Hearts Laid Bare
Part 3 of the Hearts trilogy. Follows Change of Heart, and Hearts Divided.
Whether it was the lateness of the hour, or the dampness in the air that signalled a change in the weather, the town was quiet that evening. Like they had been so many of the past few nights, Chris, Vin, and Ezra were still playing cards in the saloon.
Ezra smiled. "Full house, gentlemen."
For the umpteenth time, Vin yawned. "An' that's the last hand for me, boys."
Chris glanced outside, then looked at Vin sitting across the table. "Looks like a storm comin' in. You're welcome to use my room...if you want."
Vin's eyes met his and he nodded. "Obliged."
The conversation was casual. Nonchalant. But there was something...Ezra couldn't quite identify what it was, but he sensed it as he glanced at each of them. Somehow he knew that the exchange between the two men was as charged with meaning as the storm swirling dust around in the night air.
Vin and Chris got up to go. Chris looked at Ezra questioningly.
"I think I'll stay and have a night cap before I retire,"smiled Ezra. Chris shrugged.
Ezra's eyes followed them as the two men disappeared through the swinging doors. They walked rather close together in an easy, matched stride, he noted.
Something...
They quietly entered Chris's room. Vin looked around as Chris lit a lamp, an awkward silence hanging between them. He shifted uncomfortably, instinct causing him to step back a little, towards the door.
Suddenly his back hit the door as Chris pressed against him, kissing him hungrily, passionately. Vin returned the kiss, his tongue probing the blond's hot mouth and his fingers fumbling clumsily with Chris's clothes. The two men hastily undressed each other, dropping the discarded clothing on the floor around them.
They moved quickly onto the bed. Chris began to position himself on his back.
"No," said Vin softly, his eyes wide and serious. "On your side, your back to me."
Chris looked at him a moment in mild surprise, then hastened to comply.
Vin settled in behind Chris, turning Chris's head so he could kiss him. What had been such a strange thing to do not long ago had become easy and natural. His hands roamed Chris's chest, lightly pinching his nipples. His tongue traced a path along Chris's neck and then he began nipping gently at Chris's shoulder.
Chris sighed and pushed his hips back against Vin impatiently.
"Easy there, Cowboy," Vin whispered. He traced a finger between Chris's buttocks. Gently but firmly, he pushed one finger into him, then waited as Chris's muscles stretched comfortably.
He worked his fingers until Chris gasped. With his other hand, Vin felt for Chris's penis, then smiled when he found it rock hard and already leaking gently.
He rubbed the moisture onto the head of his own penis, mingling it with the silvery droplets already forming there. Removing his fingers, Vin pressed himself into Chris. Chris groaned as the mushroom-like head gained entry. Vin paused. Glancing up in front of Chris, he could just see in the mirror their bodies on the bed. With a slow smile, he suddenly wanted to take his time, to prolong it as much as he could.
Chris pushed his hips back again, trying to get more of Vin into him. Vin smiled at his eagerness, and slowly pushed forward until he could feel Chris's smooth buttocks against his sac.
Chris moaned as Vin slowly pumped into him in a slow, steady rhythm. His shaft found Chris's inner gland and Chris gasped in ecstasy. Vin increased his pace.
"Chris," he murmured, "you're so hot, so tight–I can't–I can't hold back any more...CHRIS! OHHHH!"
In the throes of his own orgasm, Chris barely heard his own name as Vin spurted deeply into him.
As Vin softened, he started to pull out.
"Noooo," Chris protested softly.
Vin kissed him again, then rimmed Chris's ear with his tongue. He stayed inside Chris till they were almost asleep, when his softened penis left Chris's body of its own accord.
Vin awoke to Chris screaming and thrashing in his sleep.
"No...No!...NO!"
"Chris, wake up!" He tried to put his arms around Chris to stop him, but it only made him fight all the harder. "WAKE UP!" he shouted desperately.
Chris's eyes snapped open. There was a look of panic in the green eyes as he lay there, gasping for breath and trying to get his bearings. Vin made a move to touch his shoulder.
"Chris–"
"Don't touch me!" Chris cried sharply as he turned his back to Vin. He lay on his side, still breathing heavily.
Vin studied him. For a long moment, the only sounds in the room were Chris's rapid breathing and a gentle rain outside. "It was the rape, wasn't it," he asked quietly. Chris didn't respond. "You've been having nightmares since it happened, haven't you? Geezus, Chris, you shoulda said somethin'."
Still no response.
With a small sigh, Vin got out of bed and padded over to the dresser, feeling the cool, damp night air against his bare skin. He returned to stand in front of Chris, a glass in one hand and a whiskey bottle in the other. He poured a drink and held it out.
"Drink this."
Chris eyed the glass a moment, then slowly, reluctantly took it and quickly drained the contents.
"Thanks," he whispered hoarsely.
Vin took the glass from him, refilled it, and handed it back. Chris finished the second glass as quickly as the first.
"Another?"
Chris shook his head. Vin set the items back on the dresser and crawled back under the warm sheets. He lightly kissed Chris's ear.
"It's okay. The son-of-a-bitch who did that to you is dead." He swallowed hard, as the memories of what happened came back. He pushed them away with an effort. Damn. Poor bastard. "I have nightmares about it, too, sometimes," he whispered. Although Chris still hadn't moved, Vin could sense rather than feel him relax slightly. "Think you'll be able to sleep now?"
Chris nodded. Vin lay awake for a long time, refusing to fall asleep until he heard Chris's soft, even breathing. He moved a little closer before joining him in sleep.
"I didn't lose it!" JD protested as he followed Buck.
"You better hope Chris has it, because Vin ain't in his wagon to ask."
"I told you before–the jail key wasn't there," JD said hotly. "I didn't lose anything!"
They quietly climbed the stairs and walked down the hall to Chris's door. All was quiet.
"You gonna knock?" whispered JD.
Buck shook his head. "You ever seen Chris in the mornin'? I'd rather wake a mama bear. I'll just slip inside and check his pockets. You don't want him to know you lost the jail key."
"I didn't–"
"–Shh!"
Buck eased the door open a crack, enough for him to see in the mirror over the dresser. Clothes lay scattered all over the floor. So Chris had had a little fun last night. Buck's grin widened, eager to see who the lucky lady was. He motioned to JD, then opened the door wider. The two stared in amazement as time stood still.
Chris and Vin were on their sides, their naked bodies spooned together as they slept in Chris's bed. The bedclothes down around their waists, and Vin's arm lay on top of the blanket, wrapped protectively, possessively, around Chris's midsection.
