Four Degrees of Separation)

Four Degrees of Separation

The hallway was empty when Turnbull finally finished dusting Inspector Thatcher's office. He paused, looking around the large, gloomy area as though Constable Fraser might be hiding somewhere, waiting to leap out at him. The thought amused him for a moment, but he repressed his smile and headed down the narrower hallway behind the desk. Fraser had mentioned some filing that needed to be done, and now that he was free, he could offer his help.

The door of Fraser's tiny office was slightly open, but, true to his training, Turnbull lifted a hand to knock politely. His knuckles had barely brushed the surface of the door when he heard a soft groan, followed by a breathless laugh. He froze, but the door, well balanced as it was, swung open a little. His chest contracted sharply at the sight of the two men, their pants around their ankles, pressed closely together.

If forced to, Turnbull would have reluctantly admitted to fantasising about what lay beneath Fraser's uniform. He wouldn't have been disappointed he now realised, as he watched in slightly horrified, highly aroused, fascination at the pale buttocks flexing with each slow, deliberate thrust into the body of the man in front of him. But it was the sight of the other man who started his heart pounding so hard that it seemed for a moment that they must surely hear it.

His first confused thought was that Det Kowalski had for some strange reason begun dressing like Det Vecchio. Then the pair shifted slightly, Fraser's head lowered to kiss the nape of the other man's neck and Turnbull saw that it was, in fact, Det Vecchio. Fraser's hand glided down over the brightly patterned silk shirt and reached beneath it. A shudder ran through the American's slender body and Fraser began to thrust harder, more urgently. Turnbull backed away, unable to take his eyes off the pair of them until the last moment.

Back at his desk, he ran trembling fingers through his hair, trying to calm himself. He hadn't even known that Det Vecchio had returned to Chicago. Fraser had never mentioned it to him. With a sudden, sick feeling he wondered what Ray Kowalski was going to think of all this.

*

"Benny, you okay?" The long-familiar voice seemed suddenly alien. "Benny?"

Ben lifted his head out of his hands and stared across his desk at his ex-partner, ex-lover and friend. "Ray, I…" he cleared his throat, rather uncertainly, and then couldn't speak at all.

Ray stared back at him sombrely. "I guess this came as a bit of a shock. Me just walking in like that."

"You could say that." Ben managed a weak smile, remembering the jolt that had brought him stumbling to his feet and propelled him into Ray's arms without a thought for the consequences. He sought desperately for something neutral to say. "What brings you back to Chicago, Ray?"

"You." The green eyes watched him warily. Ray, no doubt, was also regaining his equilibrium. "I missed you, Benny."

"Missed me?" Words failed Ben, as he considered the loneliness of a year separated from his lover, the awkwardness of their reunion, and the events that had followed. "You missed me?"

"I'm sorry." Ray glanced down at his hands, clasped together and resting on the edge of the desk. "I needed to get away. I wasn't ready to come out of cover when you sprung me. I couldn't deal with it. I couldn't deal with us. When I came out of hospital I just about went crazy, jumping at shadows. That's why I went to Florida. I needed somewhere where nobody knew me, or Armando Langoustini."

"And you took Stella Kowalski along with you for protection, no doubt." The bitterness in his voice shocked him. He thought he'd dealt with that issue months ago.

Ray ducked his head a little and ran a hand over his cropped hair. "She made me feel normal again. I needed that. She's a prosecutor. She'd dealt with undercover cops before. She knew what I was going through." He looked up again, meeting Ben's eyes at last. "And by then I'd heard the rumours about you and Kowalski. I figured I was better off away from both of you."

Ben blinked at him in surprise. "There was nothing between Ray and I. Then."

At that one word Ray's eyes widened. A small, unhappy smile quirked his lips. "I guess I really blew it, huh, Benny?"

"Oh, Ray…" Ben had to look away.

There was an uncomfortable silence. Finally, Ray shifted and Ben looked up at the rustling sound his clothes made.

"Benny… you still love me. You wouldn't have done what we did just now if you didn't love me." There was an edge of desperation to Ray's voice.

It was true. And it made no difference. Ben pressed his lips together against his instinctive response and fought for acceptance of what must be. "I love Ray too. And I've made a commitment to him. I can't betray him."

There was nothing more to be said. They both knew it, though neither of them wanted to believe it.

At that supremely inauspicious moment the door was pushed open and Ray Kowalski walked in. There could have been worse moments for him to arrive, like about five minutes ago, but not many, Ben thought.

"Hey, Frase, I thought I'd better warn you…" he stopped dead at the sight of the man sitting beside the desk.

Ray Vecchio swivelled in his chair. "About me? Kind of you, Stanley."

Ben winced at the sardonic tone of Ray's voice, and then sighed impatiently, wondering what on earth had compelled him to have two lovers with the same name. Even in the privacy of his own thoughts it was an annoyingly confusing situation.

"It's Ray." Ray Kowalski's voice was no friendlier. "My name's Ray, all right?"

"Sure, Stanley, whatever you say. Nice to know you're looking after Benny."

"After the way you dumped him? Damn right I am." Kowalski glared at Vecchio.

Both men were obviously building towards a fight and that was the last thing Ben needed. It was like watching two dogs fighting over a bone. He wondered for a moment if the bone was expected to feel flattered, then pushed back his chair and stood.

"If you don't mind, I have a lot of work to do. Ray…" he stopped as both men looked to him and fought the temptation to swear under his breath. He met Ray Kowalski's eyes. "I'll see you tonight, at the apartment."

Kowalski looked distinctly put out. "What about him?"

"Ray came by to say hello. We've said all we need to say." Ben ignored Ray Vecchio's quiet curse, turning a polite smile in his direction. "Goodbye, Ray. I'm sure we'll see each other from time to time." He sat down again and stared pointedly at the door.

The Italian American moved first, surging out of his chair and through the door. Kowalski hesitated, all too obviously suspicious.

"Frase?" He took a step towards the desk. "What's going on?

"Please, Ray. I'll talk to you tonight."

Kowalski stared at him for a long moment then shrugged. "All right."

Alone, at last, Ben contemplated the stack of files and the report he was supposed to prepare. There was plenty of work to do, but somehow he doubted much of it would be done today.

*

The afternoon had dragged on until Ray Kowalski thought he was either going to scream, or hit somebody. He wished now he'd never gone to the Consulate, never seen Vecchio with his lover. He'd known, as soon as he'd seen Vecchio this morning, coming out of Welsh's office, that there was going to be trouble. Trouble for him.

Fraser had said he'd come to the apartment, and Fraser never lied, but here it was, almost eight thirty and there was no sign of him. Kowalski paced restlessly, unable to sit still, unable even to watch the television. Visions of himself, alone again, as he had been after the split with Stella, wouldn't let him be. Fraser would leave him for Vecchio. Maybe he was with Vecchio right now…

It had always been Vecchio. All that year of working together, Vecchio's shadow had always been between them. He hadn't even realised, for most of it that there was a 'them' for Vecchio to come between. Eventually he'd realised that Fraser was interested. But it hadn't made any difference, Fraser had so obviously been waiting for Vecchio to return. So desperate for him to return that when he did, the experienced Mountie had made a rookie mistake that had almost gotten them all killed.

It had taken every ounce of self-control Ray possessed not to beat that smug Italian face in when he saw the way Vecchio treated Fraser. After Fraser got the message about Vecchio taking off to Florida with Stella… he'd been so worried about Fraser that he'd hardly registered that it was his ex-wife who'd gone with Vecchio. And now Vecchio was back.

There was a quiet knock on his apartment door. And there was only one person who ever knocked like that. Ray rushed to the door and opened it for his lover. He'd changed out of his uniform into jeans, white T-shirt and his leather jacket, but still had the Stetson, holding it in his hands, and fiddling nervously with the brim.

"Geez, Fraser, you look like shit." He couldn't even feel relief that Fraser had kept his word. Maybe he'd only come to say goodbye.

Fraser raised a tired smile, but it was obviously an effort. "It took longer than I expected to finish my work. I'm sorry I'm late, Ray."

"It's okay." He hesitated, like a kid on his first date, until Fraser made the first move. They hugged, awkwardly, and separated without kissing. "You wanna drink? Something to eat, maybe?"

"No." Fraser just stood there looking exhausted. "Ray…"

Something inside him seemed to crack wide open and painful, and he turned away. "Dammit, Frase, what the Hell do you think you're doing? After the way he treated you, you're just gonna let him walk back into your life? Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

There was no answer. He turned back, taking the broad shoulders in his hands and gripping them tightly. "You had sex with him in your office today. I could smell it when I walked in. Have you done it again? Have you just come from him now, Fraser?"

