AS  THOUGHTS  STRAY by C.V. Puerro

The afternoon air was pleasantly warm and the pair had worked up a sweat on their ride — their race, actually — out to the pond.

"So, hand me my pole," JD asked as he undid his gun belt and hooked it around the horn of his saddle. But all the girl did was gasp. "What's wrong, Casey?" He came rushing around his horse to her side, but when she saw his face she just started giggling.

"What's so funny?" he furrowed his brow indignantly, thinking for some reason she was laughing at him.

Casey shook her head as she tried to stifle the laughter. Finally, she said between gasps for air, "I ... forgot ... the poles!"

"Great!" JD fumed with his hands on his hips. "Just great. Ya get me all the way out here with my hopes up for an afternoon of fishin' and then ya forget the damn poles. And now yer laughin' 'bout it. Well, I'll tell ya somethin', Casey: it ain't funny."

JD stormed off toward the pond and a moment later Casey came running after him, apologizing between giggles. "I'm real sorry, JD. I didn't mean ta fergit the poles. I just got ta thinkin' 'bout somethin' else and—"

But her excuses were cut off when JD turned on her, grabbing her about the waist and then tossing her into the pond. He then dove in after her.

She splashed him with water and he swam after her, trying to catch her again. But she was like a little fish and kept slipping out of his tenuous grasp. Finally, he just gave up.

She turned around and noticed him just treading water, so she cautiously returned to him. But when she was a mere four feet away, JD disappeared under the water.

He had been carefully taking in larger and larger breaths of air, as quietly as he could so that Casey wouldn't notice, and now he was able to hold his breath easily as he grasped at the weeds along the bottom of the pond, using them as hand holds to keep himself submerged as he maneuvered his way under Casey.

Looking up, JD could see her feet kicking about as she both tried to keep herself afloat and to turn around to search for him.

He positioned himself carefully, pulling himself into a crouch, and then finally launching himself off the bottom. He came up just behind her and grabbed her around the waist. She screeched with fright and then laughter as she struggled to get free. But he wouldn't let her go.

He was now laughing as hard as she was and Casey was able to twist in his arms before he realized it and tightened his grip once again. But they were now face-to-face, mere inches separating them.

Casey giggled then gasped for air, but JD just stared. He'd forgotten how perfectly she fit in his arms. How soft and petite and wonderful to the touch. He pressed his lips to hers and reveled in their delicate taste.

As the now-still pair began to slowly sink down into the water, Casey began to struggle. And finally, JD had to let her go, to prevent them both from drowning. Casey immediately swam for the shore and JD watched her go for a minute before following her.

"What were ya tryin' ta do? Drown me?" she fumed when they'd both reached land.

"I was tryin' ta kiss ya," JD countered with the truth. "Why ya gotta make things so hard?" Then he laughed to himself. He knew the bickering was just Casey's way of dealing with a situation she wasn't entirely comfortable with, but the fact of the matter was, she had made things hard. One thing, anyway, and JD squirmed slightly as his wet pants clung awkwardly to his swollen manhood.

She turned away then, seeking refuge beneath a wide willow tree, before stripping out of her sodden jacket, vest, and shoes.

JD stripped where he was, like Casey, leaving his shirt and pants on, despite the fact that they were just as wet as everything else. He then pushed his long hair off his face and moved to join her. "Is this seat taken?" he smiled.

This was enough to break the tension between them and she shook her head, no. JD then plopped down next to her and leaned back against the tree trunk.

It was the first time they'd kissed in a month, since the day they'd actually made love, not far up the shore from here. They had agreed after that to take things slower, all of the feelings between them having become just too complicated. But slower to Casey meant back to the way things had been — fishing trips, horseback rides, but no sparking.

JD had been okay with that — he had Vin to keep him occupied when the urges came on him — but what he was feeling now had nothing to do with Vin. He'd been with that man not twelve hours before, so he knew what those urges felt like and he knew that he'd satisfied them. This was different. This was Casey. Sweet, innocent, little Casey, whom he could pick up in his arms and hold and protect if he wanted to.

He reached out now and gently touched her wrist. She glanced over and smiled at him, so he took her hand in his. And they just sat there for a long time in the dappled sunlight, fingers entwined, resting against the tree.

JD wondered what it felt like to be in love. He wondered if it was the type of thing that would happen in a flash, like a powder explosion, or if it would slowly creep in, like the early morning dawn until you finally realized the dark had completely disappeared.

He wondered how he would know.

"How ya feelin'?" the healer asked as the man set aside his empty soup bowl.

Buck nodded, "Better. I'll be outta yer way real soon."

"No need ta rush, Buck. You'll leave when yer better."

