MEN WILL RISE
by C.V. Puerro |
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MEN WILL RISE
by C.V. Puerro |
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Continued...
It was now Vin's turn to do the honors, and he made Chris stand up for the job while he remained seated on the edge of the bed. He undid the iron buckle, and then slid the thin, leather belt out of its loops, but instead of tossing it away, he flicked it behind Chris, catching the loose end. He now had the gunslinger encircled, trapped.Chris didn't seem to mind. He grinned. "Gonna make me fight ya?"
"Naw," the tracker said, suddenly reminded of the bruise on his jaw. He let the belt drop as he placed his hand on the side of his face, rubbing the great, discolored mark.
Chris pulled Vin's hand away and gently placed a kiss on the same spot. He then moved to Vin's lips, first just pressing his against the tracker's, but then nudging them apart with his tongue. Vin readily responded to the suggestion, parting his mouth and allowing Chris full access. His own tongue toyed with the gunman's — touching, caressing, darting in and then away.
Chris still had possession of Vin's hand, which he had been gently caressing with his fingertips; he now moved it to his waistband, reminding Vin of his long-awaited task. Vin complied by bringing his other hand up to the placket and undoing the few buttons there. Soon the pants were loosened, needing little encouragement to slide away from the older man's trim hips.
Vin's hands then moved to encompass Chris's penis; he loved the feel of it, the soft velvet of the cap, the thick cords running the entire length. Unconsciously he compared it to JD's, which was, like the young man himself, shorter and stockier. Not bad things, just different.
Vin continued to caress the shaft while he moved one hand underneath and back to capture Chris's sacs. They were larger, heavier, than JD's, with a slightly thicker skin and a bit more hair. He liked how they felt in his palm as he nudged them to and fro with his fingers. Chris seemed to like what Vin was doing; at least, that's how the tracker interpreted the gentle moans that were vibrating the tongue still inside his mouth.
Chris's own hands were playing across Vin's shoulders, slightly supporting his weight as his knees gently quivered from all the intimate attention. Soon, his hands gradually made their way down, brushing through the tracker's fine chest hairs, then moving to the denser line which lead straight to the thicket of curls. As Chris raked his fingers through the hairs, Vin was reminded how JD's thatch had been more straight than curly, and so dark against his pale skin.
When Chris's hand captured his penis, Vin threw his head back, breaking their kiss; the older man simply moved his lips to the tracker's now-exposed neck. He reveled in the sensations — his hands on Chris, Chris's hands on him, the lips and tongue on his neck, then the nibbles on his ear. He wanted release so badly he ached, and the pain of the pleasure was only growing worse by the moment.
Bending his head forward, he captured Chris's earlobe gently between his teeth, teasing the edge with his tongue before whispering, "I want you ... now."
Chris turned his head until their lips locked in a kiss that Vin was sure would make him come from sheer passion. But it didn't and Chris moved away from him, towards the shelf beside the stove. He grabbed a small pot and removed the lid before returning to the bed.
Chris then asked, "So, did you like it?" He clarified when Vin simply raised his eyebrows in response. "Being on the receiving end with JD?"
Vin shrugged. "It wouldn'ta been my preference ... had we been there fer a differ'nt reason."
"So, I guess that makes you a real man's man." Chris offered the clay pot to Vin.
"That's me, a stand-up kinda guy," he replied as he dipped all four of his fingers into the warm, soft lard.
JD took Casey's hand in his, as Vin had done for him, and molded it to his erection. She giggled again, but she did not remove her hand; instead, she moved her fingers, slowly at first, feeling the firm muscle. But then she squeezed and pulled the organ, and JD nearly let out a yelp."I'm not a cow, ya know," he warned. "Ya have ta be gentle."
"Sorry," she smiled apologetically. "So, what should I do?"
He was a bit embarrassed to answer her outright, so he placed his hand on top of hers again and began moving it up and down the shaft. He moved his other hand to her head, silently encouraging her to come closer. She glanced up at him for a moment and he smiled in encouragement until her eyes dropped and her lips hesitantly met the tip of his shaft. He then guided her hand between his legs, encouraging her to touch his softly rough sacs. She did, and with his other hand still on the back of her head, gently encouraging her, she finally slid his penis slowly into her warm mouth.
As a pleasant tingle ran the length of his spine, he allowed his head to lull back and his eyes to close, but the darkness there was filled with the image of Vin — his soft, blue eyes, his tangled, brown hair. He remembered Vin touching him last night as Casey was now. Her inexperienced touch was no less exquisite than Vin's had been, and he wanted it just as much.
