Drunk and Disorderly: Anniversaries
By Starwinder

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Nine Months
**********

Our cabin is finished. It's larger than I expected, forty-two feet by forty-two feet on the outside, with both a front and back porch. The front room that extends completely across the cabin is approximately twenty feet by forty feet, the thick walls accounting for the other four feet.

We shan't have to worry about bullets penetrating these walls. I think that seeing what remained of Chris' cabin after the Nichols brothers got through with it has haunted Vin's dreams as well as mine. Vin is planning to face the outer walls with stones as well. When he is done, they will withstand cannon fire.

But we are not waiting for him to finish that, we are moving in today.

Our bedroom is the largest room in the house, being nearly twenty-four feet by twenty feet. It shares a fireplace with the sitting room portion of the front room.

Josiah and Buck built us a platform bed, nearly twice as wide and a foot longer than my old feather bed.

I had to order a custom-made feather mattress for it, having it shipped in to Cedar Ridge rather than Four Corners. Even with the promise of a pardon for Vin held out to us, we've no intention of allowing anyone beyond our merry band of misfits to know of our secret valley.

One complete wall is taken up with drawers and hanging space that Vin, Chris, Buck and Josiah built for my growing wardrobe. The drawers start a foot-and-a-half above the floor and go up to chest height, with open shelves above them. The open space below is to accommodate my boots and shoes.

Vin's wardrobe space is less than half the size of mine and he still claims that he will never fill it all. I suppose that I shall just have to fill it for him. I delight in buying him clothes, always careful that what I buy is not too fancy or gaudy for him.

Here in our hideaway we are not bothering to pretend that we are not sharing a bedroom or a bed. Across the hall from our bedroom, the other half of the back of the house is divided into two rooms, a large storage room/pantry directly behind and opening into the kitchen and our bathing room with its large porcelain-over-iron claw-foot tub.

It took all four of us to load that monstrosity onto the wagon in Cedar Ridge and drag it into the house and set it up, but it is worth it. It is more than large enough for Vin and me to share.

I saw Buck eyeing it enviously as he and Chris helped Vin set up the coal-oil fired water heater and run the piping to the tub from it. I suspect we will soon be hauling another one in. Buck deserves it and Chris seems to be quietly spoiling him the same as Vin is spoiling me.

They also built a water tower a short way from the house, where it would be in the sun. It fills with rainwater, which is warmed by the sun, and a gravity-feed pipe carries the water to the water heater in the bathing room. A pipe branching off from the main pipe, with a valve on it, allows us to add cooler water to the tub to adjust the temperature. A second valve allows us to close off the gravity-feed pipe to the heater so that cooler water does not flow into the heater while we are filling the tub.

Pipes branching off from the hot and cold water pipes carry water to the kitchen.

I almost laugh out loud at the thought that Mother would be so envious, if she but knew that out here in the middle of this "godforsaken wilderness" as she calls it I have the luxury of hot and cold running water!

On top of that Vin is planning to install a flush toilet.

Life is good, so very, very good.

I glance up from where I am putting the finishing touches on making up our new bed and meet Vin's heated gaze.

Smiling I go to him, and he takes me into his arms. "What are you thinking, Love?" I ask.

"Was imagining, ya tied down on that big ole bed, so hot an' eager, open ta anything that I wanna do to you."

My pulse quickens and I harden instantly. Vin seldom wants to truly dominate me, but when he does it is always an incredible rush.

I tremble as I press myself against him, letting him feel the arousal that his words have caused.

His grip tightens. "I'll get rid of Chris and Buck. Ya strip down and be waiting when I get back."

He turns and heads for the front room where Chris and Buck are arranging furniture.

A moment later as I am stripping out of my shirt, having already removed my jacket, guns and vest, I hear Buck laugh that throaty laugh of his and Chris call back that they'll see us tomorrow.

Vin tells them late tomorrow and Buck laughs again. Then I hear the door close behind them and I hurry to get out of my boots and pants before Vin returns.

