Autumn Wind by KlingonCat

Chris looked up, letting the ax drop down onto the stump he'd been using to chop firewood as another gust of chilly air swept around the corner for the barn. Leaves were dancing madly around the yard as the trees swayed in the quickly increasing wind and one of the younger colts whinnied nervously at the noise and motion.

There was a storm coming and it would be here soon.

He moved to the barn and brought the small herd of horses inside, not even Peso would willingly stay out on a day like this.

Gathering up a final armload of wood, Chris turned to scan the horizon hoping to see Vin - even though he wasn't expecting him to arrive until early evening.

He sighed as he realized that glaring at the trees wouldn't bring his friend and lover, home any sooner, and turned toward the cabin.

What he could do, was to make sure that there was hot food and a warm fire when he did arrive.

Three hours later the house was cozy and the pot of stew provided an enticing aroma but now, as darkness enveloped the landscape, food was the last thing on his mind.

The storm was raging and Vin was still out there... somewhere in the wind and rain.

Pouring a cup of strong black coffee Chris pulled his chair to the side of the stove ... facing the window, but far enough away that he could pretend that he wasn't watching -that he wasn't waiting.

It had been just under a year since the two men had resigned their duties in town, leaving JD and Buck to take up the roles of sherrif and deputy. The town having settled down enough over the past three years that a team of seven were no longer needed.

Ezra quit first, opening his newly build saloon and hotel nearly two years back, with Josiah and Nathan following soon after to focus their time on their own practices.

Not that all of them weren't available when things got out of hand.

Chris and Vin had admitted their feelings for each other about the time that Ezra was opening his hotel, but until they quit and moved to the small homestead they had only been able to spend time together intermittently.

Raising horses was a way that they could live together without causing too much speculation.

Careful to build a seperate cabin for Vin.

Not that it was ever used.

Vin's had ridden up to Rock Butte three days ago for the big livestock auction, and, if there were lucky, he would be bring back a new mare. It was a show they'd both hoped to go to, but with four colts and seven other horses to tend and some final repairs for winter to be done, Chris had stayed home.

Now he wished they had hired someone to watch the animals.

Wished he was out there with Vin.

Anywhere, snugged down in a convenient cave, or cold and wet in the storm, as long as it wasn't here, alone, waiting - and worrying.

The room was dark, just a slight glow from the woodstove illuminating the room.

It was nearly midnight, the storm was still battering the walls and roof relentlessly and the chair was now tucked up against the small, foggy window.

Not that he could see anything.

He knew that but couldn't seem to move away.

He'd already made three trips to the barn, somehow hoping to be there when Vinrode in. But each time, after checking on the horses, he chided himself and returned to the cabin.

Finally falling into a doze, head resting on the sill.

It was just before dawn, in that gray, almost light, when the wind and rain finally slowed then stopped, the absence of noise bringing him awake.

He stretched, ran a hand through his hair, the dark gold locks longer now, just 1 one more sign of Vin's influence.

It was then that he looked out and saw movement at the edge of the woods.

Movement that wasn't wind.

Vin.

Grabbing his jacket as he headed out the door he went out to greet his damp, chilled lover.

Vin knew, even as he left the auction, that he would not make it home before the storm hit. But that didn't matter... all that he wanted to do was get home, and that meant being out on the road - storm or not.

The new mare was beautiful and, more importantly, strong and steady. A little wind and rain wouldn't bother her and Peso, well, there was damn little that bothered him.

The only thing Vin was worried about was Chris.

Not that he wouldn't be safe - warm and dry as the storm hit, but Vin knew that he would be worried.

And that was something that was realtively new to Vin.

After so many years with no one to worry about where he was and if he was safe it felt a little strange having someone out there wondering about him.

Worrying.

Not that Chris would admit it.

But Vin knew.

He'd seen it in his eyes when he came back late, even as he tried to maintain that famous Larabee nonchalance.

He worried.

And, now that he was starting to get used to it, Vin had to admit that he kinda liked knowing that there was someone worrying about him.

Even if he didn't need to.

He was a grown man and it was, after all, just a little bit if wind and water.

He rode on as leaves and small branches went flying, and before the rain arrived to send it to the ground, the sand was lifted and swirled violently around them, blinding man and horse alike as it found it's way into eyes scrunched almost shut stinging smartly as it hit any uncovered flesh.

It was, all in all, a miserable day to be out riding.

Long before the rain started, the air grew cold and even with his jacket and the oilskin cape Chris had insisted he bring, he felt chilled.

Vin looked up as the sky grew dark, it was much earlier than usual due to the thick clouds obscuring the last of the sunlight.

Then the rain started.

And he was still hours from home.

With the clouds and the rain Vin knew that he would have to find a place to wait out the darkness or risk injuring Peso and the mare moving over the rough terraine blindly.

The mare didn't like the wind and rain any more than Vin or Peso did but she paced along without complaint and as Vin glanced back, he was happy to see that he'd chosen well. She would be a good addition to the herd.

He rode for another hour or so before he found a likely place to camp. Not that it was a particularly good spot - just the best he would find before it got too dark to move.

He pulled the horses up next to the huge fallen tree and dug into his pack for a large oilskin ground cloth, that he used to build a make-shift shelter on the side of the log that was out of the wind. Then one at a time, brought first Peso, then the mare to ground under the "roof". He had no fire - but at least a break from the wind and, snugged down between the backs of the horses, a mostly dry and slightly warm place to wait out the night.

He was unaware that he slept until he woke and, looking out, could see that although the sun wasn't yet up, there was just enough light to find the trail, and the rain had nearly stopped.