Running his fingers through Casey's hair, he imagined that it was Vin kneeling before him. He felt the warm moisture of the mouth upon his penis and the hands now firmly kneading his balls. When he felt a tingle and an urgent tensing within his loins, he gently pushed Casey away.
She looked up at him, obviously wondering if she had done something wrong; so, he smiled as he bent down to kiss her. He could taste himself on her lips and, remembering how Vin had tasted to him, he marveled at both the similarity and the contrast.
He then stepped away from his discarded trousers, kneeling again before Casey. She leaned back onto the grass and allowed him to remove her own pants and leggings. He couldn't say the site disappointed him, not by a mile. It was, in fact, a beautiful thing to see: her lying there with the golden sun pooling upon her pale skin. But she was different from Vin, in so many ways. There was the complete absence of hair everywhere except where her legs met, though their coloring was quite similar. Still, it was almost as if she was incomplete.
He knew Chris was more experienced at this, more comfortable than JD had been last night, and Vin suddenly wondered if JD would ever even want to try this sort of thing again. He really had seemed to be enjoying himself while they were in the midst of it. And he wouldn't mind trying his hand at teaching the kid a few more tricks, if he ever got the chance.
"Thinking about JD?" Chris asked, looking up at Vin from under his arm.
Vin nodded, noting there wasn't the slightest bit of jealousy, disappointment, or anger in the other man's voice.
"He may not ever wanna do this again, Vin. You know that. But, maybe he'll come to realize you were trying to help."
Vin nodded again. He hoped the latter part would at least become true.
"But, in the meanwhile," Chris continued. "I'm here and you know you've got a standing invitation."
"Don't ya mean a kneelin' one?" Vin joked as he reached around to grab Chris's penis, giving it a wickedly effective stroke. He was pleased when the older man's knees almost buckled beneath him.
Then Vin began to wonder something: it's not like he was terribly knowledgeable in the ways of sex between men. He knew you could do the deed a number of different positions, but they all required staring at the back of the other man's head.
"Chris?" With all of the older man's experience, with both men and women, maybe he knew.... "Is there another way ta do this?"
"A man ain't got but the one option, Vin," he reminded the tracker of the obvious.
"I mean, another position?"
"We done it on the bed, against the wall, on the table, and over the hitching rail. That ain't enough positions for you?" Chris said as he sunk down onto his belly, realizing Vin was too distracted at the moment to continue with his task at hand. "I suppose we could try the water trough..." he added, grinning as he rolled onto his back.
Vin leaned over his partner and kissed him. "I mean, like this," he whispered, and then kissed him again, this time harder, deeper. "Face ta face."
Chris thought about it a moment. "Ain't something I ever really thought about before, least not with another man."
Vin nodded his disappointment. It was only so that he would to be able to show JD something a little more useful — with women — should he ever want to knock boots again. And, he had been hoping, just a little, for something right now that wouldn't remind him so much about his night with the kid. He was here with Chris, and he wanted to be here with Chris, completely.
There he found a moist recess that Vin had lacked. It was soft, with many folds. He encouraged her to spread her legs wider as his fingers continued to explore. There was a small nub there, similar to her nipples; no, more like just the tip of a very small penis, he decided. He nudged it with his fingertip, and then smiled when Casey squirmed just a bit. He plied his tongue to it next, as he had done to Vin's much larger organ. There wasn't anything to take into his mouth, but she tasted sweet to him, so he continued to move his tongue over the fleshy folds. She squirmed more, almost pushing herself up against his tongue and lips, as she let out a small moan.
His fingers moved down and back, to where Vin's testicles had been; she was missing those, as well. Instead he found more folds, but to his delight, he discovered what they were hiding: a wonderfully moist hole, into which he promptly stuck his finger.
Casey jerked suddenly, tensing, and JD froze. Words sounded clearly in the back of his head: "Mind how the other person reacts." Then he remembered his reaction when Vin had done something similar to him. Without removing his finger, he stopped and waited for Casey to relax, which she did a few moments later widening her legs even more as she did so. Taking this as an invitation to continue, he pushed his finger in a little further — unlike Vin's anus, this opening was very soft, very yielding — he didn't imagine he would need any neat's-foot oil, as he had with Vin. He removed all but the tip of his finger in order to add another before reentering her.
