"Damn it, Larabee, I said I was sorry. Ya gonna let it ruin the whole damn weekend?" Vin spat out hotly after another thirty minutes of silent treatment from the long, lean Leader.
Chris Larabee just raised his eyes, his head still lowered to the ATF publication in his lap, and looked for a moment at his sharpshooter. Returning his attention to the magazine, he continued to keep his thoughts to himself.
Vin burst up from the chair he'd been bouncing his leg from and paced the den for a minute, his hand displacing his already tousled hair multiple times before he stopped in front of the taciturn blond. He waited and, when Chris finished the article he was studying and eventually looked up at him, Vin pleaded with his eyes.
"Please, Cowboy," he said softly. "I don't wanna leave, and I don't know how to apologize any more than I have. What's gonna make it right?"
Chris finally tilted his head up and looked full-out at the younger hot-shot shooter. He thought about the long ride they'd just endured in the snow and ice to round up the filly that had wandered away after Vin failed to latch the stall door securely. It had taken an hour and a half to find the young horse, and another half hour to get her warm and dry.
Vin sighed and started to turn away, intending to call it an early weekend, though it was only Friday night. Chris' low, dangerous voice stopped him.
"You. Bareass. Over my lap."
Vin's pulse reacted before his conscious mind fully assimilated the words. His heart leaped and his cock grew faster than he'd thought possible. `WHAT?! His COCK grew?' His mind began to spin.
"W..wh...what?" He stuttered without turning to look at the blond.
"You heard me. I'm not gonna repeat myself."
Vin swallowed again and thought about the repercussions. There were too many, so he shut down his mind and followed his heart. Taking a deep breath and trying to slow his racing pulse, he turned around. Head down, like a recalcitrant child, he padded barefoot to Chris' side.
The lean blond tossed the magazine aside and adjusted his position, making more of a defined lap for the sharpshooter. His jeans tugged against his hardened flesh, and his heart soared at the knowledge that, come hell or high water, tonight he would sink deeply into his best friend -- or know for a fact it would never happen.
Vin's face flamed bright red as he reached for the snap on his jeans. His fingers faltered for a moment, then gained courage as he focused on the strong hands laying casually and confidently between hard thighs, waiting.
The sharpshooter pushed his jeans and boxers down his legs, a sudden shiver born of tension and chill racking his frame. To his astonished dismay, he found tears of regret and unease dampening his eyes.
Slowly and carefully, he dropped to his knees. Pushing back up with the balls of his feet, he levered himself over the denim clad lap of his best friend, his boss ... and the man he respected more than anyone he'd ever known. Was this worth it to get beyond the disappointment Chris felt in him? Yes, he decided, it was.
Chris looked down at the prone form draped trustingly over his lap. His throat caught for a moment as he took in the soft, unmarked skin of the beautiful ass he was about to redden. He almost couldn't believe Vin was allowing this to happen, but he knew that the younger man understood what was about to take place in its purest form. A dissolution of guilt on Vin's part, anger on Chris'. And when it was over, it was over. Simple. Neat. Quick.
Chris' soft drawl ran all over Vin's nerves as the Leader placed on hand on his bare ass and one on the small of his back.
"Do ya know why, Vin?"
"Yeah, Chris. I was careless."
"Just careless?"
"I was careless with your animals. Your passion. I let myself get sloppy with the one area of your life -- besides work -- that you can't allow carelessness in. I'm sorry, Cowboy."
"Alright. Let's get this done."
Vin's eyes flew open as Chris' hand connected with his tender flesh. The blow was hard, sharp and it hurt. The worst kind of hurt, too. It stung. He bit his lip and gripped Chris' booted leg with one hand, balancing himself on the floor with the other. He squeezed is eyes shut against the pain, and against the horror of his ever-thickening cock.
Chris concentrated, bringing Vin's bottom to an even, mottled red. His hand stung almost as badly as he imagined the younger man's ass did, but he relished the refocus of the angry energy he'd been carrying. He wasn't punishing Vin with abandon, but the release was as real and as complete as he knew it would be. Vin was offering him a gift, he was accepting, and it erased the misdeed.
The blond completed the last of fifteen hard strokes and checked to be sure his monitoring of Vin's breathing and sighing was accurate. The young man was sobbing, an occasional whimper slipping out, and Chris carefully eased him back to his knees.
