Sequel to "Five Dollars"

Part Two

Nathan Jackson pushed open the door to the clinic with a sigh. He was cold and tired. October had come in with a vengeance, icy rain and wind had turned the small town into a dreary place to be and laid half the townspeople low with everything from simple colds to pneumonia and influenza. He'd spent the day tending patients and was exhausted.

He trudged up the stairs with his head down against the biting wind not lookin gup even as he opened the door of the clinic. He blinked in surprise when he saw the light in the room and felt the warmth that filled it.

Rain turned to smile at him from beside the stove where she was stirring something that smelled delicious.

He knew his mouth was gaping as he stood stock still in the doorway.

"Nathan Jackson!" She chided him in a fond voice, "Get in here and close that door! You're letting all the heat out."

He obeyed then turned back to her, "How'd you get in here? Ah locked that door."

"I let her in, Mister Jackson." Ezra Standish stepped from the back room, rolling down the sleeves of his spotless white shirt. "She wished to see you and I thought that after the day you have no doubt had, that you would welcome a warm room and a hot meal to come home to."

He turned to Rain. "The tub is half-filled with warm water. The kettle on the bathroom stove should be boiling by the time he has eaten. I will bid you goodnight now."

He slipped into his jacket and picked up his hat, moving towards the door.

Nathan stepped to intercept the gambler, "Ezra... uhmm, how'd you get in?"

Ezra gave him an incredulous look. "I picked the lock, of course." He stepped around the healer and reached to open the door.

"Ummm, Ez?"

"Yes, Mister Jackson?"

Nathan looked back at the room, which was warm and welcoming, and at Rain who was smiling at him. "Thanks."

"You are entirely welcome, Mister Jackson." He said seriously then he grinned at Nathan, his gold tooth flashing. "You know... if you were to marry this lovely lady you could come home to a warm house and a hot meal every night." He tipped his hat towards Rain and was through the door and gone in an instant.

Nathan stared at the door as it closed behind the gambler and shook his head. As he listened to the sound of Ezra practically dancing down the stairs he couldn't help but wonder what kind of welcome Vin was going home to. He'd stopped at the leather shop where Vin and Josiah were working on roofing over the three rooms they'd added behind the shop on his way through town.

Vin had been packing up the tools from their day's work, while Josiah walked through the half finished rooms and made comments on what they needed to do the next day.

Nathan had sent them both home with orders to change out of their damp clothes and get dry and warm as soon as possible. It amazed him that they weren't down with pneumonia already, the way they insisted on working on the building all day in the cool and damp. Still he reckoned that Vin and Ezra were eager to get the building finished and the McGlamorys moved in so that they could get moved out to the ranch.

For an instant he thought that the work would go faster, if Ezra was helping them then he made himself rethink that. He had told himself he wasn't gonna go jumping to conclusions about Ezra, what he did or why. Ezra might not be helping with adding on the rooms to the leather shop but he was helping with the move in other ways. Just last week he'd gone off to Rock Ridge and come back with nigh on to two thousand dollars he'd won at poker there. Right after that Nathan had heard Mrs. McGlamory excitedly telling Mrs. Potter that Ezra had bought some of the furnishings that she wasn't going to have room for in the new house and how pleased she was about it. Besides which he went out to the ranch most everyday, 'getting acquainted with the horses,' as he put it. Nathan figured Mr. McGlamory was filling him on the running of the place.

Pushing his thoughts away he turned back to Rain. Like Ezra had said, it sure was nice to come home to a warm house, a hot meal and pretty woman.

*************************************************

Ezra trotted up the steps to the saloon and pushed his way inside. Skirting the other tables he came to stand near Vin at the seven's regular table. Inez had just finished taking the supper order from the four men that sat there.

Chris, Buck and JD gave Ezra nods of welcome and Vin turned to smile at him. Ezra nodded at the others and grinned back at Vin. His eyes lifted to Inez, "Did young master Potter prepare my bath as I requested?"

"Si, Senor." She nodded to him. "He just took the last kettle of hot water up."

"Excellent. Thank him for me and tell him that there will be a slight increase in his remuneration this week. Have you taken Mister Tanner's supper order?"

"Si."

"Then if you'd be so kind as to bring it up to the room along with mine, I would appreciate it." He smiled at her then dropped a hand onto Vin's shoulder. "Come along, Mister Tanner. You can get out of those damp things and into that tub while I obtain a dry set of clothes from your wagon for you."

