Rated R for rather specific m/m sexual content.

This story has a history ... I foolishly made a comment to our listowner, James Kythe Walkswithwind (from whom all blessings flow) about how fast I could write if only I didn't have to go to all the trouble of thinking up plots. Bad move on my part. When I checked my mail at lunch, I found a message containing a plot outline and a challenge: how fast *could* I write a story?

Gee, *thanks*, Gila. Not being one to turn down a challenge, and seeing as how I *had* set myself up, I spent half my lunch hour working on it; then again when I got off work. I clocked myself at 4 1/2 hours, and I am *never* doing anything like this again. Never. So I don't want anyone getting any ideas. I briefly toyed with the idea of blaming this one on my evil twin sister, Buffy, but ... naaah.

And because Pam asked and I thought some of the rest of you might be wondering too -- Osso buco Milanese with a side order of penne tossed with basil and red peppers.

THE BEST LAID PLANS ...

By Katrina Bowen

"Hey, Benny. You ready to go yet?" Ray called, walking into Ben's apartment. He went over to the refrigerator and poked his head inside. "Geez, how do you survive on this stuff?" Dief whuffed in agreement.

The mountie came out of the bedroom, buttoning up his brown jacket. "Good morning, Ray. And I don't understand what you mean -- everything I have is perfectly healthy."

"That's what I mean. Don't you ever indulge yourself in anything? I mean, look at this stuff. Fresh fruits, vegetables ... It's unnatural."

Ben walked silently over to Ray and stood right behind him. "What's unnatural?"

Ray straightened with a jerk and whirled around. "God, Benny, don't scare me like that! What is that, the Mountie method of martial arts? Sneak up and give people heart attacks when they're not looking?"

"Sorry, Ray." Ben realized he was still standing a little too close; he backed up and quickly went to get his hat. From across the room, he said, "I really appreciate your giving me rides to work, Ray. But you know, it's a very short walk -- you don't need to go to all that trouble."

"Yeah, well." Ray busied himself by adjusting his jacket, already hanging perfectly. "If it was up to you, you'd spend the whole time helping widows and orphans and getting kittens out of trees, and you'd never be on time."

"Ray, I climbed up *one* tree to get *one* kitten. That hardly constitutes a pattern of behavior."

"With you, it does." Ben looked at Ray curiously; his friend was still worrying the cuffs of his jacket. In anyone else, Ben would have called Ray's behavior fidgeting. But before he could decide how to broach the subject, Ray said, "I was wondering, Benny. You doing anything special for dinner?"

"Dinner? Do you mean tonight?"

Ray looked up impatiently. "No, Benny. I meant the third Wednesday in December. Yeah, tonight, if it's all right with you."

"Well, I don't have any specific plans beyond what I usually do for supper. Although Mrs. Gamez has issued me a standing invitation, and -- oh, dear. Ray, I'm afraid we *do* have to hurry a bit. I forgot that I had to approve the security plans for a trade delegation arriving this afternoon. If you wouldn't mind --?" Ben was already heading for the door.

Ray sighed. "Mind? Why should I mind?" Dief looked up at him and whimpered. "What the hell are you looking at, huh?" Scowling, he followed Ben into the hallway and slammed the door behind him. Dief laid his head on his paws and settled down to wait for Willie.

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

About eleven o'clock, Ben walked into the precinct room and walked over to Ray's desk. "Hello, Ray." Ray looked up, surprised. "Hi, Fraser. What are you doing here?"

"Well, I finished the security arrangements a little early, and I thought I'd see if you--"

"Ray!" Elaine called from across the room.

"Hold on a sec, Benny." Ray went over to Elaine's desk and grabbed the file she was waving. Coming back, he said, "Sorry about that. What were you saying?"

"I was just going to ask you if--"

"Vecchio, where the hell are the Gromley depositions?" Huey demanded.

"On your desk, Huey."

"On my desk? What are they doing there?"

Ray rolled his eyes; with elaborate patience, he said, "I *told* you I'd leave them on your desk, didn't I?"

Huey shrugged. "Yeah, but I didn't believe you." He walked away, muttering, "All of a sudden he does what he said he would, and I'm supposed to know?"

"I'm really sorry, Benny. What were you going to ask me?"

Ben took a deep breath and started again. "Well, if it's all right with

you -- I thought, as you'd mentioned this morning that--"

"Detective Vecchio?" A uniformed officer came up. "The suspect you were waiting for just got picked up. Do you want to interview her now?"

"Yeah, you bet I do!" Ray started to run after him; remembering Fraser, he turned back and said, "Geez, Benny, I'm sorry. You were going to ask me something?"

Ben finally lost his resolve. "Oh, it was really nothing important, Ray. I suppose I could always ask you later ..."

"Great. Catch you later, then." Ray left the room in a hurry. Ben watched him leave; putting his hat back on, he walked slowly to the door.

Lt. Welsh lowered the blinds on his office door and sat down at his desk, shaking his head. He'd give the two idiots another week. If neither one of them had made a move by then, he'd just lock them in one of the interrogation rooms for a couple of hours and not let them out until they were both wearing goofy smiles.

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Ben walked down the consulate steps in the gathering darkness. Only mildly surprised that Ray's car was parked by the curb, he opened the door and got in. "I wasn't expecting you, Ray."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't expecting to be here. But I never got a chance for lunch or supper tonight, and I figured you didn't either."

"Well, I am rather hungry, now that you mention it ..."

