by Macx
Buck Wilmington wasn't so sure this was such a good idea. Hell, if asked
right out, he would tell everyone it was the worst idea ever! He couldn't
do this and he for sure couldn't do it right now!
"Buck, relax," Vin murmured.
"I can't!" he hissed.
"He won't bite your head off. JD's a grown boy, in case you haven't
noticed."
Buck glared at him. True, JD was no longer the wide-eyed youngster
he had first met seven years ago, but in Buck's eyes he would always be
'the kid', his protégé, someone he looked out for. The younger
Agent was a capable operative, one heck of a pilot, and no one knew the
quirks of the different Agency ships better than him. Except maybe Josiah,
but that was his job anyway. While JD was a grown up, in Buck's eyes he
was still too young for what he wanted to discuss with him now. He would
always be too young.
The fact that JD most likely knew about them already was currently
not foremost on his mind. If Buck had thought about it, clearly and calmly,
for just a minute, he would have been able to add one and one. The events
around the Thorne virus, both him and Vin catching it, was a blatant hint
toward their sexual relationship already.
"What if he doesn't accept it?" Buck asked desperately.
Vin smiled. "Then you know."
A sigh answered him. "You aren't helping!"
They stopped in front of the wide doors leading into the tech room
adjoined to the large hangar bay where the Chimera stood. JD could usually
be either found here, at the arcades, or with Casey. Right now, he was
here.
Vin gave his lover a gentle push. Buck's glare intensified.
"I'm going, I'm going," he muttered.
Vin remained where he was, casually leaning against the door frame.
JD was leaning over something electronic looking and Buck stopped in front
of the large work bench that took up most of the center of the room, nervously
casting a look around. No one else was here.
JD looked up, flashing him a wide grin. "Hey, Buck!" He looked over
Buck's shoulder and smiled at Vin, too. "Hey, Vin!"
He hadn't changed all that much, Buck mused. When they had first met,
JD had been a rookie, an exuberant youth with too much brainpower and not
enough outlets for all the energy, and someone who had struggled to get
where he wanted to be. Chris had had a lucky hand by choosing John Dunne
as his pilot, against all the cat-calls from his fellow Agents, and JD
had never let him down. Him or the team.
"Hey, kid. Whatcha up to?"
"Oh, nothing special," JD answered, shrugging. "I thought I'd use the
pause between cases to catch up on some old experiments concerning the
trans space jump controls."
Buck sighed. Only JD would spend his spare time pouring over something
as complicated as trans space jump routines, something that made his head
spin anyway. He could safely use the jump points, but JD was the one who
actually understood the science behind it.
"Anything up?" JD asked as he undid some clips connecting two parts
of his experiment.
"Uh… I wanted to talk with you about something."
JD looked up and his eyes suddenly held a more serious expression.
"Something wrong?" He put down his tools.
"No, no. Not really."
That got him a frown. "What is it, Buck?"
Buck inhaled deeply. "It's…. it's really hard to explain."
JD simply watched him, waiting. Buck fumbled for words.
"If it's about the disks," the younger Agent finally said, "that's
forgiven and forgotten. Could have happened to anyone."
Wilmington sighed silently. The disks. He had accidentally misfiled
some of JD's disks, which in turn had gotten them cleared of all data since
he had filed them under 'recycle' and the young pilot had had to start
from scratch. Buck had felt awful about it, but at the time he had been
thinking about a hot date with Vin, and his mind had slid right south.
"No, it's not the disks, kid."
JD glanced at Vin, who was watching them with a neutral expression.
He frowned. Okay, this was weird. Buck wasn't normally the type to stammer
and beat around the bush. He was always straight forward. Except… except
when it came to personal stuff. Either his own or other people's.
"It's about …. uh…."
"Does it have something to do with Vin or the Thorne virus?" JD guessed.
Buck's eyes widened. "How.. what makes you think that?"
"Well, Vin came here as your back-up, I suppose." He looked at Vin
again, who hadn't changed either his position or his expression. "And you've
been a bit strange ever since you and he fell sick."
Buck chewed on his lower lip. "Yeah, it's about Vin, too."
"And….?"
A sigh. JD mentally shook his head. Like pulling worms….
"Buck?" he asked.
"JD, what do you think about same-sex relationships?" Buck suddenly
blurted.