He felt her hands tangle in his thick hair as he continued to move his tongue over the odd little nub. He ran one hand up her thigh, then over her stomach, feeling the quickening of her breath as her belly rose and fell. Like his encounter with Vin, this was all new territory to him; unsure of himself, he didn't know if he liked the responsibility of taking the lead, but, at least for now, Casey seemed happy to let him have it, so he didn't have much choice.
Still, in a way, he knew he could proceed on instinct. In hindsight, much of what Vin had showed him seemed to be a bit obvious, what to touch, how to touch it, how much pressure, how much movement and how quick. He took a deep breath, trying to remember to just let things happen. What had Vin said? "Yer not gonna have any fun if she's havin' a lousy time." And, well, Casey seemed to be enjoying the attention.
Still, he felt an aching — literally, a throbbing — in his loins. He'd felt it the night before with Vin, and he remembered what he'd done to ease the growing tension. He removed his fingers from inside Casey, which caused her to sit up on her elbows to look at him. Her eyes looked sleepy as she stared, silently asking him why he'd stopped. He didn't know how to explain it to her, but he had to do the only thing he knew how, so he encouraged her to roll over, then he lifted her off her belly and onto her hands and knees.
They weren't on a soft bed, he knew, and the grassy ground was not all that forgiving, so he realized he would have to be gentle. With his own knee, he encouraged her to spread her legs, and then he kneeled between her calves. About a few inches shorter than himself, Casey seemed to be just the right height at her hips to allow him easy entry from behind, easier than it had been with Vin, who was that much taller than JD.
He ran his hands down her back and over her bottom while she patiently waited for, probably, she knew not what — JD wasn't positive himself. From where he was kneeling, he saw two ports of entry. One he knew all too well from his encounter with Vin — it was a tight space, requiring much oil, which he didn't have on hand. The other opening he'd just discovered — it was warm, moist, and supple. He continued to hesitate. Casey looked back at him from under her arm.
His first thought was to go with what he knew best, but reason countermanded him. Without the neat's-foot oil, he feared he might hurt Casey, and that was definitely something he did not want to do. So, he went with the only other option.
Vin just looked at him. "I got choices?" Vin asked, eager to learn from his more experienced lover.
Chris smiled. "A few, I think. Let's just try this...." He rolled Vin off of himself, then he scrunched up his knees like a woman giving birth and motioned for Vin to kneel in front of him.
Vin got the idea and eagerly moved into position, but they quickly discovered the angles were all wrong — what worked with a woman, worked because she was made differently. But, thinking quickly, Vin grabbed a pillow and, as Chris lifted his hips as high as he could, the tracker slipped the pillow beneath him.
"A little better," he informed the gunslinger, then pressed himself forward, trying to insert his cock inside the other man. "No, I still kin't quite reach ya."
It was then Chris's turn to try something. With the pillow still in place, he moved one leg up to rest it on Vin's shoulder, and then he moved the other. Vin could immediately see an improvement in the angle of access, but he asked, "That comfortable?"
"For the moment, but I don't think I'd like to stay this way all day."
Vin took the hint, first rubbing his hands over the greased area between Chris's legs, then, again, inserting a few fingers to prime him for entry. Chris moved his hips up slightly, into Vin's hand, driving the fingers deeper into his rectum. Vin could see that he was smiling. He smiled back. He liked this angle, a lot.
He then scooted just a little bit forward, holding onto Chris's hips for guidance. The tip of his penis contacted the pucker of skin, but would not penetrate. Vin was disappointed for a moment — everything had looked so promising — but he was determined not to give up. He moved his hands in between his partner's thighs again — but with Chris's legs resting on his shoulders, this wasn't the most comfortable of positions, he had to admit, but he wouldn't have to stay this way very long if.... He moved two and then three fingers into Chris again, thrusting them in and out easily and fairly quickly. Then, as he pulled those fingers free, he used his other hand to guide his penis into the now-primed hole. Once halfway in, Vin moved his hands back to Chris's hips and pulled himself forward until both their pelvises were in full contact.
There was a light grimace on Chris's face, and Vin asked, "Does it hurt?"
"Not really," Chris replied, and then he laughed a little. "Ain't never seen the other man's expressions during this before. Guess it's gonna be kind of strange."
Vin smiled. "Might be easier ta tell what ya like and what ya don't," he offered and Chris didn't disagree.
Vin pulled nearly out then slowly thrust in again, he watched Chris's features relax and then tense again. "Ya don't like this."
