by The Neon Gang

RATING OR WARNINGS: NC-17 for the graphic description of male-male sex.

Art by Shiloh!

Note: This fic was formerly hosted at another website and was moved to blackraptor in August 2015.

It was almost too good to be true. Vin Tanner stood in front of a snapping fire, the light dancing across the stone hearth, a free man. The concept was still hard for him to grasp.

Free.

Real freedom.

No more looking over his shoulder, or hiding from lawmen and bounty hunters. No more having to be careful every time he rode into a new town. He could go wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and do whatever he wanted.

He grinned and shook his head.

And not only was he a free man, he was a happy man. The situation, as far as he was concerned, was like some made-up story in a dime novel - young man clears his name, builds a life with six good friends, ends up with a place to call home . . . and someone to love.

His gaze rose to the empty mantle. Someday pictures would sit scattered across the piece of rich-grained wood, pictures of himself and Chris Larabee. And one of those pictures would be from today, when Judge Travis had brought him word of his exoneration on the murder charge that had dogged his heels for so long. It would be a picture of him and Chris, standing out in front of Ezra's saloon, one of Larabee's arms slung over his shoulder, and huge smiles on both their faces. It was a sight Vin knew would warm his heart every time he looked at it.

So much had happened in so short a time that he often found it hard to remember it wasn't just a dream. He wasn't going to wake up and find himself in a jail cell, or on the run. This was real. And he was still young, still had a lifetime ahead of him, but all his dreams had already come true. What was left?

He stepped over to one of the winged-back chairs and sat down. In some ways he was scared. Would he be up to meeting the new challenges he faced?

All his life he'd been on the move, whether by choice or necessity, but now, every time he started to get the wanderlust he just took one look at Chris and knew he wouldn't be packing anytime soon.

Vin Tanner was in love.

His life with Larabee and the five other peacekeepers he now called his friends had taken several odd turns, but the oddest by far was the intimate relationship the two men had come to share. He wouldn't trade it, though, not for all the gold in California.

He glanced at the window, quickly and accurately determining the time from where the sun sat in the sky and wondering where Chris had gotten to. He was due back an hour ago.

He pushed out of his chair and headed for the front door. Pausing at the large picture window, he pulled back the heavy drapes and looked out at the trail leading to the house they had built for themselves - with a lot of help from the others.

Nothing.

The weather beyond the glass was gray and dreary, not a typical December day. Tom, the hand Chris had hired to help them with the horses, was tying a large red ribbon to the bunkhouse door. Christmas was growing closer.

Vin grinned, looking forward to the holiday. It had taken him months to find the right gift for Chris this year, but he finally had. Something Larabee would never think up for himself: a beautiful, hand-tooled, black-leather saddle.

The cadence of horseshoes on the hard-packed ground announced Larabee's return and Vin smiled and returned to the living room, knowing Chris would look for him there first.

A few minutes later Chris joined him, carrying a small wooden crate.

"What's that?" Vin asked him.

"Shh," Chris said softly, opening the lid to reveal a tiny tabby kitten curled up in a ball. "It's sleeping." The animal's front paw twitched.

Vin's bright blue eyes widened. "A kitten?"

"For the house," Chris explained, a lopsided grin spreading over his face. "I thought she'd make it a little more . . . cozy, I guess. Besides, we can use a good mouser around here."

"It ain't cozy enough fer ya?" Vin asked, mock hurt in his tone.

Larabee immediately saw through the façade. "Course it is." He reached out, resting his hand lightly on the tracker's shoulder and squeezing. "But sometimes this place feels. . ."

"Too damn big."

Chris nodded and grinned sheepishly. "I thought she might make it feel a little smaller."

"Sounds good t' me," Vin said, looking down at the gray-striped ball of fur with black points and a white chest. He reached out and lifted the dainty tip of her tail. The kitten's nose twitched, but she remained asleep. "Think she'll be much of a hunter?"

"Don't see why not," Chris said, setting the small wooden box down on the hearth.

Chris made himself comfortable on the couch while Vin poured a shot of whiskey for each of them, then carried the glasses back to join his friend. "Y' had me worried, pard," he said in as chastising a tone as he could manage.

Chris accepted the glass. "A couple of rowdies at the saloon; figured I better give Ezra a hand."

"Just glad yer back," Vin said, then paused as Tom knocked and entered.

