Turn About

by Kaed

Main Characters: Chris/Vin

Note: This is slash but it’s pretty tame. This actually came to life as a series of PWPs I shared on the Black and Buckskin Adult listgroup. Basically, the guys are taking care of one another through a variety of situations.

June 21, 2010. The day after Father’s Day. What would have been the twelfth Father’s Day that Chris Larabee would have celebrated, had his world hadn’t been ravaged.

The pain had decreased over the years thanks, in part, to the normal passage of time that eased grief and replaced it with acceptance. But, he knew, that a lot of it had to do with the relationship he had been involved in for the last five years.

Chris looked over the top of his paper as the other half of that relationship entered the room. Smiling, he took in the sweat soaked and filthy figure that entered the bedroom. “You have some problems in the barn?”

“Shut up, Larabee, just shut the hell up,” Vin grumbled as he continued through the room, stripping as he did. By the time he disappeared into the master suite’s bathroom, Chris caught sight of a firm, tanned ass which was showing signs of a rather large bruise.

“Ah, shit,” Chris tossed the paper aside and pushed from the bed, heading for the bathroom. To his dismay, the door slammed and he could hear the distinct ‘click’ as it was locked from the other side. As he turned back toward the bed, he groused, “well, I think my ‘special day off’ has ended.”

The previous Friday, Vin had informed him that he had wrangled the first day of summer off and that, along with Father’s Day, he was going to give Chris a weekend filled with relaxation and… well, whatever else he desired. He had smiled lecherously at that comment, remarking that he could think of a whole lot of ‘whatever’ they could indulge in.

They had come home from a few hours at The Saloon with the others, and indulged in ‘whatever’ the rest of the night, and on into the early hours of the morning. They had fallen asleep in a tangle of limbs and bed clothes, sated and happy. When he had woken, though, he was alone in bed. Stretching well exercised muscles, he eased out of bed and padded into the bathroom. A long, leisurely shower later he emerged to find that the bed had been remade and turned down, and Vin was waiting for him with a bed tray.

After breakfast, Vin coaxed him into clothes, and they went for a long ride, stopping a few hours later, at the small pond in the foothills, for lunch and, after more ‘whatever’, a nap. They returned home at dusk, ending the evening in front of the television, watching the highlights of the game that had taken place earlier that day.

Sunday Vin had kept him busy. A quick breakfast allowed them to get on the road early. They rooted for JD and Nathan, who were participating in the Father’s Day 5K run along Ralston Creek Trail during the morning, glad that both men would be giving healthy donations to the Apex Park and Recreation District Foundation for the Arvada afterschool programs. After toasting their friends’ victories with water, they said good-bye and headed for Coors Field, where Vin had scored very good seats for the Rockies game against the Brewers. Even the final score and Corpas’ disappointing showing couldn’t ruin the day, which was turning into one of the best he’d had for a very long time.

Things got even better though, when Vin took them to City Park, where the Hazel Miller Band was performing for the first time in two years. The ever resourceful man had pre-ordered a picnic dinner that he picked up along the way and, when they arrived, Chris discovered that there was even a blanket tucked away in the backseat of the Ram for them to sit on. As they made their way to the best available place to sit Tanner had made a comment about hoping that the band sang the song “Meet Me with Your Black Drawers On” during the concert. Rolling his eyes, he had commented that he hoped Hazel blew him away with her rendition of the song “Respect”.

The weather was humid, but it wasn’t uncomfortable and, as the band began, he felt himself drift away as jazz filled the air.

By the time they returned home, the only thing they had the energy to do was to strip off, shower, and go to bed, relaxed and at ease with the world. As they turned out the lights, Vin reminded him that the next day would be yet another day when he would have nothing to do but relax.

True to his word, Vin had been already hard at work when he woke. Breakfast was on the deck, and then Tanner had encouraged him to go read the paper while he mucked out the stalls and did a few other chores in the barn. Evidently things hadn’t gone well.

A few minutes later the sounds of the shower ceased and, a few minutes after that, the door opened, releasing a plume of steam that was accompanied by his partner. Vin was dressed in nothing but a towel that was knotted at his waist. Chris noticed, too, that Tanner was limping.

“Feel like telling me what happened?”

“Let’s just say me and that mule ‘a mine had words and leave it at that, okay?” Vin growled.

“Oh.” He had already figured that it had something to do with the ever cantankerous Peso. After a slight pause he added, “Saw the bruise.”

“Which one?”

