WHEN  ARDORS  COLLIDE by C.V. Puerro

The pair slept soundly until a rap on their hotel room door startled them both awake. As if he'd been up for hours, just waiting for this moment, Vin rolled easily off the mattress, grabbing his gun from the other bed in one fluid movement. He then rose to his feet, his gun aimed at the middle of the door before saying, "Who's there?"

"It's Deputy Parnell. Court'll be called ta session in one hour. We'll be needin' Mr. Dunne ta come down."

"He'll be there," Vin called back, not lowering the barrel until he distinctly heard footsteps moving off down the hall.

"Vin? Why ya so nervous?"

The tracker shook his head. "Don't know, kid. Just gotta bad feelin' 'bout today, that's all." He set the gun down on the bed again then ran his hand over his face, over the slight layer of stubble that had accumulated. "Ya sleep okay?" he finally asked his friend. JD nodded. "And how's the knee?"

"Sore," he replied, grimacing at the idea of being laid up. Then he looked up at Vin, who was still staring down at him. "But it ain't none the worse for wear, if that's what yer worried 'bout. Hell, I don't think I've ever slept better."

The tracker laughed. "That's good, kid. Now, let's git ya ready fer court."

Vin helped the kid scoot up to a sitting position, then he pulled back the bed covers, mindless of JD's state of undress and began unwrapping the bandage from the kid's knee. "Damn, JD! We best check in with the doc again this afternoon — swellin' doesn't seem ta have gone down none."

JD wiggled his toes and moved ankle like the doctor had made him do. It was painful, but the movements were fairly easy. "I think I'll feel better if maybe I could walk around some."

"What? Ya don't like bein' cooped up in here?" Vin asked, grinning as he added, "With me?"

JD grinned back. "Guess if I gotta be cooped up, this way is better 'an most."

Vin applied a new coating of liniment to the kid's knee, gently working the lotion into the skin. JD was surprised at how good his touch felt on the tender area — just enough pressure to ease the pain rather than inflame it. Vin next moved his hands up to the angry bruise on JD's hip, again gently rubbing in the strong smelling salve. He let his hand slip over to JD's pelvis then down to the inside of his thigh before the kid noticed. "Hey, watch where ya get that stuff."

Vin laughed again. "Don't worry, kid. I'm bein' careful. 'Sides, we got less than an hour — that ain't near enough time ta do anythin' worth doin'."

JD grabbed the pillow from behind his head and threw it at the naked man. Vin easily batted it away, then retrieved the bandage and began rewrapping his charge's knee. JD sat still for the process — without his pillow, which Vin hadn't returned, he was forced to lay flat on his back, barely able to see Vin's head as the man bent to his task.

Too soon he was finished, again washing his hands in the ceramic basin. Then Vin dressed. Slowly pulling on first his leggings, then a pair of tan pants he removed from his saddlebag. He stood in front of JD, bare-chested, holding out a pair of pants for the younger man, both of them trying to figure out how to get him into them.

Finally Vin helped JD swing his legs over the side of the bed; he then slipped the pants over his feet, gathering the fabric up around his ankles. "Best try standin' now," the tracker said, still bent over, as the kid used Vin's back and the edge of the dresser to steady himself while trying to keep his weight off his bad leg. But he wasn't very successful, gritting his teeth in pain and hoping to hell Vin hadn't heard him whimper.

The tracker slowly stood up, scooting the pants up the kid's legs, and then wiggling them over his solid hips, trying not to press the waistband against the bruise and failing. He then did up the buttons for the kid and slipped the belt through its loops, fastening it in the front.

When he finally looked into the kid's dark eyes, his own eyes frowned. Vin reached up a hand and wiped the moisture off JD's cheek. "Sorry, kid."

JD swallowed. "Just hurts is all. Thanks for helpin' me." And he was thankful, if somewhat embarrassed that he had to be helped at all.

Vin helped JD to sit back down on the bed, then kneeled down in front of him and slipped on his socks and shoes, doing up the laces, before casually sliding a hand up one of the pant legs to briefly caress the young man's calf.

The tracker tossed JD his shirt and vest, and then finished dressing himself, finally tucking the hem of his red shirt into his pants. He noticed JD having trouble with the same, so once again he stepped over to assist. He handed the young man his crutches to help him stand up this time, then he took a hold of the shirt and started stuffing it into the waistband of JD's pants. "Hold still, would ya?"

But JD kept fidgeting. It felt weird to have Vin doing this. Even if he'd done all kinds of stranger stuff with him the night before. "Gee, Vin, I feel like a little kid."

"Seems ta me little kids do a better job of standin' still when they're told," Vin admonished as he briefly glanced up from his task.

"Real funny, Vin. Just hurry up and get yer hands outta my pants."