Again he nodded, knowing Nathan was usually right about these things, even if the fellas were sometimes too busy, or too pig-headed, to listen to him.

"Since yer feelin' better, though, I'll go see if Josiah's around like ya asked." Nathan pulled his hat on, and then left closed the clinic door shut behind him.

Buck pulled the covers a little closer, the air in the room cooling slightly as the sun continued to fall into afternoon. He had to speak to Josiah about these dreams he was having. Tolerance or no, they were going to drive him mad if he didn't find a way to stop them.

A firm knock came on the door just as it was eased open. The imposing preacher filled the entryway.

"Josiah," Buck smiled. "I'm so glad ya came."

"Nathan said you needed to talk."

He crossed over to the chair beside the bed and sat down, folding his hands in his lap.

"I keep havin' these dreams," Buck began immediately. "It started with what I witnessed last night, but ... it's so much worse now. I ... I'm afraid ta close my eyes, but I kin't seem ta keep 'em open." He reached out and grabbed the man's sleeve. "Ya gotta help me, Josiah," Buck pleaded as tears filled his eyes.

The preacher nodded. "I'm here, Buck."

Buck closed his eyes. It was all so painful, but maybe if he could make the preacher understand. "I keep thinkin' 'bout what I saw. It ain't right, Josiah. Two men bein' like that. And why would they wanna, with all these pretty women 'round? Why would a man's thoughts wonder ta another man? Why would he crave that firm touch? That rough beard?"

Josiah waited but Buck had stopped talking. "I reckon there just ain't enough females to go around in these parts. Seems only natural that a man would find a way to satisfy his urges one way or another."

Buck had to agree with this, but wasn't that why God gave a man arms long enough to reach and hands strong enough to complete the task?

"And, I suppose a man might be attracted to a man the same way a woman would be. Love is a complex thing that few ever understand, despite, sometimes, a lifetime of trying."

Buck nodded. He himself knew the truth of it. He'd spent his entire life searching for it, in the arms of every pretty woman who'd have him, but it remained elusive.

Josiah reached over and put his large hand on Buck's shoulder. "If you seek comfort, Buck, you will find it. If you seek companionship, it is here. If you seek love, well, join the congregation — it's all around you."

Josiah then moved his hand gently down to pat Buck's arm. "I'm here for you, Buck."

Buck nodded again, feeling a little relief from his fears just from this man's company. But then Josiah moved his hand over to Buck's chest, slipping it inside his loose shirt, tangling in the chest hairs briefly before following their trail down to Buck's thicker tuft of hair, on top of which rested his suddenly lively erection.

Josiah wrapped his strong fingers around the shaft, which seemed to swell within his grasp. Buck was a large man and his member reflected this — he was long and solid, like a bull, and few were capable of holding him as completely as Josiah was.

The man began to move his hand up and down the thick shaft, giving rise to moans deep within Buck's throat. The sensations were like nothing he'd ever felt before. No woman had ever held him that way, so firmly, so expertly, and even his own hands could not compare to the feeling this learned man was arousing within him.

"Josiah," he called out as the tension within his loins began to build.

"I'm still here, Buck," Josiah said as he leaned forward in his chair, placing a firm hand on Buck's shoulder. "Just waiting for you to start telling me about those dreams."

JD left Casey at the road to her aunt's farm. They hadn't done anything else that afternoon besides laze under that willow tree. It had been nice, but JD's thoughts had begun to stray to last night with Vin. Again, he'd been drunk, and the memories weren't as clear as they might be, but he knew full well what had happened and how it made him feel.

He knew he had to go talk to Buck. He couldn't imagine what Buck might be thinking right now.

Buck was the best friend he ever had, and he had wanted to confide in him about Vin, but just didn't know broach the subject. Certainly JD never wanted the man to find out like he did. Not seeing Vin's cock buried deep in his mouth!

And while Buck was one to let people tend to their own business, it was quite another to expect him to just accept what he'd seen. JD began to steel himself against the man's certain disappointment, confusion, and anger. Hell, all the emotions he'd felt the morning after his first time with Vin.

But he'd have to make Buck understand. He'd just have to. He couldn't stand to lose Buck. Of everyone he'd ever met, Buck was the one person he never wanted to hurt. What would he do without that man's companionship, support, and love?

JD spurred his horse towards town. Yes, he needed to talk to Buck, right away.

"It's been quieter than a cat wearin' mittens, Chris," Vin said, from astride his horse, checking in with his replacement who was standing just outside the sheriff's office.

The older man nodded as he checked his weapon before re-holstering it. "I can handle quiet."