The blue eyes refused to meet his and Fraser stood passively under his touch. "I'm sorry, Ray."

"Don't give me sorry, Fraser." He backed away. "Are you leaving me for him?"

"No." It was a barely audible whisper. Then Fraser blinked, his lashes wet with unshed tears. "I love you, Ray. I told him that. I told him I was staying with you."

It didn't make him feel as happy as it ought to. "Are you sure?"

"If you'll have me." A tiny ghost of a smile touched Fraser's lips.

He couldn't help responding with a small smile of his own. "Sure."

Still Fraser made no move. Ray walked back to him from what seemed like an impossible distance. He studied the pale, unhappy face, the tired eyes, and kissed his lover gently. Fraser's arms went around him, holding him tightly as the kiss lengthened.

They broke for air and Ray leaned against the solid body, his cheek brushing against Fraser's. "Damn you, Frase." He spoke the words softly, almost a caress.

Fraser groaned and sought his mouth in a hard, desperate kiss. Like a tsunami desire hit him, overwhelming all the memories of one of the worst days of his life. Ray pressed urgently against Fraser's solid body, his hips grinding instinctively against the other man, feeling his immediate response. A triumphant cheer went up inside his head. Fraser wanted him, not Vecchio.

He began backing towards his bedroom, keeping a firm grip on the leather jacket. Fraser followed obediently. Once through the door he slid the jacket off Fraser's shoulders and took another grip on the waistband of his jeans. No way he was letting go of Fraser tonight.

They reached the bed and tumbled onto it, with Fraser on top of him. The heavy body squashed him into the mattress, rocking urgently against him. He all but tore the T-shirt off Fraser and began to kiss the broad chest, nipping at the pale skin and leaving red marks scattered everywhere.

With Fraser's willing help it wasn't long before they were both naked. Ray paused to catch his breath and grinned up at the flushed face above him. Fraser's head dropped and he was caught up in a long kiss that almost sucked the air out of his lungs and made his toes curl with anticipation. He wriggled a little so that Fraser's hard cock was nestled up alongside his own and began to thrust up against his lover. His hands splayed out over Fraser's butt, kneading at the firm muscle, then parting the cheeks. Fraser moaned.

Ray knew what he wanted, but wasn't going to give it to him just yet. He wanted this to last. Instead, he slid a finger inside his lover's body, giving him a taste of what was to come. Fraser groaned helplessly and surged against him.

He laughed breathlessly. "You want more, Frase? Tell me!"

"Yes." The single word ended on a gasp as Ray stroked Fraser's prostate. "Yes, I want more. Oh, Ray…"

"Roll over." Ray took a deep breath as Fraser's weight was lifted off him, then rolled himself on top of Fraser, sliding between the pale, sturdy thighs. He pushed himself up a little and stared down at his lover, entranced by the beauty of the fair skin, shimmering with sweat, and the trembling eagerness of his heavy cock. "Pull your legs up."

Again, he was obeyed instantly. Ray stroked the deep crease between Fraser's buttocks, teasing at his anus until Fraser shuddered. He moved forward, still kneeling, and guided the tip of his own achingly hard cock into the opening.

Fraser was keeping perfectly still, not even breathing, as Ray pressed into him. He leaned forward, sliding deeper yet and Fraser's breath came out in a shuddering moan. He began to move, slowly, in and out, each time going a little deeper.

"Ray…" Fraser's eyes, heavy lidded with pleasure, pleaded with him, and Ray began to move a little faster, thrusting a little harder until the Mountie seemed barely conscious of where he was. Then, without any warning, he stopped.

He ignored Fraser's wordless protest. They would have had to stop anyway, since he wasn't using a condom; but he'd realised he wanted something else. He withdrew from Fraser's body and reached for the pack beside the bed.

Fraser's eyes flew open when Ray began to roll the condom down over his cock. The blue eyes were suddenly alert and watching him closely. He'd done this only a few times, and hadn't liked it much, but tonight he wanted Fraser to fuck him senseless. He positioned himself carefully, straddling Fraser's hips, and lowered himself onto the thick cock.

It hurt, of course. Not a lot, but he hadn't done this enough to get used to it. Slowly he pushed down, taking more and more of Fraser's cock inside himself. That was what he wanted, to claim that perfect Mountie body for himself; nothing else would be enough. Not tonight.

Finally he was there, his ass pressing against the firm bulk of Fraser's balls, his groin throbbing with mingled discomfort and pleasure. He stared down at his own cock, drooping heavily, the tip resting against Fraser's smooth belly. A tiny puddle of clear pre cum was gathering beneath it.

"Are you all right, Ray?" Fraser was watching him concernedly.

He nodded, feeling a bit light-headed. "It's okay. I can do this."

A faint smile was the only response. Fraser was keeping very still, but he could feel the tremors running beneath the surface of his lover's skin. A gentle touch on his cock brought with it a sharp jolt of pleasure. He took a deep breath and began to move.

It was awkward at first, but the stroking, inside and out, brought him suddenly to an intensity of arousal he'd never experienced before. He leaned forward, getting a better angle, and began to drive himself hard against Fraser's cock.

"Ray… oh God, Ray!" Fraser began to plunge beneath him, his hips thrusting up with such urgency that Ray was nearly overbalanced. He hung on grimly, riding out the wildness until something inside him gave way and he too lost control.

How long it lasted, he couldn't tell. When it was over, Ray found himself sprawled across Fraser's chest, with Fraser's cock rapidly softening inside him. With a groan he pushed himself upright and dealt with that, since Fraser was showing no signs of being capable of it himself. Then he sat on the edge of the bed, wincing slightly at the feel of over-stretched muscles, and stared down at his lover.

Sometimes, even after six months of being Fraser's lover, he would be bowled over by the incredible physical perfection of the man. Like now. Fraser's face was flushed and sweaty, with short tendrils of hair clinging to his forehead. His body was completely slack in the aftermath of pleasure, his cock still deeply coloured, the foreskin drawn back to partially reveal the swollen crown. The dark lashes resting against his cheekbones fluttered suddenly and Fraser's eyes opened. He smiled weakly.

It should have made him happy, but somehow it didn't. Ray swallowed, a sick feeling in his gut. "Hey, Frase…"

"Ray." Another small smile.

And that was the problem, he figured. He swallowed again. "When you said that… before… was it my name, or his?"

Fraser flinched and the blue eyes turned away, but not before he'd seen them fill with tears. "I don't know."

His heart began to beat in sickening thuds. He didn't know whether this was better, or worse, than the answer he'd half expected. Worse, he decided. "Get out Fraser. I'm gonna have a shower. I don't want you here when I'm finished."

He pushed himself to his feet and staggered on wobbly legs into the bathroom. Turned the shower on full strength, as hot as he could stand it. It didn't help. Even so, he stayed there until the water temperature had dropped close to freezing and he was shivering helplessly, afraid to go back into his bedroom in case Fraser was still there. When he finally forced himself to do it, the room was empty.

*

Something woke him, and Ray Vecchio found that even after six months of being away from undercover work, his nerves were still stretched tauter than a watch spring. He reached under his pillow for the gun that never left his side nowadays, but otherwise lay perfectly still. The sound came again, a quiet click against his window. He slipped out of bed and eased his way across the room, taking care to keep out of view. A quick peek around the edge of the curtain revealed a lone Mountie standing on his front lawn.

He padded silently down the stairs and unlocked the front door. Fraser was already waiting there. He must have seen the curtain move. "Benny, what the Hell are you doing here? It's three a.m."

"I… I'm sorry, Ray. I've been walking… I didn't realise how late it was." Fraser half turned away, but by then Ray had seen the misery in his face and reached out to grab his arm.

"What's happened? Is Dief okay?" It wasn't often Fraser went walking without Dief. "Come in."

"Dief's fine. I told him you were back. He was sorry to miss you this morning…" Fraser seemed to lose the thread, then continued with a rush. "Ray's thrown me out."

"He what?" Ray hissed the words, remembering just in time to keep his voice down. "We can't talk here. I'll drive you back to the Consulate, okay? Just wait a minute."

It didn't take him long to throw on some clothes, find his shoes and tiptoe down the stairs, still carrying them. Fraser was standing by the open door. "Come on."

The drive back to the Consulate was almost silent. Halfway there, Fraser stirred and looked across at him. "It didn't take you long to find another one."

"Brought it back from Florida." Ray grinned. "Remind me never to let you drive it, okay?"

A faint smile was the only answer.

At that time of night, they made it to the Consulate in record time. Fraser unlocked the door, and Ray was nearly bowled over by a white furry projectile.

"Hey, Dief! Good to see you again boy!" He managed to fend the wolf off long enough to get in the door, then went down on one knee to return Dief's enthusiastic greeting. A few wolf hairs on his clothing wouldn't hurt this once.