"Ain't that. Just the different angle, I guess. Feels ... different. I think you're deeper than usual. And you were pretty deep before. Just go slow until I get used to it." Vin knew he was long, like Chris, but a little wider, more like JD; Chris had called it the perfect combination, but he couldn't help wondering what JD would call it, if he ever got it inside him.
Vin moved gently in and out of his partner several times, noting with each thrust how the tension on Chris's face lessened. Until finally, Chris started to smile up at him, saying, "Now, that's starting to feel real nice."
Fully engulfed, he paused to revel in the incredible sensations, which were different than he'd felt with Vin.
Vin had been so much harder to enter, to begin with — he was so tight that JD now couldn't imagine that he'd been able to enter at all. And the heat, the physical temperature, and been much higher, like someone had tightly wrapped a streaming towel around his shaft. In contrast, Casey was ... softer, more pliable, like warm pudding, and he enjoyed the easy gliding he now began, in and out of her.
But then he thought about Casey; he didn't know how these movements felt to her — Vin hadn't returned the favor last night, so he had no way of even guessing. Still, he remembered what Vin had encouraged him to do while he'd been buried inside the man.
JD moved his hand down and around Casey's hip, but there was no organ there to capture and caress, as there had been with Vin. Still, JD remembered Casey's earlier reaction to his probing of the folds of flesh, so he moved his hand over her curly hairs and between, immediately brushing against her small nub. She let out a deep moan, which JD took as encouragement.
As he continued to thrust inside of her, he used that same momentum to move his hand forward and back between her folds. At times she would move her hips forward, pressing her flesh into his hand, while at other times, she would arch her back, forcing his penis deeper inside of her. He couldn't tell which movement was giving her the most pleasure and he was loathe to move his hand away just in case, but he could feel a weakening beginning in his knees as he began to draw near to spilling his seed.
He waited as long as he could, and, just before he decided he needed the extra support of his hand on her hip, she cried out, pressing her flesh hard against his hand. He pressed back, trying to keep his fingers moving forward and back as they had been, but she was tensing and squirming, making it very difficult in their current position.
Her breath was coming in loud gasps now and then she cried out again. A moment later, he felt her whole body tense, and then relax slightly — she finally reached back to push his fingers away.
Vin continued to thrust inside Chris, using his own momentum to move his hand along the man's rock-hard shaft. Chris even reached up to tease Vin's nipples, which was a pleasant surprise, though it reminded him the man couldn't easily reach his testicles. Trade offs no matter how you do it, he thought. And no matter whom you do it with, he added.
Still, it was far, far better than doing it alone, Vin quickly reminded himself as he continued to work Chris in every way he could. As their breaths came quicker, so did Vin's thrusts. Chris suddenly dropped his hands from the tracker's chest to the blanket, which he scrunched up tightly in his fists. Vin turned his attention to the man's face and saw his eyes squint tightly shut and grimacing lips stretch across his teeth. A moment later, Vin felt the muscles in Chris's anus clamp down on his penis. He heard a long, ragged gasp from the man as his hips thrust up, forcing his shaft hard into Vin's hand just as a stream of opalescent white jism shot from the tip to land in the faintly-strawberry hair which covered his chest. Chris relaxed just a bit, but then thrust his hips up once, and then twice more, each time milking out more of his seed, which now dripped onto his belly.
Spent, Chris allowed his hips to rest back down on the pillows. Vin smiled down at his partner, who still had his eyes closed, his head lulled to the side, basking in the after-glow.
One final thrust and he felt that he could no longer support his own weight. Casey seemed to sense this, too, and she lowered herself to the ground, almost carrying JD with her. He rolled off of her as soon as he could and the two then just lay there in the sun, skin glistening with sweat and their breath coming fast from the exertion.
With a tired hand, he reached over to stroke Casey's hair, which caused her to turn her head and look at him. They smiled, and then JD saw her heavy eyes wink shut, just a moment before his own did the same.
He immediately resumed his thrusting — slowly at first, knowing how sensitive his partner's body would be after cumming, but then more quickly as his own urgency caused his nerves to spark.
Vin's hands clenched the other man's hips fiercely as the orgasm broke over him — every fiber within him alive as his whole existence seemed to rush down from his head, spurting out of his shaft and into his willing partner. He thrust again into the man, but the effort was almost painful as another wave over took him.
He clung to Chris, wanting him, needing him.