Vin smiled. "Me, too. That's why I was wonderin' if ya'd mind, ya know, me headin' out ta yer place fer the evenin'."

"As long as your still there when I get in."

"Oh, I plan ta be," the tracker flashed a wide grin, something he'd lately been doing a lot of — since being with JD, he suddenly noted.

Then, touching the edge of his brim, he turned his horse and slowly jogged out of town.

During the ride to Chris's shack, Vin had plenty of time to ponder the multitude of feelings that seemed to be coursing through him recently. Chris and JD were just so different — like night and day — that he hoped he'd never have to decide between the two.

But then there had been his dream last night. It was hard to recall when it had happened — either before or after his third time with JD, he was pretty sure. Vin'd dozed off and there was Chris, standing before him. The man brushed a wayward strand of long hair off Vin's face before gently smiling. Stripped of every stitch of clothing including his hat, Chris's eyes had stood out and they were radiant: green, like the water of a clear, shallow pond.

He then saw Chris's beautiful lips move and, as if from somewhere else, his muffled voice sounded, "I love you."

As Chris stepped towards him, he replied, "I love you, too," but then Vin's memories of the vision blurred and he could no longer recall the details to mind.

"I love you," Vin now said aloud. He felt like the words should echo back to him, but they didn't. They merely disappeared into the growing darkness of the evening, leaving him feeling hollow, empty.

He continued to ride, not able to shake the feeling of loneliness that had suddenly overcome him, which seemed to consume him. He almost didn't hear the approaching hoof beats until it was too late.

But he drew and cocked his gun in time to see the figure round the far bend. It was too dark to determine who it was, so he slowed his horse and waited for the rider to near.

"Who's there?" the man said, and Vin holstered his sawed-off Winchester in relief.

"JD. It's me: Vin."

"Patrol shouldn't take ya way out here. There trouble?" the young man asked the tracker.

"Nope. Patrol's long over. Chris's on duty now," Vin replied as JD turned his horse along side his.

"So, where ya headed, if ya don't mind my askin'?"

"Chris's place. He won't be there 'til after midnight," he replied and JD nodded, though Vin could tell he didn't quiet understand. "Just wanted ta git outta town fer a bit, that's all," he said, and it had been true when he'd ridden out of town, but he just wasn't looking forward to the solitude anymore.

Again JD nodded.

"Ya wanna join me fer dinner? Don't think Chris'd mind our scroungin' his food, long as we replaced what we ate."

"Thanks, but I'm headin' back ta town. I really gotta talk ta Buck. I just can't let this go unsettled any longer. I need ta know what he's thinkin'. Find out if he's still my friend."

Now it was Vin's turn to nod. "See ya later, kid," he then said as he nudged his horse back into motion.

JD waved a quick good-bye as he swung his horse around and continued his progress down the road.

"Buck, it's me. I gotta talk ta ya," the kid said and Buck slowly opened his eyes. JD wore a tentative smile. "I gotta explain 'bout last night—"

"How, kid? How could ya do that with Vin?" Buck's features were riddled with pain at the memories of those two together.

"Ain't just Vin I been with."

"Huh?" A sense of dread washed over Buck. He didn't want JD to say another word, was terrified what he would say next, but there seemed to be nothing he could do to stop the kid from speaking.

"I've been with all the fellas: Chris, Ezra, Josiah, even Nathan over there." JD gestured behind him to the small table in the corner where the healer looked up from where he was reading his medical book; the black man gave a tenuous smile and waved.

"No," Buck shook his head. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't. JD was his friend. So were the others. They wouldn't do that to the boy. They wouldn't treat him like that!

"It's true, Buck. But the only one I haven't been with is the only one I really want."

Buck frowned. Who hadn't the kid named? Who was the only one left?

"Buck. It's you," JD finally said as he tore back the bed covers to reveal the man's naked form.

"No," Buck moaned. It couldn't be true. JD couldn't want him like this. Not his friend, not the boy who was like the little brother he'd never had. "It ain't right."

But then he saw JD lean forward and he couldn't do anything to stop him. Buck's hands gripped the sides of the bed frame, causing the wood to groan under the strain, as the kid wrapped his warm mouth around his hard cock.

Buck gritted his teeth against the sensations that now flowed over his body. He couldn't believe how incredibly warm the kid's mouth felt, how soft his tongue was as it flicked beneath the sheath to caress the delicate glans.

Then he felt the kid's fingers move over his skin, one set encircling the base of his long shaft, while the other set began to knead his sac.

"No," Buck moaned again, pressing his head back into the pillow, trying to squirm away from the incredible feelings JD was inflicting upon him.