Hiding a smile with a grimace, Larabee elaborated, “on your ass.”

“Oh. Yeah, well, don’t think I’m gonna be sittin’ easy any time soon.”

“Probably not. Want me to… um… massage it?”

“Hell, no!”

Nodding toward the bottle he saw in his partner’s hand, he said, “I meant massage the liniment into it.”

“Oh. Uh, yeah. Wouldn’t mind that I reckon.” With a frown, Vin added, “Ain’t sure that it won’t lead to more of that… whatever… though, and ain’t sure I’m… ready to ride.”

With a sympathetic smile, he replied, “I promise… I’ll be gentle.”

Rolling his eyes, Tanner groaned, “shut up, Larabee.”

~o~

Chris stood, leaning against the railing of the deck, watching for activity along the drive. He held an open beer in one hand, sipping from it from time to time. There was an unopened beer in his other hand; he held it in anticipation that Vin would be coming down that drive any time.

He smiled as he caught sight of the battered old jeep that he had been trying to get his partner to sell, rattling down the drive. He wondered if the rusting vehicle would make it to the end of the drive without completely falling apart. He wondered that every time he watched for it. Miraculously it continued to manage the feat time after time. But, one of these days…

Twisting the top off the beer he was holding for Tanner, he moved across the deck and was standing at the foot of the stairs by the time his partner exited the jeep. He looked exhausted; the dress shirt he wore was sticking to him, he had long ago discarded the tie which, more than likely, lay in a heap with his suit jacket, on the passenger seat. His long hair, held back with a black band, was coming loose from its bonds of elastic and hair gel.

“Look like shit, pard.” He smiled when his only response was a grunt and a slowly extended finger. To apologize, he held out the beer, which was quickly swept from his grasp. By the time they entered the den, more than half the contents of the bottle had disappeared.

Closing the sliding glass door, Chris turned toward the other man. Vin stood there, as if he had suddenly lost the ability to move. He slipped up behind him and began to massage stone hard muscles along the broad shoulders. As he continued his ministrations, he nudged the other man forward. “C’mon, there’s a nice hot shower waiting for you.”

Tanner began to move, leading them both through the house, toward the master suite. As they walked, he began unbuttoning his shirt, both of them pealing it from his lean frame and pulling it from his dress slacks, to drop it onto the floor of the hallway. He halted their progress long enough to toe off the hated dress shoes that would disappear into his closet again, hidden until he was forced to trade his boots for them once again.

Entering the bedroom, he unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned and unzipped his fly and stepped out of his slacks, followed quickly by his boxers. Unbeknownst to the other, each man briefly considered making a detour to the bed. However, one was too tired and the other recognized that weariness only too well.

Leaving Vin at the bathroom door, Chris backtracked, collecting the discarding clothing, even returning to the jeep for the jacket and tie. He hung up the suit and deposited the rest in the hamper, then went to the kitchen and put the final preparations on dinner. He was tuned in to the sounds coming from the master bath and, when he heard the shower stop, he moved to the bar that took up one corner of the den.

Tanner exited the bathroom in a steamy cloud, dressed in a tee shirt and jeans, his hair damp and curling naturally around his face. Barefoot he was even quieter than usual as he padded across the floor and, wordlessly, accepted the whiskey from his partner. Downing it quickly, he offered up a grateful smile.

“I’ve got dinner all ready. I know you haven’t eaten all day.” Larabee tried to keep the scolding tone from his voice, but a hint of it remained. Vin hated to give testimony and became so anxious that he barely ate for days and never ate the day he was scheduled to report to the hearing. To make it worse, his testimony had been delayed twice at this trial, meaning that Vin had eaten very little for most of the last week.

“Sounds good, Cowboy,” Vin replied softly, his voice reflecting the near-exhausted state he was in at the moment.

As they made their way to the dining room, Chris in the lead, Larabee mused, “I’m just glad it’s Friday. It’ll give me the weekend to get you back up to snuff.”

With a lopsided grin, the younger of the two men replied with, “Should I be worried?”

Turning to face his partner, Larabee loosely twined his arms around Tanner’s shoulders. Returning the grin, he said softly, “No… you should be looking forward to it, though.”

“Aw, Hell, Chris, don’t get me hot ‘n bothered now… don’t think I could stand it.”

Leaning in and gently kissing the other man, the blond replied, “When we get to that point… you won’t have to worry about doing a damn thing but enjoying it.”