He looked up again to see Fraser standing, looking down at the pair of them with a smile on his face. A real smile, the first he'd seen since he got back.

"He's missed you, Ray."

"Have you?" The question came out impulsively, and for a moment he regretted it, seeing Fraser's smile falter.

The smile came back, a little forced this time. "Of course I did."

Ray stood and walked over to his friend. Fraser didn't move as he was taken into Ray's arms, but Ray had no intention of pushing his luck. He wrapped his arms around Fraser's body and drew him close. So close their cheeks were brushing and he could smell the scent of cologne on his body. Fraser never used cologne. He didn't care. It was enough just to be with him, to hold him. Kowalski was an idiot.

After a moment, when he didn't make any moves, Fraser relaxed against him with a sigh. Ray slid one hand up to cradle the nape of his neck and they stayed there, unmoving, until Dief's demands for attention couldn't be ignored any longer. Fraser pulled away and Ray followed him down the hallway to his office.

He looked around the tiny room. It seemed even smaller in the dim light from Fraser's lamp. "Geez, Benny. I can't believe you live like this. Why didn't you find an apartment when you came back from the armpit of the Frozen North? Or move in with Kowalski?"

"The same reason we didn't move in together, Ray." Fraser gave him a small unhappy smile.

Ray eyed him doubtfully. Right now wasn't the best time to be talking about this, but still… he perched on the edge of the desk. "Yeah, well, things are different for me now. You know I spent a whole year pretending to be someone I wasn't. Half the time I was sure somebody was gonna find out who I really was, the other half I couldn't remember myself who I really was. And, let me tell you Benny, I don't know which was scarier."

Just remembering that time made him shift uneasily against the desk. "Then I come back to Chicago and I realise I'm still pretending to be someone I'm not. I don't wanna do that any more, Benny." He took a deep breath. "So, after I sorted my head out, down in Florida, I decided I'm not gonna pretend any more. I told my family the way it's gonna be."

Fraser's eyes widened. "How did they take that, Ray?"

"Not too well, but I expected that. Besides, they already suspected. I mean, we were pretty obvious, if you think about it." Ray shrugged. "Anyway, I'm not gonna be living there much longer. There's still a chance someone might come after me. I can't put the family at risk like that, so I raised a mortgage on the house, and I'm looking for an apartment. Benny, I know this isn't a good time to ask, but I'd really like it if you'd come live with me."

"Ray, I…" Fraser shook his head slowly, staring down at the floor.

He slid off the desk and took the one step needed to close the gap between them. "Benny, I'm not asking you to decide now. I just want you to know the offer's there."

"All right." Fraser still wouldn't look at him. Ray slid his hand over Fraser's shoulder and drew him close again. After a moment Fraser's arms went around him.

They stayed like that for a long time, until Ray drew back slightly, not releasing him, and kissed Fraser gently on the mouth. A little shudder ran through both of them and Ray's arms tightened, refusing to allow Fraser to escape. They kissed again and then Fraser sighed, his breath warm against Ray's cheek.

"I think you should go now, Ray. Thank you for driving me here."

He looked so miserable that Ray raised a hand to his cheek. The blue eyes lifted to meet his. "That's what friends are for, Benny."

The corner of Fraser's mouth lifted a fraction and then he turned away to reach for his bedroll, on top of the closet. Ray shrugged and headed for the door. It was only a couple of paces, but when he looked back, Fraser was standing by the closet, the bedroll clutched in his arms, looking completely lost.

He couldn't leave like his best friend like that. Stifling the impulse to curse, Ray turned back, took the bedroll out of Fraser's arms and flipped it open with a practised flick of his wrists. He saw Fraser trying to hide a smile and grinned. "Like riding a bike, Benny. You think there's still enough room on this bedroll for two?"

"Ray, I can't…"

He interrupted the hesitant voice. "Company's all I'm offering."

Another smile, an almost happy one, hovered over Fraser's lips. "I think we'll both fit."

*

Ray Vecchio, and Ray Kowalski. In many ways they were so alike. They were both law enforcement officers, like himself. Both Americans, from Chicago. Both strong, slender and beautiful, each in his own unique way. Both sensual and passionate men, capable of drawing out a corresponding passion in him which otherwise lay buried too deeply for him to access. They both loved him. And he loved both of them. How could he ever choose between them?

Somehow he had to; yet, when he tested himself, itemising the things he loved most in each of them, he could come to no conclusion. His first, instinctive, choice had been the only one that made sense to him.

When he had become Ray Vecchio's lover, they had made no commitment to each other. It hadn't even occurred to him that it would be necessary; he was not the type to give his love lightly. Even less was he the type of man to let go of that love easily. He had discovered his mistake on his return to Chicago following that unexpected and unsettling phone conversation with Ray. Even so, he had waited for Ray to return from the undercover assignment, denying, even to himself, his growing attraction to Ray Kowalski.

When it came, that return had shattered all his hopes, and it had been Ray Kowalski who had been there for him. And Ray had needed as badly as he those words of commitment they'd exchanged. It had not been, by any stretch of the imagination, a formal commitment, but, between two men who valued their promises deeply, it had been all that was required.

He had made a commitment to Ray Kowalski, not Ray Vecchio. He had to remain true to that commitment. It was still the only choice he could make; but for Ray, it seemed, that wasn't enough.

Ben pondered his options all morning, trying at the same time to carry out his duties in a professional manner. He failed miserably. It didn't help that Inspector Thatcher was irritable, or that Turnbull was being unusually incompetent, even for him. Whenever they were in the same room, the younger constable rapidly descended into gibbering incoherence, for no discernible reason. It was very unsettling. Dief, predictably, was distancing himself from the whole affair and refused to be drawn on the issue.

Eventually, he decided that perhaps Ray just needed some time to adjust. He'd leave it a day or two and then talk to him again. Surely two days would be enough. He didn't think he could stand to wait any longer than that.

It seemed a very long two days. He didn't see Ray Vecchio either, not trusting himself to hold to his decision if he was tempted too far. Finally, on the evening of the second day, he dressed with great care in his best tunic and jodhpurs, though he suspected the significance of that would be wasted on Ray, if he even noticed, and set out for Ray's apartment. Dief remained behind at the Consulate.

Standing in front of the closed door, Ben fought back an attack of sheer panic. He straightened his lanyard nervously before knocking.

"Go away, Fraser."

He knocked again. "We really need to talk Ray."

Ray's voice was uncompromising. "I don't wanna talk."

"Well, perhaps you could listen, then." Ben cleared his throat. "Ray has asked me to live with him, and I need to know…"

The door was flung open and a flushed and angry Ray Kowalski stood in the opening. "What do you want? My permission? You don't need it."

Ben smiled at him. "I know I don't. But I do need to talk to you. Good evening, ma'am." He nodded politely in the direction of a new neighbour of Ray's as she walked past. Unfortunately, she hadn't put her name on her mailbox as yet.

"Dammit, Frase, do you have to talk about this in front of the whole apartment building?" Ray grabbed an arm and dragged him inside, slamming the door behind them.

Ben smoothed his sleeve. "Well, I would prefer to have privacy, Ray." He eyed Ray's belligerent stance somewhat warily.

"You've got it." Ray turned back to his couch and dropped into it. "Whaddaya want?"

His lover's mood had rapidly turned from anger to moroseness. Ben sighed, hurting for him. "I need to know if you would ever consider taking me back, Ray."

"Why? He wants you. You want him. What's your problem?"

"Ray…" he went over to the couch and knelt in front of his lover, taking the pale unshaven face between his hands. "I love you. I promised you…"

Ray jerked his head away, angry again. "You're in love with him."

"Yes." He captured Ray's face again and pressed a long kiss on his lips. "And I'm in love with you, Ray."

Released, Ray slumped back against the couch, all the fight drained out of him. "Why can't things ever be simple with you, Fraser?"

"I don't know, Ray." Ben twined his fingers with Ray's. "Believe me, I wish they were."

"So what do you want?" Ray leaned his head back and stared up at the ceiling. "You want me to tell you to go with him?"

Ben sighed. "No, I want you to tell me to stay with you."

"But you're in love with him." Ray turned his head to look at Ben. His eyes were shadowed and bloodshot from lack of sleep. He looked bone weary.

"I'm in love with both of you. Is that such a problem for you, Ray?" Ben tried to keep the pleading out of his voice. "It's you I've chosen to be with."

Ray closed his eyes, nodding slowly. "Yes, it is a problem Frase. I can't deal with that. I've thought about it for the last two days, and I can't do it."