I am kneeling, naked, on the thick rug beside the bed, facing the door, hands behind my back, head bowed, knees spread to display myself and expose my arousal to him when he steps through the door.

I hear his breathing get heavy then his feet appear in front of me and gentle fingers card through my hair, "God! Yer so beautiful, Ez!"

He steps closer between my knees, and presses my face to his crotch, pressing his own arousal against my face.

I moan and turn my head to mouth his cock through the buckskin pants.

He allows it for a moment then steps away. "Got something special for ya, Babe," he says. "Get on the bed, on yer back, spread eagle."

I obey eagerly.

He moves to his section of the storage wall and opens a drawer, removing something before returning to sit on the edge of the bed beside me. He shows me what he's holding, laying each piece on the bed.

He has four rings of rabbit fur, each is about six inches wide, made so that only fur shows. There are laces to close them with. He slips one over my left wrist and laces it down.

It is so soft and he leaves it loose enough that if need be I can tuck my thumb in and slip my hand through the ring of fur to escape my bindings.

He gently binds my other wrist and both ankles with the soft restraints.

Each restraint has a small ring made into it, opposite the laces. He slips rope through them and then attaches the ropes to the headboard of the bed down near the mattress so that my arms are spread widely. The restraints around my ankles are tied to the headboard near the top, pulling my legs up and back towards my head, so that I am spread completely open, totally vulnerable to his desires.

He returns to his drawer, leaving me to watch his preparation whilst helplessly bound.

He removes candles and sits them around the room. Lighting them before closing the shutters on the windows to darken the room, closing out the mid-afternoon sun.

He returns to the drawer again removing the instruments he intends to torment me with.

A long fluffy feather is lain on the bedside table, only after he teases me with it, drawing it across my cheek, along my neck and down my chest to tickle my cock making me whimper and moan, before it is taken away.

A smaller more compact feather joins it on the table, after making a side trip to flick across my nipples first.

Next, a small ceramic candleholder with a candle in it and a small pot built onto it to hold massage oil is set on the table. A bottle of one of my favorite scented oils joins it.

Finally he sets out a bed tray containing a pan of hot water, several washrags and towels along with my razor, shaving cup, soap and brush.

My pulse quickens even more and my cock jumps in anticipation.

He is going to shave me!

We had discussed it, but he had never agreed to actually do it.

"Oh, God!" I moan. I am so excited that I could almost faint.

He claims a couple of pillows from the other side of the bed and slips them beneath my hips raising them up to a height that is comfortable for him to work at. He lays a towel over the pillows, slipping it under my hips.

Then he sets the bed tray across my abdomen, just above my rampart cock, and climbs on to the bed, kneeling before the V formed by my widely splayed legs.

With the bed tray blocking my view I can't see what he is doing but I can imagine and that is even more exciting than seeing.

I whimper when he soaks a towel in the hot water, wrings it out then lays it across the thickest, coarsest hairs that surround my cock and balls. A second one is lain on the other side of my cock.

As he waits for the hot towels to soften the hairs and prepare them to be shaved off, he places tender kisses to the inside of my thighs, driving me half mad with need and desire.

After several moments of this exquisite torture, he picks up my shaving cup and brush and begins to work up a lather. Sitting it down again he removes the towels and begins to carefully cover every inch of my balls with the lather, then works his way up to cover the hair around my cock.

He must know how close I am to coming as when he lifts my cock to lather the hairs that lay beneath it, he bends his head and licks the slit, taking just the crown of my cock into his mouth.

I come with a scream of his name.

He chuckles happily and lays my now limp cock to the side so that he can lather around it.

I float in a hazy sea of post climax lethargy as he picks up my razor and begins to shave me. I am vaguely aware of the gentle strokes as he denudes my privates of all hair, but I feel no fear at all.

I trust him completely.

Everything he is doing is for my pleasure. I have always had a heightened sense of touch and being shaved will only increase that sensitivity.