Okay, bingo, JD thought. He remembered asking Ezra about something
similar, about Buck and Vin catching a virus that could only be transmitted
by fluids. Ezra had told him to either ask Buck or Vin, but ever since
they had returned from the Hija moon, Buck had been a mix between skittish
and moody.
Now his friend was almost a wreck, nervous and unsure, and JD wondered
why. Buck was the man who could talk about his adventures in bed, the women
he met, like others about the weather. He had mercilessly teased JD when
the pilot had gone out with Casey on a date.
"What about them?" JD asked calmly. "I mean… I know there is such a
thing. " He felt his evil streak rise just the same minute. "You want to
tell me Vin's gay, right?"
Now it was Buck's turn to gape.
"And?" JD prodded. "What about it?"
He caught Tanners eye and something silently passed between them. JD
could see that Vin was reading something in his eyes because he suddenly
lifted one corner of his mouth into a smile. A brief nod, one JD might
even have imagined, followed. Then the neutral expression was back.
"You… you don't think it's… I mean…?"
"Odd? Weird? Freaky? Abnormal? Sick? All of the above?"
Buck only nodded.
JD shrugged. "To each his own. So, that was it?"
"No, not exactly."
He allowed himself to sigh impatiently. Buck studied the table top,
hands moving nervously.
"I want you to know that…. I came here because I didn't want you to
hear it form someone else. Just in case someone else finds out, that is.
Because you're my friend. A real good friend. Heck, I kinda see you like
the kid brother I never had. And I don't want you to feel like I had secrets
from you, that I didn't trust you. And I don't know what others would say.
Might be painful. I just want to be the one to tell you, is all."
Buck was rambling. JD didn't know if his older friend was aware of
it, but he was babbling, though some of it made some sense. The remark
about the 'kid brother' made him feel all warm inside and he struggled
with the smile that was about to blossom on his lips.
"Y'see," Buck went on. "I was growing curious and I made one heck of
a mistake and Vin saved me not only from some real embarrassment, but something
more. We…uh…." Wilmington looked up and there was a desperate courage in
his eyes. "We are together."
JD was silent, schooling his features, not letting anything slip.
"You and Vin?" he asked.
Buck nodded, swallowing.
"Together? As in… friends?"
"No, as in… a lot closer than friends."
"You want to tell me you are gay?" JD exclaimed, letting his voice
rise.
Buck flinched like he had been slapped. "No!"
"But you slept with Vin?"
A nod.
JD cast another look at Vin, who was by now wearing that lop-sided
grin again. He had caught on already. JD fought his own reaction.
"With Vin," he repeated. "Why? I mean, you are the resident Ladies'
Man, Buck!"
"I don't know!" Buck exclaimed. "It was… I was curious, JD! And…. It
was simply that," he sighed.
JD wasn't the naïve boy he had been seven years ago. He could
hear the lie, but he wouldn't call Buck on the real reason.
"So, what's that got to do with me?" he wanted to know.
Wilmington sighed again. "I just wanted you to know. I don't want others
to tell you, make you feel left out." Buck's brown eyes held his. "You're
like family, JD. I wanted you to know it – from me."
"And to receive my blessing?"
The older Agent chewed on his lower lip. "Not your blessing… just…
acceptance…. And your friendship, JD."
JD studied him, letting him steam. "You think I'd turn away? Why? You
said you think of me as family, Buck."
Buck lowered his gaze, guilt flooding him. "'Cause even family can
turn against you," he said quietly.
There was something in that statement that had JD listen up, but again
he decided not to follow up on it.
"And I would turn… why exactly? 'Cause I'm young? 'Cause it's you?"
He tilted his head. "You want to hit on me?"
"Hell, no!"
JD allowed a first smile to grace his lips. "Then why?"
"I didn't know if you'd understand, kid," Buck tried desperately to
explain. "I mean… this is new for me, too. It means a lot of hiding and
not knowing what could happen if it comes out…."
"There are gay couples on Four Corners," JD told him. "And other stations."
Buck shook his head. "Not the same. This is an inter-Agency relationship."
"Got those, too."
"The heterosexual kind."
JD shrugged. "Do you know that for a fact?"
Buck opened his mouth, then shut it again, slightly stunned. After
a moment he asked, "So you're okay with that? I mean, me and Vin…?"
