Ezra had fallen asleep again and I quietly put the soup back in the fridge. It could be heated up again if he didn't wake up in a few moments. I leaned in the doorway and looked my fill. I loved watching him and I kind of thought that I always would. Since the first time I met him when he joined the team, I'd found my eyes returning to him over and over. He was beautiful and now I knew that his beauty was more than skin deep. It went all the way into his mind, heart and soul.

"Vin, ya'll are staring at me again." His sleepy voice was always more Southern.

"Hold that thought, Ez', while I go get your soup." I dashed back and nuked the soup for another forty seconds before putting it on the tray that I'd gotten ready. He liked the oranges so much that I'd peeled another one and segmented it on a little plate. I added a glass of cold water and his tray was ready.

I carried it in and he'd already stuffed a couple of pillows behind him so he was sitting up and ready for lunch. Or maybe it was dinner since it was almost four o'clock. Setting it on his lap, I sat on the edge of the bed to watch him eat. I loved it when he closed his eyes and moaned just a little. He really did love Miss Daisy's black bean soup.

"Vin, I do believe that once I've finished this magnificent repast, there's something I rather crave for dessert." He licked his lips and I found myself staring at them as if I'd never seen them before.

"What would that be, Ez'?" I said a little absentmindedly while I pondered leaning in to lick off a speck of soup at the corner of his mouth.

He chuckled and set the tray on the bedside table. "You, my love."

Then he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into his arms. I thought I'd lose my mind when he scattered kisses all over my face but avoided my lips. I'm pretty sure that I was pouting when he finally laid his lips on mine, parting them so his tongue could surge into my mouth.

Now, I was the one groaning and pretty soon I was panting. "Vin, my sweet angel, you are such a tasty treat. And I appreciate how you presented yourself for my delectation."

His warm fingers slid down my cock and at the first touch of his mouth at my crown I almost came. But he just chuckled and shifted me off his lap so he could get closer to me. I caught sight of myself in the mirror above the dresser and once I saw him take me in, I couldn't move my gaze. He was so beautiful and the look on his face was so intent on giving me pleasure. It kind of felt like watching someone else.

So, I quit looking and closed my eyes to pay attention only to the love he was giving me. 'A caring touch' he'd called it when still in the hospital and we were both hungry for each other. When he pinched my left nipple gently, I could have come again just from that. I never knew that men could be pleasured that way but then Ezra was teaching me so many things.

He was sucking strongly now and my hips kept trying to leave the bed. But he held them down and rolled my balls like they were a pair of dice. Suddenly, I had a picture of myself, naked on a gambling table while he dealt the cards to the rest of the team members to see who would get to suck me next. That was so unexpected that I jerked and came all at once.

Drinking me down, he chuckled around my cock and I spasmed again, pouring my seed down his throat. When I had nothing left to give, he tenderly let me slip from between his lips, licking them in satisfaction. "Delicious, as always, my Vin. Are you going to tell me what thought made you erupt?"

I blushed hard all the way down to my toes. "Um, it was kind of kinky, Ezra."

"All the better, angel, some fantasies are fun to think about." He leaned over me and rested his folded arms on my chest. "Don't worry about it being inappropriate. Those are just fantasies that don't need to be acted out."

"Okay. I had this picture of me sprawled out naked on the dining room table while you dealt the cards to the guys to see who got to suck me off next." I was still blushing but he kissed me gently and slowly the embarrassment went away.

"I don't share, angel-Vin, so that's going to have to be one of those fantasies that doesn't get acted out. However, a lively game of strip poker some night just between the two of us could definitely be arranged." He smiled down at me and I hugged him close, only then feeling his cock hard against my groin.

"That would be good on a hot summer day in the gazebo on the roof." I loved seeing him laugh like that. Snaking a hand down to his cock, I stroked him slowly. "Make love to me, Ezra. Remind me that I belong to you."

His eyes blazed with emerald green fire. "What a good idea, Vin. But we'll need some lubricant."

"Side table along with our toys. I carried it up myself." I snickered when I thought about how I'd almost dumped it in front of J.D. 'Course, he probably already knows about toys and such like but in case he didn't, I wasn't going to be the one who showed him.

Ezra moved carefully off of me and I realized that he probably shouldn't be moving so much. But there was one position that I hadn't tried yet and I thought he might like the idea. So, I waited until he was back by my side before grinning at him.