My cock is already hardening again at the mere thought of what he is going to do with those feathers.

************************************************

Buck and Chris were meandering along the road back towards Four Corners when Chris suddenly swore and swung Pony's head back towards Vin and Ezra's place.

"What?" Buck demanded.

Chris gestured towards a horseman, trotting along cross-country headed towards the cabin that they had just left. "JD. Looks like he's headed to the cabin."

"Shit!" Buck swore. "Them boys ain't gonna want to be interrupted!"

Neither of them made mention of the fact that as far as they knew JD was the only one of the seven that didn't know about Vin and Ezra's relationship.

He'd only been told about the hidden valley a couple of months ago. He'd asked what they were all still doing spending so much time working out at "the stead" as Vin referred to his and Ezra's small ranch, when as far as he could see nothing was being added to the small ranch.

They had let him in on the secret of the hidden valley and the fact that they were building a much more substantial home in there for Vin and Ezra.

They spurred their horses on, knowing even as they did it that they wouldn't be able to intercept JD before he reached the cave entrance and the passage into the valley.

************************************************

Vin is buried to the balls in me, but he refuses to move, to stroke into me, instead he is simply enjoying the feel of my writhing on him. He holds a feather in each hand. One he flicks across my nipples, tormenting them with the delicate touch. The other he strokes along my sides, across my stomach, along the insides of my thighs, occasionally flicking it across the head of my cock.

I writhe and moan, whimpering and begging for more than just the exquisite touch of the feather. I want him to move, to plow into me, to ride me hard and fast. I never imagined that gentle could be such torture.

I am cursing him for his refusal to give me what I want when I hear a gasp from the doorway and look up to see JD stumbling back away into the hall with a look of horror on his face.

Vin's head snaps around at the same time mine does and he sees him too. He freezes for a second until I propel him into motion with a sharp, "Go! Stop him!"

He takes the time to pull out of me gently before diving off the bed and hitting the floor running.

I hear the front door bang twice as I slip my hands from the rabbit fur restraints, grateful for the give that Vin had left in them. I quickly slip out of the ankle restraints as well and roll to my feet grabbing up Vin's mare's leg as I go. Realizing only then that he has chased after JD, naked and weaponless. I can only hope that our young sheriff is too upset to think to draw his guns.

When I reach the porch, Vin and JD are rolling around in the yard, Vin struggling to pin the upset man without hurting him. Vin's bloody nose tells me that JD isn't worrying about not hurting Vin and being naked Vin is the far more vulnerable of the two.

I fire one shot into the air from Vin's gun then level it at JD.

He freezes and turns to stare at me.

"That is the only warning you're ever going to get, son." I grate out. "Vin, take his weapons."

JD stares at me like he's never seen me before, just as Chris and Buck come running across from the cave mouth.

Buck is waving his arms and hands around. "Easy, pard, easy, now. Ain't no need for that."

"Vin," I repeat, firmly, "take his weapons now."

Vin obeys me while Buck shifts around, trying to move closer to JD.

Chris, clearly seeing that I'm in no mood to put up with Buck's protective instincts towards JD, grabs Buck's arm and hauls him aside making sure he's out of my line of fire.

"Vin, Ezra," Chris begins, giving us the nod that says he's not planning to take sides in this, "You boys could use some clothes."

"This has to be settled, now."

"He's not going anywhere. You should get dressed." Chris says.

Vin has stepped away from JD. He's holding JD's guns now, but makes no move to point them at him.

I don't lower my weapon.

"But... but," JD stammers, "You were... and he was... I mean it looked like...."

Buck steps in and puts an arm around JD's shoulders. This time I allow it as he makes sure to leave me a clear line of fire to JD. "What exactly did you see?"

"Uh, well... uh, Ezra was all tied up and Vin... he... he was doing, well something awful to him."

"JD, just who is the only person here that's pointing a gun at you, son?" Buck asked in a reasonable tone of voice.