Vin opened his mouth to protest but Ezra cut him off. "I just came from Mister Jackson's. The poor man is exhausted. He doesn't need anymore patients. He gave me strict orders to see to it that you don't get sick." That was stretching it a bit but Ezra didn't mind stretching the truth just a tad if it got Vin up and into the tub. "So, up the stairs with you."

Without waiting to see if Vin was going to obey him he waltzed out through the back door of the saloon. Vin's wagon was parked closer to the back than the front and it would be quicker than going around the building and he could duck back up the back stairs without having to go through the saloon again.

Vin sat a moment staring after his lover with his mouth slightly agape.

Buck chuckled, earning himself a glare from Vin. JD just shook his head.

Chris grinned at him and spoke too softly for it to carry beyond their table, "Might as well relax and enjoy it, Tanner. Believe me, when somebody who loves you decides to pamper you, you're gonna get pampered... like it or not. Get on up there. Let him fuss over ya a bit. It won't kill ya and it'll make him happy."

Vin grinned back at his best friend and tossing back his drink rose to head up stairs. Hell, he actually liked having Ezra fuss over him, but it wouldn't do for his friends to find that out. They'd never let him hear the end of it.

He sighed as he went up the stairs. It sure would be good ta get moved out to the ranch. Ez could fuss all he wanted and nobody would be the wiser. For that matter he could fuss over Ez, too, without anybody knowing that the two of them really enjoyed fussing over each other and being fussed over by the other.

Opening the door, which wasn't locked cause Ezra had left it open so that Josh Potter could fix the bath, he stepped into the room and smiled at what he saw.

The extra kettle of hot water sat on Ezra's small stove. The room was warm from the fire in the stove. The curtains were closed and the room was dimly lit. The small lamp beside the bed had been lit but turned down low. The bathtub stood between the bed and the dresser, not far from the stove. Towels hung on the back of a chair that sat directly in front of the stove, so that they would be warm when Vin got out of the tub. On the seat of the chair stood the bottle of French shampoo that Ezra had bought just to wash Vin's hair with.

Vin grinned. He loved having Ezra wash his hair and while he would never admit it, he loved the smell of the fancy shampoo and how it made his hair feel. Still the stuff was expensive, near three dollars a bottle shipped in all the way from France, and he would never pay that much for shampoo for himself. It bothered him to think that Ezra was spending that much on him when he could use plain soap, but then Ezra had asked him if Vin would be willing to pay that much for the shampoo if Ezra wanted it for himself. Vin had had to admit that he'd buy Ez anything he wanted as long as he had the money to pay for it. Ezra had smiled that beautiful dimpled smile of his and told Vin that that was exactly how he felt about Vin.

He poured the extra kettle of water into the tub and refilled it from the pitcher, sitting it back on the stove to heat in case Ezra wanted to bath when he was done then stripped down and stepped into the steaming tub.

Lord, it felt good.

A few moments later Ezra came through the door with his clean clothes and the tray with their supper. He lay Vin's clothes on the dresser and set the tray beside them then flashing Vin a sassy grin, went back to lock the door.

Vin grinned back at him and relaxed in the tub. He loved moments like these. Just him and Ezra in their own little world.

He watched through half closed eyes as Ezra lay his things on the dresser then picked up Vin's boots and moved them closer to the fire to dry overnight. He knew he'd be staying the night the minute Ezra had turned the lock on the door. That was their signal that they were locking the rest of the world out, that for at least a few hours it would be just the two of them.

He smiled as the gambler removed his coat and hung it up, followed by his guns. The smile widened as Ezra finished stripping.

Ezra moved to the side of the tub, "Slide up, Love, let me in behind."

Vin obliged and Ezra joined him in the tub. Vin leaned back against him as Ezra hugged him gently. Then Ezra reached out to check the placement of the items on the chair, making sure he could reach them easily.

They simply lay there for a long moment basking in the pleasure of just being together, soaking in the hot water.

Then Ezra said softly, "I put a cup of Epsom salts in the water. Nathan says it will take any soreness out of your muscles." He lazily carded his fingers through Vin's hair enjoying the feel of it. "How is the addition coming?"

"Framing's done. Rafters and half the roofing. Should have it dried in by the end of next week. That way we can work on the inside without worrying 'bout the weather."

"I was hoping to be in our new home by Thanksgiving. Do you think you will be finished in time for the McGlamorys to move in before then?"

