Disclaimer: Chris Larabee, Vin Tanner and all other Magnificent Seven regulars belong to MGM, Mirisch, and Trilogy Entertainment. No copyright infringement intended. Any characters you haven't heard of before are copyrighted to me.
Summary: When Vin finds flowers, candy and a blue bandanna waiting by his horse he makes a genuine mistake that leads to his heart's desire.
"What's it mean when a man's given flowers?""Means same as when ya give them to a lady. Means someone likes ya, Vin." Buck paused for a moment, a frown furrowing his brow. "Unless they're all tied up in a black ribbon."
"Nope. No ribbon... just a blue bandanna. So you reckon they like me?"
"Blue?" Buck nodded wisely as Vin held out the bandanna, noticing how it matched the shade of Vin's eyes perfectly. "Yep. I reckon ya got yerself an admirer."
"What if they give me candy too?"
"Flowers and candy." Buck grinned, appraising the scruffy-looking tracker with fresh eyes. "You sly old dog, Vin. Who is this mystery lady?"
Vin reddened and looked away. "Ain't sayin', Buck."
"Anythin' else come with them flowers and candy."
"Done told me a meeting time and place... later today."
Buck raised one eyebrow questioningly but Vin refused to say any more, so Buck nudged him with his elbow. "Ya gonna go?"
"Yeah. Reckon I will. Kinda like... this person."
"Then we need ta clean ya up some, Vin. Can't go on a lover's tryst with yer hair all dirty and yer face all rough with two day's growth of beard."
Buck draped a friendly arm over the shorter man's shoulder and steered him towards the bathhouse, stopping along the way at his boarding room to pick up the cologne that got Miss Jane so eager for his attentions only last week.
The idea of taking a bath did not sit well with Vin; after all, he'd taken one just two days ago. Two baths in one week sure seemed like one bath too many, but Buck was insistent, and Vin decided to bow to Buck's superior knowledge in the area of courtship. Stoically, he endured the thorough scrubbing Buck gave him from head to toe, but he grabbed the cloth when Buck went a little too close to his private parts.
"Hell, Buck. Washed ma hair only two days ago. Ain't like its gotten all dirty in two days.... Goddammit, Buck."
"Never known a man complain so much about a hair wash. If'n ya'd cut off them locks ya wouldn't need to be complainin' 'bout it. Damn. Do ya ever run a comb through this?"
Buck yanked hard on another tangle and got more cussing in response but eventually, Vin's hair was clean and tangle-free. Buck held out a clean blanket and Vin climbed out of the tub, shivering in the slightly cooler interior of the bathhouse before wrapping himself up. Vin checked himself in the mirror, running one hand over his clean-shaven face.
"Did a good job there, Buck."
"Why thank ya kindly, Mr. Tanner."
Buck gave Vin a mock bow then grinned as he recalled the fuss Vin made when he splashed the cologne over the sensitive skin. Vin sniffed the air at the heady smell of lavender and pine; irritation crossing his face when he remembered that scent was coming from him. He held the blanket around himself tightly and looked over to the chair where he had dropped his clothes.
"Hey. What ya gone done with ma clothes, Buck?"
"Reckoned ya could put on a clean set. Sent Ezra over to yer wagon to pick out somethin' for ya."
"Ezra?"
Vin waited in dread, half expecting Ezra to walk through the door with some billowy, linen shirt that he thought would look better than any of Vin's worn ones. A few minutes later, Vin let out a sigh of relief when Ezra passed him his tan pants and his desert pink shirt. He turned away from the two grinning men and climbed into his clothes, finishing off the attire with the new sky blue bandanna.
"My, My, Mr. Tanner. Your paramour will be most pleasantly surprised."
Vin took another look at himself. "Mebbe this ain't such a fine idea."
"Not having second thoughts are you, Mr. Tanner?"
"Ya better not be, after all that work I put into makin' ya clean and purty, Vin."
Vin opened his mouth to say something, his stomach flipping uneasily as if a hundred butterflies were trapped inside him, fluttering as they tried to find a way out. They left the bathhouse and Vin found his horse standing just outside, tethered to the rail.
"I took the liberty of requesting the stablemaster saddle up your horse."