"Uh, Ezra?"

"That's right. And does he look like a man that was having something awful done to him or does he maybe look like a man that's really pissed off about having his fun interrupted."

"Fun? Fun! What they were doing's a sin! A mortal sin!"

"Well, hell, Kid it ain't like any of us are going to be getting inta heaven when we die. Might as well have some fun while we're still breathing," Vin tells him, turning and coming to stand beside me on the porch.

"I'll get dressed, then come cover him while you do," he says to me, knowing that I'm not about to let JD out of my sight just yet.

"You really don't need the gun," Buck says, "we told you, he's not going anywhere."

"I'd prefer to make sure of that myself. There is too much at risk here."

"Buck," Chris' voice is firm. "Go get the others. They need to know what is happening in case we have to move on."

Buck hesitates, then nods, turns and leaves, heading back towards the cave entrance.

Chris moves to JD's side, placing a firm hand on the back of his neck and steering him towards the house. "Let's go inside and sit down where we can talk."

I step back, finally lowering the gun and striding after Vin to get dressed.

Vin looks up when I enter the bedroom, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Buck has gone to fetch the others. Mister Larabee is watching JD."

"Ya didn't trust Buck not to let him go?"

"Where JD is concerned, Mister Wilmington's loyalties are at best divided. I thought it best not to test them."

"Chris wouldn'ta let him turn JD loose until we get this settled."

"I didn't want Chris to have to choose between his lover and his promise to us, should Buck choose to aid JD in escaping."

Vin nods in understanding.

I dress quickly, my movements hurried and jerky with my anger and frustration. I don't bother with most of my usual paraphernalia, opting for quickly slipping into just pants, shirt, boots and weapons.

Vin shakes his head at the sight of my putting on my arsenal in the privacy of our own home but he understands how threatened I feel by JD's thoughtless invasion of our privacy and says nothing.

He steps close to wrap me in his arms, stroking his hands up and down my back in a soothing motion. "It's gonna be all right, Ez. Promise."

"What if we have to leave? We just got moved in here!"

"Won't have to give up this place, Babe. JD only knows the one way in and out. I know several and you'll learn'em. We might have to blow the front door as ya call it, but we can still live here."

"And the others? How can we ask them to choose between JD and us?"

"Buck and Chris are same as us. Iffn JD can't settle on this, they'll go just because of that, that they can't trust him not to turn on them if he finds out. As fer Nate and 'Siah. It's their choice, Ez. We can't make it for them."

He draws back a bit looking into my eyes with a smile. "Sides, what really matters is you'n'me staying together. Don't matter where we are or what we got, long as we're together."

He's right, of course. That is all that truly matters.

Finally, I relax, the anger and frustration seeping away under his calm certainty and unfaltering love.

I reach up and stroke his cheek, smiling as I say, "You are a wise man, my love. That we are together *is* what matters."

He leans in for a kiss, then picks up his mare's leg and we turn and walk back to the front room side-by-side, presenting a united front.

Chris has sat JD down at the table in the kitchen area, and stands behind him, one hand resting on his shoulder. Whether the hand is to keep him in the seat or to offer him some sort of reassurance is uncertain.

Chris sighs when he sees us, taking in the weapons, he says, "It's going to be a bit before Buck is back with the others. Why don't we just sit down and try to stay calm while we talk about this?"

JD's eyes go wide and he stiffens, as he sees that I am now fully armed and that Vin is carrying his mare's leg. I think it is finally dawning on him that *he* is in trouble here.

Chris squeezes JD's shoulder, "Easy there. If they were going to shoot you, I expect you'd be dead by now."

"Me? They're the... the perverts!"

"So says your religion."

"Says the law!"

"Not in this territory."

"What?"

I take a seat opposite him and cock an eyebrow at him.

"If you read the territorial laws and supplements at the jail rather than spending all your time reading dime novels you would know that there are very few body laws on said books. There are none whatsoever that refer to sexual relations between members of the same sex. Anything that is not specifically forbidden by law is not illegal. Therefore, it is not illegal for two men or for that matter two women to engage in intimate relations."