He was back on the trail quickly and, much sooner than he'd thought, was approaching the homestead he shared with Chris.

He was tired, damp and chilled to the bone... but he was home.

Vin looked up to see Chris come out the front door and smiled slightly. Chris had been worried - awake and waiting for his arrival.

Suddenly he wasn't quite as cold as he had been just moments before.

He didn't need to urge Peso on, the big horse knew he was home and was heading straight toward the barn - he knew it would be warm and filled with good things to eat.

They met at the barn, Vin slid off Peso and landed in Chris's arms.

"Missed you," Chris whispered as he embraced the other half of his soul.

"Missed you, too," Vin sighed, gladder than he'd imagioned now that he was safe in his lover's arms.

They stood there, wrapped together for a time, content to simply savor each other's presence.

Then as a gust of wind swept a smattering of cold droplets from the big cottonwood they realized that it was time to move to somewhere a bit warmer and dryer.

"You head inside, Vin," Chris declared "I'll take care of this beautiful little mare and your mule."

"I can take care of Peso..." Vin started to argue, but he was cut off as Chris reached out to take the reins of both animals.

"You're cold and wet, and I want you to be warm and dry when I get done -it's been a long three days.

Vin smiled and let Chris take the two tired horses, grabbing his saddlebags and gun he headed inside.

Chris rubbed Peso and the new mare down, glad that the gelding was tired enough that he didn't fuss quite as much as usual, and found that he was very pleased with the mare. Vin had chosen well and, given the amount of money he'd had to spend, had gotten a real bargain. Better than they'd hoped.

Once the two horses were settled in and contentedly munching he made a quick check on the rest of the animals and, seeing that they were all fine, he closed the doors and headed back to the cabin.

He entered the warm building and found Vin curled down under the thick quilt, fast asleep.

He smiled, noticing that the longjohns he'd hung by the stove to warm were gone and Vin's wet clothes were strewn hung haphazardly in their place.

After adding more wood to the stove, Chris stripped down to his underwear and slid under the covers with Vin, he snuggled up against the slim back and wrapped himself around the sleeping man.

It was late afternoon when Chris woke again, he stretched carefully, then slipped out of the bed. He noticed that Vin remained deeply asleep and made a little noise as possible as he stoked the fire and put on a pot of coffee. A short time later he had the pot of stew warming as he mixed p a batch of biscuits. Vin might be sleeping now, but Chris was sure that the slender man had eaten next to nothing as he rode home. He would be hungry when he woke.

Once the biscuits were mixed and ready to bake Chris put them aside and poured a cup of coffee, moving into the bedroom, he sat at the end of the bed and sipped the strong brew as he watched his lover sleep.

The smell of the stew reminded him that he also hadn't eaten much the previous day but the sight of Vin as he slept woke another, much stronger hunger. He set the half-full cup on the dresser and slipped back into the bed.

Stew and biscuits could wait.

Chris crawled in behind Vin and slid his arms around him, pulling him tight against himself. The soft moan that met his embrace told him that he wasn't the only one awake and feeling hungry. Taking the moan as a signel to continue he nuzzled up under Vins wildly mussed hair and kissed his neck wetly before moving over to lick and nibble on the stubbled jawline.

When he paused for a moment to simply gaze at his sleepy soulmate, Vin turned his head and met his eyes.

"You ain't thinkin of stoppin are ya?" The whispered question only half-serious. Vin knew that after three days there was little chance that his partner would stop now, but still found Chris's intense scrutiny slightly awkward, it was a thing that he was still working to accept.

"Nah, just missed you." Chris blushed slightly.

"Missed you too," Vin mumbled as he turned to take Chris's lips with his own.

The room lapsed into a silence that was broken only by a occasional pant or gasp as they re-explored each other, kissing and licking until instinct took over.

Both men were hard and more than ready, the first orgasm hitting fast and sweet as they simply thrust against each other, need overriding subtleties. The following hour was spent in a leisurely haze of love and lust as they made up for their time apart.

They dozed for a while but the smell of the stew teased their other appetites until Chris sighed and slid out of the bed long enough to put the pan of biscuits into the stove. He rushed back into the warmth of their bed. The stove kept the small cabin fairly warm, but enough to stand around without clothes on.

"What'cha doin', Larabee?" Vin mumbled as an icy foot nudged his warm calf.

"Fixing dinner."

Vin smiled. "Smells like it's already done."

"Stew is, but I just put the biscuits in."

Vin turned over to face Chris and snuggled up so close it was impossible to tell where one man ended and the other began. "You made biscuits for me?"

"I always make biscuits for you," Chris returned, it was one of the many ways he spoiled his lover, "or hadn't you noticed?"

"Oh, I noticed, it's one of the reasons I love you so much.."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah," Vin whispered, but then I'd love ya even if ya couldn't boil water."

One kiss led to another and just as things began to get interesting the smell of biscuits that were about to turn into cinders made it's way into the room. Vin was out of bed and at the stove before Chris could turn over.

"What the hell, Tanner?"

"My biscuits were about to burn up." Vin held the smoking pan up, waving it around to cool the tender bread and keep it from burning.

"That should teach you not to distract the cook." Chris said smugly as he got up.

They ate in silence. They never had needed small talk and now, after so much time together, they sometimes spent entire days without words.

It was barely dusk when they crawled back into bed, the horses had been checked and fed, and the fire was stoked with a good sized pile of wood piled nearby.

They still had two more days apart to make up for.

end