"I ain't a kid." His young companion's sudden declaration caused Ezra Standish to open one eye and turn his head the barest fraction of an inch to one side."Certainly not. A child would know better than to wake his elders" Ezra pointedly closed his eye and returned his head to its original, more comfortable, position. Not that any position was particularly comfortable on what had to be the hardest piece of ground west of the Mississippi.
"I didn't need an escort just to deliver some paperwork a couple of towns over. Chris didn't have to send you with me."
"I heartily concur with that statement, Mr. Dunne." Ezra muttered, shifting irritably on his bedroll, trying to find a place that did not have an abundance of rocks and other painful objects embedded underneath it.
"And I didn't need Buck's help with that prisoner last week, either. I had things under control."
"I'm sure you did."
"I ain't a kid."
"You said that already."
"None of ya'll tell Vin what to do or how to do it. Or Josiah. Or Nathan. Or Buck. And no one tells you what to do. But everyone's always telling me what to do and how to do it and when to do it and..."
"JD, if you absolutely insist on having this conversation, could you at least have the courtesy to provide me with some spirited libation so that I may dull my faculties a bit?"
"Huh?"
"Get me a drink."
JD rose lithely to his feet and padded over to their saddlebags. In the flickering light of their campfire, the gambler could see him rummage around til he found the silver plated flask that the gambler habitually carried. Straightening up, he turned and raised it to his lips.
"You don't mind if I have a drink, do you Ez?" There was just the barest hint of challenge in JD's voice.
"By all means, JD. Be my guest." Ezra waved one hand in a vague gesture, before raising himself reluctantly to a sitting position.
"Here." The flask was thrust under his nose in an abrupt gesture, followed by JD sitting down rather gracelessly across from him. The young man's back was to the fire casting him into sharp relief against the surrounding darkness.
"Well, are you going to continue your litany of woe or shall I just return to my slumbers, such as they were?" Ezra took a long drink from the flask, feeling certain that he would need every drop to fortify himself before the night was through.
"Ya'll don't know everything about me."
"No. But I am positive that is about to change." Ezra sighed and rolled his eyes. Young people took everything so seriously. He probably had only about ten years or so on JD, but there were times when it felt rather more like a hundred.
"I can shoot as good as any of you except maybe Vin or Chris. And I can ride better than any of ya'll." JD frowned sulkily.
"Ability must be tempered by experience." Ezra replied, hiding a smile as it was JD's turn to sigh and roll his eyes. Then the young man's eyes narrowed and he cocked his head slightly to one side, staring intently at the gambler.
"Experience? I bet I have some experience in things that would surprise you."
"I sincerely doubt that, JD." Ezra spoke confidently, his green eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Ain't you the one who's always saying you should never make a blind bet?" JD looked like the cat who'd just swallowed the proverbial canary. Much too satisfied with himself for Ezra's peace of mind.
"I wasn't aware there was a bet offered or accepted." Ezra took another drink, feeling abruptly rather at a loss and not liking the feeling.
"How about this, then? I bet I can surprise you."
"Now?"
"Yep. Right here and now."
"And what are the stakes, if I may ask?"
"You admit I ain't a kid if I surprise you. If I don't, then you can go back to sleep."
"I never said you were a kid, JD."
"You may not say it in words, but there's times when you treat me like one, same as the rest of them."
"You are the youngest of our little band of misfits, you know." Ezra felt he should point this out.
"Just because I'm the youngest don't mean I can't teach ya'll a thing or two."
"Easy enough to say." Ezra needled his companion a bit, his grin fading as JD leaned forward, raising up on his knees, til their faces were just inches apart.
"And even easier to do." JD brushed his lips over the gambler's so lightly at first that Ezra thought maybe he'd just imagined it. But then JD's hands came up to grasp his shoulders and this time Ezra knew he wasn't imagining things. JD was kissing him. Dear Lord, JD was kissing him. Ezra swayed back against his bedroll, mouth falling open in shock.
"JD... you... I..." Ezra stared up at JD. He could see the smug set of his companion's lips and the hint of triumph in the dark eyes. That would not do at all. Ezra P. Standish did not lose. Especially not to some green young kid from Boston or New York or wherever it was he came from.
"I surprised you, didn't I?" JD demanded.
"No. I was merely errrr... taken aback for a moment."
"That's what surprised means, don't it?"
"My dear Mr. Dunne, they are not the same thing at all."
"You looked surprised to me. Your eyes were all wide and your mouth was hanging open and..."
"Spare me your observations. As I said, you did not surprise me. However, I will admit that it is rather difficult to think of you as a kid, at the moment."
"I should hope so." JD snorted.
"So I take it this was not your first kiss, so to speak?"
"No." JD lowered his eyes, a tinge of color staining his cheeks.
Ezra felt a rush of heat as he stared at JD's bent head. The combination of the young man's earlier brashness and current shyness was oddly appealing.
"So I was not your first." Ezra felt a pang of ... something.
"His name was Jamie. We kind of...took care of each other sometimes... when we needed to... you know."
"Yes, I believe I do know." Ezra murmured, staring at the pale curve of JD's neck.
"Working in the stables, we didn't get to be around too many girls." JD continued, his tone a trifle defensive.
"Whatever happened to this Jamie?" Ezra asked, firmly putting aside all thought as to why he was so curious.
"He didn't want to come West with me. He stayed working in the stables." JD's voice held unconscious scorn.
"Well, adventure isn't for everyone they say." Ezra shifted uncomfortably, not certain he liked the direction his thoughts were traveling. JD. Him. Unclothed.
"I like adventure." JD shot Ezra a suggestive glance, his brashness returning in one of those mercurial changes of mood.
Ezra didn't reply. He deemed it safer.
"What's the matter, Ez? Afraid to follow my lead?" JD ran his finger teasingly across the gambler's lips and down his throat to his chest.
"Yes." Ezra caught JD's hand before it could reach his leg. The gambler might not like to lose, but he was smart enough to know when he was beat.
JD smiled, his eyes sweeping across the gambler. "Ok, Ez." He got to his feet and went back to his blankets on the other side of the fire. Ezra watched as JD curled up on his side, pillowing his head on one arm. "Night." JD closed his eyes.
"Good night, JD." Ezra told himself this was all for the best. He would thank himself for it in the morning. It would be foolish to consider anything else. He was not a fool. Ergo, he would not do anything. He squirmed around, trying to get comfortable.
"You ok, Ez?" JD's voice didn't sound in the least bit sleepy. Small comfort there.
"I'm fine, JD." Ezra sighed quietly. It was going to be a long night.
The End
Comments to mismiz@alltel.net