Welcome Home

A dark figure stood over the two lovers curled together on the floor, drinking in the sight of their living, breathing presences with quiet thankfulness. Dropping down to one knee beside the pair, his alert eyes raked over them carefully, not wanting to disturb their slumber, but needing to make sure that they were as all right as they could be. He would be expected to report their condition to the others, and he didn't want to give them any false hopes. After an intense visual inspection, he leaned back with a quiet sigh of satisfaction and again simply watched them for the relief and comfort it brought him.

Nathan certainly hadn't been expecting such a happy end to the terrible night before when he had knocked lightly on the gambler's door. He and Chris, Buck, and Josiah had searched the surrounding wilderness around Four Corners endlessly, trying to pick up some sign of the tracker with no luck. They had found the Creeds' camp and the evidence of the torture Vin had endured, just as Justin Creed had described. Holding the bloodstained leather strips that had once bound his friend, Chris had exploded into a vile stream of oaths and curses that boded ill for the surviving brother. The others could only agree with him as their own ire reached a seldom-felt fever pitch.

But of Vin himself, they found not a sign. It was like the man had simply been swallowed up into the wilderness he loved so much. Perhaps if one of the four men had Vin's skill at tracking, they might have found some sign, but none of them were anything but passable at finding the clues in the dirt and brush they needed. They had searched all throughout the day and well into dusk, but by nightfall, they reluctantly had to admit defeat.

Surprising himself as well as the other men, Nathan had volunteered to break the news to Ezra, justifying himself by mumbling something about needing to check on the gambler's shoulder wound. He tried to ignore the sad, knowing looks the others gave him as he ascended the staircase, though he secretly admitted to himself that he needed to know that at least one of his friends was still among the living. The healer remembered all too well the fear and pain that had shone so clearly in Ezra's green eyes last night when Chris had told him what had happened to Vin. It had been like watching the conman die in front of him though his lungs still drew breath and his heart still beat. When there had been no reply to his knock, the dark man's dread had escalated off the scale. Needing to know that Ezra had not done something drastic in the other men's absence, Nathan had not hesitated in wrestling the door open and bursting in to the room beyond. It had taken him a few heart-stopping moments to find the two of them, but once he realized who was sharing the floor with the gambler, a rare, sweet joy had washed over the older man. His family was still intact.

The healer had to admit that when he'd first met Ezra, he never would have guessed that the gambler could feel this much emotion for anyone other than himself. How wrong he had been. It had taken him a while to realize that Ezra cared even less for himself than he did for the others around him. With that realization had come a desire to prove to the conniving, deceitful, compassionate, and gentle man that he was worth caring about, despite the uphill battle Nathan was sure to face, especially given his and the gambler's past history. But no sooner had the healer set about his mission than he discovered that he was too late to be the first to reach out a friendly hand.

Vin, with that uncanny way he had, had already seen past the carefully crafted facade Ezra presented to the world and had acted upon what he'd glimpsed there. Of course, none of the rest of the Seven realized exactly how he'd acted upon it until later, but no one could miss the way the both of them seemed more relaxed and at ease with each other, their friends, the townspeople, and most importantly, their own selves.

And all that peace had almost been shattered the night before. Nathan shuddered and breathed another silent prayer of thanks skyward that somehow their missing brother had found his way back to his mate's arms, completing the circle of the Seven once more.

After one final inspection of the sleeping pair, the healer rose and padded softly towards the door. If he didn't get back downstairs soon and report on Ezra's condition, the others would likely come tromping noisily through the door to find what was keeping him. Although he himself was curious as to how the tracker had gotten into the gambler's room, Ezra and Vin needed rest more than anything else right now -- especially not questions that could wait until later.

Closing the door quietly behind him, Nathan couldn't keep the happy smile off his face as he descended the stairs to tell his brothers that the rest of their family had come home.