JD started to open his mouth in shock and Vin started to move as if he were waking up. Buck quickly clamped a hand over JD's mouth and dragged the kid back into the hall, silently and quickly closing the door behind them. With his free hand, he grabbed JD by the collar and hauled him down the back stairs and into the alley before removing his hand from JD's face.
"Buck? What the hell–What was–Chris and Vin? They looked like–"
"I know what they looked like. And I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation."
"Oh, yeah? Like what?"
The kid was waiting for an explanation. What could he say? How could he explain what he himself didn't understand? He knew what JD had seen. There had to be an explanation. For now, he would defend Chris, but he would be sure to talk to Chris about it later.
"You didn't see nothin', understand?" He gave JD a shake by the collar for good measure before releasing him.
JD stared at him, his mouth opening and closing like a hungry guppy. Buck looked at him helplessly. There was nothing he could say.
Finally JD turned and strode away, his face flushed. "I...I need a drink..."
Buck stood rooted to the spot, feeling more lost and alone than he ever had in his life.
JD walked blindly toward the saloon, oblivious to those around him. Had he just seen what he thought he did? It couldn't have been what it looked like! Not Chris and Vin! Chris had been married, and Vin...It just couldn't be. He searched his mind for an explanation other than the one that was screaming at him. Chris and Vin...It was unthinkable. Unimaginable.
For how long? Had any of the others known? He was sure they didn't. They couldn't have kept it from him. He'd have found out eventually if they'd tried.
He walked numbly out into the street, still trying to sort it all out. If he really saw what he thought he saw, then that would mean that they...That Chris...No. No, Buck said there had to be some other explanation. But what?
Something made Ezra look up as JD walked into the saloon and scanned the room. Maybe it was the lost expression on JD's face. Maybe it was something else.
Ezra nudged a nearby chair with his foot and JD plopped into it. Ezra studied the paler-than-usual face and poured him a drink.
"You look as if you'd seen an apparition. You all right, JD?" Ezra frowned in mild concern as JD gulped down the whiskey. "Easy, there. You'll choke."
JD poured himself another and swallowed the whiskey with no signs of slowing down. Ezra cocked an eyebrow, pushed the bottle toward him, then signalled the barkeep for another.
"It must have been pretty bad," Ezra ventured at last, doing his best to sound sympathetic.
"What?" JD stared at him, his eyes glittering.
"Whatever has caused you to marinate yourself in this fashion. It must have been pretty bad."
JD shook his head, as if trying to drive out the memory.
"It was," he said softly, downing his third drink. "Ezra...You...You been a lot of places. I mean, you've been around, right?"
"I've been known to lead a rather cosmopolitan existence, yes."
JD nodded. The kid reached clumsily for the bottle and poured again, sloshing whiskey onto the table. He drank it as quickly as the first three, then paused, studying the glass in his hand.
"Ezra, how can you tell when a guy might be...y'know...when a guy might want to...to...instead of bein' with a woman....What makes a man want to..." He shifted in his seat, still struggling to find the words. "Why would a guy want to be with...with another..."
Ezra looked at him curiously, then leaned a little closer and lowered his voice. "–man, JD?"
JD looked at him as if scalded.
"JD, might I suggest you're still a bit young to–"
"Not ME! I never...I mean, I don't...I LIKE girls. Women. I like 'em a LOT. No, sir. Not me." He was drinking straight from the bottle now, and his words had begun to slur and he tried to talk around a tongue that had become to thick for him. "You think ya know a fella. You look up to him and then you find out..."
"Are we talking about someone we both know?"
JD didn't seem to have heard. He looked up sharply as Vin walked in.
"Mornin', boys."
"Good morning, Mr. Tanner."
JD stared into his glass as if something interesting was in the bottom of it. Ezra was watching JD with keen interest now.
"JD seems to have had a bit of a shock this morning," said Ezra.
"Yeah?" Vin looked at JD with mild curiosity.
JD lifted his head and locked eyes with Ezra. So this involved Vin. Interesting. Vin and another man. Ezra's thoughts roamed back to the previous night, when he had seen Chris offer Vin the use of his room. Chris?
"Have you seen...Mr. Larabee this morning?"
To the average man, there was no reaction at all. But to an experienced poker player like Ezra, Vin's glance away and the slight flush to his cheeks told the whole story.
So that was the kind of men they were. Ezra would never have figured it, but he knew better than anyone how looks could be deceiving. He had met men like this, certainly, but he would never have risked his life for one of them.
"Bet I know the answer to that one," muttered JD.
Vin looked at him as if he'd been slapped. His eyes darted from JD to Ezra and back again.
"You got somethin' to say, JD?"
Ezra watched as JD refused to meet Vin's eyes. There it was. Ezra knew this wasn't the time or place for this and, besides, JD was too drunk for this conversation to be at all productive.
"JD," said Ezra, "why don't I take you back to your room before you pass out here?"
Without waiting for a reply, Ezra helped him out of the chair, pulled JD's arm across his shoulders and led him out the saloon. JD didn't say a word until Ezra had sat him on the bed and pulled off his boots. JD lay back on the bed.
"I don't understand," he murmured sleepily to himself. "How could Chris and Vin do something like that?"
Ezra waited until JD was asleep, then headed back outside.
How indeed?
Vin leaned nonchalantly against a post, waiting. He had followed Ezra out of the saloon and was now waiting for him to leave JD's. Vin straightened as he saw Ezra emerge at last. He quietly overtook the gambler and grabbed him by the arm, steering him down a nearby alley.
"What do you think you're doing," sputtered Ezra at the sudden rough treatment.
Vin spun Ezra to face him. "What the hell just happened back there in the saloon? What was that about?" he demanded.
"Why don't you ask Mr. Dunne," said Ezra acidly.
"I'm askin' you. You seem to know somethin' about it."
"A gentleman"–Ezra's eyes surveyed Vin pointedly–"doesn't discuss such matters. I don't know the details, Mr. Tanner, but I might suggest that you and Mr. Larabee be a little more discreet in your...liaisons? That is, if you still want any respect in this town."
Vin's eyes narrowed dangerously, his heart hammering in his chest. Just how much did Ezra and JD know? And how did they find out?
"What do you know of it?" he said at last. "You don't know anything."
"No, you're right. But if my guess is correct, I'd say what you and Mr. Larabee are engaged in is probably illegal in several Southern states. Probably some Northern ones, too. And immoral in all of them."
Vin shook Ezra by the collar in a fury. "When did you ever care about what's legal or moral?"
Ezra only stared back at him coldly. When Vin looked into the green eyes, he saw...Disgust. Anger. Betrayal. His own anger seemed to leave his body in a rush, and he released Ezra from his grip.
