Pairing: Chris Larabee/Vin Tanner
Rating: R
Warnings/spoilers: None

*****

They sat watching each other in silence. All around them people were talking, drinking, gambling. Vin didn't know what more to say. They had talked in Chris's room earlier, a conversation he could've done without. It had made him wonder who Chris thought he was, talking to him like that, saying the things he had. He'd talked back, he always did, but that was not the point. Then when he'd felt it was about to go too far, he'd left and gone to the saloon, only to find a few minutes later that Chris had followed him. He should've known he would. And now he was about to leave again, for good. He wasn't going to take this, not anymore. He stood up, left the saloon, went to get Peso. When he was riding down the main street, his tall, black clad partner - ex-partner, he reminded himself sadly - suddenly walked up alongside his horse. Vin didn't stop, didn't look at Chris, didn't speak to him. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing left to say.

"I ain't never letting you go, Vin."

Chris's words, his voice, the voice he'd always loved, reached him. He felt a peculiar mix of emotions rushing through him. It wasn't so much Chris's words, as the way they'd been spoken. He'd sounded so calm, so certain. Vin tried hard not to look at Chris. He wanted to, wanted to see him one last time before he was on his own again. But he kept his eyes away from Chris, knowing it would be too painful to watch him, the thought of not being with him again too dark. He didn't know if he was doing the right thing, but there was only so much he could take from someone trying to control him. He felt something touching his leg. Chris's hand.

"You hear that, Vin?"

Vin felt Chris's touch, his hand that didn't let go of him. It felt so good. "I hear you," he said, his voice weakened by his sadness. But he didn't stop, and the hand eventually let go of him. He was on his way.

***

Hours had gone by. Vin had only stopped to rest once, and not so much because he needed it, but because Peso did. Rest meant thinking, and he didn't want to think too much. Not now. Didn't want to think about what he'd lost. And he definitely didn't want to think about the fact that he'd probably made the wrong decision. He didn't know where he'd go without Chris, where he'd be. He needed Chris, and he knew Chris needed him just as much. That was probably why Chris sometimes tried to run his life, it was Chris's way of keeping Vin with him. But it had been the wrong way. Maybe Chris had realised that now. Now that Vin was gone.

***

Chris rode slowly. He was in no hurry. Vin was the tracker, a much better one than he was. But Chris didn't need skills like that, not to follow Vin. He'd find Vin wherever he went. And take him back, make him see where he belonged. He'd known this day would come. He'd go too far, say the wrong thing, make Vin think he had to leave. And he'd have to go after him, take him back. Make him his again. This was probably just the first of many such times. He kind of liked it. Liked the excitement of not being absolutely certain if Vin would really come back to him. He didn't want to have to use violence. Not with Vin.

***

Vin stopped after yet another few hours. This time in a town. It would soon be dark. He hadn't decided yet if he would get a room for the night, or if he'd try to find some place to sleep under the stars, but he did need to drink some. He should get something to eat too, but he wasn't hungry. It felt like he'd never feel hunger again. His horse needed some food, though, to be able to carry him further. He left Peso in the livery to be taken care of, then walked around the small, anonymous town, looking for the saloon. When he found it, he stepped inside cautiously. He didn't want to be noticed, didn't want to talk to anyone but the bartender, and only to order a whiskey. He did, then sat down by a table. The town was even smaller than the one he'd left, and only a few men were scattered around the saloon. One of them did notice him.

***

Chris stepped inside the livery, expecting to see Vin's horse there. When he did, he left his own horse there as well. He walked outside again, casually checking the surroundings. It seemed a harmless town. Not a ghost town, but not very much alive, either. He found a small boarding house, and rented a room for the night. They wouldn't make it back before darkness came. And while he would take Vin anyway he could have him, Vin in bed with him was a touch better than Vin on the hard ground with him. He went to the saloon, his possessive instincts coming alive as soon as he walked inside the doors. Vin was sitting by a table, someone was sitting there with him. He watched Vin for a moment, saw that he minded the other man's company. But the other man's intentions were obvious, at least to Chris. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was men - or women - looking at his Vin in ways that weren't appropriate. It had happened before, he'd taken care of it before.

