I'd like to thank Alex for reading over this for me.
Warning: Please do not eat or drink while reading this story . it may prove to be hazardous to not only your health, but that of your computers as well. You have been warned.

Sequel to: Monday, Monday

Ezra shook his head as he heard mumbling coming from the bathroom. He knew Chris had, had a bad day and was a little moody. Hell, being stuck in meetings all day would make anyone moody. So being the understanding sensitive guy that he was ... Ezra ignored him and just let the man rattle on while he sat propped against the headboard of their bed reading the paper.

The sound of his lover leaving the bathroom had Ezra lowering his paper and admiring the sight before him. Ezra knew he would never tire of looking at this man. Chris Larabee was truly a sight to behold, with his tanned skin, washboard stomach, and well-defined chest. His various battle wounds only added to Chris's appeal. And oh, those legs. Those deliciously long legs.

Ezra couldn't help but sigh. He loved Chris's legs. There was no greater feeling than having them wrapped around him, holding him tight. Loved the feel of them against him as they slept.

He was pulled from his dreamy state and had to frown as he saw Chris pull on a pair of boxers, thus covering his tight ass, yet another of his enticing assets. Ezra shook his head at the pointlessness of that move. He'd have those off him within the hour. He hid his grin as the bed suddenly dipped as Chris dropped down beside him.

"Man I've had a hell of a day," Chris grumbled as he tossed and turned trying to get comfortable. "I hate sitting through those damned boring ass meetings. My head hurts. My back hurts. I'm tired as hell and I haven't done a damned thing."

Ezra just sat there pretending to read the paper.

"All I want is a little peace and quiet, a warm body wrapped around me, to bury my head under my pillow, and go to sleep."

"Did you read the paper today?"

"No."

"So you didn't see the article in the Lifestyles Section?"

Chris sighed and said, "Ezra, I'm tired and don't really want to talk ..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Ezra said. "It could affect our future ..."

"Oh, really?" he questioned and pushed up to rest on his elbows.

"It says here that Ezra Standish is to be named king ..."

Chris snorted and flopped back down. "King of what?"

"That has yet to be determined ..."

"You're full of shit!" Chris declared and adjusted his pillow.

Ezra laughed and agreed with him, "That is a possibility, my sweet, but don't worry I'll allow you to be my man servant."

"The hell I will," Chris swore. There was a moment of silence before Chris asked, "How long have we been together now?"

"Two years," he quickly spouted with a grin.

Chris sat straight up and cried, "What!"

"I know it's hard to believe. I just don't know where the time went," Ezra mocked. "Sometimes it feels like it's ten ..."

"It does not!" Chris fussed and gave Ezra a small shove. "Dammit, Ezra it's barely even been two months!"

Ezra laughed as Chris pushed him down on the bed.

"And what do you mean it feels like ten?" his lover questioned.

"Only that it feels as if I've known you forever," Ezra told him.

Chris smiled at him and gave him a short sweet kiss, then laid back down.

Ezra turned over and nudged Chris with his knee.

"Leave me alone. I'm trying to sleep."

Ezra grinned then nudged him again.

"Ezra this is when you wrap your warm body around me so I can sleep. Comfort me, Ezra."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes ..."

"But it's not even ten yet," Ezra pointed out. "I'm not going to sleep this early. I can't. Unless you make it worth my while," he said with yet another nudge.

"Didn't you hear what I said earlier?"

"Which part?" Ezra asked as his lover turned over to face him.

"The headache part ..."

"Yeah, so?"

"So ... not tonight, dear, I have a headache," Chris stressed the last four words.

"You mean that's true?" Ezra asked, in disbelief. "I always thought that was just an old wives tail. Who would have thought ..."

"Think tomorrow night. Let's sleep now."

"You know my mother will be so proud when I'm named king," Ezra sniffed.

"You mean she's still alive ..."

"Nothing short of a silver bullet would take her down."

"She can't be all that bad," Chris said, taking one of Ezra's hands. "So when do I get to meet your mother ..."

