Chris Larabee sat by the bedside of the man he loved more than life itself. He was reflecting, first on Vin's life threatening injuries and then on how could he go on if Vin didn't pull through. He had survived the deaths of his wife and child five years before; the first three years, Buck was there for him then and the rest there was Vin.

Vin had brought life back to him, had brought him feelings he had never had while married to Sarah. He loved Sarah, god how he had loved her, but Chris realized that he was totally and blindingly in love with Vin. One thing he had realized was the difference in loving someone and being in love with them. Chris had given seven years of love to Sarah and Adam and when they were killed he thought he couldn't go on. Luckily for him his oldest friend, Buck Wilmington, was there to pull him through. Whether that was by dragging Chris's drunken, sorry butt to bed or pulling him out of bar fights, Buck was there for him. Finally, after three years of trying to kill himself with alcohol and volunteering for the most dangerous assignments, Chris Larabee met Vin Tanner.

Vin was the sharpshooter for the Texas branch of the ATF and Chris was in charge of the Denver team working with Texas for a large gun running deal. The tip and all intel came from Denver but the deal was going to be in Texas. The gunrunners were bringing the goods across the Mexican border into Texas. Ezra Standish was the ATF's undercover man working the deal and he had to travel to Texas for the buy if they wanted to catch these guys.

Chris hadn't had the chance to meet Vin when the two teams where going through the briefing. Vin was giving testimony on another case and would be filled in when he came back to the office. The deal was going down the next morning. Vin had arrived hours earlier to find the best place to set up and cover the entire operation in the cattle yard out side of San Antonio. Vin had seen the other members of his team and the team from Denver arrive and was impressed with the organization of the Denver Team. He was introduced via headset to all the members of the Denver team; he was their bird's eye view of everything. When the sellers arrived it would be Vin who let everyone know they were on site. The deal and subsequent bust went off smoothly with Vin pinning down anyone who tried to get away. When Vin finally climbed down from the water tower he had been perched on for more than seven hours, Chris and his team went to meet and thank him for all his hard work that day. The moment Chris looked into Vin's eyes he knew he was lost and he didn't want to be found ever again.

It took Chris three days to convince Vin to transfer to Denver and to join Chris's team. Chris was looking for a new sharpshooter because his former one had moved on to the Arms Training and Firing Range after getting severely hurt in a car accident. Chris knew what he wanted the minute he laid eyes on Tanner but it took a lot more convincing from Chris to even begin to break down any walls Vin had built around himself. When Vin agreed to move to Denver, Chris offered him a room at his house. Chris told him he had four bedrooms and that three were going to waste, just sitting empty. Chris also told him that it would be temporary until Vin had settled in on the team and was able to look for a place for himself. Seeing that he didn't know Denver, it would be easier for him to stay with someone who could show him around the good and bad neighborhoods. However, once he arrived at Chris's house, those plans went right out the window thanks to Chris always being to busy to go apartment hunting.

Chris had several horses, which caught Vin's eye the day he arrived and he never asked Chris to take him anywhere. He was at home with the horses. Vin rode every day he could after work unless they worked late or had an op going.

It took Chris months to finally get Vin to bed; the man was as skittish as a colt. Vin had been an abused child growing up and had been molested in some of the foster homes he had been placed in.

When Vin was eighteen, he enlisted in the Army Rangers and stayed there for several years, leaving with honors and moving onto the U.S. Marshall's office before finding his skills were better suited for the ATF. However, the one thing Vin had not learned during all of the street living he had done was to love and be loved by anyone. Vin was pretty much a virgin, never having slept with either man or woman. The only thing he knew about sex was what was done to him as a child and teenager. For Chris to let Vin know he was loved and wanted was a difficult thing for him to deal with. He was willing to listen to Chris but even that took some doing. The reason for this was that Chris never tried anything with Vin, just talked to him and showed him in small and simple ways. Vin was pretty much a simple, easy going kind of guy. He believed in truth and an honest day's work. He didn’t need a lot of stuff most people had to have to enjoy life and that was why he never pushed to look for a place of his own. He had a room, shower, food, and the horses to keep him busy. Chris didn't mind either because Vin took care of the horses like he had been doing it for years and Chris's horses really liked the attention Vin gave them. It took two or three months to get Vin to relax around Chris and really trust him.

One night, both Chris and Vin were sitting around drinking whiskey instead of the usual beer or two after dinner and Chris got Vin a little drunk. Chris had planned this, the slow seduction of Vin. Chris moved closer on the couch and kissed him, and Vin didn't pull away. He just looked at Chris with wary eyes and Chris kissed him again but longer and with more feeling.

By the time Chris broke the kiss they were both panting and Vin rested his head against Chris's.

Vin looked at Chris and said " I've never really…"

"Shh, shh, it's alright Vin" Chris said. "I won't hurt you, I'd never hurt you."

