Sink or swim you gotta give it a whirl

[onesyllable]

WHO: Joshua Faraday, Vasquez, Open
WHERE: Around the villages
WHEN: Niddle of December
OPEN TO: All unless marked
WARNINGS: PG, updated as needed

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Horses are horses are horses: Around the villages

They're horses. Yep. That's what they are. Long legged horses, with weird tails, and patchy things on their backs... and horns. Okay they're not horses, but they have horns, and he's told one day he can ride them, and so he's going to work with them the best he can.

Which means getting them adjusted to a rope harness. One at a time usually, dealing with their attitudes and confusion, and being as friendly and gentle as he can be with them. Often feeding them treats of peaches from a can he found in the kitchen, and trying to coax them into listen and following and not fighting back against him.

It will take days, weeks even, but much as he might be all attitude with much of life, with the kirin he is tender and kind, working the best he can to get them to work with him and not against him.

Cold air and hot headed: Springs

Part of it all is trying to get his thoughts straight. A large part of it is the long hours of working on the homestead that they're trying to put together, working with animals, and land even before the winter hits, and the lumber and gathering that will help them set up their home. So a couple of times a week he grabs a bag with his change of scrubs in it, ignoring the color that does little for him, and heads for the hot spring.

Stripping down in the cold air, hurrying into the soothing warmth of the water. Staying there as long as he can until his skin starts to prune and the ache leaves, not realizing it's more than just the warmth helping.

Eventually he'll rush out of the water, grab the sheet he brought with him to use to dry off and hurrying into his clothes as fast as he can before he loses the warmth of the water.

Homestead: For Vasquez

All that Joshua's been doing is giving him time to think. Taking time to think about what he wants, and how he feels, and what the hell this place means to him and who he thinks he is. What life he wants as well, though that he's focusing on more than the rest. All that he's been doing to tame the kirins, and cope with the land, and work on ensuring the house is ready for winter.

But he can't avoid it forever. Not his feelings and not Vasquez. He isn't going to turn himself into a wolf, after all.

Eventually he heads back for the house, knowing Vasquez is there and heading upstairs to try and find him.

"Alejandro? You here?"

Comments

[quinientos]

Vasquez keeps leaning in, not just for kisses, but because he wants the warmth of Faraday's body, now that he can have it. It's a good thing he got that promise, because it means he can tug on Faraday's hands and lead him back towards the bed area.

"I'm going to lie down," he says. "You can change or do what you like, but I'm just going to be here. If you want to come with me..." He shrugs, like it's no big deal. "That could be fine."

[onesyllable]

"You tease in everything you do," Joshua says, smirking as he certainly sounds more amused than he does upset by such things. "Come on. Let's lay down," he says, pushing forward, staying chest to chest with Vasquez. "Could use some rest," he says, again as if that's all this is between them.

[quinientos]

So, he noticed, did he?

Vasquez smirks and lets Faraday lead them off the wall, wrapping an arm around his torso to loosely keep him in close, not wanting to let him drift too far away. He leans in and nips his lower lip before ducking in for a longer kiss, pressing flush against him.

Good for him to see that it's not all teasing, given the way his cock pushes against Faraday's hip. "Rest, is it?"

[onesyllable]

Without a thought he groans at that sensation, rocking his hips before he can stop himself. He likes knowing that just kisses and little more already has Vasquez in that state.

Moving towards the bed, more eager than he remembers being with a lady. Maybe that was all guaranteed, but this is new and exciting and he has no idea where things are going. He wants to know though as he leads them to the bed, moving to sit down, his hands sliding along his hips, leaning in nuzzling against his chest. Experimenting, seeing what it's like, how it feels.

[quinientos]

Vasquez grins as he follows, crawling into Joshua's lap and straddling him, even though he doesn't plan to stay there for very long. For now, though, he makes himself a comfortable little spot as he cups Faraday's face for a slow kiss, taking his time to explore those lips that he'd been staring at every time he smoked.

Everything is so new, but unlike with other people, he actually feels a little nervous about all of it. He really doesn't want to mess this up, and it shows.

"You ready?" he murmurs, pressing a kiss to Faraday's jaw, not saying what he should be ready for, just asking a general question.

[onesyllable]

Some part of his mind thinks it should feel off, different, that there is something about having a tall, lanky man on his lap that should bother him. Except it doesn't. Not when that man is Vasquez, when it's a man who could have been the turning point in his life.

No, is the turning point in his life. Whatever happened in Rose Creek, this is their life, and it is different and changed and he's finding he's glad for that. Not even just in being alive. Well, that is part of it, but Vasquez is so much more.