Once done, he helped JD back onto the edge of the bed and, for his troubles, got swatted in the rear by one of JD's crutches as he walked away.

While JD did up his vest and buckled on his gun belt, Vin inspected his sawed-off Winchester carbine — sighting it, checking the load, and then he slipped it into the holster that still lay on the spare bed. Then he looked over at JD who was now using one of his crutches to retrieve his jacket from the chair that remained just out of reach. Vin strode back across the room and grabbed the coat, handing it to the kid. Then he stared at JD's crotch for a moment. JD furrowed his eyes. Despite what they'd done, this really wasn't Vin's normal sort of behavior, nor anything JD was comfortable with him doing.

"Gimme one of yer guns, kid," Vin finally asked, holding out his hand, but JD just stared at him, confusion plain on his face. "I got an idea."

Finally, JD removed his right Colt Lightning — figuring with his bad knee it might be easier to use the left one himself — and handed it butt first to Vin. Vin turned the .38 caliber, double-action revolver over in his hands, inspecting it, sighting it, and checking the chamber. Finally, to JD's surprise, he stuffed it down the front of his pants.

"Vin, what the hell are ya doin'?"

"Like I said, kid, I gotta bad feelin' 'bout today. They ain't gonna let us bring firearms into that court room, but ... way I figure it, what they don't know might save yer life."

JD stared at the bulge in Vin's trousers and stifled a laugh. "Vin, they're gonna notice!"

Vin glanced down at his pants, and then back at JD — he, too, was now smiling. "Well, then I'm just gonna have ta pretend I'm Buck and smile real big at all the purty ladies."

JD let out a laugh, just imagining the reserved tracker acting anywhere near the way big ol' Buck does!

"Don't worry, kid," Vin finally said through laughs of his own as he struggled into his deerskin coat. "They won't check there and my coat'll cover it up." He then strapped his own gun belt over his coat and showed JD the truth of it.

After gulping down the leftover bread from the previous night's meal, the two headed out, JD hobbling as best he could on the awkward crutches and Vin as near by as he dared, obviously not wanting to trip the kid up. JD noticed the tracker's hand firmly on his side arm, though the gun remained holstered.

At the stairs, JD had to hang onto Vin again, as he'd done when they'd arrived yesterday. He figured just as soon as he got used to using those crutches, he probably wouldn't need them anymore. They then straightened themselves at the bottom landing.

"Stick close," Vin reminded the kid as they stepped out of the hotel and onto the almost deserted boardwalk. JD wondered if a lot of people were already at the courthouse, which usually had limited seating for spectators, but he knew he wouldn't find out how packed it was until he was called inside to give testimony.

The boardwalk stopped at an alley which ran between two buildings and, again, Vin had to help JD down the stairs, though there were only three of them this time. But, just as JD hopped onto the last riser with his good leg, Vin shouted in his ear, "JD, git down!" He pushed JD toward the alley and, just as a shot rang out, JD screamed in pain. A second shot was fired, and then Vin was standing over him, firing his mare's leg up towards the rooftop above the stores opposite.

No more shots were fired at them and, not soon enough, several men with tin stars on their lapels came running in their direction. Before they could even say a word, Vin pointed across the street and instructed them: "One man. On the roof. Rifle shots. See if ya kin head him off 'fore he gets away!"

The deputies ran across the street, fanning out as they went. Vin then kneeled down next to JD, who was still writhing in pain. "JD! Ya shot?!"

The kid shook his head, but Vin noticed him clutching his knee; JD had landed on it when he fell. Vin let him rest, idly running a hand gently through the kid's hair, waiting for JD to collect himself. Then, finally, the kid took in a few deep breaths and allowed Vin to help him to his feet. He just nodded, incapable of words at the moment, and Vin handed him back his crutches then helped him up the stairs onto the next boardwalk.

They finally made it to the courthouse, not long before the time the deputy had said court would be called into session. There weren't many people standing around outside, and JD quickly realized why. Unlike back home, where they were forced to use the Grain Exchange for their makeshift courtroom, this larger town had it's own building, white and big as a barn. JD imagined the whole town was probably able to gather there for meetings and what not.

Just as Vin had said, they were forced to hand over their gun belts at the door to a single deputy standing guard with a shouldered rifle and a holstered pistol. The deputy then allowed them to enter, directing them to wait on the only bench, a few yards down the wall of the building's small front hallway.

JD had caught Vin's bad feeling and that, compounded by the throbbing in his knee, made him queasy. He didn't like sitting around and waiting, and was envious of Vin being able to pace up and down the corridor — though he would have been working off nervous energy, and not so focused on being keenly alert. He then watched as Vin walked over to the door they figured led into the courtroom. Vin pressed his ear up against it.

