ONE
They had finally let Chris out of the hospital. Vin had been to see him everyday. He was staying with Buck and JD since their loft was the closest to the hospital. Vin teased them that it was convenient for when they pulled stupid stunts and had to be rushed there. The nurses in emergency knew Buck and JD by their first names. Vin's leg was finally healed enough so that he could drive. He had been driving Chris's Ram since it was an automatic. The doctor said his standard jeep would put to much pressure on the still-healing wound. The others were working, so Vin was the one designated to get Chris. Heck, Vin still had almost three weeks left on his injury leave, so it would be his turn to watch Chris out at the ranch. Over the past two weeks they had gone out there every night to repair the damage from the Hong Conspiracy, as it had been dubbed. The glass had all been replaced and the carpet had been ripped up. The couch had also been thrown out since it had been used for target practice. The bullet holes in the walls had been repaired and the walls were waiting for a new coat of paint. Vin figured it would give him something to do while he was out there. He pulled into the hospital parking lot. He got lucky and someone pulled out right next to the door. He pulled into the spot and climbed out of the Ram. He grabbed the cane and limped inside. The nurses saw him and waved. He waved back and headed for Chris's room."Hey, cowboy," Vin said as he entered the room. "Ready to get out of this place?"
"Definitely!" said Chris.
Vin limped over to the bed and sat on the edge. He looked at Chris and thought, damn, they made quite a pair.
"How's the leg?"
"Starting to itch something fierce."
"I warned you."
"Yeah, well, just wait for yours to start."
"Touche."
"Well, hello, Mr. Tanner," said Dr. Allen as she walked in. "Here you go Mr. Larabee. Just sign here, and you're all set to go. So, how's the leg?"
"Itches."
"I bet," she laughed. "Why don't you help your brother get dressed, and I'll get you something for it."
Vin just shook his head. How anyone could fall for that was beyond him. They didn't look anything alike. Granted, they were supposed to be "half-brothers", but still. He helped Chris into his pants and went to zip them for him. As his hand got closer, Vin had this urge to caress him. He snatched his hand away and blushed. Chris saw him blush and smiled. He still couldn't get over the fact that a 26-year-old could still blush. Not that he was complaining, because he found it very appealing. While Chris had been caring for Vin, he had to rein in the impulse to caress the younger man. Seeing that lean body without clothes on had been pure torture to the older man. Every time he had to change the bandages on Vin's leg he had wanted to run his hands along his inviting inner thighs. Chris brought his thoughts under control as Vin helped him on with his shirt. The wound pulled and he was glad. It banished all other thoughts.
Vin knew he had hurt Chris when he helped him put his right arm in the shirt. He carefully pulled the shirt up and into place. Vin laid his hands on Chris's shoulders and felt how tense he was. Vin had been told by a few women acquaintances that he gave incredible back rubs and figured it couldn't hurt. He started to knead the tight muscles along Chris's shoulders. He heard Chris moan and pulled his hands away.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"It's alright," Chris lied. "You just made the wound pull a little, that's all."
Chris looked at Vin and realized he had no idea what his touching him was doing to him. This is going to be very awkward, thought Chris. How the hell was Vin going to watch him when he couldn't have Vin touch him? Vin came over and sat next to Chris on the bed. He hadn't meant to hurt Chris. Rubbing his shoulders had felt so natural, and he wanted to keep doing it. Oh God, Tanner, think of something else. He jumped off the bed and moved away from Chris. Get a hold of yourself you fool. That man can read you like a book, he told himself.
"OK, gentlemen," said Dr. Allen as she walked in. "You're all set. Here's a bottle of cocoa butter for you, Mr.Tanner. And so you don't feel left out, here's a topical antibiotic for you, Mr. Larabee. I don't think I have to tell the both of you what to do, do I?"
"No!" Vin blurted out. His mind had been thinking of something totally different than the doctor's.
One of the nurses came in pushing a wheelchair. Chris got in, and they headed for the front doors. They walked Chris over to the Ram and the nurse helped him in. Vin was glad to put some distance between himself and Chris, and he let the nurse do everything. Vin thanked her as he closed Chris's door and walked around to the driver's side. He climbed in and headed for the ranch. The ride out was a silent one. Chris wanted to tell Vin it was alright, that he understood and felt the same way. Vin, on the other hand, had no idea where these feeling were coming from. He had been brought up in strict Christian foster homes that taught men with men would send you straight to Hell. Not that Vin believed in all that crap, but it had been drilled into him since he was five. He knew Chris preferred woman. Hell, he'd been married and had a kid, hadn't he? Chris stole a glance at the silent sharpshooter and could see the riot of emotions running through those blue eyes. Foremost was total confusion. Chris knew Vin was shy and had probably never had a meaningful relationship with anyone. He knew Vin wasn't a virgin, but he figured the kid wasn't all that experienced either. Vin pulled in the driveway and stopped in front of the house. He got out and helped Chris inside.
"Why don't you take it easy and I'll start dinner," he suggested.
Chris watched him walk into the kitchen. He noticed that the windows had been replaced and the rugs had been pulled up. When he walked into the living room, most of the furniture had been pushed to the side. He had a seat on the La-Z-Boy and put his head back thinking this was going to be the longest two weeks of his life.