Placing two fingers beneath the beautiful man's chin, he raised Vin's head, waiting until the Texan's eyes found his own. He allowed Vin to see, for the first time, the love and adoration that he bore for him.
Vin sucked in a breath, his face still wet. His eyes reflected his bewilderment and hope, and Chris knew he would never again have to wonder whether he and Vin were meant to be.
"You okay?" Chris asked softly
Vin nodded but fresh tears spilled over his cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Chris. I know how ya love your horses. It was..."
Chris moved his fingers against Vin's lips, stopping the torrent of words. "Shhhh, Baby. It's over now. You paid and I accepted. Case closed."
Vin nodded and realized he felt clean. The guilt was gone, the air was clear. And Chris was smiling again.
Reaching down, Chris pulled Vin into his lap and cuddled him against him. Helping him push his jeans off, Chris made short work of Vin's shirt and settled him until the solid mass of muscle and warm flesh was ensconced securely in his embrace.
Kissing Vin's temple and stroking the soft brown silk of his hair, Chris continued whispering soothing nothings into his soon-to-be lover's heart. "It's okay, Baby. It's gonna always be okay now that I know you love me, too. We'll always work it out, this way or another. That's it... let it out, Baby. Let all that always-gotta-be-strong stuff out. I've got ya and I'll never let you go..."
Vin hiccuped softly on a sigh as he drifted to sleep. He would deal with all this when he woke up. For now he just wanted to sleep safe. Safer than he'd ever been.
As usual, Vin was awake long moments before he allowed himself to change his breathing, move or open his eyes. Assimilating his surroundings before revealing himself was a habit born of harsh lessons and would never really fade until a life of fighting against those with little conscience was well behind him.
This time it took only seconds for him to relax as the memory of his experience with Chris took hold. The arms that held him were strong, the body that supported him familiar, and the breath that caressed the hair at his temples lightly scented with scotch. He was safe, warm, naked... and his ass still tingled in the aftermath of their game.
He opened his eyes and looked around, taking in the darkness beyond the French doors and the low crackle of the fire. Yawning, he shifted and looked at his best friend, seeing him in a whole new light.
"How long did I sleep?" He questioned softly.
Chris smiled at him, amusement in his eyes, and spoke just as quietly. "Bout three hours, near 's I can figure. Not sure, 'cause I fell asleep, too."
Vin nodded and again laid his head against the blond's broad shoulder.
"Sorry I bawled like a baby all over ya," Vin said.
"Hell, cowboy, it happened to me the first time, too. Nothin' to worry about."
The Texan chuckled in disbelief. "You been on the receiving end of this?"
Chris nodded against the top of his head. He grinned in remembrance.
"Yup. Sara did it."
Vin finally got animated, leaning forward and turning his torso around to gaze into his partner's face. "Bullshit."
Chris grinned wider. "Nope. We were gettin' dressed one morning and I was still in my boxers. She was mad at me and swatted my ass out of frustration. I made the mistake of laughing at her and -- not realizing she had a hair brush in her hand -- askin' her if that was the best she could do. My calm, quiet, sedate wife pushed me over onto the bed on my face and wailed the tar out of me with that damned brush. By the time she quit I had my face buried into the mattress to hide my tears. She left to get Adam up and I cried like a baby. She was mad at me 'cause I wouldn't talk to her about something that was bothering me, and the crying that started because of the wailin' actually let me get out the hurt and anger I was feelin' about the friend I had just buried."
"Well yeah, I can testify to the fact that it can be pretty liberatin', Vin chuckled.
There was a pause as the unspoken hovered around them. The crackle of the fire and the yawn and scratch from the dog seemed to define the stillness rather than detract from it. Chris's hand, resting lightly on the muscled thigh just above Vin's knee, was so still it was almost as if it wasn't there. Tension built slowly, born of anticipation rather than discomfort.
Chris spoke softly, with a huskiness that caused a frisson of heat to spark to life in Vin's belly. "So, should we talk about this..?"
"Yeah. Reckon it's better that way. Saves a lot of confusion."
"You want it?" Chris' breath stirred the hair behind Vin's ear while his hand gently squeezed against warm flesh and tight muscle.
"Yeah," Vin's pulse jumped. "Want you."
"Just for now?" Chris questioned softly, his lips brushing the sharpshooter's temple.
"Nah. Figure it feels so right I musta been hopin' for it a while, now. What about you? Ya lookin' for a weekend diversion?"
