written reprimand in his file about chronic tardiness. JD was practically terrified, and stumbled over his words, stammering out his question to Nathan about something he really needed to check out with their senior agent in charge.
Buck went into his office to try to calm Chris down. He knew it wouldn't help the man's mood if he just walked in like he usually did, so this time he actually knocked and waited to be acknowledged.
"Get out of here, Buck."
Buck winced to see the stress and anxiety in his boss. Chris had obviously been running his hands through his short hair, judging by how some of the ends were sticking up. He could almost feel the tension radiating through the man's body. Buck frowned with concern.
"Junior's a big boy, Chris. He can take care of himself."
"That's just it, Buck. He can't. Or rather, he won't."
"What do you mean?"
"I saw him."
"What?"
"This morning. He was here. The little shit tried to sneak in early to print off a report before any of us got here. I couldn't sleep last night, so I decided I might as well come in."
Buck didn't comment on the reason why Chris wasn't sleeping well. His suspicions were growing, but it was something he wasn't sure he wanted to face.
"So...., he was here early. That's not unlike the boy. You know how prepared he always is. And you also know that boy don't sleep, hell, he hardly eats, when he's working on a bust."
"I know that," Chris snapped impatiently, biting off each word. "He doesn't sleep. He doesn't eat. And he doesn't take care of himself. Shit, you should have seen him, Buck. First when I got off the elevator, he had this guilty little boy look like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Then he flinched when I got close to him. Because he didn't want me to see how sick he is."
"Junior's sick?" Buck's concern was instant and genuine.
"Hell, yeah, he's sick. He's burning up with fever, his eyes are all red and he's got dark circles under them. You know he's lost weight, but he was sweating and shaky."
"And you let him go?"
Chris turned on Buck, furious.
"Yes, damn it! I let him go. And you would have, too. He cares about this job, Buck. And he'll kill himself before he puts his own needs before taking care of everyone else and making sure they're safe. I don't know all the details but he assured me that his role is just an extra set of eyes overlooking the warehouse."
"Well, an extra pair of eyes and a big gun," Buck tried to joke.
"This isn't funny, Buck!" Chris exploded. "You think this is funny?"
"No. No, Chris, it ain't funny. But you gotta let this go. You can't be there all the time for him. Hell, we can only protect him so much when we're on the same bust. You know that. Shit, his job is protecting us. You know that's what normally happens. We cover him when and if it comes to that, but this is his job, Chris. It's what he does, and it's what he's damn good at."
"He's a lot better at thinking of the job and everyone else than he is about worrying about himself."
"That's the God's honest truth. But Eric Sutherland is there. He'll be watching out for him. Hell, if Frank doesn't notice anything wrong with him, maybe at least Eric will be watching Tanner's scrawny ass and he'll say something."
Chris clenched his jaw and willed his hands not to curl into fists. Even though he and Vin were fine now, he had no doubt that Sutherland would indeed be watching Vin's ass. And not in a good way.
"That's what I'm afraid of," Chris muttered under his breath darkly.
Buck couldn't help seeing Chris's tension rise at his comment, and noticed that the vein in his forehead started throbbing.
"Huh? You say something?"
"I shouldn't have let him go."
"Not your call, Stud. You gotta leave that up to Frank Morgan."
"But Morgan doesn't know Vin like we do, Buck. Tanner is way too good at hiding his hurts, especially from people who don't know him like we do. Hell, look how long it took even Nathan, who's got a sixth sense about him whenever any of us are sick or hurt, to figure out what Vin was hiding. He'd been here about three or four months, and then he up and passed out on the floor when we adjourned from a team meeting. When we got his butt to the hospital, he had strep throat, a fever of a hundred and three, had bronchitis and nearly pneumonia. And we didn't even know he didn't feel well."
Buck ran a hand down his face.
"I remember. I also remember the look on his face when he woke up in the hospital and saw all of us there. He was terrified, Chris. He was scared, and looked like he thought you were mad at him for being sick. Hell, I'd swear that he thought he was going to be punished, or that you were going to hit him and then fire him for not being at work."
Chris closed his eyes. There had been an instant connection the moment he'd laid eyes on that lean, beautiful Texan, but it was when Vin was in the hospital, looking small and fragile and achingly young and vulnerable when Chris first felt like what he was feeling was more than brotherly concern for a friend. He ached now for his young lover, knowing that Vin was sick and in pain.
He sighed heavily.
"You're thinking of calling Morgan, aren't you?" Buck asked with sudden realization.
"No," Chris sighed. "I tried to tell myself it was the right thing to do. I tried to tell myself that I would pull him. But as much as I want to, I can't do that to Vin."
"Damn right you can't. That boy would never forgive you."
"Hell, if something happens to him, I may not forgive myself."
"Can't mother-hen them all the time," Buck tried to lighten the mood. "Gotta let the chicks spread their wings and fly on their own sometimes."
"That's the problem. Vin's been flying alone his whole life. I don't want him to ever feel like he has to again."
"That ain't what I mean, Stud, and you know it. But you can't smother that boy. He won't stand for it. Let him do his job, Chris. Let him know that you trust him."
"You're right, Buck. And I do trust him."
"But you're still worried."
"Yeah. I am. Guess I will until he's back here safe with us."
"Tonight, Stud. Hell, I'll buy the first round of drinks for Team Seven and Team Five."
"Now that's a sight I don't want to miss," Chris grinned. "Buck buying a round of drinks."
"Smart-ass."
"Get back to work. And Buck?" Chris stopped his oldest friend before he left the office. "Thanks."
"Any time, Stud. That's what friends are for. And Junior's gonna be just fine. You'll see."
"I hope so," Chris whispered in the now empty office. "I sure as hell hope to God he is."