"No!" He couldn't let this happen. He couldn't allow the kid to touch him in this way. It was wrong. JD was like a brother to him, and no matter how the others might use him, he would not be a party to it.

"NO!" he shouted as he struggled to get away. He felt hands on his shoulder and arm trying to restrain him, but he was a strong man and he twisted free, rolling out of the bed.

He looked about the room, but the kid was gone. It was only Nathan sitting in the chair beside the bed. "No. No, no, no, no, no" — Buck couldn't stop from repeating the word. This was all wrong. All of it.

A split second later, Nathan grabbed for him across the bed, but he missed as Buck sprinted for the door. Tearing the wood panel open, he dashed out onto the balcony, but JD was there, waiting for him.

"Buck? It's me, Buck. What's that matter," the kid said as he stepped toward the man.

"No! I done told ya, I don't want ya like that! Don't ya touch me! Don't do it!" he ordered as he backed away from JD.

"Buck, what's got into ya? I ain't gonna hurt ya," the kid continued, trying to calm the frantic man. JD then glanced briefly to the side and Buck followed his line of sight — Nathan was now standing in the doorway to the clinic.

"Stay back. Both of ya. I mean it," Buck shouted and neither man moved. "Don't come any closer," he ranted as he took another step back, a step away from them.

"Buck, ya gotta calm down," the healer said, in his low, warm voice that usually did so much to soothe the injured and confused. But now it served only to rile his patient.

JD took one hesitant step forward, but that was all Buck needed to set him off. He turned and bolted, but the only thing behind him was the balcony railing, which he toppled over.

Then a sharp pain shot through Buck's body and he screamed from the pain. He tried to roll away, to ease the pressure off his shoulder, but moving only made it worse. He felt suddenly very warm and sick to his stomach, as a white light seemed to close over him like a death shroud.

"Buck, ya okay?" he heard a quiet voice from somewhere off in the distance.

Then another voice, a little closer, but still elusive, out of reach. "Buck, lie still," and he did, but only because he couldn't care anymore. He knew he couldn't run, he couldn't get away, there was nowhere to go.

Then a horrendous pain shot through his body, worse than before, but then there was a sudden relief, and he could feel his heart beat slowing a bit in his chest. When he felt hands on him, he realized he didn't have the energy to panic. Whatever they wanted to do to him, he couldn't fight them anymore.

But all they did was lift him, then support him as he was assisted back upstairs. It was dark, but Buck knew where they were taking him. Back to the clinic.

Inside, he could see again, with the dim light of a single lamp burning in the corner. It was Nathan supporting him on his right and Josiah on his left as they eased him down onto the bed. JD was standing at the foot, his hat in his hands, wringing the life out of the felt as he looked down with worry at his friend.

"I'm sorry, Buck. Please don't hate me. I never meant ta upset ya," the kid pleaded through tear-filled eyes.

"That's enough, son," Josiah finally said.

"Go on, JD. Buck needs his rest now. And don't ya worry: he'll be fine. Ya kin come by and see him tomorrow," Nathan added as he shooed the boy out the door.

The healer then brought over a glass and made Buck drink from it — the contents were strong and bitter and shortly after he felt real tired and, though he feared it, he couldn't stop himself from falling asleep.

The tracker heard the hoof beats minutes before the rider came into view. It was JD and he was being none-too-quiet about his approach to Chris's little plot of land.

Vin waited for him on the porch, lounging easily in the chair Chris kept there and toying with the edge of the hat he held in his hands. He then stood, dropping his hat on the seat, as the kid threw himself out of the saddle. A moment later, JD had his arms tight around the tracker's waist, hugging him with all his might.

"Kid, what's that matter?"

But JD just shook his head that was pressed firmly against Vin's shoulder. So Vin just stood there with the young man in his arms, ever so gently swaying them back and forth, trying to calm him enough so that he could speak.

Vin rubbed the kid's shoulder, and smoothed down the sleek, dark hair that peeked out below the brim of his hat. He then moved them inside the cabin and sat down with JD on the edge of the bed. Finally, he asked, "Kin ya tell me what's wrong now?"

JD pulled back slightly, wiping the silent tears off his cheeks with the back of his hand. Vin's finger caught the stray drops that JD missed.

"It's Buck. Ya shoulda seen him, Vin. I ain't never seen him that upset before. He wouldn't even let me get near him. Told me ta keep back, not ta touch him."

Vin was stunned by this account. This didn't sound at all like Buck Wilmington. He could understand the man being upset by what he'd witnessed last night, but this seemed extreme.

"He had this wild look in his eyes, then — ah, Vin — then he bolted, but there weren't no where to go. He fell right over the railing outside Nathan's clinic." The kid was breathing hard now from the pain of the memories and a few more tears were squeezed out of his red-rimmed eyes.