"Oughta be. Chris is helping some... so is Buck and ya know 'siah's there ever day."

"Indeed. We shall have to find something special to give him as a gift of appreciation. I shall be thinking about it."

Vin chuckled. "'siah's been pestering me ta death about what ya might want fer a housewarming present. Seems him and Buck has decided ta throw us a housewarming party fer when we get moved in at the ranch and he wants to know what ta get ya."

Ezra paused in his caressing of Vin's hair, "Really? They want to give us a party?"

"Yep. Near as I can tell half the folks in town are in on it."

"They are?" Ezra's voice was choked with emotion. "Ah nevah expected... Ah mean Ah...."

"I know what ya mean, Ez. Throwed me fer a loop too, Baby." He turned his head to look up at Ezra, "Couldn't quite believe that somebody's throw us a party just cause we got us a house."

Ezra hugged him hard. " A home Vin. It's not just a house. It's our home... and I promise you, it will always be a home not just a house."

"Wherever we are is home, Ez, long as you're with me." He paused, laying his hands over Ezra's where they lay clasped around his chest, "Right now, right here, in this room, in your arms... I'm home."

"Indeed. I am home so long as I am with you, as well." He pressed a kiss to the top of Vin's head then said, "Now, let's get you bathed and out of this tub before the water gets cold."

He washed Vin's hair first, lathering it twice, while Vin sighed his pleasure at the feel of Ezra's fingertips massaging his scalp and gliding through his long locks. Ezra used a bowl he had sitting on the chair to dip up water and rinse the shampoo out.

He bathed Vin then Vin returned the favor, each delighting in the play of soapy hands across the other's firmly muscled body.

As they dried each other, Ezra trailed a hand across Vin's ribs.

Vin glanced down a tad embarrassed at how thin he was. It didn't seem to matter how much he ate, he never gained weight. "Boney, ain't I?"

"I love how lean and hard you are, Mister Tannah." Ezra smiled at him. "There is not an ounce of fat on you... and I like that. Your body reflects your spirit, strong, flexible, enduring... unencumbered with unnecessary padding." He reached up to caress Vin's face looking into his eyes, "Your eyes reflect your soul, kind, gentle, passionate. I love everything about you, Vin Tanner. To me you are the most beautiful man alive."

"You're the beautiful one, Ez." Vin returned the caress, gliding his hand gently over Ezra's cheek. "I love to see the emerald fire spark in your eyes when ya look at me, love the way they darken with desire. Love your skin all smooth and satiny... love the way ya blush right down to those perfect little toes of yers. Never knowed toes could be sexy till ya rubbed my cock with yours and I found myself wantin' ta kiss'em."

Ezra leaned into him, sighing softly, "Lord, Vin. I could come just from listening to you talk like that."

"Then I better hush up... cause I don't plan on letting ya come till I've kissed and licked and sucked on ever inch of that beautiful body of yers."

Ezra leaned against him, content to just be held for the moment, "This was supposed to be your night, Vin. Me showing you how much I love you."

"Is my night. I feel yer love the most when ya just lie back and let me do what ever I want to ya. Means you trust me... and trust ain't something that ya give many people. Hell, I don't reckon ya really trust yer ma."

Ezra gave a short harsh laugh, "I fear you are correct in that. Love her? Yes, truly I do... but I have learned the hard way not to trust her. You, however... you I trust completely. So," He stepped back and held out his arms in an expansive gesture, "if what you wish is to have your wicked way with me... in what ever manner you chose then that is what you shall have, My Love. I am yours. Do with me what you will."

He gazed up at Vin with eyes filled with love and absolute trust.

With a grin and a whoop, Vin swept him up into his arms, spinning him around before falling across the bed with Ezra atop him. He rolled them over and began to tickle his lover, causing the normally reserved gambler to shriek with laughter until he was breathless, then Vin rolled to the side, simply holding his lover until Ezra regained his breath.

He propped up on one elbow leaning over the gambler. His blue eyes shone with love as he tenderly smoothed the hair back off of Ezra's forehead. He smiled down at the other man. "I love your hair like this, damp and lying in those tight little curls, all mussed and disarrayed." He stumbled over the word but Ezra's smile told him that it was the right word, as he went on. "I'm glad that ya take such care with your appearance when yer out and about. Don't like anybody else seeing your hair like this, all tousled. That's for me."