"Yeah. Thanks, Ez. Buck."
Vin climbed into the saddle, touched the brim of his dusted-down hat and urged his horse into a brisk walk. He reached the pond just under an hour later and noticed that his paramour, to use Ezra's word, was already there and waiting for him.
"Vin. Beginning to think you chickened out. Better get them clothes off if we're gonna do this."
Vin swallowed hard. On the ride over he had imagined a dozen scenarios but each had been full of sweet-talking, coy glances and faltering gestures; his thoughts driven by the romantic gifts that spoke to his poet's heart. He had not imagined Chris coming onto him like a two-bit whore. Pushing down the disappointment, he climbed down from the saddle, tied up his horse next to Chris's and began to strip.
He watched beneath long dark lashes as Chris began to strip off his own clothes. The black flat-brim hat sailing down onto the lush grass that grew beside the pond, the black and white striped shirt following quickly. His breath caught in his throat when Chris teased open the buttons on his tight black pants, pushing them down over the firmly curved ass and down those long, lean legs, only then noticing that Chris must have removed his boots at some point, probably to cool them in the inviting water of the pond. He saw a frown cross Chris's face and realised he had been staring outright.
"You okay with this, Vin?"
"Yeah. Jest a little nervous."
"Hell, I was nervous my first time."
"Ain't ma first time, Chris."
"It ain't?"
"Nope. Jest never took to it afore to try too often."
"Ain't gonna let you down, Vin."
"I know. Never trusted no one like I trust ya, Chris."
They stood facing each other, five feet apart. Vin licked his lips, his gaze darting over the handsome man standing before him, admiring the outline of the firm body beneath the longjohns. Chris appraised him for a moment, another frown crossing his face before it lit up with a gorgeous smile.
"Reckon you're right there, Vin. Reckon we can shuck these too. Ain't no one around for miles could see us."
Vin found his fingers were trembling as he tried to tease the buttons through the openings, his eyes constantly darting up to watch Chris's sure, deft fingers ease open his own clothing, revealing the well-defined chest, glistening with a light sheen of perspiration under the hot sun. Chris shrugged out of the material, the baggy longjohns falling to his feet in a puddle of cloth. He stepped out of them, towards Vin.
"You need help there, pard?" Chris moved closer, sniffing the air. "You wearing Buck's cologne?"
"Dang. I knew you'd laugh at--"
"Hey. I'm not laughing, Vin. Just prefer the way you smell all natural."
Vin saw Chris redden as he realised exactly what he had just said, and he found his own nervousness lessen at this unexpected compliment. His fingers steadied and he dropped his longjohns to the floor, stepping out of them and moving towards Chris until they were within touching distance. He took a deep breath and took one final step forward, wrapping his arms around Chris, his lips capturing the slightly curved ones... and felt Chris go rigid, but not in the place he had expected.
Vin pulled back, gazing into shocked green eyes.
"Oh God."
He stepped back further as the wide-open eyes began to narrow, realising he had made some grave error, earnestly stammering out an apology, in horror and remorse.
"I--I thought... Oh God, Chris. I'm sor--"
The words were cut off as his mouth was taken in a deep, bruising kiss, and his arms filled with the warm flesh of his best friend. Fingers gripped in his hair, holding him tight, his own hands slid down the soft flanks to cup the firm ass cheeks, pulling Chris closer as they ground their hips against each other. He cried out softly as Chris latched onto his throat, sucking at the soft flesh then biting down hard. Flickers of raw energy travelled through his body as his stiffened nipples rubbed against Chris's chest, igniting a fire in his groin, sending his senses spinning. He nudged Chris away from his neck and returned the gesture, nuzzling into the long column of creamy flesh, biting down hard at the juncture of neck and shoulder, just shy of breaking the skin. His own shaft was filling rapidly and he pulled away enough to give his shaft room to lengthen and rise between their close-pressed bodies. He could feel the hard length of Chris poking into his belly, could feel the pressure of his own shaft pressed hard against Chris's taut, muscular abdomen.
Chris moaned hoarsely, his motion becoming erratic as he thrust hard against Vin, then he stilled for a moment and Vin felt a warmth flooding between them as Chris pushed against Vin twice more before half-collapsing in his arms.