A moment later he turned back to JD, reporting, "Court's just been called ta order — they're risin' fer the judge." But this news didn't settle JD's stomach, or the nerves that caused him to twiddle his idle fingers. He sure did hate waiting. Vin returned to his side, giving him a firm, reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

Suddenly they heard noises beyond the front door of the building. Vin moved the few feet down the hallway, but only in time to have the doors burst open, nearly in his face. He took a step back as a large, burly man stormed in. JD stood in alarm, somehow completely forgetting about his knee. The intruder swung the butt of his rifle, striking Vin across the face. The tracker was knocked nearly off his feet, spinning away from the blow, and landing hard against the kid who was completely unable to maintain his balance. The pair went down instantly, Vin sprawled prone on top of JD.

Vin was stunned and JD could see the angry man advancing on them, pulling his rifle back around, starting to cock it. JD had the feeling that this was it; they were to be gunned down right here, right now. There was no time. In that instant, he decided how he wanted to die.

It was sheer luck that his right hand had been pinned against his stomach when Vin fell. With all his strength, his shoved his hand straight down and into his partner's pants. His fingers instantly wrapped around the hard object, and, as if the act had revived Vin, the tracker moaned — louder than he had the night before — and shifted his weight slightly, allowing JD to withdraw the Colt Lightning in one swift motion. JD had to pull his shoulder all the way back to remove it from between them, and, as he did so, he heard the attacker's rifle cock in one long, thunderous echo which seemed to reverberate through the entire corridor.

But JD pulled the trigger on his gun first and he watched as the man's eyes bulged. His fingers slowly dropped away from the rifle that fell through the even-louder echo of the gunshot until it finally hit the floor and skittered out of reach. The man's hands moved down to the gaping wound, his mouth now wide open in a deafening scream, as he dropped first to his knees and then fell back, rolling finally into a fetal position.

Then, suddenly, the hall was filled with dozens of people all talking and yelling. The door to the courtroom had burst open — the two guards from within were now standing over the wounded intruder and, it seemed as if, the entire courtroom audience was staring down at Vin and JD, still sprawled in each other's arms.

The doctor came to them this time, attending to the pair in the privacy of the judge's chambers. Vin had a cut just above his left eyebrow, which was stitched up, and some bruising. Vin then waited out in the courtroom, talking to the sheriff while the doctor took care of JD, whose knee had swollen up again, but there were no new injuries. He made the kid promise to keep the limb elevated, and, when he helped him out to join Vin, made the tracker promise to help keep JD off his feet until the swelling came down.

"Don't worry, Doc. I'll make certain of it." He then turned to JD and gave him a knowing little smile, which no one else seemed to see. "Let's git ya back ta the hotel," he said, as he gave JD back his guns, and then helped him get settled onto his crutches.

"What 'bout the trial?" JD asked as soon as they were in motion.

Vin shook his head — a bit slowly, JD noticed. "That was Rowlin's little brother who broke down this here door," Vin replied, indicating the shattered jamb as they passed through it. "Looks like they're both gonna be behind bars fer a while. I got one question fer ya, though."

JD wondered what it could possibly be. Vin was the one who'd been out talking to all the town officials. He must have even managed to smooth things over about them sneaking a gun inside the courthouse. "Yeah?"

"Did ya have ta shoot that guy in the crotch?" Vin seemed to wince as he asked this.

"Oh, like I had time ta aim," JD protested before seeing a huge smile break across the other man's face.

"Anyways," Tanner continued, "the judge says, the trial'll reconvene tomorrow. And, with yer knee as banged up as it is, looks like we're stuck here fer a few more days."

"Yeah, the doc says I can't even get on a stagecoach, let alone a horse, 'til the swellin' goes down." JD smiled to himself, not relishing being cooped up for that long, but knowing Vin would help him make the best of it.

"I'll send Chris a wire, let him know we're okay and where he kin find us if anythin' dire comes up."

JD was settled back into bed as soon as they'd reached their room and Vin had been able to strip him of his gun belt, jacket, vest, and boots. Vin, however, remained clothed. "I'm gonna go send that telegram, JD."

"I don't think ya should go, Vin. I mean, ya don't look so good." The tracker was pale and his forehead was slightly swollen from the blow from that rifle butt earlier. "Maybe ya should rest, too?"

Vin shook his head, but then stopped, obviously realizing that motion was not in his best interest. "I won't be long, kid. 'Sides, I wanna see 'bout gettin' us somethin' ta eat. I'll rest up some when I git back."

JD nodded and Vin was gone the next moment. JD reworked the pillow behind his head until it was comfortable, then he promptly fell asleep. It was a nearly dreamless sleep, peppered with just a few fleeting images: Vin seated above him, as he'd been the night before; Vin's arm around his waist, helping him negotiate the stairs; the tracker's blue eyes, smiling at him; a hand on his cheek, wiping away unadmitted tears of pain; a kiss — warm, deep, and reassuring.