"That's entirely too evil a grin, young man. Just what are you planning?" He asked me sternly but with a little quiver of his lip that told me he was teasing.

"I'm thinking that I'd like to ride you the way you rode me when I first came inside of you." I said tentatively and watched his face light up.

"You're always thinking of me, love. I think that's just what I'd like, too." He opened the tube of lubricant and I turned over so he could get it where it would do the most good.

I loved this part when his fingers slide inside of me and slick me all up for him. He was still big even though he was slower to turn on these days. Once all the medication was over with, he'd be back to normal. But right now, he was stretching me slowly and the burn was making me want to move. Then he sparked my gland and I shivered all the way down to my toes.

Pretty soon I was begging him to come inside of me and he kissed my right nether cheek before removing his fingers and lying down. I was straddling him in a heartbeat and he held himself at my entrance until I figured the angle and pushed myself down onto him. We were both groaning. It felt like the first time all over again but this time it was me looking down at him triumphantly when I had all of him.

The look on his face was pure bliss and his hands slid back and forth on my inner thighs, teasing me with the gentle touch. My cock even thought about coming back to life while I adjusted to having that big cock inside of me. It felt like I was stretched around one of those nightsticks that the old beat cops used to carry. But slowly I felt better and finally I moved forward so I could lean down and kiss him.

He must have moved over my gland because I felt a spark light deep inside of me where only he could reach. After kissing him, I experimented with a slow up and down movement that soon had him thrusting up just a little. He showed me how to lock hands with him so I could use them to steady myself while I was moving up. Gravity took care of my down thrusts.

Pretty soon we were rocking pretty good and he was biting his lip to keep from coming. But I was still a mite worried about over-stressing him so I started squeezing those inner muscles around him and he came with an almost silent scream. I felt his seed shoot deep inside of me and I even pulsed out a little onto his stomach. He was shaking all over and I took his pulse with my finger on his wrist, which I hoped he wouldn't notice.

"I'm fine, Vin." That husky drawl always touched my heart. "I feel incredible." His eyes opened and the look in them would have made me blush except that I knew my eyes were looking at him the same way. "Thank you, my angel-Vin, for loving me."

"Loving you is the best thing I've ever done, Ezra. And I love you more every day." I could feel him start to soften and I started rocking again just a little to help him come out without hurting me.

He sighed and finally came out with a little pop. Luckily, I'd thrown a washcloth on the side table so I didn't leak all over the clean sheets. After a quick cleanup, I snuggled into his side and pulled the duvet over us. His arms came up around me and I heard him sigh again but this time it was a satisfied sigh.

"You are a remarkable man, Vin Tanner. I am truly blessed that you love me." He smiled against my temple and I felt his lips move softly over the tender skin there. "And this home that you've built for us is everything I ever wanted. Thank you."

I hugged him tight to me and wondered how to tell him that what I'd helped build was the most selfish thing I'd ever done. "Ezra, I was building for us and just having an 'us' was everything I ever wanted. Knowing that you love me makes me feel ten feet tall."

He chuckled a little. "Very true, Vin. When I look up and see you smiling at me, I want to shout 'he loves me' to the whole universe."

"Well, I don't know if Judge Travis is ready to hear it but I like not having to keep it from the rest of the team and Miss Clover." I found myself rubbing little circles onto his stomach and he hummed contentedly.

We rested for about a half an hour before getting up and putting on our robes and slippers. He had me take him around the big room that served as living, dining and study space. Jase was real big on ceiling fans and since the ceiling was 11 feet high, it sure did help to keep the warm air down where we needed it. He paced off from the short end of the 'L' where I thought the study could go.

He really liked the wiring for speakers all over the big room. The entire north wall was heavy steel shelving that Miss Clover had recommended from a library supplier. The shelves were all twelve-inches deep so we could put books or CDs or equipment on them and a creamy tan a little darker than the walls and ceiling. He walked around where his roll-top desk would go then paced off about six feet where the armoire that held the stereo equipment might work.

It was fun to watch his mind place items then move them. I swear I could practically see them come to life. I could hardly wait for Monday and the movers. We planned the day carefully, neither of us wanting to be alone just yet. So we set the alarm for seven am and went to bed early, Ezra complaining that I was giving him bad habits.