Chris looked into Vin's eyes and saw the fear and uncertainty there. Chris leaned in again and kissed Vin with all the love and tenderness he had in him and by the time he was done he had Vin's shirt off and he was breathless. Chris told Vin if he wanted to stop then all he had to do was say the word and Chris would stop.

"Let's take this to the bedroom and see where it leads." Chris said.

"Chris… I'm scared. I've only been hurt in my life I and I don't know if I could take it if you hurt me too," Vin said.

Chris looked him in the eye and said, "Vin, I love you and would never hurt you. I only want to show you how wonderful loving can be. Just tell me to stop if you get too afraid."

Chris then led Vin to the bedroom and slowly stripped the man as he kissed him senseless. Chris laid Vin on the bed and quickly stripped off his own clothes. Seeing the fear still in Vin's eyes, he didn't want to give him enough time to think. Chris crawled over Vin and began kissing him again, slowly starting with his lips and working his way down to his jaw then his chin. Vin started to moan and tentatively move his hands over Chris's body. Chris continued to kiss and lick Vin as he moved down his body, first one brown nipple then the other. Soon Vin was moaning and writhing under Chris.

His cock was as hard as steel and leaking precum as Chris made is way to it. Chris looked at Vin and saw that the fear and uncertainty had gone and his eyes were dark and filled with passion. Chris slowly began to lick Vin's cock from base to tip and he could feel Vin was close. Never having had this kind of stimulation before, Vin couldn't control his impending release. Chris stopped what he was doing and put his fingers at the base of Vin's cock and squeezed so he wouldn't come yet. Vin whimpered and looked at Chris for relief. Chris rubbed his stomach and told him to relax as he reached over to grab the bottle of Anal Eaze.

Chris put some on his fingers and began slowly rubbing it in and around Vin's hole. As Chris worked the Anal Eaze around Vin’s whole to numb it he reached for the bottle of lube.  Chris squirted lube onto his fingers and eased a finger into him, Vin didn't feel a sharp pain just a gentle push and some discomfort but it wasn't too unpleasant. As Chris worked one, then two fingers into Vin, he murmured words of love to Vin, and it helped him relax and enjoy the feelings that were washing over him. Chris asked him if he was ready for more and all Vin could do was nod his head yes. He didn't really know what was going to happen but he wanted more of this wonderful feeling. Chris pulled his fingers out then grabbed the lube and rimmed Vin's hole slowly inserting one, two then

 finally three fingers into Vin, slowly, making sure is was well lubed inside. Chris then lubed his cock and lined it up with Vin's hole and slowly pushed in. All of a sudden there was some pain but not too bad, and then there was an incredible feeling of being filled and completed. Vin didn't know what to do with these feelings he was having and he moaned and wriggled under Chris until Chris realized he needed to start moving, he had been so intent on watching Vin's pleasure filled face he hadn't moved a muscle. Chris started slowly pulling himself almost all the way out, then just as slowly pushing himself back in. As Chris moved in Vin, he slowly began to go faster and faster, finding Vin's sweet spot; he stroked it as he slid in out of Vin's hot, wet channel. Vin responded to these feelings and moaned, telling Chris he was going to come. Chris grabbed Vin's cock and started stroking it. Vin came quickly, this being his first real time, sending Chris over the edge at the same time.

From that night on they became lovers and life partners much to Buck's dislike.

It took Buck a long time and some serious talking with Chris to understand how much it meant to Chris to have Vin in his life. Chris explained that in his heart and soul he had known Vin for eternity. Chris also explained to Buck that Vin didn't seduce him, and that it was the other way around and Vin had to be convinced that what they felt for each other was right.

That was two years ago.

Chris held Vin's hand and thought about how much more Vin had become to him in those years. He was everything; heart, soul and life's blood and Chris couldn't lose him. He had survived the loss of his wife and child but the loss of Vin wasn't something he would be able to live through. Chris’ soul mate, lover and best friend couldn't die and leave him behind, he just couldn't.

Buck looked into the room and saw Chris, a broken man, suffering, wondering if he would lose everything that really mattered. Buck and the rest of the team started to pray at that moment knowing that if Vin died Chris would too. When one half of the heart stopped beating the other half would follow suit and stop too.

The days wore on as Vin slipped into a coma and desperation set in Chris. Finally, after two weeks, Chris got down on his knees and begged God to bring Vin back to him. Chris had lost his faith but he had to find it again to believe Vin would live. Hope and faith were all he had now and he had to believe they were enough to bring Vin back to him.

After a month of the six men praying and bonding over this tragedy, Vin finally woke up to smiles and good cheers. Vin didn't understand but Chris told him not to worry because he would explain it all to him during his long recovery. Chris had big plans for his and Vin's future but that would come in time.

THE END