"Mr. Larabee, I got that black mare tended to. Oh, and since it's gettin' close to Christmas, I'd like t' go into town." He grinned, his cheeks turning rosy. "Got my eye on a gift for Miss Elizabeth."

Chris fought back a smile. Tom was a good wrangler, even if he had gone moony over Elizabeth Carlisle of late. "Sounds fine to me," he said. "Just don't let Buck or Ezra talk you into indulging in too much Christmas cheer."

"Yes, sir," Tom replied with a grateful smile. "I'll be back before supper."

"Take your time," Chris suggested. He had his own kind of Christmas cheer he wanted to indulge in.

The two peacekeepers watched the man leave, then Vin stood and added more wood to the fire, casting a cherry red-orange light into the rapidly darkening room. Chris was standing behind him when he finished, and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"What're y' doin'?"

"Thinkin' about the kind of Christmas cheer I'm most interested in," Larabee replied huskily.

There was a throaty chuckle, and Vin said softly, "Funny, I've been thinkin' somethin' like that myself. . ."

The kitten mewed softly, then rolled over and stretched out along the opposite side of the box.

"But what about this little lady?" Vin asked him, peering down into the crate.

"Let her watch," Chris suggested, leaning to nibble softly at his partner's neck.

Vin's arms came up to encircle his lover, pulling him into a tight embrace. They wrestled playfully to the rug-covered floor.

In a few moments the two men managed to scatter clothing over most of the furniture before they stretched out, side by side, on the buffalo hide in front of the fire. Inquisitive black eyes peered out at them from over the top of the crate.

 

"You can wait," Chris told the kitten.

A second soft mew answered him.

"Y' heard th' man," Vin concurred, his lips coming down to capture Chris's.

Larabee retaliated, his hands sliding up Vin's bare chest, teasing the already hard nipples. He chuckled as the blond pressed his groin against his hip.

Another mew echoed in the room, followed by the sounds of scratching inside the wooden crate.

"What was y' sayin' 'bout her watchin'?" Vin asked in a whisper as he nibbled on his lover's ear.

"Mmm. . ." Larabee replied, pressing his face against the tracker's neck and starting a steady assault down to the waiting collarbones and beyond.

Vin sucked in a sharp breath, causing the kitten to look his way. She cocked her head as Larabee shifted to a more frontal attack and Tanner moaned softly in surrender.

The kitten echoed the wavering sound with a louder meow and both men laughed. She stood up in her box for a better view.

"Don't stop now," Vin complained in a groan, pressing his hips up against Larabee.

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. Don't see me bringin' home a little lady who thinks she's a queen, now do ya?"

Chris growled and sat up, grabbing Vin's shoulders and forcing him over onto his back. The kitten, taking the playful assault as an invitation to join in the romp, lithely leaped over the side of the small crate, landing silently on the hearth.

Larabee, too intent on his final victory over the squirming tracker, missed the spill of gray fur that tumbled from the stone hearth and came waddling across the floor. The kitten's claws found traction on the edge of the hide where Chris and Vin lay tangled.

Three pouncing jumps and the small package of fur landed on the back of Chris's thigh, tiny claws gripping the sensitive skin.

"Ahhhh!" the gunslinger bellowed, his head coming up, his green eyes going round with surprise.

"What?" Vin gasped, his own pleasure now wavering between completion and foundering.

Larabee's hand whipped back, trying to grab the handful of fur as it scampered up his leg and across his naked butt, sharp claws leaving small puncture wounds in her wake. "Ahhh!"

"What?" Vin wheezed as Chris's full weight pressed him flat against the woolly buffalo hair.

"Vin!"

Tanner's eyes suddenly rounded. "Goddamn, Larabee! She's got claws!" he yelled.

"You're tellin' me?" Larabee challenged, managing to climb out of the tangle of Vin's arms and legs so he could corner the small beast as she continued to explore across exposed skin.

They both burst into laughter as Chris made several attempts at scooping the kitten up, all of them failing miserably. He finally squatted down and tapped the floor invitingly. The kitten pounced, aiming for his finger and he scooped her up. Cradling the tiny feline to his chest, Larabee watched her curl up in his palm. The faintest purr echoed through the room as her eyes dropped closed again. He returned her to the box.

"Think she's worn herself out."

"Then put her t' bed, Cowboy," Vin purred. "We've got somethin' t' finish."

Chris smiled. They did indeed.

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