He caressed Ezra's face drawing his fingertip along one eyebrow, watching the emerald eyes blink up at him, "Like that look in your eyes right now's just for me. Don't nobody else get ta see that look or see how your eyes go so dark... such a deep green... deeper than emerald, the color of the fir trees way up in the mountains."

He leaned in to kiss Ezra, taking his time slowly exploring his lover's mouth, tangling their tongues together, sucking gently on Ezra's. "Hummm. Ya taste so good. You brushed your teeth with that mint flavored tooth power and there' a hint of the brandy ya like and Miz McGlamory's tea, that she always makes for ya when you go out there."

Ezra moaned softly as Vin kissed his way from the corner of Ezra's mouth to his ear, shifting his body to lie atop Ezra. He trembled as Vin's breath gently caressed the ear before Vin's tongue traced the outer edge, then dipped in to lick the inside.

"Oh, Lord!" He gasped.

Vin chuckled and nipped at his earlobe then drew his tongue down Ezra's neck from his ear to the base of Ezra's throat.

Ezra moaned aloud and arched his neck to give Vin better access. He reached up to clutch at Vin.

Vin caught his hands and held them down on the bed beside his head. "No, Baby." He chided gently. "Mine... all mine tonight."

He shifted again, bringing one of Ezra's hands to his lips. He kissed the palm then slowly licked from the wrist just above where his hand surrounded it to the tip of Ezra's middle finger.

Ezra watched with wide eyes, hugely dilated as Vin then licked each individual finger on the palm side then turned the hand over to kiss the back.

"Mine." Vin whispered as he lay the hand back on the bed beside Ezra's head and shifted to repeat the actions with the other hand.

Their cocks lay trapped between them, hard and leaking.

Ezra whimpered as Vin's movements rubbed them together.

Vin lay that hand back beside Ezra's head then leaned in for another kiss. "Keep your hands there." He instructed softly as he slid down Ezra's body to begin licking Ezra's chest. He drew a line in the center from just above the diaphragm to the center of Ezra's collarbone then licked his way out to the edge of Ezra's shoulder before nipping his way back to the center and licking his way to the other shoulder.

Ezra moaned and twisted trying to bring Vin's tongue in contact with his already hardened nipples.

Vin just chuckled and licked circles around the tautly pebbled nubs. Grinning he looked up at Ezra, loving the flushed, hungry look on his lover's face.

Needing something to hold on to in order to be able to obey Vin's order not to grab him, Ezra had turned his hands to grip the pillow his head was cushioned on, his grip so tight his knuckles were white.

Vin continued to stare at his lover for a long moment drinking in the waves of desire that seemed to flow off the gambler... desire for him. With a satisfied, look he ducked his head and began to lave one of Ezra's taut, sensitized nipples.

Ezra cried out with pleasure and arched up, rubbing his cock between them. He would have come if Vin hadn't reached down and closed his hand around the base of his cock, stopping him.

"Not yet, Baby. Not yet. Tonight you're gonna come inside of me. I'm gonna ride that beautiful cock till it spills your love inside me, fills my body up with it like you done filled my heart and soul up with your love."

"Good Lord, Vin! Please..."

Vin slipped to the side and up to gaze down in Ezra's eyes as he gently stroked the gambler's cock. "Do you know what it does to me to know that I can reduce you to this? To simple little words, to begging... and to know that no body else hears that. Nobody else knows ya can make that sweet little whimper or how your whole body can tremble almost vibrating like one'a them tuning forks, I saw once."

He moved back to straddle Ezra, holding himself up off the gambler with his knees and hands. "I love you Ezra Standish and I want ya inside me."

He reached to the bedside table and grabbed the tin of grease sitting there. With a quick movement he flipped the lid off and dropped the tin back to sit on the table while he dipped two fingers in and scooped up some of grease. Still leaning over Ezra he reached back and slipped the fingers into himself, first one then two then three, working them slowly to stretch himself without ever taking his eyes off of Ezra's face as the gambler watched Vin prepare himself for Ezra.

When he felt that he was loose enough he dipped up more grease and reached between them to coat Ezra's cock. Then he slowly guided the cock to his entrance and began to slide down on it. His eyes remaining locked on Ezra's face, watching the pleasure that suffused it as he slowly slid down until he had the entire shaft inside himself.

"Oh, god! Vinnnn! Please let me..." Ezra cried out, arching up as Vin raised then lowered himself again.