Ezra adjusted his coat. "It takes a certain amount of trust to fight alongside another man, wouldn't you say? I assume you will be looking for a new vocation. Or I will. Good day, Mr. Tanner."
And with that, he headed for the street and continued on his way.
That afternoon found Buck sitting outside the hotel, deep in thought about the past several days. Chris had never been one to say much, but since that last trip to Purgatorio, he spoke even less. He kept more to himself than usual, except when it came ot Vin. Chris had seemed significantly more at ease when Vin was nearby, and now it all made sense. Somewhere along the way, the two men had started a relationship. The kind you don't talk about. But Buck very much wanted to talk about it. He wanted Chris to explain what the hell was going on. Buck had been to Chris and Sarah's wedding, for Lord's sake. None of this made sense and it couldn't be what it looked like. It just couldn't be.
Buck found Chris sitting behind the desk at the jail. Chris looked up at him when he came in.
"Somethin' on your mind you wanna tell me?" said Buck. He could feel himself shaking with emotion.
"Nothin' I wanna tell you,"Chris said calmly.
Buck hesitated, then plunged ahead. "I saw ya, Chris. With Vin."
"So?"
"That all you gonna say? I saw you, all cozied up like...like...What would Sarah think?"
"This ain't got nothin' to do with her."
"No, it don't. Or any woman..." Buck paced a few steps, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand." Chris?...Why a man?"
"It's not like that."
"Sure looks like it."
"I don't care what it looks like. It's not like that."
"Then tell me how it is," said Buck in an almost pleading tone.
"This is just between me and Vin."
"I see. Well, I don't know if I want a man like that watchin' my back!"
Chris stood suddenly. "He's not 'a man like that.' Neither am I."
"I thought I knew you...and I don't know you," Buck said softly. He took a breath. "Did you...and Vin–"
"It's none of your business," Chris snapped. He paused, then . "Do you really want to know?"
It was a challenge, not an offer. Buck hesitated.
"No," he whispered, shaking his head. He turned and walked out of the jail without looking back.
Chris stood there awhile, unsure of what to do next. He needed to find Vin. He needed to talk to him, to tell him about this. Now. If Buck knew, how many of the others knew? JD was headed toward him, his head down.
"Hey, JD! You seen Vin?"
The kid's head snapped up, a look on his face like a startled colt.
"Um...I think...I think he was headed for the livery."
Why was JD so nervous? He wouldn't meet Chris's eyes and seemed a little out of sorts. He looked hung over.
"You okay, son?"
"Fine," he mumbled.
"Hey." Chris caught his arm. JD pulled away sharply.
"I'm fine! I just...got things to do..." he said, before continuing hastily down the street.
Now what was the matter with him?
The thought came suddenly: he knew.
Vin was saddling his horse as Chris entered the livery. Chris came right to the point.
"Buck knows."
Vin continued what he was doing without looking at Chris. "He's not the only one who knows. Seen Ezra or JD lately?"
Chris watched as Vin tightened the cinch, then put his saddlebags over the horse's back.
"What're ya doin'?"
"Leavin'. I know what they're thinkin'. They're wonderin' if they can trust us to watch their backs for 'em. I'm puttin' my life on the line for someone, I need to know they trust me. And that I can trust them."
"Won't change their minds this way."
"Don't aim to."
"That's yer solution to everything, isn't it? Leavin'!"
The blow was not totally unexpected, but it sent Chris to the ground anyway.
Everything boiled over in him then. The anger, shame, degradation and pain of his rape. The frustration of having feelings for Vin that he knew he shouldn't have and shouldn't express.
"Son of a bitch!"
Chris lunged at him and the two fell to the hay-covered floor. Chris punched him in the stomach and face repeatedly. His emotions had so overwhelmed his brain that he didn't notice Vin was no longer fighting back.
Or getting up.
Nathan had heard the ruckus from his room over the livery and hurried inside the stable, shouting for Josiah as he went.
"Chris! STOP! You'll kill 'im!" shouted Josiah.
Chris kicked Vin in the side, still enraged. "Get up!"
Josiah wrapped his big arms around the gunslinger who was still shaking with rage.
"Chris! Stop it! Leave 'im alone!"
His energy spent, Chris sagged in Josiah's arms. He had only just noticed Josiah and Nathan had even entered the building. Chris straightened and pushed Josiah away. Josiah looked at him in disbelief as Nathan knelt beside Vin.
"Why, Chris?"
Blood streamed from Vin's nose and mouth, and his left eye was beginning to swell shut. "I told ya, Chris," Vin gasped, spitting blood as he spoke. "I'm not the bastard who raped ya."
The stunned silence in the stable was tangible. Chris stood rigid, his jaw clenched, staring unseeingly at the street outside. Abruptly he strode out of the livery as he heard Nathan say to Josiah "help me get 'im upstairs."
That night, Chris sat on his bed, barefoot and bare-chested, and opened a newly-purchased bottle of whiskey. He'd already had enough to get a good buzz and had another bottle of whiskey in his room already, but he wanted to make sure he got stinking drunk. He ran a shaky hand through his hair.
What had he done?
When he closed his eyes, he saw the image of Vin, his face bloody and his body unmoving as he lay on the ground. How could he do that to someone he cared about so intimately? He took several gulps of whiskey and stared down at the red, raw skin of his knuckles. Vin had been so gentle, so patient with him. And he had hurt him. Chris threw back some more whiskey, feeling the warmth flow throughout his body. But it didn't bring him any comfort or relief from the pain in his soul.
"Vin," he said in a choked whisper.
He wished he could take back the last hour or two. He wanted Vin with him, here, now, touching him, kissing him. Just to feel the solid warmth of Vin's body beside him in his bed. It weighed even heavier on him to know he might never be able to touch Vin that way again.
When he glanced up, he saw his face in the mirror over the dresser. He stared back at the face in anger and disgust, and flung the now-empty bottle against the mirror. Splintered pieces of glass scattered over the wooden flooring.
He had to see Vin. He had to know how bad off Vin was and he had to make it right. He walked across the glass-strewn floor, too drunk and distracted to notice the shards bloodying his feet.
He grabbed a half-full bottle off the dresser and staggered out the door to Nathan's.
Vin was a mess, but not as bad as he looked, Nathan had told him. His ribs were badly bruised where Chris had kicked him, and one or two might be cracked. They sure hurt like hell. His nose had been bloody but not broken, and he could see in the mirror on the wall that one cheek was bruised a deep, ugly purple. His eye was swelling shut and he had a cut lip that bled a lot, but it'd heal.