They concentrated on inconsequential small talk, both during the ride to the restaurant and during the better part of the meal. Finally, during the dessert, Ben realized that Ray hadn't done more than poke idly at his tiramisu. "Ray, is something wrong?" he asked in concern.

Ray looked at him for several seconds, and appeared to come to a decision. He pushed the dessert away, folded his hands in front of him, and said quietly, "Benny, I've been trying to find a way to tell you this, and I think the only way is to just come right out and say it. I'm not expecting anything, and I'll understand if you don't want to hear this, but it's killing me to keep it inside --"

Before he could go on, the air was shredded by a piercing shriek. The maitre d' came out, making soothing motions. Over the din, he shouted, "There is nothing to worry about. There's no fire, just a problem with the wiring of the alarm system. It may take a while to disconnect, but we hope you'll be patient and wait for the electrician to arrive..."

Ray rested his head on his arms. He raised it again at the feeling of a gentle hand on his shoulder; Ben was standing over him, making "let's go" motions. Shrugging, Ray stood, put some money on the table, and followed him to the door.

Outside, he said, "Come on, Benny. I'll drive you home -- it's been a long day."

Ben looked at him, then said, "All right, but on one condition. You come up to my apartment for some dessert." When Ray started to protest, Ben overrode him. "You never even tried your tiramisu, and I know it's one of your favorites. I'm sure I can find something to interest you at my place."

"Uhhh ... okay."

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"What the hell --" Ray was knocked down by an armful of filthy, muddy, unusually friendly wolf. "Ahh, geez, Dief. You pick now to get affectionate?"

An equally filthy Willie came running up the stairs. "I'm really sorry, Ray," the boy said as Ben helped Ray back to his feet. "But there was this bus full of nuns, and the garbage truck took us almost to Deerfield, and the rabbits --"

"Willie, I think I'd appreciate it if you'd take Dief back to your apartment and clean him up there, and yourself, while you're at it. In fact, just bring him back in the morning -- by the time you're both clean, it'll be too late for you to be out on the streets."

"You sure?"

"I'm quite sure." Dief looked up soulfully, and Ben said, "Don't give me that look, Diefenbaker. We've been through this before, and you know the rules. You have only yourself to blame."

"Okay, then." Willie went back down the stairs, followed by a strangely unrepentant-looking wolf. Ben turned back to Ray, who was scrubbing dejectedly at his shirt.

"You'd better soak that right away -- there's no telling what those green stains are." He led the way into his apartment, taking off his uniform jacket and hanging it neatly over a chair. "I'll loan you one of mine until yours is dry."

Ray followed Ben into the bedroom, unbuttoning his shirt. As he started to remove it, Ben sat on the edge of the bed and said quietly, "And as long as we're here, perhaps you'd like to finish what you were saying in the restaurant."

Ray froze in the midst of reaching for the closet. Without turning around, he said, "What are you talking about, Benny?"

"What I'm talking about, Ray, is what I think we've both been trying to tell each other all day." Ben extended his hand without saying anything more.

Ray finally turned to him. He stared at the hand, then at Ben's face. He put his hand in Ben's and was slowly pulled to the bed.

Looking down, Ray said, "I was going to tell you that I love you. And ... I was going to tell you that I want to make love to you."

Ben didn't say anything. He just tugged at Ray's hand and slid a hand behind his neck, drawing Ray down to him. Ray leaned forward until his lips were less than an inch away from Ben's; he breathed, "If that's all right with you?"

Ben still didn't say anything. He just closed the distance between the two of them. As their lips met, he laid back, pulling Ray down to the bed on top of him. Lightly at first, he ran both his hands up and down Ray's back, finally exploring the skin he'd been longing to touch. Ray eased a hand between their bodies, eagerly undoing Ben's buttons.

Rolling Ray off of him, Ben turned on to his side, squirming a little to free himself of his suspenders and shirt. He reached for Ray again, planting kisses up and down his neck, moaning as he felt hands urgently removing his pants.

Kicking free of his trousers, he pressed Ray's shoulders to the bed; he slid an arm under the other man's waist, raising his hips enough to pull his pants off as well. Soon they were both naked. Realizing this at the same moment, they simply laid there, enjoying the feeling of skin pressed against skin. Ray reached up a hand and slowly traced the contours of Ben's lips. Ben seized the hand, and began kissing each fingertip. Leaning closer, Ray replaced his fingers with his tongue, exploring Ben's mouth with the earnestness of a long-frustrated desire.

Ray abandoned Ben's mouth, trailing kisses down his neck to his chest, pausing occasionally to concentrate on a particularly attractive site on Ben's body. After what seemed both an eternity and an all too brief moment, he settled between Ben's legs, first stroking Ben's aching erection, then, without warning, taking it in his mouth. Ben gasped; he tried to hold off, but he came almost instantly.

Ben pulled Ray up and rolled him on his back; straddling his hips, he bent down and kissed him, tasting himself on Ray's lips. Unable to wait any longer, he slid down, wrapping both arms around Ray's waist. Ben felt Ray's hips rise to meet him as he ran his mouth from the base of the cock to its tip. Encouraging Ray's thrusts, he took the entire organ in his mouth, receiving Ray's orgasm hungrily.

They parted, but only for a moment. Ray reached down to put his arms around Ben. Ben returned the embrace, resting his head on Ray's chest. Neither felt the need for words; but as he started drifting away, Ben thought he heard a voice whisper in his ear, "Hell of a dessert, Fraser."