“Larabee… would you shut up?” Vin almost whined. “If we’re gonna… well, I need to eat somethin’ to get my strength up… ‘fore we get somethin’ else up.”

His grin widening, Larabee nonetheless turned, grasping the other man’s tee shirt, and nearly ran toward the dining room, Tanner in tow.

A minute later they were seated at the table, Vin’s eyes widened in amazement at the spread. Although, like most men he knew, Chris cooked best when he was in front of a meat-laden grill, he did know where to order all of his partner’s favorite foods.

“Hell, Cowboy, I eat all this, you’re gonna have to roll me away from the table and there’s no way I’m gonna be able to do a damn thing.”

“Well, then, should I just throw it – “ he made a move as if to sweep the platters and bowls from the table.

“Hell no!” Vin cut his partner off. “You toss one bowl and I’m gonna shoot you where you sit!”

With a chuckle, the blond began dishing up generous amounts from each offering and sat it before the other man who, he could tell from an ominous grumble from his stomach, was more than hungry. He could only shake his head as Vin began shoveling in heaping spoonfuls of the food. “Glad I got my hand out of the way!”

“Mph.” Was his only response.

The two men ate dinner until both were comfortably full, then Chris pointed Vin toward the den, handed him the remote he’d brought into the dining room earlier, and ordered him to go find something mindless while he cleaned up.

Half an hour later, Larabee entered the den to find his partner sprawled on the couch, watching an episode of Family Guy through slanted eyelids. “Hey, you’re not falling asleep on me, are you?”

“’Bout half. Don’t worry; the half you’re interested in’s still awake.”

Leaning over the supine figure, Chris said softly, “I’m interested in all of you. Come on, let’s get you to bed.” To emphasize his point, he began tugging at the other man’s arms and legs until he got him upright and then to his feet.

With a groan, Tanner complied, muttering as they moved back through the house, “You’re gonna take advantage of me, ain’t ya?”

“Thought about it but… think I’ve got a better idea. We can save the… athletics… for later.”

“You’re the boss.”

“And don’t you forget it.”

They got to the bedroom, and Chris began pulling Vin’s shirt off. “Thought we were gonna save the – “

“Relax and lay down on the bed,” he slapped the other man’s tight ass and said, “Belly down, ass up.”

“You’re such a romantic,” Vin muttered, although he quickly complied. Sprawling out on the bed, snugging his pillow to him, he sighed long and low. He frowned, listening to Chris rummaging around in the night stand. “Lose somethin’?”

“Nope.” Dropping two large bottles onto his side of the bed, he pulled off his own clothes, although there was no reason for it, other than that he wanted to. Nude, he straddled Tanner’s slim hips, picked up one of the bottles, and uncapped it. Dribbling some of its contents over the tan back beneath him, he began a slow, sensual massage.

“Oh… shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit,” Vin moaned as he felt his muscles begin to loosen and smooth under his partner’s ministrations.

“I take it you like that?”

“Mmmmmm,” Vin managed to respond with.

Chris smiled, continuing the massage, even after the other man began to snore.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, it was going to be a very different story.

~o~

It wasn’t unusual for Vin Tanner to come down with a cold or virus; even the dreaded summer variety. Nathan Jackson theorized that the Texan’s deprived childhood had caused a lasting deficiency, making him more susceptible to respiratory ailments. Whether true or not, the fact remained; if there was a virus to be had, Vin Tanner came down with it.

Chris Larabee, on the other hand, rarely caught any type of “bug”. He often suffered from tension headaches and migraines, brought on by holding the position of “ramrod” over six of the most difficult agents the ATF had ever known. He was rarely, however, felled by a respiratory illness.

There were those rare times, though…

Chris scuffed through the house with leaden footsteps. He sported a serious case of bed head and uncharacteristically wore a robe over a rumpled tee shirt and pajama pants ensemble. Not one to wear, or even own, house slippers, he padded along in thick socks. Entering the kitchen, the scene before him caused him to stop, gape, and shake his head.

Vin Tanner stood or, rather, slumped, at the counter, near the microwave. His head rested on arms crossed atop the granite surface and soft, raspy snores rattled from deep in his chest. He was dressed similarly to Chris, although he had added a flannel shirt to his ensemble; even in the best of health he tended to be cold natured.

Chris moved to the microwave and popped the door open. Inside was a mug of lukewarm chicken noodle soup. He smiled. Vin wasn’t a fan of chicken noodle. When he wasn’t feeling well his “comfort” soup was split pea. Vin had been fixing it for him.