Oh yeah, I thought with a smile.

******

Monday dawned bright and sunny. Ezra didn't even complain when the alarm went off. I think he was more excited than I was and that was going some. We ate breakfast at a little neighborhood café about two blocks from Adams street. It was real clean and nice and Ezra finished his oatmeal before stealing one of my strips of bacon. He finished it and his orange juice with a real pleased look.

We got to the apartment about fifteen minutes before the movers. Since we were already boxed up and ready to go, they took a good look around and decided to move us today rather than waiting for tomorrow. The head guy was real nice and he appreciated the nice antique desk that Ezra said was the first piece of furniture he'd ever bought. He and Ez' hit it off right away and I could see some of the tension ease in my lover.

It had to be kind of hard to let others handle your stuff when you couldn't. But these guys were real pros and it only took them three hours to take everything out of the apartment. It looked real empty when they were done and I watched Ezra look around the rooms where he'd lived for just over a year.

"This was a nice place, Vin, but I won't miss it at all." He leaned into my arm and I threaded it around his waist. "Home is waiting for us, my angel. Let's go."

"You got it, Ezra. Let's go home." I hugged him tight then let him go.

The movers followed us back to the warehouse but the truck wouldn't fit through the garage door so we had to leave it open although their truck kept it pretty well closed off. Two hours later they were done. Ezra wrote them a check and I made sure that everything was secure on the ground floor, waving them off.

Nice guys and I'd be sure to recommend them to anybody moving. They'd left their cards with us and I thought I'd put one up on the bulletin board in the third floor cafeteria. That was kind of command central for most of the teams. Taking a last look around, I started towards the elevator.

Squeak.

I stopped and looked around. Nothing. Two more steps and there it was again.

Squeak.

I turned in a circle trying to figure out where the odd sound was coming from. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move in the corner where the filled trash bags sat, waiting for garbage day. Moving quietly across the concrete floor, I soft footed it over to where one of the bags of sawdust sat.

Squeak.

And sure enough, I found the noisemaker. A gray-striped mama cat and four kittens were curled up on the bag of sawdust. She watched me warily and her tail thrashed a bit but I just settled back on my heels and waited her out. The kittens were nursing but one of them decided to investigate me instead. His fur was all gray from the tips of his little ears to the end of his fluffy tail.

I held out my hand and he sniffed it real good before deciding that it needed cleaning. His raspy little tongue tickled and when he decided to gnaw on my index finger, he could hardly get his little jaws open wide enough. I chuckled real quiet like and he jumped a foot before deciding it wasn't bad.

"Vin? Everything all right?" Ezra's voice came from the intercom that we'd set up between all the floors.

"Ez', come on down and see a little surprise that just appeared." I called out, hoping he'd hear me from where I knelt.

"Coming." The little click told me that he'd be right down. Ezra has a bump of curiosity almost as big as mine.

The little gray decided that I deserved a closer look and he jumped up on my hand before picking his way carefully up my arm to my shoulder. He peeked through my hair at the sound of the elevator then went back to exploring me. Tiny kitten claws felt like little needles through my shirt and I was glad I had on heavy denim instead of my usual t-shirt.

The elevator opened and Ezra came out, looking around for me before spying me crouched by the garbage. Gray peeked out again from behind the curtain of my hair and Ezra started laughing from halfway across the floor.

"Dear heaven, don't tell me that the movers left us a present." He joined me, sitting down on the hard floor and bringing his hand up so Gray could sniff him.

"Nah, probably she snuck in while the door was up and brought the rest of the kittens with her." I watched him smile real sweet at the mother and another of the kits left her to investigate the big humans.

"Well, aren't you the feisty one?" Ezra held out his hand and the yellow-striped kitten pounced on it with a little squeak, trying to wrestle him to the ground.

"Ezra, I think we may have found our watch-cats. What do you think?" I watched him cradle the little tiger to his chest.

"I think you're right, Vin. They look to be about six or seven weeks old, don't you think?" A tiny paw was batting at his chin and he was grinning down at him with the kind of carefree grin that I hadn't seen in too long.

"I think so, Ez'. We probably need to get them tested and get all their shots going. And Mama here needs to be neutered so she doesn't have any more kittens." I firmly believed that it was everyone's responsibility to make sure that cats and dogs are taken care of instead of being raised to be throw-aways.