Nathan bandaged what he could and insisted Vin stay the night, rather than return to his wagon. That was fine by him. He didn't feel like moving much, anyway.
"VIN!" Chris was shouting drunkenly from outside.
Nathan stood. "What the hell–?"
"Oh, geezus," Vin muttered. Nathan shot him a look.
Vin could hear Chris on the stairs. He could just imagine the drunken gunslinger trying to navigate them. Even drunk, the man moved with a grace that was impressive. The door burst open and Chirs lurched into the room, a trail of bloody footprints behind him.
"Where's Vin? Need to talk to Vin..."
He took a swig of whiskey and squinted at Nathan. Nathan moved toward Chris, reaching for the bottle.
"Gimme that..."
Chris shoved him aside. "Need...Vin..."
Nathan grabbed him. "Now, you done enough damage."
Vin raised his head weakly.
Chris's anger seemed to leave his body as the results of his rage finally registered with him.
"Vin..."
Chris's knees buckled and he sat down abruptly on the spare cot Nathan kept in the room. Nathan noticed the wet, red footprints.
"Chris, lie down and put your feet up so I can see them."
"Listen to Nathan," Vin said, without emotion. He held his expression in check when he saw Chris's bloody feet.
Chris passed out even as Nathan was removing bits of glass from the badly-cut skin.
Nathan looked over at Vin. "I'm gonna get us some supper. You be all right?"
"I think so. He's asleep, looks like."
Vin closed his eyes and sighed. He knew Chris well enough to know he didn't mean to do what he'd done and he could see it had upset Chris very much. But he couldn't help feeling a guilty satisfaction, too, given his own current condition.
A strangled, choking sound nearby caused Vin to turn to look at Chris.
Chris was on his back, unconscious. And he had retched like that.
Vin looked at him carefully. Chris wasn't breathing.
"Chris!" he called desperately from where he lay on the bed. "Wake up! CHRIS!"
There was no response. Vin watched anxiously as Chris's face began turning blue.
"Dammit, Chris! NATHAN!"
Vin groaned as he struggled to sit up. His whole body screamed in agony as he fought waves of pain that fogged his vision and hearing. He sat up at last, gasping painfully.
Chris's face was turning from blue to purple.
Vin reached him at last and, with an effort, rolled him onto his stomach until Chris's head and shoulders were hanging over the edge of the bed. Chris stirred slightly. He coughed, clearing his lungs onto the floor, and began to breathe again.
Vin turned Chris over, onto his back again. He stood slowly, holding his ribs, and retrieved a damp cloth from beside his bed. Wrapping it around his finger, he gently probed Chris's mouth for any remaining debris.
Damn. His anger had all but dissapated at the realization that he had almost lost Chris just now. Almost watched him die. Now he felt a small wave of relief as Chris's face returned to its normal color.
On an impulse, Vin leaned over and brushed his lips against the soft, blond hair. Chris stirred slightly and sighed. Vin's heart stopped in his throat when he looked up again, and his eyes met Nathan's.
Nathan was standing in the doorway, holding a tray. He raised an eyebrow at Vin, who was still sitting on the cot beside Chris. Had Nathan seen that little gesture? Or was that look for being out of bed?
"He was choking," said Vin simply.
"Good thing you was here, then." Nathan assisted Vin back into bed.
Vin studied Nathan's face but years on the plantation had made his face a mask. Nathan had probably seen a great many things as a slave that you don't show any reaction to.
Exhausted at last, Vin decided to ponder it some more later, when he woke up.
Chris tried to open his eyes but the seering bright light forced him to snap them shut. He groaned softly and slivered them open again, grimacing against the morning sunlight streaming into the room. It took him a few moments to realize this was Nathan's. Little by little, the events of the previous day began to take hold in his brain.
He looked over at the bed. Vin appeared to be either asleep or unconscious.
"You guys been makin' it a habit of windin' up here, lately," Nathan grinned. "I 'preciate the company and all, but I'd kinda like my bed back."
Chris sat up slowly. His head felt like it weighed fifty pounds. "He gonna be all right?"
"Yeah. He's gonna be fine." Nathan's smile faded. He sat on the edge of the bed, opposite Chris. "Chris? Vin said somethin'...in the livery..."
Chris looked at him vacantly, trying to remember. Nathan seemed awfully reluctant to say whatever it was.
"He said...he said you was raped? Do you need me to check you out? 'Cause I can if you need it. Won't say nothin' to nobody."
Chris lay back on the cot and instinctively curled into a ball. "No. No, I don't."
"I understand. But, Chris, if you was hurt–"
Chris started to tremble. Why the hell couldn't Nathan ever leave things alone?
"I'm FINE!" Chris shouted angrily, losing his already tenuous hold on his temper. "Ask Vin! He saw the whole damn thing! It was an escaped con out in the middle of nowhere and they made Vin watch!"
Nathan looked stunned. "Chris, I–"
"Just leave me alone!" Chris said into the pillow. "Just leave me alone, Nathan...please?"
"All right, Chris," he said softly. "It's all right."
"Nathan," Vin spoke up suddenly. "Ain't you got somethin' you can do elsewhere for a little while?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess so."
Vin waited till Nathan closed the door behind him.
"We can't stay here. You know that, right? They don't want us here."
Chris finally lifted his head to look at Vin. "Where would we go?"
"Don't matter. Somewhere they don't know us."
"Know of a town that needs a couple of protectors?"
"We could do somethin' else. Cattle drive, minin', timber..."
"We don't know nothin' about stuff like that."
"So? How about ranchin' then?"
Chris forced a small smile. "Now you don't know nothin' 'bout ranchin'. 'Sides, takes money, which we ain't got."
"I don't care!" Vin began to pace. "I can't take them lookin' at us like...like...that every day." He sat down on the edge of the bed again and ran a hand through his hair. "How do you feel about me, Chris?"
"You mean is it love?"
"Is it?"
Chris thought about it for a moment. "It's not romantic love, if that's what you mean."
Vin nodded in understanding. "But enough to go with me? 'Cause I ain't stayin'."
"We can't just leave..."
Vin exploded. "Do they need t' draw you a map, Larabee? They think we're those kinda cowboys and they don't like it. Do you honestly think they're gonna be able to watch our backs or trust us to watch theirs knowin' what they know now? They'll be glad to see us gone! And so will I. Now, are we goin' or what?
Chris sighed wearily. Put that way, there didn't seem to be much choice.
It was afternoon when JD found Ezra, Josiah, Buck, and Nathan in the saloon.
"They're gone," he announced.
Josiah looked up in surprise. "What?"
"Chris and Vin. They're gone."