"Please, Chris let's not bring my mother into our bed."

"Don't you get along with her? From what Josiah says she's real interesting ..."

Ezra snorted and said, "This from a man who thinks watching ants mill around is interesting." Then with a sigh he continued, "Don't believe a word Josiah tells you about my mother. The man's half in love with her ..."

Chris laughed. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It 'is' a bad thing!" Ezra exclaimed. "You know Josiah is 'suppose' to be 'my' friend, but he forgets all about me as soon as 'she' puts in an appearance. I told him it was either me or her. He cannot have the both of us."

"What'd he say?"

"That he'd think about it!"

"How long has he been thinking about it?" Chris asked between laughs.

"Two years!" Causing Chris to crack up.

"Ezra, you're crazy," Chris said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

"That's purely speculation and has never been proven," Ezra told him with a wink. "Go ahead and laugh, but it's a sad, sad, sad situation."

"You really care about Josiah, don't you?"

"No!" Ezra snorted. "I can't stand the big oaf! He's almost as annoying as the other members of your team ..."

"Yeah, they are a hand full," Chris agreed with a smile.

"And handsome ..."

"Sometimes I think they're more trouble than ... What did you say?"

"That they're annoying ..."

"No, after that," Chris said.

"Oh, that they're sexy ..."

"You never said sexy!" Chris corrected with a glare. "Now tell me what did you said?"

Ezra grinned at him then said, "Handsome. I said they were handsome ..."

"That bunch is not handsome!"

"Oh, but they are! Haven't you ever looked at the men you work with?" Ezra argued. "Buck has those striking blue eyes and that dark wavy hair. And one can tell just by looking into Nathan's soft brown eyes that he'd be a gentle lover ... Rain's lucky to have him ..."

"What? Nathan?"

"And JD with his baby soft hair and inviting hazel eyes just makes a man want to cherish him ..."

Chris sat up and shook his head in disbelief.

"And Josiah's so big and strong, yet oh, so gentle. It's ... it's like having your very own grizzly bear ..."

Chris felt his jaw drop in surprise.

"Then there's Vin," Ezra said, then sighed. "Now there's a handsome man. Those blue eyes. That little half grin. And that hair! Those curls just scream for someone to lose their fingers in ..."

"You'll lose more than your fingers if you so much as touch him," Chris growled in warning.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"You're jealous!" Ezra said in wonder.

"I am not jealous of those 'unattractive' men!"

"Of course, you're not!" he countered with a grin.

"I'm not!" Chris insisted. "I 'know' that you belong to me! You're mine, all mine! I know that. You know that! Hell, even they know that!" he declared, jabbing Ezra in the chest with his finger.

Ezra grabbed that finger, silently thrilled at Chris's declaration. He'd always wanted to belong somewhere ... to someone and could think of none better than the man beside him.

"Say it," Chris told him.

"It ..."

"Ezra ..."

"I belong to you," Ezra vowed. "Chris, none of the others can hold a candle to you, my sexy cowboy," he told him. "You are truly a sight to behold. With your silky blonde hair and the way your blue-green eyes seem to glide across my skin like a caress," Ezra whispered. "My heart, body, mind, and soul cry out with a need so fierce that only you and your touch can fulfill ... Only you can tame it."

"Ezra ..."

"It's true. I love you, Chris Larabee. You and only you."

"I love you, too, Ezra," Chris told him in a husky voice, grabbing the paper he tossed it to the floor, and pushed Ezra down on the bed, then nudged his legs apart so that he could lay between them.

"I thought you had a headache ..."

"I did, but now I have another ache that only you can ease."

With that no other words were spoken as Chris captured Ezra's lips in a mind melting kiss that left Ezra gasping and desperately wanting more. Ezra shivered as those same lips blazed a trail down his neck, across his collar bone, then back up so that they could lightly brush against his lips. It was a teasing touch that had Ezra writhing in anticipation.

Wanting to deepen the contact, Ezra raised his head. Only to have Chris grin at him and avoid the touch. With an arched eyebrow, Ezra moved in another direction hoping to seize those elusive lips, but once again Chris eased back.