+ + + + + + +

Morning dawned and pushed tentative sunlit fingers around the curtains covering a certain second story window. Those fingers stretched into the room beyond and gently caressed the two forms, one awake and one still in the arms of Morpheus, reclining on the bed in its center. Tired green eyes winced shut for a moment when a particularly bright beam swept across them but popped open almost immediately, not wanting to miss a single breath of the infinitely precious man beside him. He had come so close to losing him.

Shivering at the thought, Ezra Standish ignored the twinge of pain from his shoulder as he cradled the sleeping man closer, taking what comfort he could from the steady rise and fall of Vin's chest. As soft, warm breath feathered against his neck, the gambler wondered again what he had done right to bring his heart's content back into his arms. Whatever it was, Ezra would gladly do it over and over again if it meant he could keep this man by his side forever.

It had been two weeks since he'd found Vin crumpled beneath his window. Ezra shook his head slightly in disbelief as he recalled how the tracker had come to be there. None of the rest of the Seven could believe that the man had actually had the strength to scale the outside wall and only Ezra and Vin had known that it was possible to do so. The gambler had kindly refrained from mentioning how many times Vin had made the trip before. The poor man had already been an interesting shade of red from the knowing looks the others had given him from just admitting to having done so this time. Served the man right for risking his neck time and again over some foolish romantic notion!

The man in his arms shifted in his sleep, groaning softly as the movement caused half-healed ribs to rub uncomfortably against each other. Any humor the gambler felt immediately dissolved at the sound of his distress. Ezra's eyes closed as he recalled, with gut-wrenching clarity, the black despair that had threatened to overcome him when Chris had looked at him that night with eyes that understood only too well the pain he was inflicting and told him what had happened to the tracker. The shadow of that despair even now colored his joy at having the younger man's living, breathing, loving self still in his life. Because he now knew just how fragile and fleeting that life was. He knew, not in some abstract or distant future kind of way but with an immediate heart-stopping terror, that Vin could be taken from him at any moment.

Just as the blackness threatened to engulf him completely, the gambler felt gentle fingers touch his cheek. Reluctantly opening his eyes, he found himself sinking into a wide blue pool of love and understanding.

+ + + + + + +

Vin Tanner had been dreaming. He couldn't remember the details, but since he hadn't woken up screaming, he knew it had to be better than the nightmares he'd been having the past couple of weeks. Dark dreams filled with blood and horror and loss. Ones where the Creeds had been luckier and smarter than they'd been in real life and had succeeded in doing the one thing that would have destroyed him. Vin never realized how many ways he knew to kill a person until his subconscious paraded each and every one of them before his mind's eye -- with Ezra as the helpless victim.

The nightmares had been so intense that sometimes it would take Ezra many minutes of rocking and petting and soothing to convince him that his lover was alive, that he was, in fact, in far better health than he himself was in. Yet, even in the brightest daylight, with all the others around talking and carrying on with them both, the nightmares lingered, making Vin wonder if the lover by his side was just a figment of his imagination and he would soon wake to find him dead and gone. The chill of that thought made him shudder now, despite the living warmth stretched along his side, then wince as his ribs protested the movement. He couldn't stop the low moan of pain that escaped and only hoped that Ezra was asleep and didn't hear it.

He felt the arms carefully encircling his shoulders tighten at the sound and knew his hope was in vain. Undoubtedly, the gambler had been awake for some time now, watching him sleep. Vin had caught him at it several times over the past two weeks, and at first, he'd been touched by the gesture. It made him feel safe and protected to know that the man he loved was "standing guard" over him, as it were, a rare, treasured sensation in his hard life. But as the days went on, and the dark smudge of exhaustion under the gambler's eyes got blacker, Vin became concerned. Ezra was injured, too, and his body needed rest to recuperate as much as his own did. He couldn't keep up this unending vigil, but Vin was at a loss at what to do.

The tracker had glimpsed the emptiness in the green eyes, though Ezra was quick to hide it when he saw Vin looking. He refused to talk about it, though, which hurt the younger man. After the initial awkward stage of getting to know one another on a more intimate level, the two of them had found it easy to talk to each other about anything. Granted, there were things that they both tacitly left unasked and unsaid, though even those walls were slowly coming down; but for the most part, there were no secrets between them. Now, it seemed as though they were right back to where they started, and Vin didn't like it one bit. Familiar stubbornness suddenly filling his breast, he opened his eyes, determined to get some answers.