Vin gasped as he bounced on his lover's shaft, "Yessss! Oh! Ezzzzzzzzzz! Take me!"

Finally released from having to restrain himself, Ezra grabbed Vin's shoulders and flipped them over. Vin's legs locked around his waist and he reached to wrap his arms around the tracker's hips just below the waist to support Vin's back, as he began to pound into the tracker with a fierce rhythm that would bring them both off in just moments.

"Oh, God! Oh God!" Vin panted, as lights flashed behind his eyelids, as Ezra hit his gland again and again. He couldn't keep his eyes open even though he desperately wanted to see Ezra's face as they raced towards completion.

Ezra was moaning too, his face buried against Vin's chest as he humped over the tracker, chanting his name like a prayer. "VinVinVin."

Then Ezra cried out as he spilled his seed deep inside Vin and Vin arched against him one last time as his cum splattered between them.

They lay locked together for a long moment, lost in the completeness of their joining feeling as if they were truly one for that brief time.

Vin whimpered in protest as Ezra finally began to slip out of him.

Ezra murmured soothingly to him and cuddled him close, turning them to lie side by side wrapped around each other.

They lay there several long moments before Ezra pulled away long enough to pull the cover up over them then snuggled up close again, lying still, satisfied to simply be together now.

After a while Vin nudged Ezra.

"Hummm?"

"'Nez is gonna shoot us."

"Why?"

"Supper."

"Not hungry."

"Cold anyhow." Vin nudged Ezra again getting only a sleepy grunt. He pressed a kiss to his lover's hair, then sighed and muttered. "Reckon we can dump it in the chamberpot and sneak it out to the outhouse 'fore she realizes that we didn't eat it. Gonna hav'ta empty the tub in the morning anyhow."

He kissed Ezra again and snuggled closer, drifting off to sleep.

*************************************************

Two weeks later Vin and Josiah stood in the new bathroom of the addition that they had put on the leather shop for the McGlamorys.

Looking around, Vin sighed. "Reckon that's it, then."

"Yep." Josiah agreed. "Looks good."

He studied the arrangement of the tub and the actual flush toilet that Ezra had insisted they install for the McGlamorys, saying that it would be too much trouble for Dewey McGlamory to use the public out house. The installation had added several days to the time it took to finish the addition, as it required the digging of a cesspool and the installation of piping to carry the water and excrement out to the pool, which was by necessity quite some distance from the house.

Ezra had designed the bathroom, making certain that there would be plenty of room for Mister McGlamory's wheel chair and having them place iron rails securely at various points so that the man could lift himself from the chair to the tub and the toilet. Josiah nodded in approval. His boy was smart and thoughtful. It would have been a lot easier to just put in a regular bath but he'd taken Dewey's condition into consideration and planned the bath around it. Josiah hoped that the man appreciated the thought that had gone into planning the bath to make life easier for him.

The two men gathered up their tools and stepped out into the cool October night. Vin glanced up at the sky. The moon was up. It was nearing the last quarter. There wouldn't be a lot of light tonight and he was glad that Chris had canceled the night patrols for out of town. He had the midnight to dawn patrol in town but didn't mind that. Ezra should be in from the ranch and waiting for him at the saloon.

Josiah headed for the church, telling Vin he'd be over to eat at the saloon with the rest of them after he cleaned up.

In the last few months, supper together at the saloon had become a routine. It was the only meal that all of them tried to have together. Ezra almost never made it up in time for breakfast. He and Josiah had been working on the addition most of the time barely stopping for a sandwich at lunch. Nathan was frequently busy at midday as well.

So the meeting at the saloon over supper had become a routine that allowed them to exchange information, talk about what had happened during the day and make any necessary plans for the next day.

He was a bit surprised to see that Ezra wasn't already there when he came in. He lifted an eyebrow at Chris.

"Upstairs. He brought something back with him from the ranch." The blonde gunslinger didn't elaborate on what.

Vin didn't ask. Ezra would show him when he was ready. He grinned as he saw his lover trotting down the stairs. Lately it seemed that Ezra had energy to burn. Maybe it was because he was happy. It had been several months now since the last time that Vin had seen Ezra sink into one of his periodic depressions and that was during the mess with the assassin's money, when Ezra had felt that the others didn't trust him. Thinking back, he realized that Ezra hadn't suffered a bout of depression since they had made their commitment to each other.

