“I thware to God Chrith, if you thay one more word...”

Chris grinned as he made a deal out of closing his lips and making a zipping motion over it. He really shouldn’t tease Vin, but he just couldn’t help himself. They’d somehow managed to find the surliest, meanest SOB in the bar where they’d been undercover who had, naturally, taken exception to Vin. Chris still wasn’t sure what it was about the younger man that made some men just want to take a swing at him, but it was there. Maybe it was the way he could cut you down with only a handful of words, or even just a look.

Whatever the case, the fist-fight had turned into a brawl really damn fast. The cops had been called and they’d been brought in with all the rest to keep their cover intact. Once cleared and released, Chris had been reunited with his partner only to find the younger man holding a bloody towel to his mouth. He’d frowned and opened his mouth to ask if he needed the hospital when Vin had taken away the towel to reveal that his front teeth were missing.

Vin’s glare had kept Chris silent for all of ten seconds before he’d howled with laughter. Not even the punch to his shoulder, which had definitely bruised, had completely silenced him. The drive to the dentist had been interspersed with a case of the giggles that he just could not get rid of. It hadn’t helped that Vin had been endowed with a lisp so when he did speak, it was hysterically funny.

Now they were sitting in the dentist’s office, waiting for the man to come in on his holiday, this being Christmas day and all. The dental assistant had arrived about ten minutes ago and let them into the office.

Chris’ cell rang and he saw it was Buck on the Caller ID. Grinning, he answered, “Mornin,’ Bucklin. Merry Christmas.”

“What the hell happened to you two last night? You were going to come over for the party!” Buck exclaimed. “You didn’t even call except for the stupid message!”

“Now Buck, relax. We got into a spell of trouble at the bar last night, but we’re both fine. Well, relatively speaking,” Chris replied.

“Is Vin hurt?”

“Not too badly. I will say that his smile isn’t quite as bright as it was before.”

“Huh?”

Vin was waving at him violently, but Chris just smiled serenely and continued, “Got his front teeth knocked out. We’re at the dentist’s office now, waiting for him to come in.”

There was a short pause before Buck started laughing. Chris could hear him relaying the story to the others in the background and started chuckling again himself. The look on Vin’s face promised retribution, but it was a good thing his lips were closed or Chris would’ve started howling again.

“Thtupid thon of a bith,” Vin muttered.

Chris cleared his throat loudly and said, “Buck? I can see the dentist pulling in, so I’m gonna go. We’ll be by later this afternoon, though you might want to have some pureed turkey for Vin on hand.”

Vin punched him again, hard enough for Chris to gasp as he hung up on Buck’s laughing goodbye.

The dentist entered the small, cozy office and immediately walked over to Vin, asking for details. As the two men walked to the inner office where the work would be done, Chris couldn’t help humming, “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth...”

Vin shot him a venomous glare that told him the humming had been heard, just before the door closed behind him.

Chuckling, Chris grabbed a magazine and started leafing through it.