What he saw nearly broke his heart. Ezra's eyes were closed, but the smooth lines of his handsome face were twisted in bleak despair. In the bright morning sunlight, his skin was a sickly white, and if he had more strength, the desperate grip around the tracker's shoulders would have been painful. Now, though, the strength that had at first so surprised then later seduced Vin had been reduced to almost nothing. A deep sense of regret tugged at Vin. He had failed after all.

It hadn't been a conscious decision on his part to climb up to Ezra's window, at least not that Vin could recall. The tracker had only felt an overwhelming need to warn his lover of the danger heading his way. No amount of pain could ever keep him from safeguarding Ezra. Not anymore. The need to protect the gambler had become as instinctually ingrained as self-preservation because Vin knew that he would not survive the other man's death.

But how did he protect Ezra from himself? How did he get the normally verbose man to talk about what was bothering him when he didn't have the gambler's way with words? Not knowing what else to do, Vin reached up one hand, gently brushing the backs of his fingers against a gaunt cheek. As he hoped, Ezra opened his eyes. The tracker nearly gasped when he saw the anguish reflected in the emerald depths, but he knew that Ezra didn't need pity. That would only cause him to shut down again. Instead, Vin fell back on his usual method of communication - nonverbal. He flattened his hand against the side of Ezra's face and simply looked at him with all the love and caring he had for this man.

The simple honest gaze proved to be the gambler's undoing. With a small moan, Ezra lowered his head until his face was hidden against his lover's bare shoulder, struggling desperately to pull himself together and be strong like Vin needed him to be. But this time he couldn't do it. Too little sleep and too much worry had robbed him of his infamous control, and now there were no more reserves left to fight the raw emotions rampaging through him. Ezra squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face deeper into Vin's shoulder as his body braced itself for the coming onslaught.

The tracker felt the body beside him tense and knew what was coming. Gently freeing the arm trapped between them, he wrapped it around the distraught man, hugging him close. With his other hand, Vin carded his fingers through his lover's thick chestnut hair over and over again as he whispered soft words of comfort to a man so desperate for reassurance. A moment later, Vin felt the warm, wet evidence of Ezra's misery blaze a steady trail over his collarbone and down his chest as the older man shook with great, silent sobs.

Vin sheltered the gambler through his emotional storm with all the strength he had so recently regained until Ezra's tears slowed and finally stopped all together. His body limp from the internal struggle, the tracker at first thought that his mate had fallen asleep; but then he felt the minute scrape of eyelashes moving across his skin as the other man opened his eyes against their hiding place. Ezra made no attempt to move away from him even then, though, and this gave Vin reason to hope. Maybe Ezra wouldn't retreat behind his mask this time. Maybe now they could talk about what was bothering him.

The two lovers laid quietly entwined for an undeterminable amount of time, their breathing the only sound interrupting the stillness that surrounded them. Were it not for the questions that needed answering, Vin would have been content to lay like this, skin to skin with the master of his heart, forever. But the tracker was not willing to let the opportunity to get everything out in the open pass them by. It would be best for them both. Preparing himself for the battle ahead, he took a deep breath and opened his mouth to ask his questions. Before he could say anything, however, Ezra raised his head from his shoulder and spoke.

"Vin, we need to talk."

Surprised, Vin could do nothing but nod his agreement. With a sigh, the gambler carefully maneuvered them around until they were both propped up against the headboard and pulled the blankets up over their shoulders to ward off the early morning chill in the room. All this was done in silence, as if Ezra didn't know what to say now that he had admitted that something did indeed need to be said. Reaching up one hand, Vin cupped the side of the gambler's face and gently turned his face towards him. Concerned blue eyes met troubled green ones, Ezra no longer trying to hide what he felt.