As the sensation of release began to fade, so did the world around him — all thoughts of the town, of JD, of everything, gone, except Chris who still lay beneath him, happy to be pleasured by him, content to be, for that moment, possessed by him.
Vin eased himself down on top of Chris, then the two rolled onto their sides, arms and legs tangled about each other, both drifting off.
"Did we do it right?" she asked.
JD nodded; at least he thought they had.
"I mean," she continued, biting her lip. "This was my first time. Was it yers?"
He didn't know how to answer her. He couldn't very well ignore what he'd done with Vin last night, but did that count? Hell, he wouldn't have had the first clue what to do with Casey if not for Vin. But, he didn't think she'd understand if he told her, so he simply replied, "I've never been with a girl before."
This seemed to satisfy her as she snuggled closer to JD, resting her head on his shoulder and laying her arm across his chest. He wanted to look at her body again, but didn't feel it was right to ask her to roll onto her back. He supposed he'd get another look when she dressed. Or, the next time they did this — if there was a next time.
Almost as if she'd read his thoughts, she asked, "Wanna meet up fer a ride tomorrow?"
"Do ya mean a ride, or a tumble?"
She shrugged a little, and then smiled shyly.
Vin knew right from wrong, and, out numbered, he probably would have been killed trying to save Nathan's life that day so many months ago had it not been for Chris. As soon as their eyes met across that wide, dusty street, there had been a connection between them — a silent communication that had allowed the two strangers to work side-by-side, like a well-oiled machine.
Somehow, Vin knew, even before they had exchanged names, that theirs would be a long-term partnership — though he didn't realize the extent of the truth until they found themselves defending the Seminoles. It could have just been a close, working relationship, or even a deep friendship, but sitting alone with Chris on that ridge at sunset, things had become clear to both of them.
Vin had a price on his head and, by telling Chris to collect it should he die, he had, in essence, proclaimed the man his next of kin. Chris took the offer seriously and in the spirit it was intended. They ended that evening in each other's arms, both men spent, having put every ounce of loneliness, pent-up frustration, and desire into their coupling. It had been so intense that Vin had since wondered how they both hadn't died right there.
Still, they were men, and they knew monogamy could only be expected of wives. Chris always turned to the whores when thoughts of Sarah plagued him too hard. Vin mostly kept to himself, feeling secure in the isolation. But there hadn't been many other men between them — Vin suspected Buck and Chris at first, but then he got to know Buck and now the thought just made him laugh. It didn't seem to matter, really. They both knew how they felt and how the other felt about him — like that first day, they still had little need for more than a look to know what was between them. There was no jealousy, just sex, and damn fine sex at that. And love, as best as one man can love another with their being no blood between them.
Just then, Chris's eyes fluttered open and squinted for a moment before he smiled at Vin. Vin smiled back, and then kissed him. Chris's hands snaked down to capture Vin's buttocks, giving the near cheek a squeeze.
A sly smile began to toy with the corners of Vin's mouth. "Now, what were you sayin' 'bout a water trough?"
As they dressed, JD couldn't help but imagine Casey and Caroline, face-to-face. He knew Casey wouldn't say anything — she couldn't — but he could picture her giving Caroline a smug smile, driving the other woman to distraction trying to figure out why plain, little Casey Wells could possibly be feeling in the least bit superior!
JD, himself, knew there was something he was supposed to do today, but, for the life of him, he couldn't remember what. He shrugged as he pulled on his vest, buttoning each of the buttons, then realizing he'd missed one and having to start all over again. Casey laughed, but he didn't mind. She had grass stuck all in her hair, so he imagined he could only look worse.
She reached over, shyly at first, to help him with his buttons and he casually pulled the green blades free from her hair, managing to kiss the top of her head while she was concentrating on the vest's lower buttons. She handed him his jacket, then, once he'd put it on, she slipped her arms around his waist, and looked up at him, smiling.
JD recalled the first day he had met Casey. Man alive, she had gotten on his nerves — every last one. He couldn't have predicted that they would have ended up friends, let alone.... Hmm, what were they now? he wondered. Lovers, he guessed. Did that make him and Vin lovers, too?
Though he'd done it with both of them within the past twenty-four hours, JD didn't know if he was actually in love with either one of them. But he liked them both just fine: Vin was a good man, good with a gun, fought on the right side of the law, and had earned not only JD's respect, but the respect of the other five men hired to defend this town; Casey, on the other hand, was just plain fun to be with and — despite her claims that she could out ride, shoot, and spit him, and the fact that she did an excellent job of keeping his ego in check — she made him feel like she appreciated him being around, that she wanted protecting, and that she needed him to be strong, so that she didn't always have to be — similar to his feelings for Buck, knowing he'd be there to watch your back, if you ever needed him to.
