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1. Vin

Ezra should have known that someone would figure it out eventually. Even though he'd been careful, the wrong look could have tipped off someone who'd been watching carefully. Vin was their resident tracker and since they had been living out of each other's pockets for some time it did not surprise him that the man's keen eyes had picked up on it.

To his relief, or probably because Vin knew the saloon was empty, he was confronted with it one day when he was alone at one of the tables dealing a game of solitaire. The tracker slid into the seat across from him and stared until he looked up. "Stay away from him. You're not right for him and he's not like that anyway." The threat was delivered in a low drawl.

"Why Mr. Tanner, I haven't a clue what you mean." Ezra countered. He knew exactly what the other man meant, but he was going to make Vin say it out loud. Ezra also had a feeling this warning was not unbiased. Vin wasn't the only one on the team who watched the others closely; being aware of others in your surroundings was an integral part of his survival as a good con man and gambler.

Vin's eyes narrowed as he realised Ezra wasn't going to back down. "I've seen the looks you've been givin' him when you think no one is watchin'. Chris don't need someone like you hungering after him."

Knowing exactly where this was coming from, he replied, "'Someone like me' Mr. Tanner?" Ezra smiled sharply, "but it's okay for someone like you?"

Vin frowned, "I ain't like you. I know what's right, an I know Chris. Stay away from him." The sharpshooter stood up and strode off, leaving the gambler to wonder if that was the end of it.

2. Nathan

A couple of days had passed since Vin's confrontation and Ezra had just started to relax when the next person caught him out. Nathan had just finished stitching up a slash in his arm, courtesy of a knife wielding patron when he struck. "You know you can't go there."

Blood loss made him a little slow on the rejoinder. "Pray tell, exactly where am I not supposed to go, doctor?"

"Chris." The black man said quietly. "I remember the things that happened to men like you when I was a slave. I also remember what happened to slaves because of men like you."

"Why my dear doctor, I don't believe I've ever had such a mix of concern and a thread of censure delivered in the same sentence." The gambler speculated for the briefest moment if Nathan had endured any of that before he continued, "Rest assured, I am a gentlemen. I would never force my attentions where they weren't wanted."

Nathan nodded, evidently satisfied with that answer and motioned that he was done. Ezra took his leave, but as he reached the door, the other man spoke again, "While you and I mostly don't see eye to eye, I would hate to see you hurt if something were to happen." With a nod of acknowledgment, the gambler took the sentiment for what it was and thanked his stars that it seemed to be as far as it would go with the healer.

3. Josiah

Ezra fully expected a lecture about Sodom and Gomorrah complete with references to Leviticus when the older man cornered him the next day in the half repaired church. Instead, the preacher started talking about temptation. "Even I can concede that Chris is a fine specimen of a man, but one must stay away from things that might lead us astray," he commented as Ezra tried to creep towards the door.

The con man sighed before he countered with, "I am sure you are aware that it is daily, if not hourly, that I practice sin. At this moment my degree of vice would not lessen the amount of fire and brimstone that will be visited upon me should I add another transgression to that list." Ezra had accepted that fact a long time ago. He idly wondered if pulling out his flask this moment would usher Josiah into throwing him out, anything to hurry on the conversation at this point would be welcome.

The older man pursed his lips, "I realise that there are many degrees of sin on this Earth but you must know there are lines you can't cross. The town can tolerate gambling and drinking as necessary evils, but this is a taboo that won't be overlooked."

Well at least that answered how the older man had found out. He wondered if Nathan had told the preacher outright, or if he had mentioned to the older man that Ezra might need some guidance. "Hypocrisy at it's finest, Josiah. I am well aware of what will happen to me should my unsavoury nature come to light. Should I, at this present time be in fear for my life?" The gambler was wondering if he should skip town. Three people knew about his attraction to the gunslinger, and that was three too many. The only thing that was keeping him here was his promise to the same said man that he wouldn't run out again.

"Divine retribution will not come from me nor should the confidence spoken in this place be broken." Ezra took the small measure of reprieve and bolted out the door.

4. JD

"You look frustrated. " JD's voice startled him out of his woolgathering as they both sat outside of the jail.

"Mr. Dunne, what in the world gave you that idea?"

"Well the thing about Chris." The young man said.

Ezra's eyebrows shot up. "What thing about Mr. Larabee?" the gambler suspiciously inquired. He was not about to be lectured to by a fresh faced youth who had absolutely no discretion to speak of.

"Well, because you like him and all." Erza stood up and hauled the young man off the boardwalk into the empty sheriff's office.

"You really must work on your sense of tact. This discussion is not for polite company, if there is such to be had in our fine little town. If you must know Mr. Dunne, I am vexed because everyone wants to give me good intentioned advice on my supposedly not so good intentions toward our comely leader."

"Well I ain't got any advice. I don't know nothing about it. I just don't understand why it's such a big deal. It's not like you're hurting anyone by being sweet on him."

Ezra chuckled, "Ah the innocence of youth. Surely you've heard of the perdition that awaits those men who are 'sweet' on each other, both here and in the afterlife?"

"Well if that's the problem, don't you think it's better to stay away from him? I mean aren't you afraid he'll call you out on it or something?"

