Vin lay sprawled across his couch listening to the rain pouring down outside his apartment. He usually enjoyed it when it rained. He found the sound to be soothing and was always able to relax while listening to it. But not today. Today the sudden storm did nothing to calm him. Vin couldn't relax, his nerves were on edge and he was angry. At himself. He still couldn't believe he had said such horrible things to Ezra.

Vin sat up suddenly in disgust. He cursed himself under his breath and leaned his head back on the couch. He didn't understand how the argument got so bad. It started with something small, a stupid little misunderstanding. Hell, he couldn't even remember what it had been about. But he could remember clearly how it ended with Ezra storming out of his apartment.

Vin's heart ached every time he thought about the look that had been on Ezra's face just before he left. It was a combination of hurt, disbelief, anger and raw pain. Ezra had just stood there and stared at him with his hands clenched so tight his knuckles were bone white. Looking at him Vin honestly believed that if it had been anyone else but him standing there Ezra would have hit him. Instead Ezra had turned around and left without saying a word, slamming the door so hard the pictures fell off the wall.

Vin wanted to run after Ezra and apologize but he had been to stunned to move. Once he snapped out of it he decided to let Ezra cool of a little before he approached him. Now he wished he hadn't waited since Ezra had had to go back undercover early the next morning.

Vin had spent the last three days trying to come up with a good way to tell Ezra how sorry he was for everything he had said. JD had told him to just say, "I'm sorry. Ez will know you mean it. Even I know you mean it and I'm nowhere near as good at reading people as Ezra is." Vin smiled a little remembering that conversation. JD made it seem so simple but Vin didn't think it would be that easy. So he had come up with a speech he hoped would get across everything he wanted to say. He'd run it by JD who said it was good but he still thought the simpler approach was better. Vin was grateful for JD. He usually didn't like to talk about his personal life but he was at a loss about what to do and JD was the only person he could talk to. No one else knew about him and Ez yet. Vin had thought about asking Chris for his advice but then changed his mind. Chris didn't know anything about his relationship with Ezra and Vin didn't want him to find out about them only to have Ezra decide he wanted nothing more to do with Vin.

The thought of Ez leaving him sent a sharp pain through Vin's heart. He couldn't lose Ezra. He cherished their friendship as much as he did his one with Chris but what they shared beyond that friendship was more than Vin had ever imagined. Ezra's love filled part of him that had lain empty for as long as he could remember. Vin hadn't known that he was capable of expressing so much love and tenderness for another person until Ezra walked into his life. They had been friends and teammates for years but he had always felt there could be something more with Ezra. He had been right. Their first kiss had bound Ezra to his heart for all time. There would never be anyone else for him. Amazingly, Ezra had felt the same way. Vin had thought it would take time for Ezra to fully embrace their new relationship but he had entered into it without hesitation or a backward glance. The two men were totally open with one another there was no hiding behind silence or words. Ezra had shared everything with Vin about his childhood and his past with the FBI. Just as he had done, Ezra had placed his heart in Vin's hands and Vin had sworn to protect it from any harm. He never thought that the harm would come from Vin himself.

Vin jumped off the couch and began pacing back and forth in his living room. They would get past this Vin vowed. He would get on his hands and knees and beg if that's what it took but somehow, someway he would make this up to Ezra and earn his forgiveness. A knock on the door interrupted Vin's thoughts. Vin opened the door expecting it to be JD, since he had come by the last two nights to see how he was, and stopped dead.

"Ezra."

"May I come in," asked Ezra.

"Oh, yeah," Vin stepped back allowing Ezra to enter his apartment. Vin suppressed the shiver he felt run through his body when Ezra spoke. God, he had missed that southern accent. He watched as Ezra walked past him into the living room. Vin couldn't take his eyes off Ezra as he took off his leather jacket and laid it neatly over the back of a chair. He looked great. He was dressed casual in charcoal gray pants and a black pullover sweater that Vin knew would be soft to the touch. Vin loved seeing Ezra dressed so casual he looked better than he did in his suits. Vin felt Ezra's eyes on him and he looked up noticing the slight smirk on the handsome face. Vin blushed suddenly realizing that he was still standing holding the front door open. Vin closed the door noticing that the rain had stopped for the moment. Vin moved into the living room and stopped a few feet in front of Ezra. Neither man spoke for a few minutes before Vin took a deep breath and began speaking.