"Ain't that a loaded question," he murmurs, though he's smiling as he kisses him. "But you know me, I'm always ready."

Which he's not, but he's willing.

[quinientos]

Vasquez doesn't think Faraday knows the half of what's about to happen and that thrills him down to his toes. He grins as he starts to wind his way down Faraday's body, pressing kisses over him as he starts to make a little more room, tugging his pants down.

Then, go the underwear, and Vasquez's mouth is on Faraday swiftly, taking him deep in his mouth, the scrape of his stubble probably not entirely what he'd been expecting.

[onesyllable]

Maybe it's that he never let him think about it, think about the things men might do that he's had a lady or two do to him. Nothing he's ever thought about doing to another man, maybe not even now as they have been talking through desires and flirtations.

And then there is just lust.

Pleasure radiating from the heat of Vasquez's mouth, sensation he's never had between the scrape of stubble that send shivers along his spine to the vision of Vasquez, lips parted and taking him eagerly.

Hearing a noise, a rumbling that he doesn't realize is him groaning even as his fingers brush along Vasquez's cheek, letting himself enjoy the sensation of that stubble once more against his fingertips as he caresses his cheek, lightly brushing the tip of one finger against the corner of Vasquez's mouth.

[quinientos]

With Bobo, he knows that he's good at this, that Bobo enjoys it, and that it's good, but nothing ground-breaking. With Faraday, it's so new to him that it's incredible for Vasquez. He wants to do his best and he works him with more intensity than before.

The touch to his mouth, the way he tenderly does it, it's almost heart-breaking to think he never had this until now, which only makes Vasquez suck harder, work to pin his hips down and work his balls.

[onesyllable]

There's nothing in his experience that even hinted to how much different things might be when a man actually cares about a person he's intimate with. Knowing that he wants a relationship, with a man, who he trusts with his life and at his back, and now having this and so much of it is changed for him.

Stroking his fingers along Vasquez's cheek, just beneath his jaw. All that he can do for him, touching him, caressing his skin, feeling the prickle of stubble against his fingers. That is part of it that he is loving, that it is so different and so tender and new.

Trembling, his hips moving a bit, nearly bucking up but held where he is.

[quinientos]

He never really thought that he'd get to do this for Faraday. On top of that, he never really thought that he'd ever get to do this and how Faraday would react so tenderly and softly, giving Vasquez the room to move and work.

It's definitely enough to get him very hard, but he'll worry about that later, grinding down against the bed for some friction so he can focus on working his jaw wider and taking Faraday deep.

[onesyllable]

And there is such a tenderness there. Delicate touches as his fingertips skittering along Vasquez's cheek, enjoying the sensation of both the prickle of stubble as well flexing of Alejandro's jaw. Sensations he's never explored, both in the quality of the touch, as well as the emotions that are welling up within him. Odd feelings he's never known, feelings that leave his chest tight and could, if he explored them, distract him from this moment.

He has no plans to let that happen.

"God damn," he groans, eyes fluttering shut as he shifts, his fingers lifting, brushing through his soft curls, tugging at them.

[quinientos]

He shouldn't put so much stock into one thing as simple as wanting to please Faraday, but the truth is that Vasquez wants nothing more than to impress this man and he feels stupidly proud when he can make him say such things, touch him the way he does.

Sure, it's just a blowjob, but it's the first, and he wants Faraday to always remember this, so it needs to be so good. He keeps working him, getting his hand to work his balls, eager for Faraday to come and into his mouth.

[onesyllable]

The truth of the matter is, he wants this to last forever. Some small part of his mind whispering to him that it won't last, that he won't get to keep this. That the things they are facing, their lives before, it is going to be hard to keep this relationship so he has to try and embrace all that he can have right now.

Including trying to draw this out as long as he can.

Which really isn't possible. Not with that hot, talented mouth doing wicked things to set him on edge. Whining, strong fingers of one hand digging into the bedding beneath him, clawing at it wildly as his back arches. Staring up at the ceiling, and then his eyes closing tight.

"Alejandro... Alej..." Trying to warn, to beg, pleading with those soft words as his fingers tangle into those curls, torn between being kind and pulling him away, and pushing up, fighting against that hold and pushing into that perfect, plush mouth.

In the end trembling, shuddering as he comes, whining softly, almost a name, nearly words and not quite any of them.