"Just as well, Josiah," said Buck. "They ain't been the same since that last trip to Purgatorio."
"Come on, now, can you blame them?" asked Nathan.
Buck looked in him in surprise. "Nathan, you know somethin'. What is it?"
Nathan looked at all of them in surprise. "I thought you knew. I thought that's why you said..." He sighed, then dropped his voice so only the others could hear. "Chris was raped. And Vin was forced to watch."
Everyone sat in stunned silence for a moment, as each of them took in this new information. JD was the first to speak.
"Do you think that's what made 'im...?"
Josiah shrugged. "Don't know. Don't know what causes a man to turn that way. But that still don't explain Vin."
"Does it matter, gentlemen?" Ezra sipped his whiskey. "It seems to me it's a moot point now."
Everyone silently agreed. And for some reason, no one felt good about that.
Chris and Vin had decided to head for a town called Eden to earn a few dollars' travelling money. Eden was as misnamed as a town could be, with more saloons and brothels than schools and churches to serve the populace. But in the area surrounding Eden, there were ranches. Chris figured he could get a job breaking horses and Vin was hoping for whatever other labor was available.
They were about halfway to Eden, when they stopped to water the horses at a deep, calm spring.
Chris looked at the pool of water with a slow smile. "Looks mighty invitin', don't it?"
Vin looked at him, his blue eyes sparkling and a slow smile spreading across his face. "For a fact."
The two men hastily shucked their clothes, acting more like schoolboys than gunslingers as they splashed around in the tepid water. At last Chris crawled out of the water onto the grass and stretched out on his back. After a few minutes, Vin followed.
He knelt over Chris and grinned, long hair dripping on the blond man's face. "Tired, are ya?"
"I'll show you how tired I am!" Chris reached up and pulled Vin to the ground, rolling over onto the tracker. Vin tried half-heartedly to counter the move and ended up on his back, with Chris kneeling on either side of his head and facing Vin's legs. Suddenly Chris bent over and kissed him deep and hard, his tongue slipping into the hot, wet recesses of Vin's mouth.
Vin's whole body began to respond. He traced his hands along Chris's body till his hands touched the thick hardness rising from below Chris's belly.
Chris gently began to crawl along either side of Vin's body, tracing his tongue down the length of Vin's body, leaving a shiny trail over his lean-muscled chest, down the rippled stomach, and into the thick curls that surrounded his throbbing erection.
He ran his tongue down the length of Vin's shaft, but gasped before he could continue. Vin had taken him deeply into his throat.
Chris responded in kind, the velvet-smooth tip filling his mouth. He tightened his lips around Vin's shaft and sucked hungrily, feeling Vin doing the same to him. With every increase in pace or pressure, Vin would match him. Chris could feel his balls tightening even as Vin's were doing the same. Vin's body tensed, and warm, sweet come flooded Chris's mouth. Moments later, he felt his own release flow into Vin's eager throat.
Chris kissed Vin lightly on the tip of his penis as he began to soften, then settled down beside him, his head near Vin's knees. Both men lay on their backs, staring up at the sky and feeling the hot afternoon sun on their naked bodies.
Chris felt himself getting drowsy. He roused himself, stood up, and picked up his clothes. "C'mon," he said, nudging Vin's foot with his own. "We wanna make town by nightfall."
Upon arriving in Eden that evening, they split up and made inquiries around the town's saloons, planning to meet up over supper and discuss their progress.
Vin sauntered into Eden's Branding Iron Saloon. He surveyed the room for a moment, then approached the bar adn ordered a drink.
"Anybody know if any of the ranches around here is hirin'?"
"You lookin'?" said a heavyset man by the bar.
"Yeah, me an' a friend."
The man eyed Vin skeptically. "We ain't lookin' for no–what are ya–Injun scout?" His three friends joined him in raucous laughter that reminded Vin of mules braying.
"Yeah!" A big, wheezy-voiced man elbowed the heavyset one. "We know where they is, right, Rawlins?"
"Well," piped in a burly red-faced fellow next to him. "You know what they say about good ones and dead ones!"
The men laughed again.
"Obliged," said Vin acidly, and turned to go, eager to get away from them.
The one name Rawlins caught his arm. "You an' yer friend ever worked a ranch?"
"My friend used t' own one."
"Failed rancher, eh? Well, who knows, maybe he'd still be useful. If y'all don't mind workin' for 42 dollars a month, I 'spoze there's work for ya. Sam Rawlins' the name. Foreman. This here is Asa Harris, Carl Jacobs, and Robert Luchs. Have a drink!"
Vin liked to be more choosy about who he drank with, but it meant jobs for him and Chris. He had a feeling that working with these men would make forty-two dollars look hard-earned indeed.
An hour later, Vin found Chris waiting outside.
"Found us some jobs," said Vin, walking up to Chris outside one of the saloons. "Ranchin'. You'll help 'em break horses and I'm doin' whatever manual labor needs doin'. Forty-two dollars a month."
Chris nodded. It wasn't much, but they weren't staying for very long anyway. "Sounds fine."
"And Chris? You'll love the name of this place," Vin said, with a twinkle in his eye. "The Paradise Ranch."
Chris smirked and said in a low voice, "Why don't we get a room at the hotel for tonight and make a little paradise of our own?"
"Just the five of you, eh?" said the Judge, looking around the table. "I'm a little disappointed that Chris and Vin took off like that."
"They had some personal matters," said Josiah.
"Will you fellas be all right this way? Or should I find two more men?"
"I think we'll be fine," said Buck. JD nodded in agreement.
"Indeed," added Ezra.
"But if we change our minds, we'll let you know," said Nathan.
Work at the Paradise was as hard as the men who were employed there. When he'd first arrived there with Vin, Chris had thought briefly of the ranch he had once owned and the old feelings of loss and pain began to surface. Before his whole world was turned upside-down and inside out. With an effort, he had pushed it out of his mind. It wouldn't do to go dwellin' on the past right now.
He had actually settled in rather quickly to the routine of the place. The Paradise had a fine stock of horses, and Chris preferred working with horses over people, especially men like Rawlins, Harris, Jacobs and Luchs. Except for those five guys back in...But that didn't matter anymore; that feeling of comraderie was gone.
He had just put another horse back in its stable and walked slowly out of the barn. Vin was a few yards away helping to replace some fence posts. His shirt was off and his tanned upper body glistened under the noonday sun. From where Chris stood, he could see the muscles flex with effort as postholes were dug and new posts and rails put into place.
He could feel a stirring in his groin and turned to re-enter the cool, shadowy barn before anyone noticed. He still had another horse to work.