But his slumber was shallow and when he heard someone in the hall outside his hotel room door, JD reached for his gun. As the doorknob rattled quietly, he checked the chamber for bullets — it was one shy of full, having been used earlier that day to take down Rowlin's brother. With the weapon at his side, JD waited until the door opened, which it did, slowly at first, to reveal Vin returning with a small hamper.

"Kid," he greeted JD, who quickly put his gun aside. "Thought ya'd be asleep."

JD nodded. "I was," he said, closing his eyes for just a moment to clear the last of the sleep from them. He then struggled to sit up and found the tracker instantly at his side, helping him and repositioning the pillow against the headboard. "Thanks."

Now it was Vin's turn to nod. "Ya hungry?" he asked as he brought the basket over, then removed almost the same items they'd had for dinner the night before: bread, meat (this time, ham instead of beef), cheese, and cider. But the picnic contained one more item, to JD's delight: a plate with a large slice of custard pie.

"Thought ya deserved this, fer savin' my hide today," Vin said, as he removed it from the basket and held it out for the kid's inspection.

"Hell, Vin. Just did what any of the fellas woulda done."

"Kid, somehow I don't think the others woulda felt right 'bout stickin' their hand down my pants — even if it was ta retrieve a gun."

JD gave an embarrassed little laugh. "Can't say that I thought 'bout it like that at the time."

"Well, at least yer able to put yer mind on ta other things once in a while," Vin teased.

"Ya mean stuff like this," JD scooped up a finger full of pie filling and smeared it down Vin's nose.

Vin sighed and screwed up his mouth, as if trying to keep his annoyance at the kid in check. JD scooped up another finger full and headed for Vin's face again, but the tracker was too quick this time. He grabbed JD's wrist and pushed the kid's hand back towards his own face. But when they were just fractions of an inch away from contact, JD opened his mouth and sucked the filling right off his finger, foiling Vin's plan. But this did not deter the tracker. He scooped up his own finger full of pie and came at JD from the side. But the kid saw him coming, turned his head, then opened his mouth again, just in time to capture the attacking digit and swallow the ammunition.

But Vin did not try to remove his captured finger. Instead he allowed JD to suck on it for a while, until the kid leaned up and began sucking the custard off Vin's nose. Soon, he had found Vin's lips and began sucking on those, his tongue darting in and out of his partner's willing mouth, the taste of custard pie now being shared between them.

JD then leaned back, tired from sitting up and keeping his knee still and relaxed.

Vin smiled at him. "Guess yer not hungry after all," he said as he put their lunch back in the basket.

JD didn't stop him, but when he'd finished, the kid placed his hand on the slightly-older man's cheek and said, "I am hungry, just not for lunch." He then pulled Vin down into another kiss.

Soon the two were stripping off their clothes, tossing them haphazardly to the floor, all the while exchanging kisses and caresses. But they had to stop long enough for Vin to ease JD out of his trousers, which the doctor had so thoughtfully split up the right, outside seam to more easily accommodate the kid's swollen knee.

As Vin was working the fabric over his hips and down his legs, JD asked, "What's it feel like?"

Vin stopped and looked up to meet the kid's warm eyes, waiting for the kid to clarify his question.

"Me inside you," he finally added, trying to fight the instinct to hang his head in embarrassment.

Vin smiled. "Ain't like nothin' else, I'll tell ya that." Vin finally pulled JD's pants free and tossed them onto the other bed. He then ran a hand up the kid's left thigh, slipping around his hip and underneath to squeeze the firm flesh of his butt. "Wanna find out?"

JD nodded, hesitantly at first, just slightly apprehensive of trying something new.

"Don't know if we kin manage it with yer bad leg, though, but we kin try."

Vin moved to kneel between the young man's legs. He grabbed JD's hips and helped him scoot down the bed again, so that he was laying flat instead of propped up against the headboard. He then slowly lowered himself down on top of his partner, their naked bodies finally touching as Vin kissed JD, gently at first but then more and more deeply. With their full erections side by side, trapped between their bodies, Vin began to move himself up and down, rubbing the organs against each other and against their bellies.

JD shuddered from the sensations and he suddenly wondered if there would come a day when Vin didn't have something new to surprise and delight him. JD broke their kiss to moan deeply and then to suck in a renewing lung full of air. He wanted to feel Vin inside him, but he could wait for another time if Vin wanted to continue in this fashion.

But Vin used the broken kiss to alter his position. He slid his hands down JD's sides, to his hips, and then slipped them underneath to cup the cheeks of his rear. Vin then lifted himself into a kneeling position and smiled as JD stared up at him, waiting.