Buck, that was it! JD remembered. He was supposed to do something for Buck, or was it with Buck? Hmmm. He shook his head to clear it, thinking never again would he get as drunk as he'd gotten last night.
Casey stood up on her toes and JD instinctively bent down the remaining distance to kiss her. She felt so good in his arms, he mused, so small and soft — still, Vin's arms around him had felt nice, too.
It was then that he remembered something else. JD dug in all his pockets until he found where he'd stuff it. Finally, his fingers touched the soft cloth and he pulled it out. Casey looked at him curiously as he held it up to his nose, almost disappointed that the distinctive scent it had held that very morning had faded completely away. Still, it was his — Vin's — and now, instead of wanting to burn it, he wanted Casey to have it. Holding the opposite corners, he rotated the brown fabric until it formed itself into a neat rope, then he looped it around Casey's neck, tying a small knot under her chin to secure it.
"Would ya wear this next time we meet up?" he asked. He knew he wanted to remember this day with Casey, and, he had decided, he didn't want to forget his night with Vin.
Casey nodded her head and smiled as she fingered the material around her neck.
"We better get goin'—" But JD's words were cut off by the sound of nearby twigs breaking. Someone was approaching and none too quietly.
JD drew his gun with his left hand as he pushed Casey toward her horse with his right. He signaled for her to mount up and stay out of sight. Then, confident that she was going to do as he'd instructed, JD pushed himself against the large tree which shaded the area, then eased his way around the trunk, his gun raised up next to his ear, handy, should the need arise.
He heard more twigs crack, this time accompanied by distinct footfalls that sounded like they belonged to a horse. JD peered cautiously around the tree, trying to surreptitiously catch a glimpse of the intruder.
"Buck," he said, stepping out into the open while holstering his gun. "What're ya doin' here?"
"I was worried about ya, kid," the older man said, as he leaned back in his saddle, tucking his hand casually into his waistband — which had always seemed to JD like a damn-fool, cocky thing for a man to do. But, that pretty much summed up Buck, or so JD had reasoned. "I couldn't find ya anywhere in town."
"That's 'cuz I wasn't," JD said, trying hard not to sound annoyed as he stated the obvious.
"Well, now, I kin see that, kin't I?" It was Buck who was getting a bit defensive. "I was just worried when ya didn't turn up fer our fishin' expedition—"
"Oh, Buck. I'm sorry. I completely forgot! Is it too late? Could we go now?" JD said, probably a little to quickly, as he straightened his coat.
"Yeah, we kin still go, it ain't that late," the man said, looking down on his young friend. "But, are ya sure yer up to it? Ya look flushed. And that was quite the mess ya left in the street this mornin'."
"Yeah, guess it was. Too much liquor, not enough dinner, I reckon," he tried to casually explain.
"I didn't mean just that. What the hell did ya clobber Vin fer?"
JD raised his eyebrows and put his hand to his chin in thought. He knew Casey was still behind those bushes, out of sight, but well within earshot. Not to mention Buck! He had no idea how the man would react, but it was bound to be worse than telling Nettie Wells what he had just done to her niece.
Buck was liable to just fly off the handle — he might blame it all on Vin, as JD had ignorantly done that very morning — and whatever damage JD had done to the tracker would be mild in comparison to what Buck would surely do. Or, Buck might just swing down off that horse of his and pummel the shit out of JD. Or, worse, he'd just turn his back, ride off, and never speak to him again. No, he couldn't tell Buck. There'd be no way to explain it, not so that he'd understand, especially when JD didn't understand it all himself.
"I told ya, Buck. Too much liquor. We just had a misunderstandin'. No big deal. Really."
"Well, that's what I figured," Buck replied, much to the kid's relief. "Vin musta knew he had it comin' or he wouldn'ta just stood there and taken it. What he'd do, help ya drink all yer whiskey then stick ya with the tab?"
JD smiled, "Yeah, somethin' like that. Wait here, I gotta go get my horse."
The kid ducked around the tree, to where Casey was waiting with their horses. As he approached, he held his finger up to his lips, reminding her to still be quiet. He then placed his hand on her thigh and she bent down from her seat in the saddle to exchange a quick kiss. He then took the reins of his own horse from her, mounted, and then rode back to join Buck, knowing she knew enough to wait until they were out of sight before she headed off.