"Well, my young man, that's the question of the day, isn't it?" It wasn't like he was going to approach Chris anyway. What would be the point of such an endeavour if it wasn't a sure bet?

5. Buck

He was in the livery caring for his horse when Buck swept in. Ezra barely missed the punch thrown his way. "You sick son of a bitch! I always knew there was something wrong about you!"

Putting a bit of distance between him and the other man, he commented wryly, "I gather that either Messrs. Tanner or Dunne have spilled the beans about my proclivities."

"You better be glad that JD told me before you made a move on Chris. Instead of a bullet, I'm just going to give you a beat down you won't forget." Buck lunged forward and managed to land a hit. Ezra staggered backwards and almost lost his balance despite the glancing blow to his jaw.

His back hit the wall of the building, and Ezra realised that he was effectively trapped. Buck loomed over him and the other man had no choice but to employ his ace. The bigger man stopped short as a click sounded. Suddenly he was faced with the gambler's derringer. "Mr. Wilmington, I will only say this once. Back off or I will be forced to shoot you. At this range I will not miss and it would pain me greatly to impose the hardship of digging a bullet out of you upon our poor doctor."

Buck snarled, "I figures a low life like you would draw on a friend."

"Believe me sir, the irony is not lost upon this reversal of roles, seeing that just a moment ago my friend was about to visit the same violence upon me."

The cowboy backed off. "Well if that's how it's gonna be then maybe I oughta let Chris put a bullet in ya."

Ezra watched as Buck backed out the livery door. The situation was too volatile for his comfort. He looked to his horse and checked to be sure that everything was in order if he had to saddle up quickly. Ezra decided his time here was up, and he made his way back to his room. Hopefully he could gather his things and slip out of town unnoticed.

+1 Chris

Ezra stopped short as he came in the door. Chris was sitting on his bed, elbows resting on his knees, looking like he's swallowed something sour. The gambler knew this confrontation was bound to happen sooner rather than later if the other's threats were carried through.

Leaning jauntily against the closed door he inquired, "So who was it? Josiah? Vin?" he paused, "Ah, it was Buck wasn't it? Since he did seem to be the most incensed. How long do I have before they come for me?"

"Ezra, shut up and get your ass over here." Chris didn't indicate exactly where, so Ezra warily inched over and stood in front of him, ready to bolt at any moment.

"So what is it going to be? Will I be tarred and feathered and chased out of town or is there a lynching in my future?" He frowned inwardly at how his voice shook.

Chris looked up at him, his eyes dark in the dim light of the room. "Well then I guess they'd have to do the both of us then." The quiet serious tone of the reply briefly confused him. Ezra was speechless for a moment as his brain tried to process what he'd just heard. Chris took advantage of the pause to grasp his hands and pull him closer.

The gambler's sensibilities came back online and he struggled back as he bit out, "Surely you jest Mr. Larabee. I will not be mocked like this!" He had to get away, without doubt this was some cruel game to get him confess and seal his fate.

Chris rose up and despite his slimmer frame pulled Ezra closer, his tight grip making the younger man stop struggling. In Ezra's mind, he will always deny the shock he felt when the gunman sealed his lips over his and kissed him breathless. All of the fight melted out of him as stunned realisation seeped inside. The older man hadn't been lying. They parted and Ezra felt a distinct flare of embarrassment as he grappled for words, "But... married..."

"I can appreciate the male form as much as I can the female form." Chris' hand came up and tilted his head back as he examined the younger man's face. "I thought you might be interested in me, but I wasn't sure. All of the looks could be anything, you're very good at hiding Ezra. So you can only imagine within the space of a week, I find that not only have you been keeping a secret, but my entire team knew it before I did."

"They told you?" Ezra stopped breathing.

"Not in so many words." He dipped his head down again and nibbled on Ezra's lips until they opened up. A few deep kisses later, Chris pulled the younger man over to the bed. "Vin kept droppin' hints. Nathan only said he didn't want to talk about it. Josiah stonewalled me when I asked if they had talked to him. JD pretty much spilled the beans, then made me promise I wouldn't hurt you." He punctuated each sentence with a kiss on Ezra's face, taking special care with the developing bruise on his jaw.

"What about Buck?" the con man asked softly.

Chris chuckled. "Buck is seeing Nathan about the shiner I gave him when I found out he had attacked you." The older man ran his hands down Ezra's back. "You didn't come here preparing to run out on me now, did you?"

The gambler opened his mouth, then closed it again. What could he say? Deciding on the truth for once, he leaned into the older man. "The possibility was high, since I had drawn on him. And with the unpleasant revelation that he was going to speak to you, I concluded that my time here was over. I was more than surprised that your gun wasn't on me the moment I walked in the door."

The normally taciturn man smiled, "For a gambler and a con man you're not very observant. I guess you hadn't realised that I might be looking back."

"Chris... you know I couldn't entertain that notion." Ezra huffed.

"Well, you're not leaving." The gunman's tone brooked no argument. "We'll deal with everything else later, for right now I want to concentrate on this."

"And what would that be?" he stammered as Chris slipped his jacket off his shoulders.

The older man turned them around and gently pushed Ezra onto the bed. "Gettin' you out of these clothes so you can't run away," he answered.