"Is he okay?" Vin asked desperately and the kid nodded.

He then pulled JD back into his embrace, rocking him gently to calm him. But the kid continued, "I could understand him never wantin' ta lay eyes on me, Vin, after ... but that was fear I saw."

"Shhh," Vin tried to soothe the kid. "That don't sound like Buck. Not the man I've come to know."

"He hates me, Vin. And he's afraid of me 'cuz of what he saw us doin'," JD mumbled as the tears flowed freely from his eyes now.

"It'll be okay. Maybe he's not thinkin' clearly. Maybe his fever's come back. Don't worry, JD. I'll talk with Nathan in the mornin' — we'll git this all worked out."

He continued to rock JD in his arms, just holding him as the kid cried out all his tears.

Buck's feelings had twisted themselves into knots that filled his stomach. He couldn't shake these dreams. He couldn't keep himself awake so as not to dream them.

How could he be thinking of his friends like this? He just wanted to forget, but he didn't know how to ask Nathan if he had some remedy that would clear his head, didn't know how to explain any of this to the man. Not after what happened with Josiah. Not that anything actually happened: it had been another dream. But confessing to the preacher had only seemed to escalate the intensity of the dreams and he couldn't stand the thought of them getting any worse.

It was then that Chris stopped by. Buck overheard him and Nathan talking quietly: "—Pitched himself right over that railin'. It was pure luck that hay wagon had been down there ta break his fall, though he banged up his shoulder pretty bad. Kin't figure what's got inta him. He just ain't actin' right, even when he's asleep — tossin', turnin', mumblin' odd things — but he ain't got no fever. And I haven't given him anythin' stronger than tea and soup and, just a while ago, some laudanum fer his shoulder."

"Let me talk to him," Buck's friend offered and the healer left them alone.

"Buck? It's Chris."

"I know who ya are," Buck retorted, but then tried to smile to soften his words. He put a hand up to his head; his brain seemed to be swimming around loose inside his skull and he just couldn't think straight anymore.

"What's the matter, Buck? Nathan says you've been fitful. What's troubling you?"

But Buck shook his head. He couldn't tell this man. He couldn't. He rolled away, afraid to even look at him.

He then flinched when he felt Chris's hand on his shoulder.

"If you won't tell me what's bothering you, at least tell me what you started to tell me this morning."

Buck rolled onto his back, then opened his eyes to look up at his friend. The gunslinger's green eyes were, for once, warm and sympathetic. He was leaning over the bed, just a few feet above Buck, waiting.

"Yer my oldest friend, Chris. I knew ya even 'fore ya knew Sarah..." then his words trailed off. He didn't know how to tell this man what, in his heart, he knew he had to say. "Chris?"

"Yeah, Buck?"

"I— I kin't stand to see ya hurt again. Not after what ya went through with Sarah. And, Vin, well..." but again the words would not come.

"What about Vin?" Chris prompted him patiently.

"He don't love ya, Chris."

The gunman straightened slightly at those words. It obviously wasn't what he was expecting to hear from his friend. Chris pointed at him sharply. "Now, listen here, Buck. You ain't got no idea—"

Buck clasped his hand around the man's extended finger. "Yeah, I do. I know that he's been with JD. I walked in on 'em last night and, after what I saw, there ain't no way I kin believe that Vin loves ya anywhere near as much Sarah did."

Chris hung his head slightly, but did not pull his hand away from Buck's. "I know about JD. It's been going on for a while. Since just before they had to go up to Cutter's Creek."

Buck was taken aback at this. More than a month? And he'd had no idea until last night? How was that possible? That his best friend could keep such a secret for so long?

"And it's okay, Buck. I can't expect a man to be faithful like I would a woman."

"Kin't ya, Chris? I mean, if Vin loves ya as much as Sarah did, then wouldn't he want to be as faithful as she was? As faithful as you were?"

Those were hard words for the gunslinger to hear — he could see it in the man's face. But Buck knew they had to be said.

"You deserve someone, Chris, someone who's gonna respect ya, someone who kin put up with all yer moods, someone who'll stick by ya as long as you'll have 'em...."

Chris nodded solemnly, and Buck continued, a bit quieter this time. "Someone who's seen ya at yer worst and kin still love ya. Someone who's been yer friend fer near-on fourteen years."

The words touched Chris's ears before they really penetrated his mind, before Buck realized what he had just confessed. The two men slowly looked up until their eyes met and it was like the first time all over again: a saloon in a backwater town in Missouri, right before a fight broke out with some rowdy cow-hands. It had ended up being Chris and Buck against the whole lot of them.

