Reflected Fire

“Gentlemen, be careful with that if you please,” Ezra called out as the large flat package was unloaded from the wagon. “It is particularly fragile.”

Buck, JD and Vin sauntered up slowly, watching the commotion.

“What is it, Ezra?” JD asked, his thumbs tucked casually into his gun belt.

“Yeah, Ez, whatcha got here?” Buck grinned.

Ezra sighed. He’d been hoping to have this new purchase safely ensconced in his room without any of his comrades noticing its arrival. No doubt he would not hear the end of this.

“Ez?” Vin asked quietly.

Drawing in a deep breath, Ezra answered, “It’s a full length mirror.”

JD whistled. “A lookin’ glass that big musta bin mighty costly, Ez.”

Buck guffawed. “A mirror?” He slapped the gambler on the shoulder. “Whatsa matter? Can’t see yer fancy clothes well enough in a regular sized one?”

Ezra blushed. “Something like that, yes,” he mumbled quietly, not meeting Buck’s laughing gaze.

The next afternoon Ezra stepped lightly down the stairs, making his way toward the group already assembled there. They were all laughing and joking as they congratulated Vin on another birthday. A small pile of gifts covered the table in front of the tracker.

Buck called out, laughing, “Preenin’ in front of that big new lookin’ glass of yours ain’t improved your looks none.”

Ezra grinned as he joined the group. “Just as having a new target for mockery has done nothing to improve your wit, Mr. Wilmington,” he taunted in return. All six of the other men joined in the laughter.

The gambler turned to Vin with a small, apologetic smile. “My apologies Mr. Tanner. I am afraid that this celebration of your birthday has come upon me unprepared. You’ll have to trust me to present you with your gift at a later time.”

“In other words,” Buck grinned, “you spent all your money on that fancy mirror and Vin’s present is gonna hafta wait until payday.”

Ezra grinned. “Something to that effect, Mr. Wilmington.”

“That’s okay, Ez.” Vin smiled at the gambler, reading the sensual promise in the bright green eyes. The heated look almost shouted to Vin, ‘come to my room tonight and you’ll get your gift’.

The soft knock at his door was exactly what Ezra had been waiting for. He swung the door open with a smile, inviting the tracker to step into his room.

Vin grinned. “Came for my gift,” he muttered, pulling Ezra into his arms for a kiss almost before the door was even closed behind them.

Ezra chuckled, wrapping his arms around the tracker as he pressed him up against the door. He rested against the lean form, grinding his growing erection against Vin’s. Tearing his lips away from his partner’s, Ezra met the sparkling blue eyes to murmur, “It’s over there,” with a short jerk of his head to point the direction.

“What is?” Vin mumbled distractedly, pressing kisses against the sensitive spot right behind the gambler’s ear.

“Vin,” Ezra whispered, his head falling back and his knees threatening to buckle as the fire ignited by Vin’s lips began to spread. “Your present,” he sighed softly, rapidly losing his train of thought, “your gift is over there.”

Vin pulled back to look at Ezra with surprise, “But I thought....”

The gambler grinned. “I know what you thought. And we’ll get to that. I promise.” He chuckled. “But I do have a tangible gift for you, to mark the occasion of your birthday... and our three month,” he hesitated, counting in his head, “and five days anniversary.”

Vin laughed, pressing another kiss against the gambler’s willing lips. “Yer all the gift I need, Ez.”

“Nevertheless, Mr. Tanner,” Ezra’s green eyes sparkled with dazzling combination of desire and mischief and love, “I do have a gift for you, and it is over there.”

Vin turned to look in the direction Ezra had indicated. Standing in the corner against the wall, a small ribbon bow tied around one of its posts, stood the full-length mirror.

“But that’s yer new lookin’ glass,” Vin scowled, confused.

“No Vin, it’s yours,” Ezra smiled, “it’s your birthday gift.”

Vin flushed, turning away from his partner self-consciously. “I don’t need no mirror, Ez.” He stalked to the bed to sit down. “I’m nothin’ special to look at, and I don’t got fancy clothes like you do.”