The utter finality in Ray's voice convinced him against his will. Ben let his head drop forward to hide the pain he knew would be showing in his face. All the same, he couldn't resist one last attempt. "I can't control what I feel, Ray. I can only choose how I act on those feelings."

"I know you can't, but neither can I." Ray's voice broke. "Go away, Frase. It's over."

*

Sending Fraser away had been the right thing to do. That didn't mean it was easy. It didn't help that Vecchio was working at the 27^th Precinct again, only a few desks away. Kowalski gritted his teeth and did his best to ignore that fact. That wasn't easy either, but at least Fraser was keeping well away from them both while they were on duty. What the pair of them did off duty, he didn't want to know about.

He spent most of the first few days veering wildly between self pity and anger that Fraser could still care about Vecchio after the other man had acted like such a jerk. He'd seen how miserable Fraser had been, once he'd captured Muldoon and had nothing left to distract him. Finally he admitted to himself that if Stella had offered to take him back, right up to the day she'd left for Florida with Vecchio, he probably would have gone. It made him feel a bit better, but not much.

Burying himself in work helped too; he'd even managed to share a couple of cases with Vecchio without punching him out. He saw Lt Welsh eyeing the two of them and shuddered at the thought that they might be assigned as partners. They were the only two working alone, so it would have made sense if you didn't know what was really going on. And that was enough to make him wonder just what the lieutenant knew, or guessed, about him and Fraser.

Nobody was saying anything on that score. Nobody was commenting on Fraser's continued absence from the stationhouse. Did that mean everybody knew? Ray decided that he really didn't want to find out. He kept his head down and avoided even the usual backchat he normally enjoyed with the others. And since going home to an empty apartment was no fun any more, he spent most of his days on the street and his evenings at his desk typing up his reports.

That's why, nose deep in a folder, he didn't notice the presence in front of his desk for a while. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of Mountie red. Even before his eyes travelled up the broad chest, he knew it wasn't Fraser.

Turnbull smiled at him. "Hello, Ray. It's nice to see you again."

"Yeah, likewise. What are ya doing here? Got some files to pick up, or sumthin'?"

"Oh, no Ray." The sandy head shook from side to side. "I came to see you."

Ray's jaw dropped open. "You did?"

"I thought you might like to see a movie with me." Turnbull searched in the little leather pouch on his belt and produced a small folder. He took out a couple of tickets and passed them over with a satisfied smile.

"Star Wars?" Ray stared at the tickets in awe. "I tried to get one, but they're sold out for the next three weeks." Then he noticed the date. "Somebody's jerking you around. It doesn't open until May 21st. How much did the bastard rip you off?"

"No, Ray, they're for a special premiere, for charity. And I got them free." Turnbull smiled brilliantly at him. "Inspector Thatcher bought them but now she has to go to Ottawa, and since Const…" he stumbled to a halt, blushing furiously, then continued gamely. "…ah, Constable Fraser doesn't care for science fiction movies."

It looked like everybody knew about him and Fraser. Then a sudden memory of Turnbull on the day of Vecchio's return surfaced unpleasantly in his memory. He'd been acting so strangely that Ray had thought he was about to have a complete breakdown. And Turnbull had done his best to keep him from going down the hallway to Fraser's office. Ray stared up at the tall, nervously fidgeting Mountie with a sour taste in his mouth.

"You knew. That day, you knew. Didn't you?"

Turnbull nodded, blushing even more deeply than usual. "I'm sorry."

"Aw, shit." He gripped the edge of his desk tightly with both hands. If he threw all the files to the floor, like he wanted to, he'd only have to pick them all up again. Frannie sure as Hell wouldn't do it. He managed to raise his eyes to Turnbull's sympathetic face. "It's not your fault, for chrissakes. Don't apologise for that damn…" he stopped, not sure whether he was cursing Vecchio, or Fraser.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come." Turnbull cast a longing look at the tickets, scattered on hiss desk. "Please keep the tickets. I'm sorry."

The Mountie was halfway to the door before Ray had recovered from his shock. "Hang on." He hurried after the younger man. "Turnbull… for God's sake, who am I supposed to take with me, if you don't come, huh?"

Turnbull hesitated. "Do you want me to?"

He grinned at the hopeful look on the Canadian's face. "Sure I do. Maybe we can go to dinner afterwards. How's that sound?"

The beaming smile was answer enough.

*

A quiet sound beside him woke Ben and he stirred uneasily and turned his head. Beside him Ray muttered incoherently in his sleep.

"Ray?" He whispered his lover's name softly. "Ray, it's over now, you're here with me. It's all right, Ray."

His words had no immediate effect, but he continued anyway. Eventually, the sound of his voice would reach Ray and he'd wake from his nightmare. Touching him was out of the question. The first time he'd done that he'd found himself staring down the muzzle of Ray's gun. After that, he'd been careful not to touch Ray; and Ray had stopped sleeping with a gun under his pillow. It was now shut, but not locked, in Ray's bedside drawer.

There was enough light, in the early morning sky, and from the hallway light, left on all night, to see. The long dark lashes fluttered against Ray's cheeks, a sign that he was close to the surface. Ben let his voice drop even lower and kept talking. It hadn't taken him long to realise that the Ray who had returned from Florida was not the Ray he'd known and loved for two years before he'd gone undercover.

In some ways he'd changed for the better. He was more confident now of his own abilities as a police officer, having obviously proved something to himself by taking on the dangerous and prolonged assignment. As a result, he was more relaxed, less likely to complain for no real reason. But there was a down side. Ray had nightmares, and not only when he was sleeping. Ben was aware that there were a lot of things Ray wasn't telling him. Wasn't ready to tell him yet. Well, Ben was more than willing to wait for him.

At last the dark lashes lifted, revealing luminous green eyes and Ray smiled at him. "Hey, Benny." He ran a hand over his face and yawned.

"Are you all right, Ray?" Ben cupped his hand against Ray's cheek

"Sure." There was the faintest hint of a tremor in Ray's voice.

He leaned closer and kissed the generous, sensual mouth. Ray responded slowly, still drowsy and shaking off the effects of his dream. Every once in a while, they had to stop as another huge yawn shook Ray's body, but it was curiously comforting to lie close together exchanging sleepy kisses until Ray was awake enough to want more. With a quiet sigh, Ben began to explore the dramatic contours of Ray's face, taking pleasure even from the rough morning stubble on his lover's cheeks.

Ray was still sleepy enough to lie passive under his caresses, doing no more than rub encouraging hands over Ben's back as Ben's lips traced a path down his throat and over his shoulder, pausing to kiss the two bullet scars on Ray's left shoulder. Both of them were caused by bullets meant for him. The sight of them never failed to move him, reminders as they were of how much Ray had been willing to sacrifice for him.

Ben lowered his head once again, and Ray moaned softly as Ben kissed the dark nipple and brushed gentle fingertips through his chest hair. Long fingers slid through his hair and held him close as he sucked, then guided his head across to the other nipple. More quiet sounds of pleasure drifted down from above his head.

His hands skimmed lightly over Ray's body, barely touching the surface and Ray responded, moving restlessly under his caress. Deliberately, Ben took his time, randomly visiting every part of Ray except one. But, even when he at last relented, Ray's cock was still only partly erect, lying in a heavy curve across his belly. That didn't matter. He loved the feel of the springy erectile tissue and the velvet surface that covered it. He stroked gently up and down the length of it, occasionally allowing his hand to descend to the swollen balls, cupping them in his fingers before slowly drawing his hand upwards again.

"Benny!" Ray's quiet gasp and a quick involuntary flex of his hips signalled his readiness.

Ben lifted his head and claimed the parted lips with his mouth as his fingers wrapped around Ray's now hardened shaft and began pumping lazily. Ray moaned against his mouth and pressed closer. Their legs tangled and Ben began to move in slow thrusts against the bony hip. Ray's hands were everywhere now, his drowsiness forgotten as urgency overtook them both.

With a quick movement, Ben rolled on top of Ray, matching him stroke for stroke as his hunger grew. The long, wiry legs lifted, wrapping around his hips and Ray arched up against him. He wanted, suddenly, desperately, to be inside Ray now, but it was too late. A choked cry from Ray was echoed by his own voice, then there was nothing but hard-breathing silence and the wet heat of their cum binding them stickily together.

Luminous green eyes, no longer sleepy, met his when Ben at last lifted his head. "Morning, Benny."

"Morning, Ray."

Ben lifted himself off Ray reluctantly. It had only been ten days since he'd finally moved in with Ray, yet he'd become completely accustomed to the intimacy of waking up next to his lover every morning. In all his life, he'd never lived with a lover before, or stayed all night for more than a couple of days at a time. It was frighteningly comforting, and if it ever ended, he didn't know how he'd survive.