"I didn't know back then that a man could love another man," Chris finally spoke, taking Buck's other hand in his.

"I s'pose I've been tryin' ta forget ya in the arms of every woman I've been with ever since," Buck proclaimed quietly.

"I'll have to tell Vin."

Buck nodded, but he was worried. "Don't let this break up the group, Chris. It ain't worth it."

"It's worth everything, Buck. You'll come to realize that." Chris then leaned down and kissed his long-time friend firmly on the lips before rising and leaving the room.

Buck clung to the silence for a moment, trying to hold onto everything that had just happened. He could hardly believe any of it was real. Him and Chris, together, but like they'd never been before.

Then he began to wonder what it would feel like, being with a man. Being with Chris.

The kid lay still in his arms. The tracker had allowed JD to cry until there were no more tears to be shed. Then, he had eased them both down onto the mattress and allowed the emotionally spent young man to sleep.

Vin never left his side as the last of the twilight had slipped quietly away. He had entwined his legs with JD's and kept his one arm circled round behind his back. With his other hand, he idly toyed with the kid's thick hair.

Vin was smiling at him when the kid woke and his brown eyes crinkled up at the corners as he returned the gesture. JD then tightened his arms around the tracker and pulled him into a close embrace.

Their warm lips met and the tracker parted his to allow the kid access. His small tongue slid in to meet Vin's in a lazy duel of thrusts and parries. JD then slipped his hand beneath Vin's shirt to caress the smooth skin of his back.

Vin knew where this was heading but he wasn't sure if it was best that they go there, especially after whatever had happened with Buck.

"Kid, wait."

JD pulled back, staring into Vin's eyes, worry painted clearly in his features.

"Why're we doin' this?"

Now it was confusion reflected in the kid's face and he shrugged in response to the question.

"No. Ya gotta know why."

"'Cuz ... I need ya right now?" he offered, but Vin waited for more. There had to be more. "'Cuz ... I like when were together. Ya make me feel ... like no one else does — wanted, cared about ... special."

"Doesn't Buck make ya feel all those things?"

"Sorta, but ... it's differ'nt. I'll never be more ta him than a li'l brother."

Vin nodded. He hoped it was true, that Buck would come to look at JD like this again, and not think of him as strange because of what he had caught them doing.

"But with you...." The kid's words trailed off, like he was searching for ones that fit right but couldn't find any.

"It's like a hole done been filled," Vin finally said, and he placed his hand on JD's chest. And the kid nodded.

Vin pulled him back into a deep kiss. He wanted JD right then, like he'd never wanted anyone else before. And he suddenly knew he'd never want anyone else again.

JD pulled back then and stared at him with those warm eyes, so dark, so inviting. "Vin, I gotta know. Last night ya said somethin' and I wanna know if ya meant it."

Vin wasn't sure what the kid was talking about and he waited for an explanation.

"Ya told me ya loved me," he finally said.

Vin dropped his eyes from JD's face. He had said those words, but to Chris, in a dream. How could the kid know?

He looked back up to meet his eyes before shaking his head, no. It wasn't fair to JD to let him have the words meant for another man. He needed his own words.

"JD. We were drunk last night. I'm sure we both said a lotta things...." JD nodded reluctantly, but Vin wasn't finished. "If I said it last night, I didn't mean it. But I mean it now. I love ya, JD. Don't rightly know when it happened, but there it is."

The kid beamed at the admission. "I love ya, too, Vin. More than I realized 'fore today."

They pulled each other close and kissed once more, deeply with every piece of their souls. Vin then moved JD onto his back and grinned down at him. "Care ta prove it?"

JD grinned back, laughing. "I'd rather stay right here with you."

Vin then rolled, pulling JD on top of him and the kid took advantage of his position by kissing the tracker hard on the lips.

JD then pushed himself off the tracker and began undressing. Vin followed his lead until their boots, and all their clothes lay in a pile next to the bed, with JD's bowler hat resting on top.

The tracker then returned quickly to JD's side. Vin loved the feel of his soft skin against his and he couldn't stop himself from running his hands up and down the kid's bare back. JD then slid a ways down the bed, until he was able to take Vin's hard cock deep into his mouth.

Vin closed his eyes, loving the sensation of the moist heat surrounding him. He tensed as JD slid his teeth over his sensitive organ, groaning with a mixture of pleasure and pain. The kid then reached down and began to very gently stroke the skin of his sac with a single fingertip. It was incredible and Vin realized what a quick study JD was — from the fumbling boy he'd tried to guide a little over a month ago to a man who seemed to know exactly how to please him.