Ezra moved over to kneel in front of the tracker, lifting his chin to look into the troubled blue eyes. “That’s where you’re wrong, Vin. You don’t need any ostentatious attire. You are so beautiful just the way you are.”

Vin pulled away, shaking his head as he dropped his eyes again. “Yer the handsome one, Ez. I’m just a scruffy, dusty....”

Pressing his lips against the tracker’s, Ezra interrupted the denial. “You are stunning, Vin Tanner. The most attractive, sensual man I have ever met. And I intend to prove it to you tonight.” He grinned at Vin’s wide-eyed, doubting look, and pressed another soft kiss against Vin’s surprised lips. “By the time I’m finished with you, you will believe me.”

Vin groaned softly, curling his fingers into Ezra’s hair as he pulled him close for a deep, soul-searing kiss. “God, I love ya, Ez.”

Ezra smiled, reaching around to disentangle Vin’s hands. Pulling back just far enough to stand, he drew the tracker to his feet as well. “Come over here,” he drawled, his accent growing thicker, along with his arousal. He led Vin to stand in front of the full-length mirror. “Now, look,” he nodded at the reflection. “What do you see?”

“You ‘n’ me,” Vin whispered.

“Tell me.”

“Yer so handsome. Yer eyes are lit with a fire, burnin’ just fer me. An’ with yer shirt hanging open like that...”

“Vin,” the gambler interrupted, “this is about you, not me. Tell me what you see.”

The tracker sighed, hesitating, eyes downcast. “I see a rough, scraggly lookin’ man in worn, dusty buckskins, out of place in elegant rooms, beside a refined gentleman like you.” Vin flushed, not meeting Ezra’s sharp gaze.

“Well then love, it’s past time we did somethin’ about that.”

Ezra stepped behind the tracker, forestalling his move to turn into Ezra’s embrace. “You keep watchin’,” he nodded toward the mirror.

Vin turned back to the looking glass, puzzled blue eyes meeting green in the reflection grinning back at him.

The gambler slipped Vin’s coat off his shoulders and down his arms, tossing it to the chair behind him. He untied the tracker’s bandanna, dropping it onto the coat. Sliding his arms around Vin’s chest from behind, Ezra leisurely began to work the buttons on the tracker’s shirt, tugging sharply at it to untuck it from the snug trousers he was wearing.

Vin gripped the gambler’s wrists, whispering, “What’re ya doin’?”

Ezra smiled. “Just watch Vin. You’ll understand soon enough.” He pulled the shirt off the tracker’s shoulders and free of his arms, baring the sleekly muscled torso to his view. “Now,” he grinned into the mirror, “tell me what you see.”

Vin blushed slightly, studying his bare-chested reflection in the looking glass. “Just me,” he muttered, “same as before.”

Ezra slid his hands across the strong chest.

Vin’s blue eyes widened as he watched the gambler’s strong fingers knead his chest at the same moment as he felt the smooth pressure against his skin.

“See how you respond so readily,” Ezra murmured, plucking at the tracker’s puckered nipples.

Vin gasped, fighting the urge to close his eyes and let his head loll back at the sweet sensations sparking through his body. The need to watch Ezra’s hands moving over his body was stronger. Vin wanted to watch the gambler arouse him, to see Ezra undress and caress him, to watch him touch Vin’s body and hold it in his arms. He needed to watch Ezra love him.

“Look at your eyes, love,” Ezra whispered against the tracker’s ear, green eyes meeting the half-lidded blue reflections. “Already drowsy. Watch their colour change as I kindle your passion.”

Vin moaned softly as the gambler’s teeth nipped at the sensitive nape of his neck. He watched his eyes darken as he felt fire sparking along his veins, pooling in his groin. Only a person as observant as Ezra would notice such a minute detail. At least, he’d never had a lover make mention of it before.

“Are you seeing it yet?” Ezra whispered against the tracker’s shoulder. “How beautiful you are?”

“Ez, please,” Vin whispered roughly. “I need ya now.” Vin turned to reach for Ezra, pulling the gambler closer as he pressed their lips together in a long, heated kiss.

