Sweeping an assessing gaze over his living room, Ezra
Standish breathed easy. There were bowls and glasses
sitting ready for the 'munchies' that JD and Buck had
said they would bring. He'd already ascertained from
the rest of the team their selection for pizzas and
pre-ordered their varied assortment of cholesterol
laden food for later on that evening.
Chris and Josiah were picking up some more beer and
then heading off to fetch Nathan - it had been the
team's medic that had been given the onerous task of
selecting several DVDs that the entire team would sit
through without complaining - Ezra wished him well for
that well nigh impossible task.
That just left Vin… the birthday boy. It was an added
bonus that Vin's birthday just happened to fall on
Good Friday for this year, and, having worked over New
Year, Team Seven had the Easter holiday weekend off.
The plan was beer, pizza and movies at his place, to
be followed by a relaxing weekend at Chris' ranch.
No bad guys… no gunfights… no injuries. Chris had
personally vowed to put anyone of his team that got
accidentally injured doing 'something fucking stupid
this weekend' on desk duty for a month; the look on
his face had made sure that everyone took him at his
word.
As a team, they'd worked hard to come up with the
perfect present for their soft-spoken sharpshooter and
inspiration had finally struck two weeks before.
Barely having enough time to achieve their chosen task
- they'd done the impossible anyway. Well, they were
the Magnificent Seven after all… the impossible was
considered standard operating procedure for them.
Through a bit of subterfuge on the part of Ezra and
his lock-picking skills, and JD's miraculous touch
with a digital camera; they'd accessed Vin's apartment
and taken digital photos of the picture of his mother,
in the tarnished locket that was Vin's sole surviving
possession from his blood kin.
Josiah's contacts in the local arts community had
obtained the services of Skye MacFarlane; a fifty year
old artist and former flower child that had an uncanny
skill as a portrait painter. The work she had done in
recreating a likeness of Vin's mother was truly
astonishing.
A knock on his front door brought Ezra's focus back to
the present. Vin was here. He'd asked his team-mates
to allow Vin to arrive half an hour before they did -
he had another couple of gifts for his lover. As
always, the rest of the team's ready acceptance of his
relationship with Vin, never ceased to amaze him.
Their willing and total support for the lovers within
their midst was a blessed gift that they both
cherished.
Smiling at the thought of his lover, Ezra opened the
door and given a dazzling smile, saying simply, "Vin."
Grinning softly, slightly dazzled blue eyes met his
own before a soft Texan drawl responded with, "Hello,
love."
Stepping aside to let Vin enter, Ezra walked behind
his lover into the living room; silently admiring the
lithe beauty of the man in the simple attire of faded
jeans and a blue t-shirt. Vin exuded sensuality with
such effortless ease, Ezra was still amazed that Vin
seemed to be the only person in Denver that didn't
seem to realise that fact.
They'd been lovers since Christmas Eve… the best
present he'd ever received - or ever would. The past
three months had been the happiest of both their lives
and Ezra never wanted it to end. Vin was at times
tender, and, at times incandescent; having this man in
his arms, in his bed and in his heart had brought him
so much joy… he was loved and it was wonderful.
Motioning his lover to the couch, Ezra excused himself
and went to his bedroom to get his two private
presents for his lover. Moving to sit beside the
birthday boy, Ezra handed him the first present and
said, "Happy Birthday, love."
Slightly confused, Vin tore into the envelope Ezra had
handed him and stared in confusion at the list of
names on the single sheet of paper it contained. Ezra
watched as Vin raised questioning eyes to his own.
Placing one hand on Vin's leg, rubbing his thumb over
the inside edge of the Texan's leg in a soothing yet
sensuous gesture, Ezra said, "That is a list of every
wildlife organisation both here and in Canada that
protects wolves and their natural habitats. There are
schemes in place where people can 'adopt' a wolf and
the money they give provides for the upkeep of the
wolf and its environment… stuff like that.
"You, my love, can pick whichever location you want.
Find a pair of mated wolves that you want to protect
and I'll adopt them for you as my birthday gift to
you. Wolves mate for life, Vin. That's the way I
feel about you."
Feeling Vin move, Ezra shifted position slightly so
that Vin could more easily rest his head on his
shoulder and smiled fondly down as Vin ghosted a kiss
against the soft underside of his chin and murmured an
incredulous, "Sometimes, Ezra, you just take my breath
away. Thank you." He then waited patiently for the
next words from his lover's mouth. In some instances,
Vin had a temperament to match JD and this was one of
them.
The soft voice asking, "Is the box for me too?"
brought a chuckle to his lips and he nodded; grinning
outright as eager fingers snatched it from his free
hand. Watching Vin's sensitive fingers rub over the
hand carved lid, Ezra bit back a groan as he
remembered the feeling of the last time those selfsame
fingers had investigated his body just as thoroughly
and as reverently as they were examining the box.
He waited for Vin's reaction to the contents of the
box… the one single item it contained. "Ezra…?"
Hearing the shaky question in Vin's voice, Ezra took
the biggest gamble of his life and laid his heart at
his lover's feet, hoping fervently that he wasn't
rushing things. What that item entailed included a
lot of potential grief and harassment - the team would
back the result without hesitation, not all the rest
of the ATF would.
"Live with me?" said Ezra, his normally eloquent words
dying on his lips.
For a long moment Vin said nothing and then his eyes
lit up with an almost incandescent joy. Wrapping his
fingers tight around the key to the condo - and Ezra's
heart - that had been nestled in the box, Vin breathed
out, "Yes, love. Yes!"
Ezra had no real idea who moved first, his next near
incoherent thought was of the mind-numbing power that
kissing Vin Tanner had over his heart and soul. Quite
simply, to have Vin in his arms and to be worshipping
the Texan with kisses from his lips, was the
embodiment of heaven here on earth.
Bringing his hands to Vin's face, Ezra regretfully
gentled the fierce embrace. The rest of the team was
due within minutes… this would have to wait for later.
"Happy Birthday, love."
Then, devilment warring with adoration, Ezra gave in
to temptation and gave Vin another kiss or three… lips
moving with a specific goal in mind… Vin's neck. A
few passion soaked seconds later and Vin bore the mark
of passion that had been Ezra's goal all along. A
visible signal that the sharpshooter was taken… and
was loved.
With Vin's willing agreement to share his life, his
bed and his heart, the Texan had made sure that this
Easter was going to surpass Christmas as the most
joyous time of his life.
The End