"What is it, Ez? What's got ya spooked?"

"You."

Vin frowned in puzzlement. "What have I done to scare ya?"

Ezra didn't - quite - look away, but his voice lowered to a hoarse whisper. "You almost died."

Vin's frown deepened. "But I didn't."

The gambler nodded miserably. "This time. What about next time, or the time after that? What we do is dangerous, Vin, and we can't beat the odds forever." He gave a derisive snort. "I should know."

Something in Ezra's tone brought back Vin's own nightmare sense of loss and grief. His lover was right. Next time, they might not be so lucky. Next time, one of them could really die. Needing to reassure himself that the other man was still here with him now, Vin reached out again, flattening one hand over Ezra's chest, right above his heart. For one horrible moment, he didn't feel the blood-pulsing beat beneath his palm. Nothing. Was he dreaming again? Was the gambler really gone?! Just when his fear almost peaked into terror, Ezra pressed his hand over the one on his breastbone, and suddenly Vin felt the steady lub-dub of his lover's heart. He sagged a little in relief.

Ezra tightened his arm around him in concern. "Are you well, beloved? Should I get Nathan?"

"No!" Vin denied vehemently. "I don't need Nathan. I need you."

Now it was the gambler's turn to frown. "I'm right here, my love. What do you need me to do?"

Staring into those vibrant, alive green eyes, Vin suddenly knew what they both needed. Holding Ezra's gaze, he said softly. "Make love ta me."

"What?!"

"Ya heard me," Vin stated more forcefully. "You're worried yer gonna lose me at any minute. I think yer just a dream I'm gonna wake up from - - alone." He ignored his lover's indrawn breath in his rush to convince him of the necessity of what he was asking. "Neither of us are doin' each other any good like this. We gotta break this chain, Ez, or the Creeds have won. D'ya want that?"

"Of course not!" the gambler protested. "But neither do I wish to hurt you further. Vin, beloved --"

"No, Ez, now! I need ta know yer here with me. You need the same. Make love ta me, Ezra. Make me believe." Wide, blue eyes pleaded with the gambler to give him what they both so desperately needed.

Ezra stared down at the tracker, for once at a total loss for words. Part of him was violently opposed to what Vin was suggesting. The younger man had hardly begun to recover from his injuries; surely he was not yet ready for any strenuous exercise. But a larger part of him, the part that still slowly bled and despaired, screamed at him to honor Vin's desires while he had the chance. With a strangled groan, Ezra gave in to the demands of both heart and lover.

Gently lowering the younger man back down onto the bed, Ezra leaned over and brushed soft lips across Vin's forehead. He kissed the beautiful blue eyes closed, paying special care to the bruised skin surrounding the right one; then he scattered tiny kisses over his lover's face, memorizing the beloved features with his lips. The gambler slowly traced the shell of one ear with the tip of his tongue, following the curve down to the lobe, which he took between his teeth and tugged at lightly. He continued torturing the sensitive flesh for several long moments before repeating his actions on Vin's other ear.

By now, the man beneath him was making soft sounds of pleasure and encouragement. With one last nip, Ezra abandoned Vin's ear and moved to his mouth, pausing briefly to suck Vin's life-giving breath into his own body before capturing the sweet lips with his own. The tracker unhesitantly gave him access to the hot, moist darkness beyond, and their tongues lazily yet thoroughly explored each other's mouths, leaving no corner or crevice untouched, until the need for oxygen forced them to separate.

Leaving Vin panting for air above him, Ezra moved lower, enjoying the rasp of Vin's morning beard against his passion-swollen lips as he nipped and licked his way down the tracker's chin and throat. His downward journey ground to a halt when he came across the rapid beat of his heartmate's pulse. A sudden fierce need to mark this man, to show Death clearly who owned him, overwhelmed the gambler's resolve to be gentle; and he bit down hard on the flesh over the throbbing vein. Vin's startled cry pulled Ezra out of his possessive daze, and he laved his tongue over the darkening mark in silent apology. The touch of Vin's lips to the top of his head told him the apology was accepted and gave him permission to go on.