Considering that, he realized that he had felt better the last few months since they had committed to each other. He had more energy, same as Ezra did. He felt... he didn't know how to describe it... lighter maybe, like the weight of the world was no longer on his shoulders.

'A burden shared is a burden halved. A joy shared is a joy doubled.'

He could almost hear his mother's voice. It had been a long time since he had heard it so clearly and it surprised him a bit to remember her saying that. Maybe he remembered it now because he understood it now. He shared his burdens and joys with Ezra and as a result the burdens were halved and the joys doubled.

Ezra came to sit beside him, "Did you finish the addition? I told Mrs. McGlamory that you said it would be done today."

Vin nodded and Ezra chattered on, "Guess what we did today?" without giving Vin a chance to answer he continued, "Mrs. McGlamory made pumpkin pies and the children and I carved Jack O'Lanterns out of the pumpkin shells. Have you ever carved a Jack O'Lantern? I hadn't until today. Mrs. McGlamory said I did very well for it to be my first. It's upstairs. I'll show it to you after supper. I had pumpkin pie earlier. I didn't bring you any because I know that you don't like pumpkin pie but she said that tomorrow she will make sweet potato pie. Do you like sweet potato pie?"

He paused just long enough for Vin to nod, "Good. I'll bring you one tomorrow evening."

"Gonna bring us all a pie, Ez?" Buck teased gently.

"Oh! I couldn't get that many! But Mrs. McGlamory is making them for the Halloween party and you are all invited to the Halloween party. You'll just have to wait until then."

Talk turned to other things and Vin had almost forgotten about the Jack O'Lantern waiting upstairs when they finally said their goodnights and headed up to bed.

Ezra slipped into the room first, stopping at the dresser and lighting a match, his back to Vin blocking his view of the object sitting on the dresser. He lifted off the lid of the Jack O'Lantern and lit the candle inside, carefully replacing the lid, before stepping back to let Vin see it.

He was beaming proudly, "Do you like it?"

Vin was speechless. It was the ugliest thing he'd ever seen... but was he supposed to tell Ezra that? One carved out eye was larger than the other. One had an eyebrow. One did not. The nose was a crooked triangle set too close to the long crooked row of ragged teeth, which ended at a large bulge on the side of the pumpkin made it appear that a second pumpkin was trying to grow out of the side of the larger one. As he shifted uneasily, Vin could see that it was indeed a second pumpkin growing there. It also had a face carved in it... just as ugly as the first one.

"Uh... uh...."

Ezra laughed and said, "It's supposed to be ugly, Vin! Halloween is actually All Hollow's Eve. A time when the division between our world and the spirit world is supposedly at it's thinnest and spirits roam the earth. Jack O'Lanterns are carved and set beside the door of the home to keep the evil spirits away. They are meant to be ugly to scare them."

"Then I don't reckon we gotta worry about evil spirits coming in here, cause that thing would scare the piss out of an Apache!"

Ezra laughed delightedly as he stepped into Vin's arms. "You have such a way with words, Mister Tanner." He leaned in for a kiss, "Now perhaps you would like to have your way with me."

"Oh, yeah, Ez." He held his lover close, "You can always count on me to want to have my way with you... anytime... anyplace..."

Ezra leaned against him, sighing softly, "Oh, how I wish the world was such that we could express our love... anytime... anyplace. I shall be so very glad when we are moved into our home. I know that we shall have to maintain the fiction of separate bedrooms but... we will have so much more privacy that it won't really matter."

Vin bent his head to kiss Ezra's hair. "Yeah, won't be no one around to see us walk up the stairs together or into the same room. No more having to check up and down the hall before I come in here at night... or sneaking a peek out the door to make sure nobody's around 'fore I leave in the mornings."

Ezra tilted his head back and Vin kissed his lips gently.

As he lay his head back against Vin's chest he said, "That is something that I hate... waking up to find you gone. I know you have to go... I know... that you will be back but I always feel... bereft when I awake you are not beside me."

Vin carded his fingers through Ezra's hair, "Never thought about that. Reckon cause you're always there when I wake up. Like havin' ya there when I wake up. Miss you when I'm off on the trail or some such..." He let it trail of as he began to remove Ezra's tailored jacket.

Words became unnecessary as they slowly stripped each other and slipped into bed. Kissing and cuddling led to other things and soon they lay in each other's arms sated and sleepy, drifting into sleep.

Morning would come all too soon.

The End