"You might wanna get up and leave," Chris said, addressing the man who'd been foolish enough to seek Vin's company.

Vin looked at the man who'd come to his table a while ago. He didn't look at Chris, hadn't looked up when he'd come in. He'd known it was Chris, had recognised his way of walking, the sound of his boots and spurs. He could see that the man, who in less sophisticated manners had tried to pick him up, didn't realise who he was dealing with. He himself hadn't until he'd gotten to know Chris. "I think you should do what he says," he said, still not looking at Chris.

The man grinned. "What, you his property or something?" he said.

Vin looked away, not saying anything.

Chris kept his eyes on the man, but saw Vin's motion out of the corner of his eye. "That's right," he said. "This man's my property. You touch what's mine, you'll be sorry." Chris knew Vin would make him pay for saying that, one way or another. He didn't mind. They had the rest of their lives to do everything to each other.

Vin watched the other man, could see that Chris's words had gotten through to him. Or if it was just the way he'd said them, the way his eyes had stared coldly at him. Whenever Chris showed this side of himself, Vin was glad he wasn't at the receiving end. The man left, without even having really tried to pick a fight with Chris. When there was no point, there was no point. Some people knew, some didn't. This one knew, and got away alive.

Chris took a chair and sat down, close to Vin. He didn't say anything, waited to see if Vin would say anything first. He didn't. Chris looked around the saloon, noticing some of the men staring at he and Vin, but no one did anything. Most of them probably recognised him. They might object to what they'd just witnessed, but to mess with someone like Larabee was out of the question. Chris got up and waited for Vin to do the same, then they left the saloon.

They walked slowly down the street. Vin didn't know where they were headed. He felt Chris put his arm around his shoulders, and he instinctively leaned into the touch. It seemed so obvious now that this was how it would end. It was useless even trying to fight it. Vin put his arm around Chris's back. It was almost dark now, the street almost empty. Some men saw them, and Vin could see contempt in their eyes. Then he saw a man coming towards them, opening his mouth to say something. Before he could, Chris had reached for his gun, and was now pointing it at the other man, who shut his mouth again. Chris just kept pointing the gun at the man, then when they'd walked past him, turned around and stopped, with one arm still holding Vin close to him. They stood silently, Chris's gun pointed at the man, who looked defiant for a while, but then hurried off.

"Where are we going?" Vin asked.

"Boarding house. End of the street."

A few minutes later, they entered the room Chris had rented. They undressed in silence. When Chris had gotten all his clothes off, he felt the smell of sweat, his own. He got into bed, watching while Vin took off the rest of his clothes. Once Vin was naked, he got into bed beside Chris. Chris noticed Vin smelled of sweat just as much as he did. He pulled him close, kissed him passionately.

"You tired, Vin?" he said when he drew back.

Vin knew what Chris wanted, but he really was tired. "Yeah," he replied. The room was dark and quiet, he was in Chris's arms. He wanted to go to sleep. For a moment all was calm, then he felt Chris rubbing himself against him. He took hold of Chris's erection and stroked him until he came.

Chris was panting heavily, sighing his lover's name. He began stroking Vin's hardness, and after a while, Vin came. Chris rolled onto his back, bringing Vin with him. They now didn't only smell of sweat, but were sticky too. Chris held Vin securely to him. Everything was perfect. He hadn't even had to explain himself to Vin. He was good at many things, but admitting he was wrong was not one of them. He hoped Vin knew.

He caressed Vin's back. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Vin," he said, his voice tender. "You know that, don't you?"

Vin was already half asleep, and not up for a conversation. He stroked Chris's cheek lazily. "I know," he said.

"Besides," Chris said, running his fingers through Vin's hair, "no one else loves me the way you do. If you think I'd let go of that, you're crazy."

No one else loves you at all, Vin thought. But he didn't say anything.

*****

End