Ezra pulled back with a wide grin. “All in good time,” he chuckled. Grappling with Vin’s belt, he had the remainder of the tracker’s clothing around his ankles in a matter of moments. Dropping to his knees, Ezra smiled up into his partner’s heavy lidded blue eyes. “Keep your eyes on that mirror, now,” he grinned.

Vin tore his eyes from the man at his feet, looking up at their profiles in the long reflection. His mouth dropped open with a sigh. The Ezra in the mirror winked, green eyes sparkling at him. Vin groaned, softly.

Ezra grinned, leaning closer to Vin, making sure to keep his movements slow and sensual. He extended his tongue, licking lightly along the underside of Vin’s cock, teasing at its rim.

Vin sucked in a deep breath as he watched. Ezra’s own pleasure was obvious as he teased and lapped, licking his lips, savouring the treat before him. Vin moaned, fighting to keep his eyes open, his body telling him to throw back his head, close his eyes and enjoy the sweet sensation of Ezra’s mouth. His mind insisted he watch. He needed to see this proof of the gambler’s love, see the truth of Ezra’s words. He needed to believe that he was worthy of Ezra’s love.

He watched their reflections as Ezra’s long fingers curl around his thigh, pulling him even closer as his other hand teased between Vin’s thighs. He watched Ezra’s head bob slowly. He watched as his own hands somehow became tangled in the short chestnut hair even though he couldn’t remember consciously willing them to move.

With a low moan, Vin thrust into the warm wet haven of Ezra’s mouth. So close, so close.

One last swirl of his tongue, catching up the leaking moisture at the tip of Vin’s cock and Ezra pulled away, settling back on his heels with a deep breath.

“Ez, please,” Vin whispered, “finish me. Need ya so bad.”

“Oh, I intend to, love,” the gambler grinned as he stood up. He turned Vin, placing the tracker’s hands on the wall on either side of the mirror’s frame. He stood behind Vin, nudging his thigh between the tracker’s as he met the burning blue eyes in the looking glass. The same fire was reflected in his own green eyes as he whispered, “Now, watch me love you, Vin Tanner.”

Ezra reached around Vin to grasp his arching cock, coating his fingers in the tracker’s pre-cum. He pressed two slick fingers against the tracker’s opening. “Watch our fire overwhelm you,” he whispered, twisting his fingers as Vin groaned and pushed back against them. “Watch the flush of sweet satisfaction bloom in your beautiful eyes, Vin.”

Vin’s knees trembled as he felt Ezra pull his fingers free, only to replace them with a single smooth thrust of his cock. “Jesus, Ez,” he gasped, as his head fell forward, his eyes clenched tight.

“Vin,” Ezra chided gently, reaching to lift the tracker’s chin, “watch.”

Vin forced his eyes open, locking them on the gambler’s face. He could see the strain in Ezra’s eyes, the struggle to hold back. And the need. Ez needed him. For the first time, Vin understood. The gambler needed his acceptance, his love, as much as Vin needed Ezra’s. “Please, Ez,” he gritted, “do it now.”

Ezra grinned. “Love you, Vin,” he groaned, and started to thrust.

Vin gasped, locking his elbows, arching to meet each of Ezra’s strokes with one of his own. He kept his eyes on their reflected image, watched the flush creep up his chest and neck, watched his own aching cock bob with each thrust.

“Come for me, Vin.”

The husky whisper was the tracker’s undoing. He cried out, shuddering in Ezra’s tight grasp, shooting his climax onto their reflection.

Ezra groaned, the clench of Vin’s muscles around him triggering his own release.

Sure that neither would be able to stand much longer, Ezra wrapped an arm around Vin’s waist and tugged him in the direction of his bed. Toppling together with an inelegant oof, equally undignified giggles, and a delightful tangle of limbs, Ezra pulled Vin close, snuggling against his side. “Happy birthday, Vin,” he murmured, kissing the tracker’s drowsy smile.

“Best present I ever got,” Vin yawned. “Never knew a lookin’ glass could be so handy, or I’da tried ta find me one sooner.”

“It’s not the mirror that’s special, love,” Ezra whispered, pulling the man asleep in his arms closer still. “It’s the reflection.”