"Bastard," he groaned.

Chris's grin grew at that. "But you love ..."

Ezra quickly laid claim to those lips, but instead of the fierce kiss that he knew Chris was expecting, Ezra slowly treasured his lover's lips. Leaving no doubt of the tenderness and love, he felt. While Ezra's lips worked on bringing Chris mindless pleasure, his hands were busy pushing a pair of boxers down past narrow hips and out of Ezra's way.

"Ezra," Chris sighed, then began kissing and nipping his way down Ezra's body. The Southerner gripped the bed covers tightly in his hands as Chris teased a sensitive spot on Ezra's hip.

He lay panting as Chris tenderly traced a scar, which was now called Vin's scar, with his tongue. After a couple of minutes when Chris ceased all movement, Ezra forced himself up to his elbows so he could look at his lover.

"Chris?" he breathed. "Are you all right?" Ezra pushed when there was no response. "Has your headache suddenly come back?"

Chris heard Ezra's questions, but couldn't tear his eyes away from Vin's scar. Ezra and him had made love countless times, but not until this moment had Chris actually realized just how close he'd come to losing this precious man ... losing him before he'd even had a chance to know him.

Thinking about how Ezra got this scar brought to mind, Ezra leaving him in that warehouse. Chained to the ceiling, in his own handcuffs. And how when the sounds of Vin and Buck approaching reached them ... Ezra took off ... leaving him behind. Ezra left him.

Reaching up he pushed Ezra back down as soon as he sat up and growled, "Don't ever run out on me again."

He saw those green eyes widen in confusion.

"I never ..."

"You did in the warehouse," Chris reminded him. "You left me there ... chained up ... hurt and alone ..."

"Hurt? But you said I hadn't ..."

"You l..left me, Ezra," Chris told him in a watery voice. "T..that's what h..hurt me."

"I'm so sorry, Chris," Ezra apologized. "It hurt me too, but I didn't have choice. Not really, any way. I would never have left you if I didn't have to. Never."

Chris saw tears gathering in Ezra's beautiful eyes. Leaning forward, he kissed the tears away then grunted as he was pulled down on top of Ezra. Burying his face in Ezra's neck, Chris sighed as arms pressed him closer.

"I love you, my cowboy," Ezra's silky accented voice whispered in his ear.

"I love you too, my soon-to-be-named king of mischief," Chris teased, causing Ezra to laugh.

Suddenly, Chris felt very tired and very sleepy. Shifting his weight just a bit he settled more comfortably on his lover and sighed, "Hold me, Ezra."

Without a word Ezra tightened his arms and held on tight until they both drifted off to sleep.

The next morning Ezra arrived at work just in time to hear Chris snap.

"You and your damned curls!"

Ezra couldn't help but grin as he saw Vin pause in the middle of running a hand through his hair then frown at Chris.

"What?"

"The whole damned lot of you needs a hair cut!" Chris declared. "Nathan do something about your eyes! And JD ..."

"Y..yes?"

"Quit looking so damned ... cute!"

"What's that crazy Southerner been telling you now?" Buck asked.

"That's pure speculation," Chris told him. "Ezra being crazy hasn't ever been proven ..."

"Ezra what'd the hell did you say to him?" Vin asked, looking just over Chris's right shoulder.

Ezra laughed as he stepped further into the room. "Good morning, gentlemen," he said, placing his briefcase on his desk. "And to answer your question ... I merely told Chris the truth."

"And what truth would that be?" Josiah questioned.

"That I thought this was an attractive team ..."

"Well, hell we already knew that," Buck boasted with a wide grin.

"Do you really want us to cut our hair?" JD asked.

"No," Chris grumbled.

"Candles, Mr. Larabee, candles!" Ezra reminded him with a grin. To which Chris merely rolled his eyes.

"So Ezra, how was your weekend?" Josiah asked.

Ezra narrowed his eyes and focused his attention on the older man. "Time's up, Josiah. I want your decision and I want it now ..."