"Okay, Buck," JD said and the two headed toward the road. "Say, ya mind if we head back to town, 'stead of goin' to the lake? I couldn't stomach anything this mornin', but now I'm awfully hungry."
Buck acquiesced, "A boy like yerself shouldn't be skippin' meals — ya wanna grow up to be big and strong like ol' Buck, don't ya?" He grinned at the younger man.
"I ain't no boy, Buck. I done told ya that, and I ain't gonna tell ya again."
The older man held up his hands in surrender. "Well, that's man talk if I ever heard it. Fair enough." The two rode on, JD listening intently, trying not to smile overly much, as Buck related his latest adventure of the unconquerable Miss Anya Gunderson, daughter of the local hotel owner.
Vin nodded, though he was loath to remove himself from Chris's embrace.
He had slept the mid-day away in the man's bed, knowing he had drawn evening patrol of the town. He'd woke several times to the sound of hammering outside, but it didn't take much for him to fall back into a deep, dreamless slumber. He hadn't realized how much the past twenty-four hours had taken out of him.
Chris had joined him again as the day grew into afternoon, but it was an easy coupling this time: slow and languid, with both men lying on their sides. He had entered Chris from behind, saving another face-to-face encounter for the water-trough. Without seeing Chris's face, he'd again thought of his one time with JD. He wondered what it would feel like to enter the young man: would he be tighter than Chris, hotter? And would he as readily find the sweet spot inside JD, as he did with Chris, being able to maintain contact as he rocked gently back and forth, driving him wild with building tension?
He hadn't come with JD inside him — that hadn't been their focus last night. They'd been concentrating on JD — but that still didn't keep Vin from wanting the experience. He'd never thought about it with Chris. He enjoyed entering the older man, spilling his seed deep inside as Chris bucked beneath him with his own release. But now he suddenly wondered what it might be like. Would his orgasm be long and dizzying as Chris's slow thrusts culminated in one long, deep drive? Or would it be fast and explosive as Chris pounded into him with passionate aggression?
Vin sighed, as he finally extricated himself from Chris's arms. He used a rag to wipe himself off, and then dressed, all while the older man watched, leaning up on his elbows in the comfort of his own bed.
"What are you going to say to JD when you see him?" Chris asked as Vin pulled his leggings on, depriving the man of the most interesting view.
"Don't rightly know. S'pose I oughta wait and see what he says ... or what he does," he added as he tongued the inside of his cheek to remind himself of the bruising he'd taken.
"What if he wants to do it again?"
Vin raised his eyebrows at the overly optimistic question, and then he shrugged again.
"Guess I oughta just be asking if you'd wanna do it again?" Chris continued.
"Why? Would ya mind?" he inquired with a grin. "Or are ya wonderin' if the kid's fair game?"
Chris laughed at both remarks. Vin knew the man was confident enough in himself not to be the jealous type. "I can't rightly imagine myself with JD," the gunslinger explained, shifting his position and inadvertently giving Vin an unobstructed view of his now-flaccid member. "Whenever I look at him, he makes me wonder what sort of man Adam would have grown up to be, if he'd had the chance."
Vin wanted to hug Chris at that very moment, but didn't. The man's life with his wife and son was over, all dead and buried — he never had been able to give him any relief from that pain, but, then, Chris never really wanted him to.
"I guess what I'm really saying is, JD's more your age. I'd probably have a hard time keeping up with him."
Vin grinned. "Hey, I ain't that young, and you ain't that old."
"But it feels like it sometimes, at least to me."
He brushed down his horse and got him all squared away with feed in his stall before he crossed the wide, dirt street and entered the grocery store. He didn't visit this shop often — rarely had the need — but he loved it when he did. Vin marveled at all the early summer produce — all the different colors and shapes of the fruits and vegetables — and just about died when he neared the rack holding Mrs. Bucklin's freshly baked breads. He selected two small loaves, paying cash as usual, then made his way back outside, heading for the sheriff's office to await Ezra's return from the day's patrol.
But turning the corner out the door, Vin nearly crashed into Casey who was hurrying along the boardwalk. He had to juggle the bread to keep from losing the loaves.
Casey giggled as she apologized, holding her hands out to catch the bread should either loaf fall from his tentative grasp. "I sure am sorry, Vin. I'm just rushin' ta git home. Nettie'll have my hide if I'm late fer dinner again."