He needed no further encouragement. Ezra continued his exploration from the pulse point to the slight flare of one collarbone. There, his questing tongue tasted the saltiness of his recent tears on Vin's skin. He followed the still damp path down the smooth chest until he once again could feel his lover's heartbeat against his mouth. This time, he tilted his head until one ear rested carefully over the precious sound, letting the steady cadence soothe away some of his anxiety. Loving fingers wove themselves into his hair, holding him in place as Vin, too, sought comfort in his nearness.

Soon, though, Ezra became restless with the need to touch Vin more intimately. Shifting his weight onto his uninjured side, the gambler ignored the protests of his half-healed shoulder as he trailed that hand up from the tracker's waist, fingers skimming lightly over the wide swath of cloth strips Nathan had bound around the abused ribcage until they came in contact with hot skin once more. With unerring instinct, those clever fingers found the tracker's nipple and teased it unmercifully until it was pebble hard. Vin's moan of appreciation became a gasp of delight as Ezra rolled his head and caught the small nub between his lips and sucked hard.

Reveling in the obvious approval, Ezra continued to torment the supersensitive flesh, tongue soothing any tiny stings his teeth caused, until Vin's hands were pressing him closer to his heated body, his back arching slightly to meet the pleasure-giving mouth. Leaving his fingers behind to carry on the sweet torture on the reddened nipple, the gambler switched his attention to its neglected mate, tonguing and nipping it into the same aroused state as the other.

And that wasn't all that had become aroused. Abandoning the tender nub, Ezra's fingers traced a trail of fiery warmth down to Vin's thigh. He gently ran his fingertips up Vin's anxious shaft. The silken flesh nearly leaped at the gambler's touch. Ezra's fingertips danced teasingly up Vin's length, and the beleaguered tracker whimpered in frustration. Attempting to soothe, Ezra petted Vin's erection carefully. "Easy, beloved. No need to rush."

"Ezra." The name came out as a strangled gasp. Vin reached a hand to caress Ezra in return, wanting the smooth velvet skin of his mate beneath his fingers.

Ezra grasped the demanding hand and rubbed Vin's palm over his own cheek briefly before delicately kissing Vin's knuckles, nuzzling his wrist. "Dear heart, rest yourself. Be patient and let me do this for you." Lovingly, he placed Vin's hand back onto the sheets. "Be still."

The body beneath him quivered with the effort to do as he asked, and Ezra knew then, with some regret, that he had to end this soon for his lover's sake. Fingers again resuming the gentle stroking, the gambler leaned down for a quick, sweet kiss before allowing his mouth to once again trek downward. With a deep groan, the tracker parted strong thighs, making room for his lover as his talented mouth left a wide, scorching trail down his chest and stomach. Ezra's attentions only increased when he felt the smooth hardness of Vin's length against his lips, running tongue and teeth from base to tip before he finally tasted the addictive flavor of his lover. He only allowed himself a moment to savor the taste, swirling his tongue tightly around the darkened head, before he opened his mouth wide and took all of the hard shaft into his mouth, swallowing it whole.

Vin cried out in agonized pleasure as the wet heat of Ezra's mouth encased him. Ezra stroked the bared skin that lay just under the boundary of the bandages reverently. The tracker tilted his head back a little, hair gleaming with threads of gold in the warm bath of early morning. He was constantly surprised anew that his clever lover could perform the feat of taking his entirety in a kiss, but he supposed that it was due to trust and confidence that Ezra enjoyed it so much. This act, this return to consummation, was an exercise in trust all its own. The walls of silence they'd put up these past weeks had strained their trust, but hadn't broken it completely. Neither would ever allow that.

It was in giving himself to this trust that Vin relaxed, letting his somewhat less injured lovemate take the control. This was not the time to drag their reunion out, either with teasing or with holding back. Ezra's mouth drew in on him, gently but steadily, as irresistible as the cycles of day which had broken with the sunrise. Moving his hand, Vin clenched slim fingers in the auburn strands of Ezra's hair, seemingly made of flame in the sun. It was not so much a guidance as it was an affirmation; he would touch his beloved trickster, even when Ezra had bid him not to.