*

"Wow! That was… incredible, amazing! That light sabre fight with Maur. And the pod race… pure Lucas. The man's a genius."

Turnbull smiled as Ray Kowalski almost danced alongside him, still hyped from the movie. He'd enjoyed it too, but even more, he'd enjoyed watching Ray's intense response to the movie, with the result that he'd missed some key scenes. Well, he could always go see it again some time. Ray might even go with him, if he was lucky.

He glanced across again at the smaller man, thinking how good he looked in evening dress, even with the black tie hanging loose and the top two buttons of his shirt undone. Especially with the top two buttons undone. Even the spiky blond hair didn't look quite so wild tonight.

Ray grinned at him and he returned a smile that was several degrees too friendly. He saw the resulting wariness in Ray's face and hurriedly moderated the smile. "It was very enjoyable, Ray."

"Very enjoyable?" Ray stared at him in surprise, his wariness forgotten. "It was a masterpiece! A work of art. And you say it's enjoyable? What is it with you Canadians? Don't you know how to have fun?"

A brief silence fell as the image of another Canadian came to mind for both of them. Ray shrugged an irritable shoulder. "Where the Hell did I leave the car, anyway?"

"Um…" Turnbull squinted up at the narrow patch of sky, which was all that showed between the high rise buildings. Hardly any stars were visible over the city lights, and he wondered how people could stand to be so deprived. "Turn right here, I think." He should never have left his compass behind in the pocket of his second best jodhpurs.

Ray stared around them. "Oh, yeah."

Over their heads the 'L' thundered and rattled on its way. The stink of gas fumes still hung around though the streets were much quieter than they had been earlier in the evening. They turned down Madison and a couple of blocks further on, found the parking building. The car was parked on the street, just around the corner.

"So where d'you wanna go? Any place in mind?" Ray turned his head to look at him while they waited at the lights.

"Oh, no… anywhere you like, Ray." He'd rather thought Ray would have made arrangements in advance, and the lack of care hurt him a little. He pushed it aside, determined not to let it spoil a perfectly good evening.

They turned left, and Ray glanced over at him again. "Well, there's this place. I just wasn't sure if you'd like it. You like the Blues?"

"Oh yes. Very much, Ray." He wondered if they played basketball or baseball.

Ray grinned again. "Well, there's this Blues club, and the music's great. But there's no food, just bar snacks. It shouldn't be too hard to get in on a weeknight at this time of year."

Ah, music. Turnbull relaxed back against the seat. "It sounds wonderful, Ray."

It wasn't very far north of where they were, just across the river. Once again, parking was easy to find on the street, but, as they crossed the road, his eye was caught by a large, low, building which, for a moment, he thought was on fire.

"Ray!" He grabbed Ray's arm.

Ray stopped dead, reacting to the alarm in his voice. "What?"

By then he'd already realised his mistake. He stared in fascination at the huge green frog attached to the corner of the building. The owners must have been using dry ice, he supposed, to create the mist effect. It was certainly effective, he thought as he examined a wall apparently covered with creepers and with gigantic toadstools growing out of it.

"Oh, that." Ray pulled him over to the sidewalk as a car came perilously close, its horn blaring. "That's the Rainforest Cafe. It's for kids."

"Oh." He tried not to let the disappointment show in his voice. He would have loved to investigate further.

"You wanna go there?" Ray was looking at him with amusement lurking in his eyes. 'Or, just past it, there's a Hard Rock Cafe. You ever been to one?"

Turnbull shook his head, his eyes widening.

"Come on." Ray turned back towards the intersection only a few metres away.

"Are you sure, Ray?" Turnbull cast a glance back at the building they'd been heading for. High up on the brick wall was a painted sign featuring some black musicians. Blue Chicago, the sign said.

His companion shrugged. "Yeah, why not? We can always go there another time."

Turnbull missed a step and then stumbled to catch up. He tried to keep a smile off his face at the thought that Ray wanted to go out with him again.

*

"Kowalski, Vecchio, get in here."

They exchanged resigned and wary looks as they trudged over to Welsh's office. It was obvious what was going to happen and Vecchio was muttering under his breath. No doubt it was something uncomplimentary about him. Wariness overflowed into anger.

"Dammit, he can't do this. I ain't gonna work with you."

Vecchio threw him an irritated look. "Fine. You transfer."

There wasn't time to think of an adequate answer. He contented himself with scowling at Welsh instead.

"Gentlemen. You can both sit." Welsh was as calm as ever.

"Thank you, sir, but I'd rather…"

Welsh was unmoved. "Sit Vecchio."

They sat. Ray tried to suppress a grin, relieved that he hadn't had the nerve to refuse. Vecchio stared at him, his face suddenly unreadable.

"I've tried to give you some breathing space, but it has now been brought to my attention, officially, that I have not one, but two unpartnered officers working in my division. I have instructions not to allow that situation to continue." Welsh leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh. "So I now have the option of reassigning a number of officers, or pairing the two of you up. I'm sure you can figure out which option I've decided to go with."

There was a long silence. Ray exchanged another unfriendly glance with Vecchio, who shrugged. Great. It was up to him this time.

"Uh, sir? What if things don't work out?"

That brought him Welsh's full attention. "Well, always supposing that your inability to work together doesn't get one or both of you killed, that would mean you would both be reassigned to other Precincts."

"What?" Ray half rose out of his chair, caught sight of Vecchio, who hadn't moved, and dropped back into it again. "Dammit, that's not fair."

"Maybe not." The lieutenant smiled briefly. "But if you think I'm going to fall for that 'we couldn't work together' routine, then you're wasting your time. You're both good officers and I don't want to lose either of you. So you will learn to work together. You can go now."

Vecchio was already out of his chair. Ray followed him to the door. Outside they stopped.

"We have to talk." Vecchio headed for the main door of the Bullpen without bothering to check whether Ray was following.

He was tempted to go back to his desk. Hell, he was tempted to write out his resignation and walk out of the stationhouse altogether. Except he didn't want to quit and he didn't want to be transferred to another precinct. He followed Vecchio.

Vecchio was waiting for him outside the closet. "Oh, no. I ain't goin' in there with you."

"Damn right you ain't" Vecchio headed off again. Towards the lunchroom, Ray realised with some relief.

They took a table together, ignoring the surprised looks of the few people still in there at nearly four p.m. They stared at each other for several minutes without speaking.

"So, Stanley, I guess if you wanted to leave you would have put in for a transfer by now." Vecchio looked like he was regretting that supposition.

He was so pissed he couldn't even be bothered objecting to Vecchio's use of his first name. "Yeah. So?"

Vecchio shifted in his seat. "So that means we have to learn to work together, because I'm not leaving either."

It wasn't what he wanted to hear. "Dammit, he must be crazy. He can't do this." He glared at the other man.

"You wanna bet?" Vecchio grinned briefly. "Don't tell me you didn't see this coming."

He had, of course. That didn't mean he was willing to accept it. "So what do you want to do?"

A shrug. "We keep it strictly professional. It wouldn't be the first time you've worked with someone you didn't like, I'm guessing. It sure isn't for me. We keep our personal life out of it." Vecchio's brooding gaze met his. "You're a good cop. So am I. We can do it if we have to."

"That's it? That's your great idea?" Ray stared at him incredulously. "You walk in here, you take my lover, and then you say we can work together?" He barely managed to keep the words to an angry hiss. He wanted to punch the other man on his oversized nose.

Vecchio scowled. "Grow up, Stanley. I didn't take him off of you. You kicked him out. You could have still had him."

It silenced him. He knew it was true, but how was he supposed to accept his lover being in love with somebody else? Ray cursed under his breath and flung himself out of his chair and across the room.

"He still misses you, you know."

He hadn't heard Vecchio come up behind him, and the words nearly made him jump out of his skin. When the meaning sank in, he was at a loss for words. It still hurt too much. "Are you gonna tell him about this?"

"Sure I am. He'll find out anyway." Vecchio sighed. "What do you say Stanley? Are we partners or not?"

"Stop calling me Stanley, for chrissakes! I hate that." Reluctantly, he turned to face his new partner. "At least call me Stan."

A smile touched Vecchio's lips. "Okay, Stan."

*

Ray had told him to dress casually. Turnbull hoped that jeans and a blue shirt weren't too casual. Well, it was too late for second thoughts now. He knocked on the apartment door.

There was no response at first, then, just as he was lifting his hand to knock again, the door opened. Ray was obviously running late. His hair was even more wildly disarrayed than usual and he was wearing just an undershirt and his jeans. The top two buttons of his jeans were undone. Turnbull swallowed and tried to drag his eyes away.

"Come in." Ray grinned at him and backed out of the way. "I just gotta take a shower."