"Kin ya lift yer hips?" he finally asked, and JD nodded. "Then hand me that." He gestured to the pillow that previously had been between JD and the headboard. JD handed over the rather flat item. He then tapped JD on the hip and, using his one good leg for leverage, the kid managed to lift his hips high enough for Vin to slide the pillow beneath his butt.

But as soon as JD lowered himself down onto the pillow Vin shook his head, then stopped, grimacing from the movement.

"Ya okay, Vin?" JD asked, though Vin wasn't looking near as pale as he had earlier.

"Fine, kid. Just hurts some ta move my head quick."

"We can do this another time," JD offered, hoping the disappointment he felt was masked by his honest concern for his friend's well being.

"I'm fine. Really. 'Sides, we kin't rightly have two sick people hoggin' up this room, now kin we? We'd never git anythin' done." He then gave JD a devilish grin such as the kid had never seen used by Vin before — it was more of a Buck or even an Ezra expression. Still, it looked surprisingly good on the tracker.

Vin then looked around, finally placing his hands gently on the kid's right knee, planning to remove the pillow — the only other one they had — from underneath it.

"But the doc told me ta keep my leg elevated," JD protested.

"That's the plan, kid," Vin replied, smiling again, but all JD did was furrow his brows. Still, he allowed the tracker to remove the pillow and slip it under his butt, on top of the other pillow already there.

"Okay, JD, this is the hard part. Let me try this and ya tell me if it hurts or is too uncomfortable, okay?" Vin asked and JD nodded, knowing, as always, that this was a man who could be trusted.

Very easily, Vin lifted JD's right leg up, until it was perpendicular to the bed and he set it against his shoulder. "How's that feel?"

"Strange. But it doesn't hurt, at least no more than it did before."

Vin nodded then set his leg back down before easing off the bed and retrieving the oil from his saddlebag once more. When he returned, he sat between JD's legs again. He set the half-empty bottle aside for the moment and placed his hands on top of JD's thighs. He rubbed his dry fingers up and down the muscles, and then slipped a hand down to his inner thigh. JD liked this feeling. He closed his eyes again, reveling in the sensations of Vin's hands on him.

The tracker's other hand slipped down to slide beneath JD's butt. He rubbed his hand back and forth over the bare skin. JD felt himself tense as his blood-engorged cock began to throb. Then he felt Vin's fingers on his anus and he couldn't prevent himself from tensing even more. And, even though, Vin continued to gently rub the area, JD couldn't make himself relax. He thought back to the first night they'd spent together, wondering how he'd relaxed then, finally concluding it must have been the alcohol. Still, he hadn't been drunk last night, but neither had he been anticipating Vin's long, hot cock being buried deep inside of him.

"JD," he heard Vin whisper and he opened his eyes to look at the tracker. "Ya have ta relax."

"I know. I'm tryin'," he said, fearing Vin had heard the slight whine in his voice.

Vin just nodded slowly, before asking, "Kin ya lay on yer right side fer a little while?"

JD thought he could, but Vin stopped him from trying long enough to tear a small strip from the edge of his knee bandage, then the tracker moved himself out from between the kid's legs as JD rolled himself over. Finally, Vin helped him reposition the pillows still beneath him — they seemed to cushion the bruise on that hip, so it didn't ache much more than before, despite the weight of his body on it.

The kid turned his head to watch the other man, wondering what he had planned. Vin folded the swatch of fabric in half, and then spit on it. He motioned for JD to lift his left leg, and then he plied the cloth between the kid's butt cheeks, firmly wiping down the area. After discarding the cloth, Vin leaned over the edge of the bed, reaching for something.

When Vin sat up again, he held up a large finger-full of pie filling. JD prepared himself to fight off another attack, but Vin had other ideas. He smeared the custard all the way down from the tip of JD's cock, along the underside of his penis, finally leaving the last dollop on top of his anus.

JD suddenly felt his heart racing in his chest. He knew Vin intended to lick the custard off and the anticipation was almost too much for the young man. A moment later, with the kid's leg resting across his back, Vin kissed the tip of JD's shaft, gently licking and nibbling away the pie filling. Soon the sensitive head was in the tracker's mouth as he gently sucked at it, running his tongue over the surface to remove every last drop of cream. He then ran his mouth along the underside of JD's cock, continuing to lick away the heady sweetness.

When Vin reached the kid's balls, he took the sac completely into his mouth. JD couldn't believe the feeling — amazing — the warmth, the sucking, the tongue undulating the contents. As Vin released them, JD almost moaned in protest, but instead he found the coolness of the air against his now-moist skin invigorating, especially with Vin's tongue pressed firmly against the smooth spot just behind.