When had JD become everything to him? He'd never meant it to be more than just that one night. He never meant it to last this long. To go this far.

But he was glad now that it had.

"AH!" he cried out as JD did this incredible thing with his tongue, running it around — between — his sheath and glans. Vin then tangled his fingers in JD's hair, encouraging him to continue. He smiled in delight as he felt the kid's hand slip from his sac to between his legs, gliding across the smooth patch, and then rubbing over the pucker of skin.

But tonight he wanted to enter the kid. He wanted to make JD come from inside. So he sat up on his elbows and coaxed JD from his cock. The kid smiled as he came up to meet Vin's lips in a kiss. The tracker then slipped off the bed and retrieved the little ceramic pot Chris kept by the stove.

"What's that?" JD asked and Vin removed the lid to show him the thick white contents.

"It ain't custard, I'll tell ya that." The tracker dipped two fingers into the jar before re-covering it and placing it back on the shelf. He then returned to the bed, where JD was now lying on his back.

"That for me?" the kid asked, almost hopeful, Vin thought, and the tracker nodded.

The kid then bent his knees up while widening his legs. Vin didn't hesitate to accept the invitation as he spread most of the grease over the length of his own cock before wiping the remaining dollop between JD's cheeks. The kid flinched slightly at the man's touch, but there was a smile on his face, so Vin knew everything was fine.

They hadn't done it this way very often — the kid wasn't overly comfortable being entered yet. Vin preferred to be the one doing the thrusting, but the fact that JD could make him come just by being inside of him had been enough of an incentive that Vin usually didn't mind being topped.

But not tonight. Tonight, he was the one who was going to make JD come. Kneeling before the other man, Vin wrapped one hand around the kid's hard cock, and then, with his other hand, he slowly started rubbing his greased finger back and forth over his opening. At first, as always, JD was nervous, tensing each time Vin moved his finger over the hole, anticipating the entry. So, this time, Vin bent down and took the kid's cock into his mouth. As he slowly allowed the organ to slide deeper in, he gently inserted one of his fingers inside the kid's anus. JD didn't seem to mind and Vin could feel the tension in his leg muscles begin to dissipate.

He moved his head up and down, taking JD's cock slowly in and out of his mouth as he moved his finger in a matching rhythm. When JD gave a soft moan of pleasure, Vin knew it was time to insert another finger, but just as he did, he pulled the kid's shaft nearly out of his mouth, and then blew on the tip. JD squirmed, his mouth open in a wide grin.

"Vin," he breathed hard. "Yer killin' me."

"It ain't over yet," Vin murmured before running his tongue down the length of the kid's thick shaft. JD gripped the bed sheets in his fists and this pleased Vin immensely. When he reached the base of his cock, the tracker plied his tongue to the rough covering of JD's sac, loving the feel of the skin as it tightened reflexively beneath his ministrations.

JD hardly seemed to notice when Vin finally inserted a third finger inside of him. He was almost ready, but there was one last thing Vin felt needed doing. As he continued to lick at JD's balls and cock, he moved his free hand up to the kid's chest, to tease one of the small but erect nipples. He was quickly rewarded with more squirms from his companion and a sound that began as a soft laugh then ended as a deep groan.

Vin then repositioned himself between JD's legs. Now that the kid's knee had healed, they didn't have to be as cautious. Vin moved in close, positioning his cock at the kid's entry, he then grabbed JD's leg with his free hand and pulled the kid even closer as his cock slid gently inside.

"Relax," he had to remind JD, as always, though each time it look less coaxing than the last. He then wrapped both of his arms beneath JD's knees and pulled the kid towards him until they were pressed together. Vin glanced down and noticed his patch of light brown hair mingling with JD's dark, the kid's balls and cock so close to Vin's body that they could have been his own.

JD's legs were now flush against Vin's chest and the tracker bent forward as far as the kid would allow, which brought the pair face to face. JD bent his head up and licked Vin on the tip of the nose, which caused Vin to smile. He then leaned his head lower and managed to kiss JD on the lips, though neither of them was limber enough to hold that position long.

Vin then slid back to his knees and, still gripping JD's legs, began to slowly thrust inside the kid. JD began to stroke his own cock and, with his other hand, reached up to tease one of Vin's nipples. The tracker stretched his shoulders as a pleasant tingling ran across them.

He then looked down at JD and wondered how he had ever found him. In this huge, vast world, born half a continent apart, yet here they were, together.

But JD's cry brought Vin back to the moment. He saw the kid's face clench with anticipation and the tracker concentrated on keeping his thrusts evenly paced. Soon, JD began to cry out, though the sounds caught awkwardly in his throat. Vin then watched as the creamy white fluid began to spurt from the tip of the kid's cock. JD now let loose a loud cry of release as he grabbed firm to the sheets, then thrashed his head from side to side as Vin watched his jism shoot over his belly.