Vin welcomed a break. He had been working almost non-stop since he and Chris had arrived at the Paradise and now he was done for the day. Not that he minded the work. It kept his mind off everything else. Most of the time. At night, though, when they were all settled down in the bunkhouse, the sounds of snoring ebbing and flowing around him, it was all he could do to not think of their last night together, the night they first arrived in the town of Eden.
Now he stretched aching muscles out lazily on some bales of hay, idly chewing a straw in his mouth, as he watched Chris working one of the horses.
There was something about that man. Vin noted the easy, fluid way he moved, his self-assured manner as he worked the horses. He was the same way in bed, Vin thought idly, letting his thoughts drift to that last night.
He could picture Chris now, on his knees on the bed, as Vin knelt behind him. He remembered how he'd held on to Chris's hips as he plunged into the sweet, hot tightness of him. Vin shifted on the hay bale, as his pants became uncomfortably tight around his groin.
He watched as Chris spoke softly to the horse, coaxing it to relax and trust him. He saw the gentle way Chris touched the animal. Not many people knew Chris could be like that. Vin knew.
His thoughts again returned to that night, when he had finally found release inside Chris's body. How they had switched positions, and the gentle, persistent way Chris had entered the depths of him, filling him so completely, it was if they had become one being of heat and movement and pleasure.
With a soft groan of dismay mixed with pleasure, Vin came back to the present moment, as he suddenly felt his come spurt into his pants. As the warm liquid cooled and dried around his balls, he thought with frustration how he wished that he could have come inside Chris instead.
But that would have to wait.
JD, Josiah, Ezra and Buck were crowded around a small table in front of the saloon doors.
"Sure is quiet," said JD, trying to break the long awkward silence that so often seemed to follow them everywhere now.
Despite what had happened, he sort of wished Chris was here. He always found Chris to be an interesting man to learn things from. And if you could get Vin to talk, he could sure tell some stories...He sighed heavily. They were gone and they weren't coming back.
"Sure is," said Josiah softly.
"Is anyone else here thinking of Chris and Vin," asked Ezra at last.
"Yeah," came the reply.
"We didn't tell them to go," said JD.
"I suggested Mr. Tanner find another vocation," Ezra pointed out. Guilt was not a feeling he was familiar with at all, and he didn't like it one bit.
"All these years, I thought I knew him..." Buck pounded his fist against the table. "I was at his weddin'! Why'd they have to go and do that, Josiah?"
Josiah raised an eyebrow. "Leave?"
"You know what I mean!"
"No one knows, Buck. But whatever they was doin' wasn't doin' no one any harm."
"Might I remind you," said Ezra tightly, "that it's illegal and immoral–and before you say it, I'm just pointing that out."
"Oh, now, Ezra," Josiah smiled, "lotsa things are immoral and illegal. Nobody's perfect. You of all people should know that."
Buck looked at the others. "I'm with Ezra. Could any of us say we'd be comfortable riskin' our lives with men like that?"
Josiah looked at the others. "We've done it before. I suppose we could do it again."
Buck thought it over and sighed. "Then let's go find 'em."
Although not the largest ranch in the area, the Paradise was the busiest, the roughest, and the raunchiest. It reminded Chris and Vin of their town before the Judge had hired them. And the ranch hands here played as hard as they worked.
Vin and some of the hands were watching as some of the men were trying their skills at 'bronc busting.' They cheered and hooted at each attempt. Vin couldn't help but feel a small flush of pride when he saw Chris managing to stay in the saddle longer than most.
"C'mon, Tanner," Rawlins grinned. "Give it a try."
"No, thanks."
"Ya scared?"
"No. Smart."
"Yer friend did it. C'mon! Try that one over there. That's Justin. He's not as bad as the others, right, Carl?"
Jacobs nodded. "Yep. He's a docile one, that one is."
Vin looked at him doubtfully.
Carl Jacobs grinned. "Wellll, compared to th' others, he is."
"Five bucks, Tanner," said Luchs. "Easiest five dollars you'll ever make."
"I'll have a piece of that," Harris joined in.
Vin could see Chris across the corral. He wouldn't have minded Chris seeing him at least try. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of Chris watching him at least make the attempt. And maybe if he stayed on long enough, Chris would be impressed.
"Yer on."
Moments later, Vin was climbing on Justin's back. The horse was already started to chafe at the bit, eager to get rid of its unwelcome burden.
Vin saw Chris out of the corner of his eye. He only had to moments to register the look of surprise and concern on Chris's face before the animal went into a whirlwind of motion. Vin felt all his bones trying to go in different directions at once. Suddenly his grip loosened on the horse, there was a flash of pain against his skull, and then it was over.
Chris was the first to reach him. "What the hell were you thinkin'? He was shouting, his relief that Vin was still alive now replaced by anger. "Justin's a devil! You had no business gettin' on 'im!"
Vin rubbed his head. "Yeah, I know that now."
Rawlins grinned with affected sympathy. "Yer friend there's a stubborn cuss, Larabee. We tried t' talk 'im out of it."
Before Vin could respond, Harris cut him off. "Nasty knock, there, Tanner. Best go lie down awhile."
"I'll see that he gets to the bunkhouse okay," offered Chris.
"Yeah. Yeah, you do that," said Rawlins, looking at him strangely.
Vin winced as Chris sat on the edge of the bunk and put a cool, wet, cloth against the bump on his head.
"Serves ya right," said Chris.
"They told me he was docile."
"And you listened to 'em?"
"Not exactly," Vin muttered.
"How's yer head?"
"Well, I'll admit it ain't comfortable, but that ain't where I'm achin'."
"Oh?" Chris quirked an eyebrow.
"Yeah," Vin said huskily. "I keep gettin' a mean swellin'."
Chris smiled. "I think I get that same swellin'."
"In fact, I think I'm gettin' it now." He took Chris's hand and placed it against his groin. Got any cures for that?"
Chris pulled his hand away.
"Not here," he said softly. "Later tonight, after dark. In the barn." He got up to rejoin the others. "Meanwhile, you get some rest. And no more ridin, okay?"
"Not a problem."
Chris awoke with a start. Damn! He was supposed to meet Vin. He must have falled asleep for awhile. It was still dark out with a full moon high in the sky. He listened carefully.
It was quiet in the bunkhouse, with only the sounds of snores and sighs, and the occasional soft nicker coming from the barn. Despite the full moon outside, Chris could barely discern Vin's form, moving slightly, impatiently in his bunk.
Chris smiled to himself. He tossed aside the blanket, slowly rose from his bed and silently slipped out of the bunkhouse. He tried to detect any change in the sleeping ranch hands around him, but there seemed to be none. He crept outside, feeling the damp, cool night air against his bare chest. He started toward the barn, then froze. Shit! He should've checked to make sure all the other beds were occupied. It sounded like someone was in the outhouse.