Re-heating the mug while he retrieved a can of split pea, poured it into a mug, and heated it as well. He grabbed a sleeve of crackers and two glasses of water, placing everything on a bed tray. The then moved to the still dozing Tanner and nudged him. It took three more tries before Vin responded by slowly raising his head and blinking owlishly, with glassy, blue eyes, at his partner. The blond motioned as he picked up the tray and the two men moved slowly back through the house and into the master bedroom.

Still half-asleep, Vin seemed confused as to what he wanted to do. Chris, only slightly more awake, sat the tray somewhat precariously on the side of the bed. Moving to where the younger man still stood, in the middle of the room, he guided him to the bed. Then, giving the rumpled sheets a cursory swipe, he helped his lover maneuver onto the mattress. That done, he made his way around to the opposite side of the bed and settled himself. Dragging the tray along the mattress, he left it between the two of them. He watched as, turning to his side and propping himself up on one arm, Vin began to nibble a cracker. Then, still lacking his usual gusto, he began to eat the thick soup. Chris unconsciously mirrored the other man’s position and began to eat as well. He had no more interest in the food than Vin, but knew that both of them needed the nourishment.

Vin had already been home for two days, and he’d been home just over a day. Neither of them had eaten more than a few saltines since getting sick. When it seemed that they had both reached their limit, Vin pulled the tray over and let it half drop to the floor before he pushed it as far away from the bed, across the hardwood floor, as he could. The younger man then fell back to the mattress with a soft groan.

Chris reached down and pulled the top sheet and comforter, now nothing more than a tangled mass of damp bedding, up over the two of them. They moved unerringly toward the middle of the big bed, where Vin curled up in Larabee’s loose embrace.

~o~

It was another three days before the lovers felt well enough to do more than shuffle to and from the bathroom or kitchen. Vin had felt a little better the night before, but as the morning sun filtered through the blinds, the two men awoke to realize that they were once more feeling alive and human.

As soon as they had prepared and eaten breakfast, Chris and Vin moved through the house, opening the windows to let the fresh, crisp morning air in while letting the stale air, reeking of sickness, out of the house. They stripped the bed and, while Vin carried the bedding to the laundry room, Chris used a damp cloth that smelled of disinfectant to wipe the mattress down. He was just finishing up remaking the bed as Tanner reentered the room.

They finished straightening up the bedroom, emptied the trash, and then moved to the kitchen. The counters and sink were stacked with bowls and glasses, which they moved to the dishwasher, running it while they wiped down the counter tops and disposed of the trash there, as well.

Heading back to the master suite, they entered the bathroom, which was cluttered with washcloths and towels, as well as sweat soaked clothing and other signs of their very recent illness. As Vin carried the dirty things to the laundry room, Chris began to clean the bathroom. Soon they had it habitable once more; they then turned to their own needs as their newly regained strength began to wane.

Chris nudged Vin toward the sink, then took out the man’s shaving things. But, rather than handing them over, he grinned and began to prepare to shave his partner. With an amused grin, Vin watched him as he lathered up the lower portion of his face and then began removing the beard that had been growing for the last few days. Once Chris had finished, Vin returned the favor, and soon both men were clean shaven.

Next came the shower. One of the DIY projects they had done together, soon after Vin moved in, was to put in a larger shower that held multiple showerheads across the top portion of the glass enclosed stall. There were even benches in the back two corners, which they often put to good use when the two men showered together. Neither man was quite up to their usual sex-aerobics, and they found the simple act of shampooing and then soaping one another up and rinsing one another off to be almost too much to tolerate. By the time they were both clean and the water was cooling, they were leaning against one another as their energies neared the depletion point.

Side by side before the double sinks, they brushed their teeth and hair, Vin blow drying his to loosen the curls that frustrated him so often. With just enough strength left pull on clean bed clothes, they shuffled from the bathroom, the humid air preceding them into the bedroom.

Rather than going around the bed, Vin simply climbed across the mattress to his side, slipping off just long enough to turn down the bedding. Chris turned his side down at the same time, and they climbed into bed, sliding toward one another as if they were magnets drawn together. Spooning up behind Vin, Chris sighed, delighting in the smell of the other man’s freshly shampooed hair. Nuzzling against Tanner’s neck, he delivered a single, gentle kiss. Smiling at the soft sigh he got in return, he closed his eyes. He listened to the other man’s breathing slow and level out, and allowed it to relax him to sleep.

The End

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August 6, 2010