An instant later, the kid tensed as the tracker's tongue reached his anus. He felt the organ swirl in slow circles around the tight muscle — for the briefest of moments, the thought of Vin doing that was repugnant to him. But then he realized how fucking incredible it felt! JD fought to keep his right leg from tensing as the toes on his left foot curled.

Then he felt Vin's tongue enter him and he couldn't help but cry out from the pleasure, as shivers ran up and then down his spine. "Vin," he moaned, not even caring that he could scarcely catch his breath.

He then felt a deeper penetration as Vin lifted his head, searching the bed coverings and finally finding the little bottle of oil. He handed it to JD who uncorked the top before returning it. Vin then dribbled a little oil on the young man's penis and motioned for JD to place his hand on the enlarged organ, encouraging him to stroke it, which he did, though hesitantly; it wasn't something he'd ever had anybody watch him do before and for some reason, even in front of Vin, he felt he should be at least slightly embarrassed.

But Vin returned to his task and JD felt the oil being smeared onto the skin between his cheeks. He then felt another finger slip inside — both now moving in and out, around, and ... apart? Yes, JD decided, Vin was gently trying to stretch him open. Though an odd feeling, it wasn't unpleasant, he decided, and the kid realized that with what Vin was doing to him, there really was no reason for him to be self-conscious about stroking his own shaft.

Very slowly, Vin then inserted a third finger into the hole. JD tried not to tense at the intrusion, but Vin added a little more oil anyway and persisted. JD could feel the fingers moving in and out, sliding through the round muscle of his anus, which was causing his cock to throb again beneath his own fingers.

JD began to rub harder and faster up and down his shaft, but Vin placed his free hand on top of the young man's, slowing him down — and the kid realized his partner was indicating he should have a little more patience. Vin then moved his hand over to JD's hip and urged the kid to slowly roll onto his back again.

Without removing his fingers, Vin repositioned himself so that he was as close to JD as he could be, kneeling between the young man's thighs. JD then watched Vin pour a good amount of oil onto his own cock and motioned for JD to reach down and stroke it. The kid was loathe to relinquish his own organ, so he reached down with his other hand, gently rubbing the oil over Vin's long, hard shaft.

The tracker then used his free hand to lift JD's sore leg up to rest against his shoulder. JD lifted his other leg by himself, resting it on the opposite shoulder. JD looked at himself and felt like laughing — his legs were now sticking straight up in the air, his knees not quite reaching as high up as the tops of the tracker's shoulders, which was probably a good thing, the kid reminded himself, since he couldn't bend his bandaged leg anyway.

Vin then looked down at JD and asked, "Kin ya hold yer leg?" JD nodded, removing his right hand from Vin's cock as the tracker then slipped his left hand underneath JD's leg to grasp his own shaft. "Ya okay?" Vin asked as he ran his hand up and down his own cock a few times.

The kid nodded again, so Vin leaned forward slightly. As he pulled his fingers out of JD's primed hole, he replaced them with his oiled shaft; the sheathed head slipped easily inside, but then the kid tensed again. Vin smiled at him, but JD couldn't fight the odd feelings that flooded over him. Just knowing that Vin's cock was inside of him, even just the tip of it, was enough to make the young man nervous.

The tracker moved his left hand around JD's thigh until his palm was cupping the top surface of the young man's cock. The kid's hand was still clasped around the shaft and Vin entwined his thumb and forefinger with JD's, as if they were shaking hands but with the young man's penis trapped between. Vin controlled the action, moving their hands up and down the throbbing rod and finally the kid began to relax. JD laid his head back down and closed his eyes, trying to push everything else from his mind to allow the pleasure to wash over him.

Vin then slowly began to push his cock deeper inside of JD, until the kid finally felt the tracker flush against him. Vin paused there, all the while still helping JD to stroke his own shaft. Then — so slowly — he began to move his penis out, just a little, then he pushed it in. Again he paused, before repeating the process, each time pulling back a little further and pausing for less time.

Finally, he released the kid's shaft, placing both hands on JD's thighs as he moved his hips back and forth with ever-increasing intensity. But with each thrust, JD was experiencing something oddly uncomfortable.

"Vin?" he finally spoke up. "I, ah, I gotta go." Vin fought a smile and JD assumed he didn't understand. "I ... have ta pee."

But Vin shook his head. "Naw, ya don't."

"Yeah, I do," the kid's voice quavered as Vin thrust into him once more.

"Remember? Ya went 'fore we came upstairs."

"But it really feels like it."

"I know. It takes a little time, but ya'll git used to it. Just try ta relax. Concentrate on me movin' in and out." He said the last softly and JD felt the thrusts not quite as deeply inside himself. "In and out," Vin repeated, even quieter this time. "In and out," and the kid closed his eyes, allowing the tracker's voice to set the pace as he resumed rubbing his own cock again, in time with Vin's gentle thrusts.