Chris paused, but saw no one. He crouched low and sprinted toward the barn. The door was open just enough for him to slip through. He walked toward the back of the barn, illuminated here and there by patches of moonlight, and hoped Vin didn't run into whoever was in the outhouse.
A few minutes seemed like an hour before a lithe shadow squeezed past the barn door. Vin was walking toward him but hadn't seen him yet.
"Looking for someone?" he said in a teasing voice.
Vin turned, startled, then grinned. "Looks like I found 'im."
Chris moved closer to him, placing his hands on Vin's hips. Vin did the same and pulled Chris closer to him. Vin started to nip gently at his neck. Chris tilted Vin's chin until he could see into the tracker's eyes. Chris kissed him softly.
"What do you want?" he whispered, as he light began kissing and nibbling at Vin's ear.
Vin smiled. "I wanna be like one o' them horses."
Chris grinned. "You want me to ride you?"
"Ride me like yer gonna break me..."
Chris kissed him deeply. "I don't think that's possible."
The two men shucked the last of their clothes. Chris pulled a small tube from his pants pocket and smeared some of its contents on his now pulsing shaft. Vin got down on all fours on the hay-strewn floor, then rested his head on his crossed arms.
Chris knelt behind him, and gently inserted one finger, then two, to prepare the small, tight opening. He always marvelled at the inviting heat he found there. Chris pushed himself forward until the cap of his penis had breached the ring of muscle. Vin let out a soft groan punctuated by a sigh. It spurred Chris on until he was completely inside Vin.
"Missed ya, Cowboy," Vin whispered.
Chris began to thrust. It was always like this when he was inside Vin's body. He wanted to take his time and savor the heat and tightness there, to make it last for both of them, but his body wouldn't let him. In fact, it always seemed like neither of them was patient enough for that.
His rhythm increased and Vin began to moan softly as Chris's hardness began to massage against Vin's prostate.
"Oh, God, Chris, please," Vin begged hoarsely. He reached down and began to pump his own shaft.
Chris's own breathing grew erratic as the tip of his erection began to tingle with an impending climax. "Vin, I'm so close..."
And then they were both there. Chris's semen pumped into Vin, even as Vin's fluid jetted out onto the hay beneath him. Chris's penis continued to pulse until it had finally softened enough to ease itself out of Vin. Vin stretched out on the floor of the barn while Chris quietly cleaned himself off. He lay down beside Vin and kissed him again.
"Missed you, too...Cowboy."
They lay quietly for a long time, not saying anything. Not needing to. Not wanting to.
"We should get back to the bunkhouse," Chris said as he stood up.
Vin nodded and got to his feet.
"Private party, boys?" drawled Rawlins. He stepped closer, his gun drawn. Behind him were Luchs, Harris, and Jacobs, also with guns drawn. "You didn't invite us, so it must be."
Chris couldn't believe the situation he found himself in: naked and unarmed with his guns back in the bunkhouse.
"Looks like the fun already started," said Luchs.
"Looks like we got ourselves a coupla faggots, boys,"added Harris.
Neither Chris nor Vin knew when it started, but the blows seemed to come from everywhere at once. When they finally stopped, dimly, Chris could hear Rawlins from very far away.
"Tie 'em up," ordered Rawlins. "And let's get 'em outta here before they sully this barn any further."
Chris and Vin were tied up, still naked, and tossed in a buckboard. The first rays of dawn were just starting to glimmer on the distant horizon. Chris wondered if it would be the last dawn he or Vin would ever see.
The wagon stopped at a small, secluded area far from anywhere. Their kidnappers dragged them roughly from the wagon and dumped them on the ground.
"Now," said Rawlins. "What is it we got here? A coupla pretty boys? That the case? The Paradise ain't your kinda ranch. You boys are gonna be sorry you ever came to Eden."
"Then we'll leave," said Vin. Jacobs knelt beside Vin, grasped his penis in one hand, and grinned.
"Your friend, he likes playin' with this, does he? His own personal toy? Now, I like toys, too. But I tend t' break 'em. Ma always said I was too rough with 'em." With that, he gave it a vicious twist as Vin choked back a cry of pain.
"Leave 'im alone, ya bastard!" raged Chris.
Asa Harris licked his lips nervously. "Rawlins? Yer takin' this kinda far, aincha?"
"You know what kinda men they are," sneered Luchs.
"We was gonna scare 'em, right? Rough 'em up a little and make them go away. Ain't we done that?"
"Ain't nobody gonna care what happens to these two," said Luchs. "What they're doin'–it ain't right, Asa. You know that."
Rawlins frowned. "Look, Asa, you ain't got the stomach for what has to be done, then you'd best get out."
Harris backed away, mounted his horse and started to ride away.
"Not that way!" called Rawlins. "You can just forget about goin' back to the Paradise."
"What about my wages," whined Harris.
"I'm lettin' ya live. That's plenty wages."
Harris kicked his horse into a gallop and disappeared over the next ridge.
"Party's gettin' intimate," observed Rawlins. He crouched down beside Chris and calmly lit a cheroot. "I don't tell many people this, but I was in prison for a short stretch. Learned to hate your kind." He blew on the tip of his cheroot till it was glowing a bright red.
With an evil smile, he suddenly ground the burning tip into the tender skin of Chris's scrotum. Chris howled in agony, trying to curl into a ball. It was as if his whole groin were on fire and it was spreading throughout his body.
Vin watched, the blood draining from his face. He struggled against his ropes.
Chris was curled up on the ground, his eyes shut tight, trying to get his breathing under control. He felt like the intense pain was sucking all the air from his lungs and he could no longer feel his legs. His sac was turning red and beginning to swell.
"Y'all need to be with a woman," said Jacobs.
"Hey," said Luchs. "This one's got long hair. We could make him a woman." He pulled out a knife and dragged the tip of the blade lightly over Vin's genitals, leaving a fine, red trail of blood in its wake.
Though his own pain, Chris could see Vin's eyes widen in horror.
"NO!!"
Vin began to struggle. "Git yer hands offa me!"
Jacobs delivered a sharp kick to Vin's side. Vin began to struggle again, desperately. Suddenly shots whizzed past them. Luchs, Jacobs and Rawlins dropped to the ground.
Vin sighed in relief as Buck and the others approached them. JD brought blankets from their bedrolls.
"We met up with their friend along the way," said Buck, as he sliced through Vin's ropes while Nathan freed Chris.