He also felt the muscles of JD's anus clamp down on his own cock, forcing Vin to push harder into the kid, which repeatedly pounded his balls between his thrusting hips and JD's ass. But instead of being painful, this seemed only to increase the growing pressure within his loins. He gripped firmer to JD's legs and pumped harder against him. A small rivulet of sweat tickled its way down Vin's chest and the tracker blew wayward strands of hair out of his eyes, annoyed by the distraction. Then he felt the first beginnings of it: the tingling sensation, the tensing inside.

But he also felt his butt muscles tighten and a burning which slowly increased in his thighs. His mind screamed, "Come on!" as if he could will his seed into release. "Do it now!" And finally he yelled, "Now!" into the room just a moment before a spasm swept over him, causing his gut to clench and his head to be thrown forward. Then he felt his seed being pumped into the kid, as wave after wave of intensity seemed to consume everything except the incredible feeling of pleasure in the release.

Breathing hard, he pulled himself out of JD and collapsed onto the bed next to him, their legs tangled together as Vin slid his arm across JD's chest.

It was only then that Vin and JD both noticed the dark silhouette of a man standing in the doorway. He'd been watching them, but they didn't know for how long.

"Jesus, Chris!" Vin said in surprise as he struggled to find the strength to stand up.

"Cover yourself up," was all the man said as he turned and walked out onto the porch.

Vin quickly pulled on his trousers and grabbed a shirt out of the pile of clothes before following the man. As he pulled the shirt on, he realized it was JD's — the shoulders were far too broad and hung loosely about Vin's wiry frame — but he was already out the door and couldn't go back inside.

"Chris, I didn't mean—" Vin began but the gunslinger cut him off with a fierce glance that penetrated even the darkness.

"In my own bed, Vin?"

The tracker hung his head. He didn't know what to say. It was one thing for Chris to know about JD, but it was something entirely different for him to catch them in the act, and here of all places.

Chris let out a disgusted sigh as he turned and took a step towards the edge of the porch, away from Vin.

A moment later, JD came bustling out of the shack, dressed except for his jacket and gun belt that were clutched tight in his arms. Vin noticed the kid was wearing his shirt — it was stretched tight across his broader shoulders and hung loose in the front, completely unbuttoned. Vin wondered if Chris had noticed.

"Sorry, Chris. I'm real sorry," was all JD said, not even daring to meet the man's eyes, as he quickly mounted up then headed down the road towards town at just shy of a gallop.

Chris then turned again to look at Vin.

"I didn't mean fer this ta happen," Vin started to explain, hoping his words didn't sound as pathetic to the gunman's ears as they did to his own.

"You mean tonight, or at all?" Chris asked coldly.

"JD came here 'cuz he was upset about Buck."

"And Buck was upset because he caught you two last night. Dammit, Vin. That's twice in twenty-four hours. How have you not gotten yourself shot before this?!"

Vin couldn't answer that. Normally, he was very discreet. Of course, normally, he didn't have two so-willing lovers within spitting distance of his own damn wagon.

"And why the hell were you doing it anyway? You just couldn't hold out one more hour until my patrol finished?"

"It wasn't like that, Chris. What happened was 'cuz ... well..." but with this man staring him down, words seemed to fail the naturally quiet tracker.

"Just answer me one question, Vin. And make it the God's honest truth. Can you do that?" Chris asked harshly and Vin was glad that he couldn't see the fire he knew burned in the man's green eyes. "Are you in love with me? Or JD?"

Vin was shocked by the question, but not altogether surprised. If he'd been thinking on the topic lately then it was a good bet this man had been, too. The tracker then sucked in a lung full of air, preparing himself to utter the truth. He just hoped they could both handle it.

"JD."

Chris was silent. In the faint moonlight, Vin could see the man hang his head slightly as he nodded. Finally, the gunslinger spoke, but in a low voice through a clenched throat. "Then why the hell are you still standing on my porch? Get after the kid," he ordered.

Vin was suddenly filled with elation. He couldn't believe Chris was condoning this. He leapt into the man's arms and kissed him hard, but quick, on the lips. Then he yelped with joy as he dashed into the shack and stepped into his boots before gathering up his gun belt and jacket.

As he rushed back outside, Chris said, "Don't forget this," and handed the tracker his hat, which he'd earlier left outside on the chair.

"Thanks, Chris," the tracker said solemnly. Vin then shook the hand the man offered him before mounting up and following JD's wake back to town.

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.