The gambler didn't protest, continuing his inexorable, diligent, sweet pace. Feathery fingers stroked Vin's thighs, carefully targeting the sensitivities in the muscles. Vin groaned as the lips suckling him grew more urgent, the tongue tracing the rush of blood below velvet skin. Vin grabbed a fistful of sheet in the hand not touching Ezra and squeezed, all the while keeping the other hand gentle, affectionate. Vin felt the familiar strings of fire in his veins, pulling taut from every direction of his body, signifying that he was close to fulfillment. He knew that arching up would hurt, a pain that Ezra never meant to cause him. The pain, though, was good, too, because it signified that he was still alive, that he was here, with Ezra making love to him as much with his heart as with his body.

Vin gave himself to his lover despite the slivers of hurt in his ribcage, spilling soul and essence to the waiting, thirsty mouth. The rapture in his cry overshadowed its undertones of an injury aggravated. This was the way it had always been with them. The pleasure, trust and love always surpassed any pain that surfaced between them. Vin could not have asked for a better healing balm than the warm, gentle lips that collected the last of his flavor for Ezra to taste.

Ezra propped himself on his good arm and began to crawl up the tracker's slender body, shifting over limbs as if he were about to lie beside him, as if his own arousal wasn't burningly needy. He got as far as sitting near his lover's head when Vin stopped him, grabbing the gambler's wrist in a demanding grip. "Where d'ya think yer headed to?"

Meeting the cerulean eyes face on was sometimes a difficult challenge for Ezra, for, too often, the act stole his eloquence in the most embarrassing fashion. "We need the rest, beloved, and I wasn't going terribly far, just under the covers."

Vin cocked an eyebrow, and gave him a mischievous look which read, Is that so? "Then yer not gonna do what I asked ya to?"

"But Vin, I thought that I'd amply satisfied . . ."

"I'm not satisfied until you are, Ez. Makin' love doesn't mean just me, Ezra, it means you an' me. You an' me, always." Vin let a hand creep up and over Ezra's thigh, but instead of doing the blatantly obvious, he locked his hand around the gambler's other wrist, which had been resting against his leg. Gently, he shifted, knowing his own limits, and brought both of Ezra's hands to his face. Running the dexterous fingers over his features, he then kissed Ezra on each palm, as sweetly as Ezra had to him earlier. "You and me. You with me."

Ezra stroked Vin's hair worshipfully, smiling a little. "How could I possibly decline?"

"Good," Vin purred, clutching Ezra's hands warmly before releasing them. "Now, if ya know I can't move much, yer just gonna have ta bring yerself over ta me." He laid a hand on Ezra's knee, stroking for a moment before looking at him expectantly.

Doubt clouded the gambler's features. "Vin, I don't think you should strain yourself like this."

"I think ya're lookin' more strained than I am right now," Vin drawled, grinning. Ezra grinned back weakly, but the jade-colored eyes glittered with heat. Kneeling on the mattress and putting the foot of his extended leg on the other side of Vin, Ezra leaned down to let the tracker reach him. In a smooth motion, Vin tilted himself up, licking the excitement from Ezra's erection as if it were honey. He began to tease Ezra, tonguing the ridge on his underside, drawing tiny circles with the edges of blunt fingernails. Then, he closed one hand over his lover and pulled slowly, gently, nearly making the gambler lose himself.

When he believed his mate was suitably crazed, Vin whispered, "Now, Ezra."

Ezra cautiously maneuvered himself over Vin, moving so he sat at his lover's side, feet dangling off the bed. He gave Vin a resigned look. The long-haired man gave his head a vehement shake: No. He would not accept pity from Ezra, nor would he accept apology over anything that might hurt him. Vin had made his choice, and this was what he wanted, what they both needed. Uncaring of his mending ribs, Vin reached for the bottle of oil on the bedside table. Trying not to show Ezra the wince that accompanied that action, Vin held the glass vessel out to his beloved, like an offering, soon to be an offering of himself.