"No," Josiah replied, pulling a folder from a pile on his desk and opened it.

"No? What do you mean no?"

Josiah shrugged his massive shoulders and said, "I'm still thinking ..."

"Still ..." Ezra shook his head. "It's been two freaking years! How much time do you need?!"

"Freaking?" JD repeated with a frown. "Who the hell say's freaking?"

"Yeah, Ezra," Buck added. "What the f*'s up with that?"

"Language, Mr. Wilmington, language," Ezra fussed.

"What?" Buck shrugged. "All I said was ..."

"That is a very vulgar word and should not be used in polite society," Ezra told him. His Southerner accent sounding more pronounced.

Turning his attention back to Josiah, he declared, "It's either me or her ..."

"When was the last you spoke with your ..."

"Two glorious years ..."

"What?!" Josiah cried, getting to his feet. "That can't be right. Surely you told her you were moving to Denver ..."

"Okay, first of all 'I' didn't 'move' to Denver," Ezra corrected him. "I was transferred. And of course, I didn't tell her."

"Why the hell not?"

"Why the hell should I?" he countered. "She sure as hell doesn't tell me every time she moves ..."

"That's not the point! She's your mother!"

"Why do you care?" Ezra questioned. "You like her more than me don't you?"

"No ..."

"So you like me more?"

"No ..."

"Oh, so you don't like me?"

"I didn't say that ..."

Ezra narrowed his eyes and gave Josiah a calculated look. "Have you heard from my mother?"

"No ..."

"Received an email?"

Josiah shook his head, but before he could reply Ezra continued. "Has she phoned you? Sent you a message? A telegram? A letter? Was it FedEx'ed? Did it come through UPS? Pony Express? Carrier pigeon!"

"No, no, and no!" Josiah exclaimed and looked torn between wanting to cry or laugh. "I haven't seen or heard from her since before I left Atlanta!"

"Well, I was only asking," Ezra pointed out. "There's no need to get so huffy!"

The others unconsciously took a step back as they heard Josiah growl.

"I swear Ezra, one day you're going to drive me to murder! Your murder!"

Ezra snorted and quipped, "Like you'd get rid of me that easily." Then with his hands on his hips he looked at Chris and fussed, "And what do you think you're doing?"

"Who? Me?" Chris replied with a frown.

"Yes, you!" Ezra shook his head. "You're suppose to love me ..."

"I do ..."

"Then why pray tell aren't you protecting me?"

"From who?"

"Him!" he pointed to Josiah. "He threatens me and you just stand there in your tight jeans looking sexy ..."

"Man, you're wound up this morning," Josiah stated with a laugh.

Ezra grinned at him before saying, "I'm in a good mood. But you know Josiah, you really shouldn't threaten to murder someone in front of witnesses. If you're contemplating an act of this magnitude ... it isn't wise to advertise it. Maude would never approve, which is a point in my favor."

Josiah threw his up in frustration, then closed his eyes and appeared to be counting to ten or considering it was Ezra, maybe it was a million.

"Give it up Josiah, you know you can't count that high," Ezra teased him, proving that he knew the older man pretty well. His grin grew as he saw those blue eyes pop open and stare at him. Josiah then rolled his eyes and without a word as headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm getting away from you," Josiah muttered.

"Well, wait for me ..." Ezra said, following him.

The older man stopped in his tracks, causing Ezra to bump into him. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Are you attempting to suggest that I ignore you?"

"You do ignore me," Josiah pointed out.

"Not when it's important," Ezra replied. "Besides, I didn't think you really meant it," he went on to say, giving Josiah his lost little boy look that always got him his way with the older man. Seeing Josiah drop his head, brought a smile to Ezra's face, because he knew he'd won.

Taking a step closer, Ezra did something he wouldn't have dared to do before becoming friends with Josiah and placed an arm around those massive shoulders and gave Josiah a hug. "Come on, Josiah," he smiled, "I'll buy you a cookie."

"I want a cookie too!" Vin cried.

"Me, too!" JD added.