Animal abuse gets me hotter than a pistol and I could see that the mother cat was gaunt and tired. It had probably been a while since her last good meal, which meant the kittens weren't getting the complete nutrition they needed. "Ez', I'm going to call Buck and see if he and J.D. would stop and pick up some food and litter and stuff for them."

"Good idea. Mama looks like she could use some better rations." Ezra read my mind like he does sometimes. "We've got some tuna upstairs that would probably hit the spot. And if we use one of the roller paint pans with some sawdust in it that would make a litter box for them for now."

"Yeah, let's use one of the boxes that we emptied yesterday." I stood up and shook out my legs from their cramped state. Mama meowed at me and Gray answered her right back kind of sassy like. I could see that they were going to be a handful. He clung to my shoulder and I talked to him while I got one of the boxes and lined it with a towel that Ezra kept for drying the Jag after he got it washed.

Gray was still clinging to me when we rejoined his brothers and sisters. I reminded myself that I needed to check and see if he was a girl or a boy. Ezra was humming to the little tiger in his hands and I could see that the mother cat was listening to him, too. He really could charm a person with that soft voice of his. Whether you had two legs or four, he really could mesmerize a body.

Setting the box down between us, I grabbed Gray and set him inside his new playground. He squeaked loudly and Ezra put Tiger in with him so they wouldn't be scared. They immediately pounced on each other, mock fighting with little nips and growls. Mama cat got up to peer over the side of the box, the other two kittens coming with her. Ezra scooped them up and put them inside while Mama thought about it.

She looked at both of us then at the kittens then back at us again. Ezra crooned at her and she made up her mind just like that, leaping in lightly. It looked like we had our watch- cats, enough for all four floors. I carried the box up in the elevator while Ezra kept up a soft nonsense dialog to keep them calm. Once in the loft, I set them down near the kitchen while he hurried to open a can of tuna for Mama.

Leaving the kittens in the box, she jumped out and headed right for the bowl he'd set up on the floor. She was a real neat eater even though she must have been starving. I could hear her purr from where I was sitting on the floor by the box. It like to shook her whole body and I could see Ezra melting into a little puddle of goo right there on the floor. He was such a softy and I loved watching him go all dewy-eyed at the sight of a mangy cat enjoying her first real meal in too long.

Which reminded me to check for fleas while she was eating. The kittens seemed free of vermin but I made a mental note to have Buck get some flea bath also. Just to be on the safe side. I'd only been flea bit a couple of times but they itch like hell and I hate what you have to do to get rid of them. Those flea bombs are bad on the environment and just plain nasty to clean up after.

Ezra was talking on his cell phone and the list included flea dip. I chuckled at his reading my mind again. We were a real pair. Ezra was laughing at something Buck said and I watched him with a big smile. Somehow, out of all the people in the world, we'd come together to complete each other. I'd only been existing until I joined the team. And I definitely had only been playing at love until I realized that I loved him.

The good Lord had really been working overtime when he plotted to get us together. Then again, Kwan Yin had a real big hand in bringing Ezra back to me. So, I guess that I'll just have to thank them both every night as long as I live. It wouldn't be enough but then nothing could ever be enough for the gift of his love.

"Deep thoughts, angel." Ezra had scooted across the floor to me and his hand on my knee brought me back to him.

"Just thanking all the deities I know for bringing us together. I love you, Ezra P. Standish." I leaned in and kissed him with all my heart.

He slid a hand around my neck and pulled me in closer, taking me deeper into that hot mouth of his. We slid back and forth, entwining our tongues until we couldn't tell whose was whose. Finally, when we had to breathe, he pulled just far enough away to look into my eyes.

"I thank God for you everyday, Vin. I never really loved before you came into my life. I may have played at that emotion but nothing was real until you loved me." He rested his forehead against mine and I felt him tremble just a little. "Sometimes I would wake up in the hospital and think that you were a dream and I was alone again. But then you'd come in and my whole world would turn golden."

"Oh, Ezra, we're real and together and nothing will ever part us. I promise." I teared up and had to sniff hard. His thumb brushed away a tear and he sighed before kissing me again.

I held onto him and asked the universe for nothing to ever come between us. Not now, not when we both loved with all our hearts. Forever.

********************* The End of Matchmaker