"What're you doing here?" If Vin had his gun at that moment he would have cheerfully shot himself. He couldn't believe he said that. 'Make him feel like ya don't want him here why don't ya,' Vin thought to himself angrily. He had meant to give Ezra the apology he'd been working on. He went to try again but Ezra had started talking.

"The Bennett case came to an unexpected conclusion and my skills were no longer required."

"What happened," Vin couldn't help but ask his curiosity piqued.

"Michelle Bennett decided to cooperate with authorities in exchange for immunity."

"Immunity for what? There was no evidence that she was involved with her husband's 'business', just the common knowledge that she knew about it. She was to smart not to have known."

"True. I'm afraid though that Ryan Bennett managed to push his wife's ability to look the other way too far this time. Mrs. Bennett discovered evidence of her husband's most recent affair, this time with the nineteen-year-old daughter of one of her oldest friends. Apparently Bennett did not take his wife's threat to cause him grievous bodily harm should he cheat on her again seriously. They had a rather heated conversation in which she confronted him which ended with Michelle Bennett putting a bullet through her husband."

"She's getting immunity for murder?"

"Not exactly."

"But Michelle Bennett is a crack shot, she grew up around guns, she'd know exactly where to shoot somebody in order to kill 'em."

"I know but she was not exactly aiming to kill. In fact I daresay that Mrs. Bennett hit exactly what she aiming for and that Ryan Bennett probably wishes that he was dead considering."

Vin and Ezra both stared at each other for a few seconds before both started laughing.

"Oh man that had to hurt something' fierce. I can't even imagine. Serves the bastardy right," Vin said after regaining control.

"Indeed he did deserve it if for nothing more than betraying someone who loved him," Ezra stated.

Any humor Vin still felt drained out of him at Ezra's last statement. It reminded him of the pain he himself caused the man that loved him so much. Vin was ready to say all the words that he had prepared to pour his heart out to the undercover agent.

"Ez...I'm sorry."

"I know."

Vin watched as a tender smile appeared on Ezra's face. Vin closed his eyes as relief washed through him at the realization that Ezra forgave him. His eyes flew back open at the feel of a hand caressing his cheek. Tears filled Vin's eyes as he was pulled into a hug.

"I'm so sorry Ezra. I didn't mean any of those things I said," Vin mumbled brokenly into Ezra's shoulder.

"I know you didn't Vin. You would never hurt me on purpose," Ezra said softly while running a soothing hand up and down Vin's back.

"I didn't even know what I was zayin' until after it came outa my mouth and by then it was to late to take it back. I wouldn't of blamed ya for hating me." Ezra just tightened his hold on Vin and pressed his lips onto the side of his neck in a simple kiss.

"I could never hate you."

Vin sighed and reveled in the feeling of being held by Ezra again after so long. After a few minutes Ezra whispered, "Come on," in Vin's ear and led him to the bedroom. Once there Ezra turned around and drew Vin into a soft kiss. Vin tentatively traced his tongue across Ezra's lips only deepening the kiss when he felt Ezra's lips open under his. The two men kept the kiss soft and slow both knowing instinctively that a passionate encounter was not what either man wanted at that moment. This kiss was meant to heal the pain and reaffirm the love they felt for one another. Both men stepped back at the same time. Vin watched as Ezra laid down on his bed before holding his hand out to him. Vin grasped his hand and let Ezra pull him down and arrange him so that Vin lay sprawled comfortably across Ezra's chest.

"Ez..."

"Shhh...just rest Vin. We'll talk about it later. Don't worry everything will be fine, I promise."

With that Vin finally began to relax. Ezra promised everything would be fine and Vin knew Ezra never broke a promise. Vin took a deep breath and listened as the rain began to fall once again. He closed his eyes and fell asleep listening to the sound of the rain falling and his love's heart beating. The last thing Vin remembered was the feel of Ezra's fingers running soothingly through his hair.