The two shared a look and said, "Chocolate chip."

"It's to early in the morning for cookies," Nathan told them with a frown.

"Anytime's the right time for cookies," Vin quickly informed him. "The same goes for candy."

Ezra winked at Vin before saying, "Fine then I'll buy you a muffin ... a bran muffin ..."

Vin snickered as Nathan snapped, "I don't need one!"

"You need something," Buck told him. "You've been awful tense here lately."

"Buck ..."

"If you're taking orders then I want a cinnamon roll," Buck said, cutting Nathan off before he could say anything more.

"What about you, Cowboy? Do you want anything special?" Ezra asked Chris.

"I like oatmeal raisin cookies," Chris replied.

From where he stood leaning against Josiah, Ezra smiled at his lover. "Great! I know a great little place that makes the best cookies, but unfortunately it's in Atlanta. I don't suppose ..."

"No," Chris quickly told him.

"I know a great place," JD offered.

"You mean, Josie's?" Vin asked. At JD's nod, Vin continued, "And it's only a few blocks from here. We could go and be back in no time."

"We?" Ezra repeated. "Who said anything about the two of you coming?" Ezra wanted this time alone with Josiah so that the two of them could talk. They hadn't talked, really talked in weeks. Ezra knew something had been bothering Josiah, but when he'd asked, he was told everything was fine. And while Josiah did look and act 'fine', Ezra knew that something was different about his friend. And he just wanted to make sure Josiah knew he was there if he was needed.

"You mean you don't want us to come?" JD asked, with his patented puppy dog look.

Ezra was all ready to say no, when he heard Josiah reply, "Of course, you guys can come, JD."

"You have no spine," he softly accused, to which Josiah merely shrugged.

"If you ladies are going to make your cookie run, then I suggest you go and get your asses back here so you can do your jobs," Chris told them. "Like you're paid to do."

"Is a cookie run anything like a 'Chicken Run'?" Ezra couldn't help but ask, causing JD, Vin, and Buck to laugh. While Josiah, Nathan, and Chris groaned and shook their heads.

"But I don't want to be a pot pie," the four pranksters said at the same, with English accents.

Josiah shared a look with Chris and Nathan before pushing Ezra toward the door. He knew that if he didn't Ezra would stand there all day spouting one liners.

"If you boys want cookies, then we'd better get going," Josiah told them.

"Josiah don't let them waylay you," Chris warned. "Just go get the cookies and come straight back here. No detours. No stops ..."

"But ..."

"You're only allowed to stop at red lights and stop signs," the blonde leader clarified. "Oh, and you can stop for the elderly and children, but that's it."

"What about animals?"

"I have two words for you," Chris said, looking at each of them. "Road kill."

"Oh, that's just wrong!" JD cried.

"Don't worry, JD," Ezra assured him. "We'll take the Jag ..."

"Oh, no!" Chris interrupted. "Josiah's drives ..."

"Guess that means we get the day off," Vin teased, bringing a frown to the older man's face.

"I drive the speed limit," Josiah informed him. "Others can do whatever they want."

"Those are only suggestions," Ezra added, causing everyone to look at him.

"What are?" Josiah asked.

"Speed limits," Ezra said, with a smile and a wink.

"Ezra, you're a cop," Chris reminded him. "You're suppose to follow the rules ..."

Ezra snorted. "Suggestion," he replied, making quotation marks with his fingers. "Besides, I'm not a traffic cop."

Josiah placed a hand on Chris's arm and said, "Give it up, Chris. There's just no arguing with him when he's like this."

"You might be right," Chris reluctantly agreed. "Okay, let's review; you're going to get cookies and coming straight back here. Right?"

"Right." Josiah, Vin, and JD quickly said.

"Right, Ezra?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Ezra agreed.

"There'll be no stopping at auto parts stores, computer stores, book stores, or furniture stores," the last was said with a pointed look directed at Ezra.

"Oh, oh, so I suppose you don't like our bed?" Ezra questioned.

"You guys got a new bed?" Buck asked.