"It's still... it's still immoral!"

"So says *your* religion. However, neither Mister Tanner nor myself practice *your* religion and we therefore are not bound by its tenets." I pause then say, "One of the primary motivations for the founding of this country was the desire for freedom of religion. Our forefathers thought it important enough to make it a priority in the Bill of Rights. Do you understand the concept of freedom of religion?"

"Of course I do!"

"I don't think so. It appears to me that you want the right to have the freedom to practice your religion without having to acknowledge that Mister Tanner and I have the same right to practice our religion or lack thereof. You want to hold us to the tenets of *your* religion, but freedom of religion does *not* give you the right to impose the tenets of your religion on others. Which is what you are trying to do here."

"You're just trying to confuse me! What you were doing is wrong! It's just wrong!"

"So says *your* religion."

"So says every religion I've ever heard of!"

"Then you clearly haven't heard of them all. There are dozens of different religions that I know of. Mister Sanchez probably knows of even more. And they all have different beliefs. Hell, even the Christian religions can't settle on exactly what they believe, having splintered off into dozens of variations over the centuries. Many of the lesser know religions do not have the same missionary zeal found in the Christian sects. Their followers are content to worship quietly and privately, feeling no need to attempt to convert others."

JD hesitated for the first time, then glanced over at Chris who had sat down beside him. Finally he said, "So, what is your religion?"

Something loosened inside me at the question, a thread of hope unwinding that we might be able to continue on without breaking up our makeshift family. At least he was willing to talk.

I turn to look at Vin and he reaches out and lays a hand over mine and I know that he is hoping too. He chooses to answer JD's question. "Ya know, I lived with the People, JD. I believe in the Great Spirit."

JD nodded at that. He knew some about the Indians, enough to know that they didn't hold the same beliefs about sex as the white men did.

"And you?" JD turned to me.

"I have no religion, per se, JD. Oh, I believe that we have souls, spirits or some such, which animals do not, but the existence of God and the Devil, Heaven and Hell... that, I am not sure about. I tend more towards the cycle of life theory of reincarnation, birth, death, rebirth with each cycle of birth and death being a learning experience and a slow climb towards enlightenment."

I shrug and stand, "Truthfully, I find a religion that considers loving someone to be as much of a sin as murdering someone, simply because the person that you love is of the same gender as yourself to be rather stupid."

I walk away from them, going and standing near the fireplace, on the other side of the room. Vin follows me, and stands close, wrapping his arms around me, murmuring soft assurances.

Chris keeps a firm hand on JD's arm, making it clear that he is not free to go yet.

Silence reigns as the clock on the mantle ticks away the minutes.

It is into this tableau that Buck leads Josiah and Nathan.

Buck goes to Chris, laying a hand on his shoulder while Nathan and Josiah come to Vin and me.

I almost laugh at how relieved JD looks when Buck joins him and Chris. He seems to think that that means that Buck and Chris are on his side. I can't help but wonder how he's going to react when he finds out how wrong he is in that assumption.

The four of us turn to face the three of them.

With a long-suffering sigh, Chris rises and he and Buck come to stand beside us.

Finally JD seems to get it.

He's the one that's standing alone.  

"B-Buck?" he turns pleading eyes on the man that has always been on his side.

"Sorry, Kid, but I'd be the worst sorta hypocrite iffn I condemned Vin and Ezra for loving each other." He sighs and reaches out a hand to take Chris' before going on. "Ya see, me'n Chris we been more'n friends for a whole heap longer than Vin and Ezra have."

JD gapes at him. "B-but you... you're always with some lady!"

Buck shakes his head, "I do appreciate the ladies, JD. Always have, always will, but it's Chris that I love, Chris that I share my life with."

JD shook his head, looking from Buck to Chris and back again. "C-Chris? You... I mean how can you..."