[quinientos]

There's nothing more satisfying to him than getting to take Faraday apart, in his opinion. Ever since that first moment they met and Faraday showed how difficult he would be, and the fire that he would push with, Vasquez had wanted nothing more than to butt heads with him and earn himself a victory.

Having him come in his mouth, swallowing him down, and then being able to slide up his body and lie almost fully on top of him with a smug grin feels like a victory.

"Yes?" he responds, voice hoarse and honeyed, so very pleased with himself. "Good, no?"

[onesyllable]

Still trembling, his eyes closed even as Joshua felt the lean, strong lines of Vasquez's body move over his. Memorizing the sensation, his hands shifting, touching, trying to draw a line along his sides to grip slender hips, but it's more desperate clutching, moving to try and hold him tight and keep him close.

Maybe he's afraid it won't last, but he realizes in that moment he won't be giving up without a fight.

"Good, yes," he groans, eyes fluttering open to look up at the other man. Staring at him for the longest time, silent, almost contemplative about what all of this means, what did it change. "Very good."

[quinientos]

Vasquez could hear that praise every day of his life and never get tired of it, so he's giddy to hear it now, kissing his way up Faraday's neck with soft little pecks before he gets to his lips, stealing a much longer kiss now, a delighted look on his face.

"Good, I couldn't disappoint the world's greatest lover," he teases with a smirk, wrapping his arms around Faraday's torso to settle in, vowing to deal with his own pressing problem soon.

[onesyllable]

Groaning into the kiss, curious about the taste, the sensation of kissing him in that moment as he wraps his arms around Alejandro, and holding him close.

Though he groans in a different way in that moment, rolling his eyes. "You know, I said that to get your attention, and I did," he points out. "So it worked."

And that's something he is standing by. It's even mostly true. Both in that he did it for Vasquez's attention, and feeling it had worked in his favor.

[quinientos]

"Here I thought you were trying to impress that son of a bitch, McCann," he growls, his irritation whenever he thinks about the other man not having gone away, not even after a year, not even with Faraday here in his arms.

He's a bastard and he wants absolutely everyone possible to know about it.

"You did plenty to get my attention, starting from when you stumbled off your horse to taunt me. You reeked of alcohol, guerito."

[onesyllable]

"You thought..." He shuddered, making a face. Beyond the fact that he doesn't even think about wanting time with a man before this, without it being with Vasquez. He's not sure he'd ever want to ever be with a man, but he damn sure knows not with McCann.

He gasps, giving him a look. "I smelled of a rather tasty whiskey, and are we really going to talk about that? Now?" Now when he is nursing bottles to try and help himself through an addiction. One that he is fighting to get through, and trying not to show that as well.

"Besides, that stumbling was part of the taunting." Sure it was.

[quinientos]

"You smelled and reeked of it," he accuses, wrapping his arms snugly around Faraday as he winds his way in tighter, a delighted smile on his face as they near more bickering. So sue him, he likes to pick and fight, because it gets the both of them riled up a little.

"The taunting wasn't very effective. All I thought was how interesting you were going to be," he admits, eyes blazing. Whether in a fight or in bed or wrestling, he knew they would spark off one another.

[onesyllable]

"Well, I guess, in fairness though? I'd just lost my horse," he says, as if he'd been drinking to mourn him, and not that the drinking had nothing to do with Jack. Not that he expects Vasquez to believe that. "And not like you smelled much better," he taunts, because that's just what you say after that.

He pauses though, chuckling at that. "See, that's how we ended up here. A sane man would have run the other way," he points out, holding him a bit more snugly. "Glad you're not a sane man though."

[quinientos]

"The horse you were riding on," Vasquez replies dryly, since he knows which horse was Faraday's and he knows that it went riding into Rose Creek with the man on its back, so he's not so sure that he lost anything other than his pride to Sam.

"I'm very not sane. You and I, we still have business to attend to, remember? You asked if I wanted to tie it up, but then you never let me try," he says, his gaze determined and filled with ideas that haven't left his mind since that day.

[onesyllable]

"That I owed Sam for," he points out. "Technically wasn't mine." Which is how he started there, not how he finished. "How it started," he says, shrugging.

A brow arches then, a bit challenging, a bit curious. "Pardon?"

[quinientos]

"You wanted to see if we could tie it up," he reminds Faraday, eyes bright. "I thought maybe we could do that. Literally." After all, he wouldn't mind wrestling with Faraday and getting the lasso involved, even if that's not something that he thinks he'd ever have said before they got together.

He gives Faraday a daring look, like he's challenging him all over again. "Besides, we both know you only shot six," he points out.