Chris gave a snort before saying, "We were driving down main when Ezra spots this lamp through the furniture store window that he just had to have ..."

"Well, it's not my fault there was glare on the window," Ezra explained. "How was I to know the lamp wasn't the shade of blue I was looking for?"

At the look on Chris's face, Josiah thought it best to hide his grin.

"We went in there to look at a lamp and came home with a new bedroom suit," Chris fussed, while Ezra just grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

"It's our bed," Ezra said, looking at Josiah and the others. "Not his and Sarah's. Not the one I shared with my many lovers, but ours. His and mine ..."

"And you should have seen that guy ... what was his name ... Roger," Chris muttered with a roll of his eyes. "He was our sales person ..."

"What was wrong with him?" Buck asked, trying not to laugh.

"He squished when he walked," Chris replied, causing everyone to laugh. Even himself.

Josiah loved the effect Ezra's had on Chris. He couldn't remember Chris ever laughing as much. Since becoming involved with Ezra, Chris has transformed into someone much more open and approachable. Someone you could talk to without fear of having your head bitten off. Of course, Chris could still peel paint with a single glare, but now he was a little smoother around the edges.

And Ezra was much more grounded. With someone as solid and steady as Chris buffering him, Ezra was able to truly be himself. A true free spirit. Someone teeming with life and not afraid to show it.

Thinking back to his and Ezra earlier 'argument' brought a smile to Josiah's face. He loved arguing with Ezra. Loved pushing the younger man's buttons, especially where Maude was concerned. But no matter how much he teased or how attractive Maude was, there was no way he could ever choose her over him.

Josiah hadn't been blessed with children and had resigned himself to the fact that he'd never have any. That was, until he'd met a broad shouldered, green-eyed, walking contradiction. At first glance one would never see the lost little boy hidden just beneath the surface of that easygoing, yet tough, devil-may-care exterior, desperately seeking approval. But Josiah was trained to look beneath surface and get to the heart of the matter. To see what made them tick. Of course, with Ezra it took a lot of time and even more effort, but it paid off. In spades. Josiah knew that no matter what, Ezra would be there for him. Just like he'd be there for Ezra.

No, he may not have been blessed with a child of his own blood, but Josiah knew he had something much better ... he had a friend. A friend that was like a son. Hell, he didn't figure it could get any better than that. It was the best of both worlds.

Glancing up Josiah's gaze was caught and held by his lover's and he had to fight the urge to blush as images of night before flashed in depths of his lover's eyes. Tearing his eyes away Josiah took a deep breath and once again thanked God, for allowing this special man to care for him.

Soon, he silently vowed. Soon they too could openly express their love for each other. But not until they were both ready and have spoken with Ezra. Then and only then would they tell the others.

Feeling a tug on his arm, Josiah looked up, and realized that they were finally leaving. He silently followed Ezra down the hall to the elevators. They had just stepped inside when a hand suddenly appeared, forcing the doors to open.

"How many lovers?" Chris growled. "And just where the hell is this bed?" It was after Ezra started to walk away that it dawned on him what Ezra had said about his bed. Then before Chris knew it he was standing in front of the elevator holding the doors open.

"Finally heard that did ya?" Ezra teased, with a grin.

"Just tell me how many?"

"Animal, mineral, or vegetable?"

"What?!"

Ezra laughed and rephrased his question, "Men or women?"

"Both."

"Oh, more than a few, but less than a bunch," Ezra laughed.

"What the hell does that mean?" Chris growled.

"It means he ain't no virgin," Vin told him.

"If he didn't help from the peanut gallery, he'd ask for it," the blonde stated. "So where's the bed?"

"Would you believe the Smithsonian," Ezra quipped.

Chris had to laugh at the merriment in those green eyes. "I can see the headlines now, Ezra P. Standish, the new king of Bull Shitters."

Ezra merely laughed and blew him a kiss before the elevators doors slid closed.

Chris laughed at the strange looks Buck and Nathan were giving him. Then with a big happy grin on his handsome face he simply said, "Pillow talk."

The End