"All right." He looked around the small, distressingly untidy, apartment and turned back in time to see Ray peel his undershirt off over his head. His mouth went suddenly dry. His eyes slid down the slender, wiry body and came to rest at the shallow indentation of Ray's navel. Below that he could now see a band of white elastic and approximately one inch of grey cotton knit where the jeans had slipped down a little. Turnbull felt himself blush.

Belatedly, he realised that Ray was speaking to him, and that he had no idea what had been said.

He tried to think of something neutral to say. Something that should cover any eventuality… "Uh… that's, um… that's nice, Ray…"

"Nice?" Ray waved his hands in front of Turnbull's face. "Hello? I tell you I've had a rough day and you say that's nice?"

"Oh!" He blushed even more fiercely. "I'm sorry, Ray… I… I… misheard you."

Ray stared at him and Turnbull tried not to fidget, but he felt distinctly uncomfortable. It got worse when Ray took two steps forward. Now they were so close he could feel the warmth of Ray's body.

"So, this thing… you know, us going out… are we dating?"

Turnbull swallowed a sudden lump in his throat. "Dating?"

"Yeah, dating." Ray's eyes studied him. "You know what dating is, don't you?"

"Of course, Ray." He was trembling. Surely Ray would be able to see it.

Ray leaned a little closer. "So are we? Dating?"

"Uh…" he tried desperately to work out where this was leading. "Why do you ask, Ray?"

Ray heaved an irritated sigh. Then he leaned closer still and laid a hand on Turnbull's shoulder. "Because I figure, if we're dating, maybe we should skip dinner and the movie and just go to bed."

"Bed?" He could hardly hear through the roaring in his ears, but he thought his voice had gone up nearly an octave.

The pale blue eyes were smiling at him. "You do have beds in Canada, don't you?"

"Yes, Ray."

"Yes, you have beds?" Ray's fingers brushed lightly against his cheek.

He leaned into the fleeting touch, his eyes closing briefly. "Yes, I'd like to go to bed with you."

The thin lips curved up into a sweet smile. "I thought you'd never ask."

He'd wanted this for so long that now he had it, Turnbull could hardly believe it was really happening. Ray seemed to be waiting for him to make the first move, so he raised his hand to cup Ray's cheek. They were both breathing fast and they'd barely touched.

The soft brush of Ray's lips against his own sent a shiver through his body. As they kissed his fingers explored the planes of Ray's face. The curves of his ear. The soft spiky hair. When they paused for breath, his lips followed the same route. Time seemed to stand still.

Ray's fingers were in his hair. Ray's body was pressed up against his, and Turnbull slid his arms around the smaller man, revelling in the slide of his hands over bare skin. He lowered his head to investigate the sensitive hollow at the base of Ray's throat and felt the tremor of a soft moan against his lips.

His shirt was being unbuttoned. As soon as Ray pulled it off him and let it drop, all memory of it vanished from his mind. They stared at each other for a long moment and then Ray lifted his hands to press them, palms flat, against his chest. They seemed so small in comparison to his own. He watched as Ray rubbed his chest, teasing at the scattered hairs, gently tweaking his nipples.

Ray grinned self-consciously. "Nice." His hands moved up to Turnbull's shoulders, drawing their bodies together and kissed him again.

He felt so small, so fragile. A rush of tenderness almost overwhelmed Turnbull. "Oh, Ray…" he whispered the name longingly.

The slender body pressed closer, arching against him as his hands stroked the long curve of his back down to the top of his jeans. Before he could think too much about it, Turnbull ran his fingers around to the front and began to unfasten the remaining buttons. When that brought no protest, he lowered his head and captured a small pale nipple between his lips.

Ray seemed content to let him make all the moves, and Turnbull was happy with that. Night after night, in the last few weeks, he'd played out this scene in his dreams and he knew exactly what he wanted to do. He covered Ray's chest with soft, tender kisses, slowly moving downwards until he had to kneel. The buttons were all undone now, and he slid the jeans down a little and pressed his face to Ray's belly, breathing in his musky aroma along with the sharp tang of fresh sweat and the sweet scent of his cologne.

"Turnbull, for God's sake!" It was half groan, half protest. Ray's hands guided his head lower and he kissed Ray's erection through the warm cloth. "Yeah, oh yeah…"

With that encouragement, he slid his hand inside the shorts and released the heavy cock from captivity, cradling its semi-hardness in his hand. He blew softly on the moist cockhead and Ray shivered helplessly. Then, incapable of delaying any further, Turnbull sucked the thick cock into his mouth. A reflexive thrust of the slender hips slid it still deeper as Ray moaned deliriously.

He could have knelt in front of Ray forever, taking his own pleasure from the pleasure he was giving Ray, but he could feel the tremors starting that would soon result in climax. Turnbull drew back reluctantly, closing his fingers in a tight grip around the head of Ray's cock. Another shudder, and Ray relaxed a little.

"Wow!" Ray smiled down at him. "You're incredible, you know that?"

He was too distracted even to answer, too busy anticipating what he would do next. The shorts would have to go. Turnbull guided them down off Ray's hips and stared, entranced at the sway of the pale cock, fully erect now, above swollen, heavy balls lightly dusted with soft sparse hairs. He kissed them almost reverently while Ray's cock brushed against his cheek and then captured the cock in his mouth briefly before he stood again.

This time he put his hands firmly on Ray's bare buttocks, drawing him up tight against his body. Ray gasped as his no doubt sensitised cock rubbed against stiff denim.

"Oh, man…" Ray captured his mouth hungrily.

He released Ray's tongue reluctantly. "I believe we should go to the bedroom now, Ray." His voice was breathless and shaking.

"Yeah." Ray grinned at him.

It wasn't so easy to actually get there. Ray wouldn't let go of him, which didn't help, but they made it in the end and Turnbull pushed him down to sit on the edge of the bed so he could resume his phallic worship. Gradually, he worked the tight jeans and clinging shorts down over Ray's legs, and then it was even better, because he could pull Ray's legs wide open and investigate further.

Soon, Ray was flat on the bed making inarticulate noises as Turnbull licked and kissed his way from knee to groin and back again. He folded the wiry legs back against Ray's chest and stroked the cleft of Ray's ass with his tongue. A long shudder coursed through Ray and then he was pushed firmly away.

Turnbull froze, still panting. "Ray?"

"I don't do that stuff." The tousled blond head lifted from the bed to stare at him along the length of Ray's body. "I don't take it up the ass. Just so's you know where I stand, okay?"

"All right." Turnbull hesitated, bewildered by the change in him. "Ah… do you mind if I…?"

Ray grinned, relaxing again. "Nah, go right ahead, just don't think it's gonna lead to anything."

"I won't." He ducked down again, his heart racing, and not only from his own intense arousal. Perhaps it would be better not to prolong this part… especially since, as Ray said, it wasn't going to lead to anything.

In any case, he would soon need to deal with his own needs, which couldn't be deferred indefinitely. So, after a few more minutes, he crawled up over Ray's body and gathered him close. Almost at once their groins brushed together, and Turnbull felt the shock of it through every layer of cloth that separated them.

Ray did too, that much was obvious. His face twisted and his hands began to tear almost frantically at Turnbull's jeans. There was no way he was going to do it on his own. Turnbull gently brushed aside his help with hands that shook just as badly and managed to get the jeans unzipped. They were shoved unceremoniously downwards and with a quick twist, Turnbull dropped himself beside Ray and kicked off shoes, jeans and boxer shorts together.

It was almost more than he could bear to lie still and allow Ray to look at him, to touch him, when all he wanted was to take or be taken by him. Neither was likely to happen tonight, he realised. Ray's brand of neediness wouldn't allow him such intimacy at so early a stage in their relationship. Ray's hand, caressing his cock was more than enough, for now. And then Ray moved against him, his cock driving along the length of his own.

All thought dissipated as they thrust into each other's bellies, groaning with the intensity of it. Turnbull rolled onto his back, pulling Ray on top of him and Ray pushed up on his elbows, grinning like a madman as their groins were pressed ever more tightly together. Pre-cum and sweat made their skins slick as Ray rode him harder and harder. With one last gasp he thrust up into the flat muscular belly and hung there, endlessly, barely aware of the fierce internal contractions and his cock pulsing with a life of its own.

He surfaced again, aware firstly of a not inconsiderable weight sprawled on top of him, and then of the sticky sweaty feel of his body. The weight stirred and then settled again, muttering something under its breath. Turnbull smiled and stroked Ray's damp hair. It was still early, and he didn't care if he never saw a movie again. He had better ways to occupy his evenings now.