Soon, he felt the penetrations becoming deeper, except this time, instead of causing what felt like an urgent call of nature, they created pangs of pleasure which just seemed to fill him up as Vin moved within him, striking against his insides with each push. JD decided that Vin's description had been accurate after all: it wasn't like anything else — at least not anything else JD had ever experienced.

The build-up of pleasure continued to increase inside of him until the young man felt as if he were literally going to explode. His breath was ragged now, coming in gasps and leaving in sighs and moans, as Vin thrust harder, deeper, and faster into his partner, pounding him into the mattress.

Finally, JD sucked in a quick breath of air, as the intensity swelling inside of him seemed to be reaching its peak. The air caught in his throat as he was about to exhale and all he could do was suck in another breath as a spasm shot through his cock. He moaned sharply, then immediately gulped another lung full of air as a second spasm burst, enveloping his loins. And a third spasm exploded, this time through his entire body as his creamy seed finally erupted in a sputtering fountain. JD couldn't stop from crying out; the pleasure was so intense it was almost painful.

The young man milked his cock as Vin continued to ram into him, the tracker's hands holding tight to his thighs. JD watched the other man's face: his blue eyes were closed and his head was back just a bit, revealing a small scar under his chin which JD had never noticed before. Vin's long, sandy hair brushed back and forth over his shoulders with each thrust in and out of JD. The kid then saw the man's brow furrow as if in intense concentration, his eyes squinted tightly shut and his teeth were gritted behind parted lips. A moment later, the tracker let out his own groan and JD imagined Vin's jism coating his insides, though he couldn't feel it and this brought just the smallest bit of disappointment to him.

Vin's grip on JD's thighs tightened as he continued to ram into him, less fluidly than he had before, but no less hard or deep. Each thrust was accompanied by a grunt of effort, though as the thrusting slowed, so did the force of the sounds until the normally quiet tracker fell silent once more.

JD could see the sweat trickling down the man's forehead, chest, and stomach, and he could feel the slickness that had gathered where his legs met Vin's chest and shoulders. The kid knew that he didn't have the energy to keep his legs up any longer and thought he even felt Vin tremble from the continued effort. JD slipped his good leg off first, and then together they slowly lowered his wounded leg back onto the comfort of the mattress.

JD giggled to himself as he heard the popping that seemed to happen each time their coupling ended — it was the oddest thing, and the kid didn't know if he'd ever get used to the sound. But then he sighed to himself. He suddenly felt empty, hollow, and he wished Vin was still inside of him.

As if reading his thoughts, the tracker quietly said, "Best not yer first time. It hurts after a while, 'til ya git used ta the feelin' of it bein' up there."

JD then rolled onto his right side, to take the strain off his bandaged knee, and Vin immediately fell down behind him, pulling the pillows out of the way before shifting onto his own right side, until the two were spooned together, with Vin's lower leg riding just under the young man's butt. The tracker slowly slid his left leg between JD's legs, carefully avoiding the injured knee. JD placed his left leg on top of Vin's, before pulling Vin's hand around his waist, then entwined his fingers with his partner's.

He could feel Vin's soft breath on the back of his neck as it slowed, until finally he knew the tracker was asleep. He hoped Vin had been telling the truth about feeling fine; he hated to think their being together had hurt the man in any way, because he knew how much it strained his knee, though he did his best to hide it from his companion. Still, JD thought, as his own breathing slowed and his eyelids grew heavy, the increase in pain had been more than compensated for by the incredible amount of ecstasy he'd received from being with Vin, from giving the man pleasure as well as receiving it. He brought the tracker's hand up to his lips and kissed it before nodding off to sleep.

When JD finally woke, he was glad to find Vin still laying next to him, his arm still casually tossed across his waist, their left legs still tangled together. He reveled in the intimate contact he never realized he craved before all of this began. He knew society didn't rightly approve of this sort of relationship between men, but in his gut he couldn't really believe it was a bad thing, not feeling as good as it did to his head and his heart, as well as to his body.

Then he thought about Casey; it seemed to him like it might be the first time he'd thought about her since leaving town the morning before. Been busy is all, he told himself — but he wasn't sure he believed it and he wanted to be certain he wanted to believe it. Did he really care that little for her after all? Or had he just grown to care for Vin that much more?