The slight shake of the blond head caused Larabee's lips, just moistened, to tangle lightly in tousled brown hair. The no was more breathed than spoken.
"It ain't gonna be easy," the Texan murmured as he shifted a bit against fingers that had begun stroking his leg gently. "I'm willing to put in the work. I've loved ya for too long to run."
Chris's breath caught as he turned startled green eyes to measuring blue. He searched the face of his best friend carefully, willing the truth to reveal itself.
"Love?" Chris whispered.
Blue flames burned past doubt. Tenderness waited deeper within, a carefully banked ember that would glow for a long time to come. As Chris watched, the flame redoubled and caught, the flashover pulling him into a consuming blaze as his mouth came down to claim what was his, what had been his from the moment they'd met.
Tanner lifted his mouth to meet the blonde's, their tongues dueling silently for a moment until settling into a sweet rubbing, flesh against flesh, trust meeting trust.
"God, Vin," Chris gasped as he pulled away slightly. "So much lost time..."
Vin pulled back further and looked into the hazel eyes he'd long loved. Strength born of adversity and rebirth shone from the blue orbs.
"No, Cowboy!" his voice rasped almost harshly. "Y'lived in the past long enough. No more regrets, no more shoulda's. Just here, and now, and a future together."
Chris almost whimpered as his mouth slammed down on the source of those words. One hand tangled in the long brown hair as the other arm wrapped around the lean body. Without losing that contact, Vin managed to swing around and straddle the jean-clad lap, the bulge in worn material contrasting sharply to his naked, aroused flesh.
Vin made short work of Chris's shirt, popping the last button off in his haste to get it open and out of the blond's tight jeans. Chris raised his hips off the couch as Vin's hands worked the button and zipper of his jeans, pushing them off his hips. Growling with frustration, the sharpshooter took hold of the cotton cloth beneath the denim and ripped the boxers off with ease, gasping sweetly as flesh met flesh for the first time.
Pushing against the cock and belly, Vin bent his head to the juncture of the blond's shoulder and neck, sucking harshly and leaving his mark. Chris moaned hotly, his hand tightening painfully in the long locks of brown. Vin grinned against the quickly reddening skin, absorbing the pain and willing it into pleasure.
Suddenly Tanner's world was turned upside down and sideways as Chris lifted and pushed simultaneously, landing carefully on the hot, sweating body that was now on its back on the couch. Vin laughed a rough, passionate laugh as Chris gathered his wrists, pinning them above his tousled head with one hand. Giving a short, experimental tug, yet not really trying to free himself at all, he was pleased to find little give in the blond's claiming hands.
Chris slid two fingers of his other hand into Vin's mouth, his hazel eyes radiating words of heat and emotion. "Get 'em wet, Vin..." he breathed.
Vin swirled and sucks at the digits like a baby suckling at his mother's breast, leaving off with a wet coating and lifting his legs simultaneously to wrap them around his new lover's waist.
Wasting no time, Chris slid his hand down the Texan's body, one finger immediately finding its mark and sliding in effortlessly. Vin groaned and arched against the invasion, needing more, demanding more.
The second finger joined the first, both thrusting carefully, twisting and moving until the pressure against them eased a bit. Chris slid them away and chuckled softly into Vin's ear at his gasp of loss.
"Easy, little bit, there's more where that came from..."
"There ... better be!" Vin ground out, his hips bucking against the blond's ever-burgeoning cock.
Chris laughed out loud and suddenly breached the tight passage to Vin's body. Vin shouted in a mixture of pain, pleasure and triumph, turning it to a call of his lover's name and trailing off in a moan of sweet sensation.
Chris's eyes closed tightly and he sunk deeper into the warm, tight cavern. Pulling back to the tip, he sunk in again, his body's weight carrying more momentum than his muscles at first. The tip of his velvet steel cock hit the sweet spot within his hot, young stud and Vin jerked up once more, crying out. Chris released the wrists he'd been holding, bracing himself on steel arms and driving into the arching body that rose to meet him again and again.
The rhythm was as old as time, the pace as fast and hot as the men who set it. The air was filled with the music of pleasure, the scent of passion, and the totality of abiding love. And the men who created the symphony cried out in a finale that rose them both out of the sphere of the ordinary and carried them into a safety that -- from now on -- no one could take away from them. Not even death.
THE END