*

With a final burst of gunfire, Bruce Willis demolished the last of the bad guys, and limped, bloodied but still wisecracking, to be congratulated by the heroine. Ray grinned his approval. That was the way movies were supposed to end, not like those weird Canadian ones where everybody died, or nothing ever happened. The kind of movies that Benny liked to watch, now he'd gotten over the shock of having a television in his home.

"Wasn't that great, Benny?" He nudged his lover in the side with an elbow.

"Mmn?" Ben lowered the book he was reading. "What, Ray?"

"The movie." He sighed. "Didn't you watch any of it?"

From his blank look, it seemed like the answer was no. Oh well… Ray shifted a little closer, though they were already pretty close. "What're ya reading Benny?"

"Oh, you wouldn't be interested, Ray." Ben shut the book hurriedly, but Ray was faster.

He flipped it open and frowned at the title page. "Interested? I don't even understand the damned title!"

A tiny gleam appeared in Ben's eyes. "Well, Ray, it's…"

Ray flung up a hand and Ben stopped obediently. "How about we do something else, Benny?"

They both knew what 'something else' meant. Ben tossed the book aside and reached for him, pulling Ray into his arms.

Things were proceeding nicely, and pretty much as expected, when the music started. It was that vaguely Italian, vaguely threatening music that always heralded the start of some made-on-the-cheap, Godfather-clone, TV movie of the week. Muttering a curse, Ray twisted away, reaching for the remote. With a quiet pop the television powered off.

Grey-blue eyes watched him worriedly. "Are you all right?"

He didn't react. Didn't turn back either. "It's okay. I just don't wanna watch that kind of crap." Ray stayed where he was, leaning back against Ben's chest. "You'd think they could find something better than that to show."

A sigh brushed warmly against his cheek. His ear lobe was nibbled delicately. Ray moaned his appreciation and encouragement, tilting his head a little. His shirt was unbuttoned and Ben's hand slid inside it.

Ray groaned. "Who needs TV anyway?"

"Precisely. We should send it back."

Now that was going too far. But then the fingers that had been playing with his chest hair moved beneath his undershirt and tweaked his nipple gently. The warm wet sucking on his earlobe was robbing him of the ability to think straight. Ray surrendered to the pleasure coursing through his body with a sigh.

"Ray…" this time Ben sounded far more determined. "Are you sure you're all right?"

His hands and lips had stopped what they were doing. Ray stifled another, less happy sigh. "I will be, if you just keep on doing whatever that was. Otherwise, I could get very, very upset."

"You… you do know you could tell me anything, don't you Ray?"

Damn, it sounded like Benny wasn't going to let it go this time. Ray twisted around to face him. "Look, Benny… there was stuff I did… well, I'm not proud of it, okay?"

"Illegal things, Ray?" Ben stroked his cheek lightly.

He raised a grin from somewhere. "What? You gonna arrest me?"

"I could never do that, Ray." Ben smiled sadly. "I just think it would be better for you if you could talk about it. If you could trust me."

"Aww, Benny…" Ray eyed his lover warily. "It's not about trust. I'm just not ready to go there, okay? One day I'll tell you. Just not yet."

Ben still looked unconvinced. "All right, Ray."

"Besides…" Ray stopped himself, regretting the impulse he'd had, but Ben was watching him inquiringly and Ray just knew he wasn't going to let it go. "Well, if we're gonna talk about trust, how about you trusting me?"

"I do, Ray. I trust you implicitly."

He smiled at the protesting tone of his lover's voice. "Benny, we don't ever talk about the one thing that's really important between us. You're still in love with him, aren't you?"

The frightened widening of Ben's eyes was answer enough. Ray dragged him into a rough hug. "Benny, it's okay. I'm okay with it, I swear. But you really miss him, don't you? Even though you never say anything."

"Ray, I…" Ben's eyes slid away from Ray's, and his shoulders lifted in a tiny shrug. "There's no point, is there? It's over."

The quiet hopelessness in his voice spoke volumes about what his lover felt. Far more than Benny would ever be able to say aloud. Ray pushed him backwards so he was lying along the couch and followed him down for a kiss. Eventually, he released Ben and sat up.

He traced the curve of Ben's lower lip with a fingertip. "Maybe it is, but that doesn't mean you have to pretend it doesn't matter."

Ben didn't answer. There was obviously nothing more he wanted to say. An unusual state of affairs as far as the voluble Mountie was concerned. Ray set about distracting him. He lifted Ben's jeans clad legs so they lay across his lap, his fingers tracing the inner seam up into his lover's crotch. A faint smile rewarded him for that. He stroked the front of Ben's jeans thoughtfully, feeling his ready arousal clearly through the stiff cloth.

Direct action was obviously called for… Ray seized the initiative and the zipper. It only took a moment to drag the jeans and boxers down below Ben's groin. Any further would have been a waste of effort as far as he was concerned. He eyed the rosy tipped cock appreciatively as it rose from Ben's pale belly.

There was no protest as he first stroked, then wrapped his fingers around the thick shaft. Ben lay passively watching him. Usually when they made love Ray was fully involved, but this time he felt almost like an onlooker as Ben's eyes closed and his body arched up into his fist. It was quite a sight too… the small patch of pale skin, the long thick cock, wet tipped and trembling… Ray swallowed, his heart almost in his mouth.

Ben hardly made a sound; only his hard breathing, and the occasional soft moan broke the silence in the room. Ray found he was shivering with arousal, his hands shaking. A tiny gasp from Ben distracted him for a moment. It was obvious that he was close to climax, and Ray wasn't nearly ready to end it yet. He tightened his fingers around the top of Ben's cock and squeezed.

The sturdy body relaxed a little and Ray transferred his attentions to Ben's foreskin. It fascinated him. Always had. He slid it back and forth across the swollen cockhead the way Benny liked it and felt the resulting shudder right through his own body.

"Oh, Ray!" Ben's hands suddenly swept down over his body, one disappearing into the cloth at his groin, the other moving lightly over his belly.

Ray watched, delighted, as Ben began to massage his balls, his fingers moving with slow sensuality. Soon, one hand slid back up, under the white T-shirt, and began to play with a nipple. He kept up the steady stroking and settled back to enjoy the unexpected floorshow.

The gasps and moans were becoming more frequent, more abandoned with every moment. Ben shuddered, then froze, and his hands ceased their movement, but still he didn't come. Ray pushed one hand down inside the warm space between his legs, caressing the inside of one thigh, and Ben cried out again.

"Come on, Benny… it's okay, Benny love." He resumed the slow, deliberate pumping of that incredible cock, tightening his fingers to provide just the right amount of pressure, and watched as a pearly fountain burst forth, splattering his fingers and the heaving belly beneath. Across his legs, Ben's body gave a last, prolonged shudder and went completely limp.

"Ray?" Ben's questioning voice brought him back from his daze and Ray realised he was still stroking the now softening cock. He released it reluctantly.

"Wow…" Ray sighed. "That was incredible, Benny."

Ben slithered off his lap to kneel on the floor. His voice, agreeing, was muffled by the T-shirt as he peeled it off over his head. Quite unselfconsciously, he used it to wipe his belly before dropping it on the floor. He was still wearing the jeans, and his cock drooped against the rough denim, pale even against the faded blue. With a quick twist and a determined wriggle the jeans and shorts were discarded too and Ray had a naked, beautiful man kneeling between his thighs.

Just the sort of situation he was equipped to handle… then Ben's hands got busy with his belt buckle. He watched, as though from a distance, as his clothes were removed and tossed aside with uncharacteristic lack of care. Ben rose up on his knees to kiss him and, as their bodies slid against each other a jolt of hunger left Ray gasping.

A small, triumphant grin creased the corners of that perfect mouth and Ben lowered his head to suck eagerly at first one nipple and then the other. Ray shivered with pleasure; there was nothing better than an orally fixated lover.

It seemed as though Ben was determined to prove that particular point as he kissed and licked his way down Ray's body to the wiry thatch at his groin. Ray's cock, darkly aroused, was taken in a firm grip and licked from the root up to the weeping slit at its crown. Ray moaned extravagantly, parting his thighs still further and letting his head fall back limply.

Even unable to see what Ben was doing, and how he looked when he was doing it, Ray's arousal soared out of control. Now he was the one moaning and shuddering as Ben's talented tongue got to work on his aching balls. His hips lifted instinctively and Ben's mouth closed around his cock at last.

Oh God, it was incredible… hot and wet and greedy. Ben's hands grasped his hips and held him firmly as he deepthroated Ray without the slightest hesitation. No doubt about where he'd learnt that trick, but Ray wasn't complaining. He held still with an effort, wanting it to never end, wanting it to end now. Ben drew back until just the tip of Ray's cock remained in his mouth, ready no doubt, for some heavy duty sucking, but Ray wasn't having that. He pushed Ben's head away and dragged his lover up until his cock was sandwiched between his own furry belly and the silken smoothness of Ben's chest.