Chris shrugs. "I knew how he was when we got together. And he understood, stepped aside when I met Sarah and fell in love with her. I don't think I would have survived losing her and Adam if Buck hadn't been there to help me get through it. After Sarah died I knew there'd never be another woman for me, but everyone needs someone special in their life, JD, someone to share their hopes and dreams and help make those dreams come true. Buck is that someone for me. Vin and Ezra are that someone for each other."

Josiah steps forward just a bit, "He's right, JD. Everybody needs someone. Someone to share their lives with, to help them through the hard times and enjoy the good times with. Most people pair up man and woman, but sometimes, especially out here where there aren't nearly as many women as men, and most of the women are spoken for, they pair up man and man. It's never wrong to love someone, although it may occasionally be wrong to act on that love, for instance when the object of your affections is already married or does not return your love. But when two people love each other and are both free to do so, I can see nothing wrong in it, even if they are of the same gender."

JD looks at him a long time, then finally says, "I suppose I can see what you're saying, but I still think it's wrong."

He looks at Nathan. "I reckon you're on their side, too?"

"I seen too much unhappiness, too much suffering to deny anybody any happiness that they can find, even if I don't understand it."

I step forwards a bit, facing JD, "JD, we're not asking you to approve of us or join us in our way of life. We're simply saying "live and let live." Think of us as sinners if you must, but you already knew that we were that. There isn't a one of us who hasn't committed some sin or other. Vin and I are not hurting anyone by loving each other. We're still the same men that you have ridden with this last year and a half. We haven't changed. We've been together for nine months now. The only thing that has changed is that now you know. All we ask of you is that you not speak of what is between us to anyone."

"What happens if someone else does find out? Not saying that I'd tell but just asking."

"We'd leave." Vin says it plain.

Buck and Chris exchange looks then Chris says, "We'd go with them," speaking for them both.

Josiah nods. "Reckon I'd ride along as well."

Nathan nodded. "Wouldn't be the same with all y'all gone. Reckon I'd ride with you."

JD stood for a long moment, looking at us, seeing us all standing side by side. I could see him coming to the realization that he stood alone, that if we left he'd be alone. The Seven would no longer exist.

Finally he straightened drawing himself up to his full height and looking at us grim faced. "I ain't gonna say that I approve of you being together like this. I still think it's a sin, but I reckon I can keep shut about it... long as it don't cause no problems with anybody else."

Vin gives a snort and says, "We done told ya, JD. We don't plan on lettin' anybody outside a' this room know anything about us being together. Iffn anybody else finds out we'll move on."

JD nods but there is still awkwardness between us all. He knows that he is somehow apart from us, that there is a rift, however small between us.

After a long moment Buck breaks the silence, moving to JD, patting his back and saying, "How about we all head on back to town. Let these boys have a mite of privacy."

The others agree and start to move towards the door, when Vin calls, "JD?"

JD turns back swallowing hard at the look Vin is giving him. "Yeah?"

Vin fixes him with a hard look and says, "Next time, knock... and if there's no answer go away."

JD nods guiltily. He knows full well that none of this would have happened if he'd just knocked and waited to be let in.

When they are gone, I turn to Vin and he takes me in his arms. I'd love to get back to what we were doing before we were so rudely interrupted, but the mood isn't just broken it is utterly shattered and I know that we won't be returning to our love making this afternoon.

Vin sighs tiredly and strokes my hair. "I know ya need to make plans. Figure what we'll do if anybody else finds out. Might as well get to it."

I am grateful that he knows me so well. I do need to plan, to try and insure that we will be prepared should we have to flee.

I lift my head from his shoulder and kiss him lightly. "Thank you, my love, for always understanding what I need."

He kisses me back then says, "Go on, get yer planning book. Ya got lists to make, plans to decide on and supplies to buy."

I'm already thinking as I go to get my journal. I'll need dynamite to blow the front door to our cave system, supplies for several months, extra weapons and ammunition....