"Buck, tell me something…. Are you happy?"
"Yes," was the immediate answer.
JD smiled more. "And I think Vin's happy, too, hm?"
The smile on Vin's lips was answer enough, but Buck still nodded.
"Cool."
Buck stared at him. "Cool?"
JD nodded.
"That's it? Cool?"
"Sure. What else do you want?" the pilot asked lightly, grinning widely.
Buck gaped. "I….."
Vin walked over from the door, clapping the other man on the shoulder.
"Now was that so hard?" he poked.
It made him the recipient of a glare.
"Listen, Buck," JD spoke up. "I'm happy you're happy. The female population
might not be, but hey!"
Buck chuckled.
"Just one question. Who else knows? I don't want to accidentally blab
out something just because I assumed the other knows."
"The team knows," Vin explained. "All of them. No one else."
"Okay." JD smiled again. "At least now a lot of stuff makes sense."
"Huh?" Buck gave him a confused look.
"The whole thing with Vin getting this virus and then you. Now I know
what it was about and how you were infected with something that was only
transferrable by fluids."
Wilmington had the grace to blush lightly and look embarrassed. Vin
just grinned.
"Thanks," Buck said earnestly.
"For what?"
"For understanding. You have no idea how much that means to me."
JD smiled. "Thanks for telling me …., bro."
Buck felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He had accepted
JD's invitation for a beer tonight at Nettie's and suddenly everything
seemed right with the world. Vin walked quietly alongside him, leaving
Buck to his thoughts. They arrived at the quarters.
"Penny for your thoughts," Vin said calmly when the door had closed
after them.
Buck let out a breath. "Just feels good to be rid of that worry," he
confessed.
Vin smiled and walked over to where Buck stood leaning against the
wall that separated the small but functional corner no one but him would
dare to call a kitchen from the living room.
"Told you."
"Yeah."
Brown eyes met blue ones and Buck suddenly caught him, drawing Vin
into a kiss. He felt the lean body melt against him and a leg was pushed
between his. He groaned in appreciation. Vin hungrily devoured his mouth
as his fingers untugged the washed-out t-shirt from the faded jeans. Buck
didn't even contemplate fighting the energetic whirl-wind that was his
lover as Vin gave special attention to the dark nubs on his chest.
"Vin… bed…VIN!" he managed, gasping as a hand cupped his straining
arousal.
But Vin ignored his plea as jeans were pulled down and he stepped out
of them. There was an almost feral look in those blue eyes and Buck knew
he had lost. Vin sank down on his knees and Buck could only moan in appreciation
as his lover's attention was now solely focused on where Buck wanted him
the most. He held on to Vin's head as if he was afraid he would leave before
he had finished. Buck threw back his head, bumping it into the wall as
Vin started a teasing rhythm. Damn, if that man didn't know how to drive
him crazy and hold him close to release! He didn't even feel the condom.
When a slick finger finally penetrated him, he came with a soft cry of
pleasure.
Vin rose, licking his lips like a cat, the feral look still there.
Buck caught that delicious mouth with his, crushing the leaner man to him,
feeling Vin's own arousal brush against him. The fire in their kiss gave
Buck a good idea of what the younger man wanted.
"Got another one?" he breathed as they separated.
Vin quickly bent down to grab his own jeans and pulled out a tiny tube
and another condom. "Always prepared," he murmured seductively.
Buck didn't need more invitation. He briefly wondered if the table
was sturdy enough as Vin slipped on the condom and lubed himself, then
all rational thinking left as that delicious hardness entered his relaxed
backside, and his spine turned into molten lava as it hit that one special
spot. As much as he loved the long, tender sessions in bed, heck, the hard,
fast humping was just as good.
Vin came with a brief cry, making Buck's own hardness spurt briefly,
then he collapsed. Both men sank to the floor, Buck drawing the younger
man to him. Both were breathing hard, and Vin had his eyes screwed shut,
almost panting. Buck ran gentle fingers through the short, dark hair, smiling.
He pressed a kiss on the damp strands.
"Love you," he murmured.
Vin sighed contentedly, briefly tightening his hold. Buck mused about
the comforts of a bed compared to the floor, but then discarded that thought.
Heck, just having Vin was comfort enough.