Ezra leaned down briefly to kiss Vin's lips, caressing their planes with a thorough tongue. Wordlessly, he took the bottle and slid between Vin's outstretched legs. Ezra surveyed the situation, knowing that Vin was going to have to tilt his hips at least a little to allow him access. This would hurt the tracker's injured ribs, but if he reminded Vin of this, it would only tear the silence between them deeper. He slickened his hand with oil and stroked between Vin's buttocks, increasing his depth gradually until his finger found Vin's opening, which relaxed against his touch. It welcomed the finger that he drove home, pushing with little mercy inside his mate until Vin was humming with pleasure. The second finger was even more treasured by Vin's body, for it more closely mirrored the feel of Ezra inside him, and Ezra could torture the sensitive spot within Vin more easily. Diamonds of sweat shone against Vin's tanned chest as Ezra continued preparing him, and Ezra soon couldn't distinguish whose moans were whose.

Destroy him with pleasure, and the pain will be irrelevant, Ezra thought, his fingers working in the familiar softness as he fumbled to slick his own shaft with the oil. I am here, beloved, and I'm going to make sure you don't forget.

He withdrew his hand from within Vin, and pushed his lover's knees up gently. Ezra slipped a bent knee beneath Vin's left leg for leverage, so he wouldn't have to balance on his good hand quite so much. His other knee he dug into the mattress behind him. Arching over Vin so their upper bodies were flush, he guided himself inside Vin. As he'd expected and hoped, Vin arched up, but most of his weight was resting on his feet so his ribs were stretched a bit, but not really strained. "Does it hurt, beloved?"

"Good pain, Ezra. Warm. Don't worry. You inside me is worth it," came the soft sigh beneath him.

Ezra kissed his lover's forehead and nodded. The snug, familiar heat was marvelous, reminding him of how much he'd missed joining with Vin. He tilted his hips up slowly, smoothly, feeling the sheath of Vin's body give way beneath him, opening, beckoning. He slid back and in again, knowing by rote the angle that laid bare all of Vin's sensitivities. Vin groaned, and, as before, the sound was more delight than agony. Vin's erection, the heartbeat pulsing almost audibly beneath the fevered skin, showed Ezra how much his lover appreciated this.

Ezra let his strokes become something more than simple rhythm. Keeping his own skin as close to Vin's as he possibly could without leaning on him, he granted their wish and made love. With each stroke, Ezra nearly left Vin's body, as if reminding them both what they had nearly lost. Then he joined them fully, slowly, a silent language of togetherness. Vin was as good as his word, leaning into Ezra's tender motions deliberately, wanting the contact, his body needing that physical link to complete the mental and emotional chains that bound them as one. Reworking the pace wasn't needed, only the link, that complete circuit of bodies. When Ezra found his release, the tears in his eyes were not of pain, but of completion. As he fell, he completed Vin with a final stroke of his essence within and of his sweet fingers from without. In that moment, passion-laced gratitude overtook the tracker, and he reared up to revere Ezra's lips with his own.

"Thank you," he whispered lovingly against those lips before he allowed his head to drop back onto the pillow.

Ezra reluctantly eased himself out of his lover's body and collapsed beside him, having just enough strength to wrap one arm across the other man's shoulders. "It was entirely my pleasure, dear heart," he murmured tiredly. A sweet exhaustion was beckoning him, and although he wanted to fight it, to stay awake just a little while longer and enjoy this quiet peace between them, his tiredness was irrestibly insistent.

Vin chuckled softly as he carefully gathered the precious man into his arms and dropped a kiss on the top of his head. "Go ta sleep, Ezra. I'll be here when ya wake up."

"As will I," Ezra slurred as sleep finally claimed him.

"I know," the tracker replied contentedly. Vin pressed another kiss to his forehead and settled back into a more comfortable position to watch over his heartmate's slumber.

The End