"He was most informative," added Ezra. "Mr. Sanchez has impressive powers of persuasion."
"Why, thank you, Ezra,"said Josiah.
He and Ezra checked the three attackers. Luchs and Jacobs were already dead. Rawlins, though alive, was clearly beyond help.
Rawlins looked up at them, coughing blood as he tried to speak. "Don't you...don't you know...what they are? And you saved them..."
Josiah looked at him sadly. "It's alright, friend. You won't be seein' 'em where you're goin'."
Rawlins coughed, made one last gasp, and died.
Nathan was trying to decide who to attend to first. Chris and Vin were both a bloody mess, plus Chris appeared to have a groin injury, and Vin was holding his side.
He looked at both of them. "Think you two can make it to the wagon?"
"I think so," said Vin. He turned to the blond gunslinger who was laying silently nearby. He forced a smile and said softly, "Hear that, Chris? We're goin' home."
The tired and dusty group of seven had gotten Vin and Chris settled in at Nathan's. Their cuts and bruises had been cleaned up and patched, and Vin's ribs wrapped securely. But concern among the seven for Chris had increased. The entire ride back home, he had said nothing, just stared vacantly into space.
Painfully, Vin moved until he could look into Chris's face. He looked up at Nathan, fear in his blue eyes. "Nathan?"
Nathan shook his head. "Seen this in the war. Catatonic. Could be all the shit that's happened to him finally caught up with him. Ain't always permanent. I seen it last for as little as a day to as long as a month." He reached out to give Vin's shoulder a squeeze. "Give 'im a little time."
Vin nodded.
"Meanwhile," Nathan continued. "You got some healin' of yer own to do. I done tole ya before: ya gotta stop makin' this place a habit."
Vin forced a small grin.
Nathan turned his attention to Chris's groin injury. "Chris," he said gently, "I'm goin' to put some aloe salve on you, all right? Or do you wanna do it yo'self?"
There was no response to indicate that Chris had heard him. But as Nathan touched him, Chris struck out blindly, fighting like a madman.
"Buck, Josiah! I may need ya t' hold im' for me."
"I'll do it," said Vin, weakly, as he took the salve and nudged Nathan out of the way.
"You sure?"
"Yeah." Vin kept his eyes fastened on Chris as he spoke. "He's used to me touching him. 'Sides, after what he's been through, he ain't likely to let anyone else do it."
Vin took the salve, put some on his fingers and carefully touched Chris's scrotum. Chris's body started to buck again.
"Chris," Vin spoke gently but firmly. "When I touch you there, I never hurt you, do I? Do you trust me now?"
Chris quieted. His eyes stared unseeingly into space as he endured Vin's ministrations.
"Ya done good," Vin said softly, when he was finished. He bent over and kissed Chris lightly on his belly. Vin could sense the others' discomfort at the gesture, but he ignored it. His concern was for Chris. He handed the salve back to Nathan, and let Nathan help him back into bed.
Now it was dark in town and the streets were nearly empty but for the two men slowly walking down the street. Wrapped in a blanket, Chris limped slowly down the street to his room, Vin by his side. Even though it had been a couple of days already, Chris still had a little difficulty walking because of his injury so they had picked a time when most people would be asleep.
Nathan had been right. It had taken about three days for Chris to come out of his stress-induced catatonia.
Despite that, Vin wondered how much healing it would take for things to feel truly "normal" again. For all of them.
Negotiating the stairs seemed to take forever, but finally Chris was back in his own room. The others had kept it ready for him in case he and Vin returned.
Vin studied the disheveled figure sitting on the edge of the bed huddled in a blanket. So much had happened to Chris–to both of them–that they were no longer the same men. They had exposed more than their bodies to each other and had endured the most private horrors together.
"Lie back," said Vin, pulling the jar of salve from his pocket.
"I can do that myself," said Chris.
"I know," he grinned. "But this way I can be sure it gets done."
Chris scowled at that, but opened the blanket and lay back on the bed anyway.
"How does it feel," asked Vin as he carefully applied the cooling mixture. "Looks like the swelling's gone down and there's just a small scar there now."
"Feels okay."
"Yeah?" Vin put more of the slippery aloe on his fingers and trailed them behind Chris's sac.
Chris didn't move or speak, but his eyes glittered as Vin gently pushed a lubricated finger into him. His stroking caused Chris to harden almost immediately. Vin took him into his mouth and Chris moaned. Vin felt Chris pushing against his shoulders. Vin released him, and looked up to see Chris rolling onto his side. Vin grinned, quickly shucked his pants and climbed into bed behind Chris.
Vin hesitated. "You sure you're healed enough? I don't want to hurt you."
"I'll take that chance."
Vin put another clear glob of salve on two fingers, stretching Chris until Vin could enter him. As Vin's shaft completely filled the hot, snug channel, he never felt more at home in his life. He kissed Chris gently and began to thrust.
He reached around to stroke Chris's shaft but found Chris had already taken matters into his own hand. Vin began to increase his rhythm. He could hear Chris's breathing increase in response, and knew instinctively that Chris was already close to coming. He began to thrust with abandon now, to hurry along his own climax. Their cries of ecstasy mingled in the night air as both men came at once.
"Welcome home, Cowboy," murmured Chris.
"Good to be home," said Vin.
The next afternoon Vin found JD, Ezra, Nathan, Buck, and Josiah outside the jailhouse.
"Mornin', boys."
"Where's Chris?" asked JD.
Vin turned to look over his shoulder. Chris was coming slowly down the street toward them. From outside appearances, he seemed to be okay, but the guys knew his injury was paining him.
"He's been through a lot," said Vin.
"So have you," Nathan pointed out. "Nobody deserves that. They attacked you for who they thought you were, not for who you really are."
"Makes a body think," said Buck. He coughed slightly to clear his throat. "Vin? I'm...I'm glad you've been there for him when he needed you."
Chris joined the small group. "Gentlemen."
Buck squinted up at him. "I was just tellin' Vin...I'm glad you two have been there for each other...when we weren't."
"We all are," added JD.
"Indeed," Ezra chimed in.
"Doesn't mean we understand what you do in private–" Buck added hastily.
"–But that's your business. Not ours," Josiah finished for him.
Vin looked at them. "Y'all feel that way?"
Five heads nodded.
"We appreciate that," said Chris quietly.
Behind him a volley of shots, yells, and whoops went up.
Nathan peered down the street. "Looks like more drunken scum shootin' up the town."
Ezra smiled at Chris and Vin. "We could use two more men. The positions have been open for awhile. Lack of applicants."
Chris grinned and started down the street.
"Let's go catch some bad guys."
The End