Rubbing his temples Chris glanced once more down on the papers in front of him. Then he sighed.
"Ok, Ezra, I give up. How you and Vin managed to get caught speeding with a goddamn bus is beyond me."
Green eyes watched him with a curious expression. "I believe I have already explained that certain part to you, Mr. Larabee... We needed means of getting away from that rather large band of miscreants that seemed more than set on inflicting great physical harm to our persons."
A hand waved in the air. "Not arguing about that, what I wanted to know was how the road police managed to actually catch you. Nevertheless how you got that old worndown thing going fast enough for the cops to pull you over for speeding." He got a delicate shrug in repsonse.
"You will have to ask Mr. Tanner for that piece of information as he was the designated chauffeur for the evening. I had more than enough with keeping on my feet."
Ducking his head to hide the smile, Chris shook his head. Then he leaned back in his chair. "Maybe I'll do that. Well, I guess that was it. The judge called, by the way, about some clean-up work on the Berliotti case. He might be wanting to send you back in...." He noticed that he had lost his undercover agent's attention and looked at him. "Ez? You ok there?" The expression on the younger man's face made him frown.
Ezra didn't answer the question, just seemed to be watching something on the floor. Paling, he stumbled back a step. Then he gave a mighty leap, ending up on the middle of Chris' desk.
Studying the scene in silence, Chris took a moment to think. He had a ridiculous amount of work to catch up with, which meant due hours of overtime. He couldn't do that work with a small greeneyed redhead taking up residence on his desk. Not even if it was a very cute redhead. Taking in the picture, he thought some more. No, he sadly thought. He definitively couldn't
"Ezra? You mind telling me why you're on my desk?"
Huge green eyes were turned his way.
"Spider."
"Spider?"
A finger pointed to the floor. "Spider. On the floor." Ezra shuddered, gathering his feet underneath him. "Hate them." He turned back to Chris who blinked.
"Wow. I think that is the shortest thing I've ever heard you say, Ez." The look in the narrowing eyes set him chuckling. "So you don't like spiders, huh? You know, if that thing wants to meet you, all it has to do is crawl up the front of the desk..."
In one second flat he found himself with a lapful of frightened Southerner.
Ok, so that wasn't the right thing to say. The feel of arms tightened around his neck made him revise that. Maybe it was right, but he would be the first to admit it hadn't been a very nice thing to say. Oh well...
Sighing very deeply and not completely truthfully, Chris looped his arms around Ezra's waist. "You want me to go get rid of the big, bad spider then, agent Standish?"
Vigorous nodding. "Most certainly."
Trying to get up resulted in Ezra clinging tighter to him. "Ez? You need to get off."
"No way."
"What? Look, I won't put you down on the floor. I'll set you right back on the desk..."
"Not a chance, Mr. Larabee."
"But why... Oh. It's not going to come up on my desk, you know."
"Then why did you say it?"
"I was just... Oh shoot. Allright, here we go then. Hang on." Pushing himself out of his chair, Chris felt arms and legs clasping tightly around his neck and waist. Then Ezra leaned back so much that he could point to a spot on the floor in front of Chris' desk.
"There it is. Step on it, flush it down a toilet, throw it out, shoot it, I don't rightly care. Just please remove that vilesome creature from me."
Stepping around his desk, Chris had to look around a bit before he saw the small, black spot on the floor.
"You're afraid of that little thing? Sheesh, you face deadly criminals most days of the week and don't even blink. And you're scared of a tiny, little..." The heel of an expensive, Italian leather shoe dug into the small of his back. "Ow. Nevermind."
Taking another step, Chris put his bootclad foot down on the unfortunate spider. "There. All gone."
Carefully Ezra looked down to the squashed, black mark. "Are you quite sure that it's really dead?"
"Well, I could have Nathan come in and check for a pulse..."
"Mr. Larabee! I am not joking!"
Forcing his face into a more somber expression, Chris continued. "It's really, really dead, Ez. Or I could just carry you like this, back to your desk...."
"No! I mean..." Untangling himself from Chris, Ezra let himself slide down to the floor. "Imagine the horror, I'd never be able to live it down." Elegantly sidestepping the flattened spider he looked up at Chris. "Please promise me that you will never delay this little incident to any of the other five? To anyone at all?"
Not able to stand for the pleading look in those green eyes, Chris shook his head. "I won't. And should they find out any way, well then I have enough dirt on them to shut them up." He had sensed the small gambler's obvious embarrasment and felt proud as he received a reluctant smile.
"Do share, Mr. Larabee."
Leaning closer with a conspiratory look in his hazel eyes, Chris grinned. "Mice. Never let anything small, furry and with a long tail get close to Buck. Or vice versa for that matter. He shrieks like a girl."
The shorter man's smile deepened, showing off dimples. "Really?"
"Yep. And Vin's terrified of snakes, any kind, he even gets the chills from earthworms. Nathan on the other hand gets hysterical if you come near him with a needle."
For a second Ezra looked completely stunned. "Nathan? Our Nathan? Who seems to find perverse pleasure in sticking sharp, pointy objects in other, misfortunate people? He is afraid of needles?"
"He sure is. Every year, during vaccinal renewals and bloodtests, I all but have to hold his hand." Enjoying the unabashed look of mirth on his normally cool and collected undercover agent's face, Chris moved on to JD.
"The kid's afraid of chickens."
Curved eyebrows drew together. "Whatever for?"
"He can't stand the squeaking."
"We are talking about the same thing, aren't we? Poultry? Yellow balls of feather?"
"Yep. Imagine what Easter must be like for him."
Beyond chuckling now, Ezra had to lean onto Chris because he was laughing so hard.
"Oh my Lord..." Watching Chris' smiling face, he gave him a look that was nearly challenging. "What about Mr. Sanchez? Josiah isn't afraid of anything!"
There was just enough hero worship in the tone of voice to make a mischievous glint show itself in hazel eyes. Leaning down, he whispered something in Ezra's ear.
The green eyes grew impossibly round. Then a helpless snicker escaped. "Mr. Larabee, you have to be kidding."
Chris folded his arms over his chest. "Nope."
Another snicker. "Lawn gnomes?"
"Claims they stare at him. Even shot one only last year."
It only took one shared look before the two agents dissolved into laughter.
"You haven't told me your secret fear yet," Ezra commented as they had calmed down some.
"Like I'm telling you," Chris replied, his smile taking the sting out of the words. "No, I think I'll just sit back and watch you wreck havoc out there with what I've already told you." Or just sit back and watch you. That last statement stayed inside his mind.
Holding up his hands, Ezra returned the smile. "Alright, I give. Not that I won't find a way to procure that certain piece of information later, but I will let it go for now." He placed a small, strong hand on Chris' arm, gazing up at him. "You have been a true knight in shining..." The gaze dropped a little lower. "Jeans..." Momentarily distracted by the sight of snugfitting black jeans, the rest of the sentence took a little while coming.
"Hmmm, where was I? Oh...yes, your gallant rescue. I'd like to thank you for that." Then, very quickly, before he could lose his nerve, Ezra rose to his toes and pressed his lips to Chris'. Lingering on for a second, he let his free hand curl around the back of the taller man's neck. Forgetting to breathe, with an enoyable shiver racing through him, Ezra brought them just a little closer.
The fact that he was getting close to losing himself in the sweet sensation, made Ezra forcefully regain his composure. Withdrawing, he kept his head bent, not daring to look at his companion. He backed up a few steps and felt the doorknob underneath his hand. Then he fled.