Vin lowered Chris back onto the soft blanket of river grass. He scooped up some of the warm seed and stroked it deep into Chris's body, gauging the reaction from the expressive eyes and finding Chris more than willing. Chris spread his legs wider, allowing Vin to raise them, giving Vin greater access to the slowly relaxing entrance, his eyes never leaving Vin's face as Vin positioned himself.
He gasped, but the momentary pain was quickly overshadowed by pleasure as he felt Vin's shaft slide deep inside him. His fingers clutched at the long blades of grass as Vin rocked in and out of his body, all his senses alive for the first time in years. Colours seemed brighter, the sky as blue as Vin's eyes, the grass a verdant green. He could smell the reassuring musk of Vin beneath the perfume of wildflowers and scented cologne; he could taste the clean, sharpness of the hot spring afternoon. The gentle rippling of water flowing through the pond lapped against his hearing, in perfect harmony with the soft grunts and moans of the man he loved, who was poised above him. He felt the caress of the warm breeze against his overheated flesh, revelled in the friction of skin against skin, of the hard shaft pounded into him.
Chris gasped as Vin moved, changing the angle of his thrusts; his muscles tensing and rippling as Vin hit the same sensitive spot again. His pleasure-sated shaft began to fill once more, curving gently away from his body and he gasped anew when a firm, roughened palm wrapped itself around his engorged flesh, sliding along the length in rhythm with the deep thrusts into his ass.
He cried out at the intensity of the climax that rippled through him... sending spikes of pleasure to every nerve ending, igniting him from the inside out until he could almost believe he was the legendary phoenix, rising from the blackened ashes of his past. Heat filled him as Vin found his own annihilation and rebirth within Chris's body, and they collapsed together, too weak to move.
Vin rolled off onto his side and pulled Chris's head onto his shoulder. This was everything he had ever dreamed it would be. He kissed the sweat-soaked hair and grinned, allowing the sounds of nature to flow over him. Birds were singing in the nearby trees, the water was babbling as it cascaded over a shallow waterfall to continue its journey to the sea. The early spring sun kissed his skin but could not compete with the feather-light caresses of the long fingers.
"Gotta ask you, Vin. Why this? And why now?"
"Yer the one that started this. Sending me gifts."
Vin thought back to earlier in the day when Chris had stopped him just as he was about to enter the stable to take care of his horse.
"Left something in there for you, Vin. And I reckon it's about time we sorted this all out once and for all. I'll see you at the pond this afternoon."
"Yeah, sure."
Vin had been puzzled but it had all started to become clear the moment he spotted the blue bandanna lying on top of his saddle. Then he had found the flowers and candy on the shelf nearby. His thoughts came back to the present as Chris's velvet soft voice flowed over him.
"Noticed you were wearing that new bandanna. Reckoned I owed you a new one after what happened to your old one. And I reckoned the last one wouldn't have gotten torn if you'd known how to swim."
"Swim?"
"Yeah. Remember. I promised to teach you how to swim. Thought today would be a good day for a lesson."
"Then what about the candy and the flowers?"
"The what?" Two lines on the bridge of his nose furrowed vertically as Chris tried to make sense of Vin's words. Realisation hit, and he closed his eyes and started to laugh softly.
"What's so funny, Chris?"
"Flowers and candy. JD's been searching the town all morning for the flowers and candy he bought for Casey. Couldn't remember where he'd left them. Reckon I just figured out where he'd been last."
"They were JD's?"
Chris noticed the horror-filled expression.
"Hell, Vin. Don't you worry none. I'll get JD some more when we get back to town. If I'd known all I needed to win you over was some damned flowers and candy. Hell, I'd have given them to you months ago."
"You would have?"
"Plain forgot you'd got a sweet tooth and a poet's heart... and them flowers of JD's sure were pretty."
"Month's ago."
Vin relaxed back into his lover's arms, realising he had read the signs correctly after all, and no longer afraid they had lost their wordless communication.
Chris sobered for a moment and wrapped his arms around the warm body, pressing his head against Vin's neck until he could feel the pulse of life against his cheek.
"This is one misunderstanding I will never regret."
Vin hugged Chris tight.
"Me neither."
THE END
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