The Gambler sat in the rocking chair gazing out the window as a shadow slipped silently into his room and crept behind the southerner, expertly avoiding noisy floorboards. A hand reached out and...

"Such childish antics are more the prerogative of Mr. Wilmington, Mr. Tanner."

Vin smiled as he swung around and squatted in front of the slowly rocking chair. "Hell Ez, we had an agreement, remember? You call me Vin when we're 'lone and teach me to read an' I..." he trailed off as he saw the expression, or rather non-expression on Ezra's face. "You all right, pard?"

Ezra kept looking out the window with an indefinable... something in the bottomless emerald eyes. "I'm fine, Vin."

"Memories, huh?" he watched as Ezra's eyes first shuttered a bit internally and then opened back up, while his mobile face relaxed a bit. Vin was always amazed at how Ezra could mask any emotion from his eyes. It was one of the few things that made it very difficult for Ezra to lie to him; because when Ezra was lying either the emotions displayed on his face didn't match the ones in his eyes, or his eyes were totally blank. Ezra could conceal but he couldn't lie with his eyes. There was a flicker as Ezra actually saw Vin, then he leaned back in the chair, setting it into the slightest hint of its normal rhythmic motion. Vin nodded to himself and settled in. He had been right, and while Ezra might not choose to share anything, the least he could do would be to provide an undemanding presence.

Ezra knew it as well; this situation had come up before, both in greater and lesser degrees. The first couple of times, Vin had only told him 'I got your back, pard' a phrase that Ezra had before heard only said to Chris. Before he had been shocked, now he was grateful for his simple presence and amazed that someone would care enough to make sure he was all right.

"I've never actually looked forward to Christmas before." It was whispered into the warm silence and made Ezra jump a bit, as he hadn't intended to say it out loud. He saw the tracker smile and relaxed further into the soothing rhythm of the chair.

"What did you get Buck?" Vin watched humor light a merry spark in the green eyes.

"Just what he's always wanted, he shall receive a kiss from the lovely Inez. Then, I believe, she is going to slap him." He smiled as Vin laughed, then became more serious. "I want to give you a gift as well." Ezra dropped his gaze, knowing that he would not shield himself away from his friend, but also not wanting to completely leave himself bare.

"You don't have to give me anything, Ez." The warm tone told Ezra more than anything else could that Vin wasn't refusing whatever it was that Ezra wanted to give him, but neither did he feel that Ezra have to prove his friendship to the tracker by feeling obligated to give him a present. Ezra shook his head slightly in response.

"No, I want to give you this." Ezra paused to lick dry lips and forced himself to go on. "You... you said... you told me that... friends can give each other gifts... for no reason other than the fact that they... wanted to...." He stood up and looked out of the window his hands grasping the sill so hard that his knuckles turned white. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, and in spite of all of his former resolutions he spoke in a whisper "I... I'm giving you... my friendship, Vin. I'm giving you my trust. I'm giving you... me."

"Oh, Ez," A salty tear landed with a soft splatter on the sill as Ezra felt the whisper of air that told him that Vin was standing behind him. Vin's hands squeezed then ran along tense shoulders and down his arms to pry the fingers away from the sill to gently twine with his. Vin crossed his arms around Ezra to bring him back against his body, then settled both of them back into the rocking chair. "Don't worry Ezra, I'll be careful with ya." He breathed into the ear of the bravest man he knew, the one crying silent tears against his shoulder.

And while the gambler slept in his arms, it was the tracker who rocked back and forth, staring sightlessly out the window, into the starry night.