He closed his eyes again and pictured Casey: her long brown hair, tied back in two pig tails; that large-brimmed hat she was so fond of wearing; her recent penchant for dressing in shirts and vests, much like himself. He imagined her warm, dark eyes staring up at him, all innocence and light, a fleeting smile playing over her lips and leaving in its wake a furrow on her brow as she asked him some question she only hoped she already knew the answer to, but feared she was wrong. This was the Casey he'd known for months now, the girl he had come to look forward to seeing, going fishing or riding with. He faced guns and death in his job protecting the town, had to deal with murderers and thieves. But when he was with Casey, none of that touched them. His moments with her were the ones he'd missed as a boy, having had to work to help keep himself and his mother clothed, fed, and housed.

He couldn't imagine not seeing Casey again. Not running off just to have fun any old sunny day when there wasn't anything else which needed his presence.

He thought again of their romp in the meadow earlier that week. He didn't feel awkward or strange about her afterwards. Hell, he felt even more like being around her than he had before. He loved being able to touch her like that, like no one else did, and he loved the way her fingers, hands, and body had felt against his own skin.

But his thoughts strayed back to the man beside him in bed. He loved the way Vin touched him, too — how they felt moving against one another. The tracker's hands, like the man, were more sure, more confident, in all that he did. And that confidence, JD finally realized, gave him the room to breathe, to discover, without feeling awkward or stupid — he knew Vin would continue to gently guide him if necessary.

And JD knew today was the test of how well they could still work together, but would that continue? He knew lovers oftentimes had fallings out — could he be angry with Vin for something the man had done to him in bed and still watch his back out on the street? Then again, friends had fallings out, too — would it be so different? No matter what he'd done, his friends had always stuck by him, couldn't he do the same with Vin now that their relationship had changed? He thought he could, hoped he could — he'd at least try.

That is, if he didn't have to choose between Vin and Casey. But, didn't he have to?

JD had stared at the opposite wall for a long while before feeling a small movement behind him. The kid then felt Vin's hand slide over his stomach, slowly caressing the firm skin, and he felt Vin's moist, warm lips idly moving between his shoulder blades.

"Vin?"

"Yeah, kid?" the tracker mumbled between the soft caresses which were his kisses.

"What about Casey?"

Vin stopped his movements at the sound of the question. He then carefully untangled his left leg from JD's and scooted over just enough to encourage the kid to roll onto his back. Still on his side, the tracker gently slid his leg beneath both of JD's knees, giving him a place to comfortably rest them.

JD was then able to turn his head and look at Vin. The man had a judicious expression in his eyes, though he showed no other emotion in his features. "I don't know what yer askin' me, JD."

"Well ... hmm. Guess I don't rightly know myself. See, the thing of it is, well, it's just that I've been with you and ... I've been with her."

Vin nodded, silently waiting for JD to continue.

"And I really like ya both — I mean, ya both were my friends before, and ya still are. I mean... aw, hell, I don't know what I mean."

Vin smiled, though it was small and pensive. "I think I know what yer tryin' ta say. Ya don't know who ta pick — who ta continue sleepin' with — me or Casey."

JD nodded, but still not knowing how he could ever decide.

Vin moved his left hand to rest again on JD's stomach and JD, almost unconsciously, placed his on top of the tracker's.

"I kin't decide fer ya, kid," he finally said, his blue eyes staring straight into JD's brown ones. "But, I guess I kin tell ya this: I don't expect ya to be faithful — ya ain't no woman and ya ain't my property. And, ya kin say the same 'bout me. If ya want what's 'tween us now ta continue, I want that, too. If not, we kin go back ta the way things were."

"Do you think Casey'll feel the same way?"

"Doubt it. Like ya said, kid, women're differ'nt. They want differ'nt things; they expect differ'nt things. Just goes with the territory." He twined his fingers with JD's, then added, "Ya might wanna talk ta Buck ta figure out how he manages ta juggle all them women—"

"Oh, he don't juggle. He's single minded in his pursuits until the girl in question is caught, only then does he move on ta the next one."

"Well, then, I don't know what ta say. Bein' faithful might mean everythin' ta Casey — 'specially since yer prob'ly her first — but even if it don't, I doubt she'll react well to ya bein' with a man. A lot of people ain't as tolerant as they might be, though it don't necessarily make 'em bad people."

"Well, I know it took me a while ta get used ta the notion."

Vin grinned and his eyes sparkled with the effort. "Well, look at it this way: ya got all this time yer spendin' recuperatin' ta ponder on it. I'll just be waitin' over here fer yer decision." Vin pointed to the other bed, and then started to rise, but JD grabbed his hand.

"I think I could use some help ponderin'," he said, and then he grimaced. "And, well ... my knee could do with a bit more liniment."

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Special thanks to my beta readers for all of their wonderful help and encouragement!

Characters from "The Magnificent Seven," were used without permission and this story in no way signifies support of or affiliation with The Mirisch Group, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment, or CBS Worldwide, Inc. The story itself and any non-Magnificent Seven characters belong to the author. This story will not be sold for any reason.