"That's okay, I've got 'em," Vin assured her as he managed to nestle the bread into the security of his arms. Then he looked down at the little girl, making sure to smile so she would know he wasn't upset. "Ya be sure ta give my hellos ta yer aunt..." he said, before being render speechless by what he noticed hanging around the girl's neck.
It was a bandanna. Plain as that. Brown in color. With the one corner frayed almost beyond repair. It was HIS bandanna. The one he'd left for JD, in case the young man had wanted to remember their evening together. What the heck was Casey doing with it? he wondered as he stood there staring while she waved good-bye before running off toward the livery.
Then he came to the only possible conclusion that he could: JD had given it to her. But why? Then something dawned on him. Could it be for the same reason he'd given it to JD? As a memento? Had JD spent the day with Casey as he'd spent it with Chris?
He'd kill the kid!
Casey was just a little girl! He hadn't meant for JD to go and do something stupid like that! You don't bed virgins, it just isn't done! Not female virgins, anyway, he corrected himself, realizing that he had, in essence, stolen JD's innocence the night before.
Then other questions briefly flashed into his head — had he forced her? Done it out of anger over what Vin had done to him? To prove that he wasn't attracted to men? But he quickly dismissed all of them. He knew JD better than this. If he and Casey had lain together, they'd both been willing partners.
Still, it was odd to think of JD being with anyone else now, knowing he'd been the kid's first. As he made his way over to the jail, he wondered for the countless time if JD would ever even speak to him again.
Not a moment later, JD stepped out of the sheriff's office, sharply closing the door behind him and placing himself directly in the sharpshooter's path.
Vin immediately noticed that JD had his coat dangling from one of his gun handles — the other gun was hidden behind his palm, his thumb being hooked casually into his belt. Except maybe for the tightness of his mouth and the set of his eyes, the kid wasn't even trying to look intimidating.
"JD," Vin greeted the young man with a small nod.
"Evenin'," was his only reply. Then the kid broke eye contact and stared down at the boards of the walkway. "Look, I'm, ah, sorry ... for sluggin' ya this mornin'."
Vin cracked a half-smile, but JD didn't look up to see it. "Reckon I deserved it. I'm sorry if I let things go too far."
"Fair enough," JD said, meeting the tracker's eyes again.
"I, ah, ran inta Casey just now," Vin added, knowing he probably wouldn't get another opportunity to bring this up. "How'd it go?"
There was surprise in JD's eyes, though the tracker could see he was trying to hide it, but then realization dawned: Vin would have been the only one to recognize the bandanna, he imagined JD thinking, and it wouldn't be obvious to anyone else. The kid relaxed slightly, leaning on the handle of his one exposed gun.
Then he shrugged, "Okay, I guess. Women certainly are differ'nt, though."
It was Vin's turn to be surprised. "Differ'nt? That's all?"
JD nodded. "Yup. Just differ'nt," he added, and then stepped into the street like he was heading for the saloon.
A smile tugged at the corner of Vin's mouth as he let out a breath of air. Then he grinned as he opened the door to the jail and stepped inside.
He was again surprised when he saw Buck sitting with his feet propped up on top of the sheriff's desk. "Ya pass JD on yer way in?" Buck asked, looking up from the stack of wanted posters he was leafing through.
Vin nodded, alert, unsure of what the man might have discovered since his visit out to Chris's place earlier that day.
"Boy's actin' mighty funny, if ya ask me," Buck stated, rising suddenly to his feet.
Vin fought the powerful urge to go for his gun, instead forcing himself to wait it out, see where this was heading.
He didn't seem to notice the tracker tense as he casually tossed the posters down onto the desk, and then moved toward the door.
"Kin't quite figure that young'un out," Buck added with the shake of his head before grabbing his hat off the hook and sliding it into place. "Still, I'm sure whatever it is, a good lay would set him ta rights again."
Buck banged the office door closed behind him, leaving Vin alone in the office. For the second time in as many minutes, the tracker had to fight an almost over-powering urge, this time to laugh out loud.
Please do NOT repost this story anywhere outside of the Blackraptor Fiction Website.Special thanks to my beta readers for all of their wonderful help and encouragement!
Characters from "The Magnificent Seven," were used without permission and this story in no way signifies support of or affiliation with The Mirisch Group, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment, or CBS Worldwide, Inc. The story itself and any non-Magnificent Seven characters belong to the author. This story will not be sold for any reason.