They exchanged a smile and then the dark head pressed against his chest seeking a nipple. A moment later those pretty lips were clamped firmly in place and Ray cut loose, his hips surging up against the weight of Ben's body in one last long, desperate thrust.

*

"Stan, we need to talk."

Kowalski grunted, still half asleep after the long, and probably pointless, stakeout. Now he had to talk? They'd been alone here half the day, and Vecchio had hardly said a word. In fact, had hardly said a word to him all week outside of business, and now, suddenly, they had to talk. He glanced at the clock in the dashboard. Nearly eight p.m. The relief team would be here in ten minutes and he could go home and crash in front of the TV. No way he was going to start a conversation with Vecchio now. Not when it was obviously going to be one of those kinds of conversations.

A hand grabbed his shoulder and shook it impatiently. "Stan!"

"Leave it!" He shrugged off the hand. "We don't gotta talk if I don't want to. And I don't, okay?"

"Yes we do, Kowalski. It's about Benny."

Incredible how it could still hurt so much just to hear his name. Ray hunched his shoulder, pulling further over against the door. "You said we'd keep him out of this."

He heard Vecchio shift restlessly in the driver's seat and wished he'd brought his own car. Dammit, he should have known something was up when Vecchio had insisted on driving. Usually, he wouldn't take the Riv anywhere where it might get damaged, not even a boring stakeout. So that meant Vecchio had been planning this. It didn't make him feel any better to know that.

"Yeah, well, things have changed, okay?" Vecchio's voice was unusually serious. "He misses you. Really misses you."

Ray scowled. So Fraser was missing him? Too bad. "You already told me that before. He'll get over it."

"Stan..." Vecchio sighed and half turned in his seat. "I don't think he will get over it. He's not exactly a getting over it kind of guy."

"Yeah well that's his problem." To his shame, Ray found he was feeling a nasty sense of satisfaction at the thought of Fraser missing him. "I'm with someone else now."

"Turnbull? Come on, Kowalski." Vecchio's teeth flashed in a grin. "You're not serious."

"Why not?" He whirled around to face his partner, surprised by his own vehemence. "What's wrong with Renny?"

Vecchio shrugged. "You really expect me to believe you prefer him to Benny?"

There was a long silence, while he struggled to find an answer. Renny had been there for him when he needed someone. Renny was even fun to be with in a weird kind of way. But Fraser... Fraser was... was just Fraser. One of a kind. Not the kind of guy you got over. Especially not the kind of guy you got over in two months.

The hiss of tyres on a wet street and the quiet purr of an engine roused him from his thoughts. The relief team had arrived. A moment later Huey crouched beside his window.

"Anything?"

"Nah. Not a peep. Waste of time, if you ask me."

Vecchio leaned towards them. "Hey, Jack. I sure hope you bought a pack of cards with you."

Huey grinned. "I lost 'em. Tom kept beating me."

The Riv's engine roared into life as Vecchio gunned the engine impatiently. "Well, it's gonna be a long night. See ya!"

Lost in thought, it was a while before Ray realised where they were headed. He wouldn't ordinarily have admitted it, but he knew exactly where the two of them lived. It didn't make him feel any better that the neighbourhood was far better than the one he lived in. And his own car was back at the stationhouse. A long way from here.

"Hey! Vecchio! What the Hell do ya think you're doing?"

Vecchio just threw him a quick look. "I told ya we needed to talk."

"No!" There was an edge of panic in his voice. No way was he ready to face Fraser. "Dammit, let me out."

"Relax, Stan, Benny's not gonna be there. He's working late at the consulate tonight. Probably won't be home before midnight."

"Great. That makes it all okay, does it?" But he leaned back against the seat back and tried to relax. He didn't want to go to their apartment. He didn't want to know anything about their life together. But the only way he was going to get out of it would be to jump from the moving car and he wasn't ready to do that.

By the time they reached the apartment building, Ray had pretty much resigned himself to going through with it. Otherwise, he'd have Vecchio on his case over it for the next week or more, and he was having enough problems dealing with Vecchio as it was.

The apartment was nothing special, just an average modern apartment, not particularly spacious. He avoided looking down the short hallway towards the bedroom. Vecchio had disappeared down there, but he was back in a moment, his jacket and tie discarded, his shirt open at the neck.

"Bathroom's down that way." Vecchio waved a hand in the direction of the hallway. "You want a coffee?"

Ray shook his head. "Let's just get it over with, huh?"

"Okay." Vecchio stared at him for a moment, then rubbed his hands over his face and head. "You know why I accepted that undercover assignment?"

The question startled him. Ray's first impulse was to make a smart-ass comment, but the look on Vecchio's face stopped him. "Why don't you tell me?"

"Benny and me, we'd been together a while. As lovers." The green eyes, wide and troubled, fixed on his face, and Ray felt uncomfortably exposed. Then Vecchio cracked a grin. "You know what it's like, being with him. Always taking second place to Mr Perfect Mountie. Doesn't matter what you do, he's always the one that the reporters want to interview, with that red coat and that pretty face and that 'thank you kindly' thing he does. Don't tell me you've never felt…"

"Jealous? Sure I have. He's a frigging saint." He exchanged an understanding smile with Vecchio, not without some internal misgivings. Understanding Vecchio wasn't exactly on his agenda.

"Yeah. So when they offered me that assignment, I jumped at the chance. I wanted to prove I could do it without the Mountie, you know?" Vecchio leaned back against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. "So I take off, don't even tell him what's happening. Didn't think about what it would do to him. To us. It was the stupidest damn thing I've ever done in my life."

Ray was feeling distinctly uncomfortable with these revelations. "Look, can we get to the point here? I mean I don't wanna be a killjoy, but what's this got to do with me?"

Vecchio sighed impatiently. "Don't be dense, Stan. It's about all of us. I took that assignment and I screwed up my life, Benny's life, and yours."

"Yeah? So?" He lifted a shoulder dismissively. This wasn't what he expected. He didn't want to understand Vecchio, or feel any sympathy for him.

The other man pushed himself away from the wall and came over to grab his shoulders. Ray stiffened defensively. "I was jealous, okay? And I let that jealousy push me into making a stupid mistake. And you've done exactly the same thing."

"Hey!" Offended, he shoved Vecchio off him. "Just back off, willya?"

"Think about it, Stanley." Vecchio moved away a little.

The return to using his full name riled him, and for a moment Ray considered just walking out. But his own sense of honesty chose that moment to overrule his temper. "All right. I kicked him out because I couldn't stand the idea of him still being in love with you. So what? It's done now. Or are you offering to move out?"

That earned him a sardonic look. "Wouldn't do much good, would it, Stan? He'd still be miserable."

"Yeah, so what's the point?"

"The point is, he loves both of us. Both of us, Stanley." Vecchio moved until he was standing uncomfortably close and smiled in a distinctly disturbing way.

Ray swallowed convulsively. He didn't have the nerve to object to Vecchio's use of his name, not when the other man was so damn close, he could feel the hot breath against his cheek.

Vecchio laughed. It wasn't an unfriendly laugh. Not at all. "Come on Stan, aren't you gonna ask?"

He shook his head.

"You, me, Benny…" Vecchio leaned closer still. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it."

"What if I have?" That was a mistake; he knew it the moment the words were out of his mouth. "You think Fraser's gonna go for something like that? Besides, who says I wanna do it with you? I ain't in love with you."

The green eyes inspected him measuringly. "I think you'd be surprised what Benny would go for." He smiled suddenly, a sweet tender smile. "We don't need to be in love, Stan. I want you; you want me. We both want Benny. It could work if we let it."

"You want me?" His voice narrowly missed being a squeak.

In answer, Vecchio leaned up against him, and Ray could feel the evidence for himself. "Sure. Wasn't that what you wanted?" He laughed again, softly. "Face it Kowalski, you may be thirtysomething, but you've got the soul of a teenage slut. You think I haven't noticed you lounging around in those skin tight jeans?"

The pounding of his heart robbed him of the ability to speak. Ray swallowed again and remained silent. After a moment Vecchio started to lower his head, not breaking their gaze until the last moment. Not on the lips. Somewhere in his dazed mind, he was grateful for that. Hot lips grazed his throat, then sucked at the tender skin hard enough to leave a mark.

He could have escaped, even then. Vecchio had one hand on the wall behind his shoulder, but his other side was free. He could have simply slipped away, but he didn't. After a moment, Vecchio's hand roamed inside his jacket and began to tease his nipple roughly. It was a heady combination of pain and pleasure. Ray groaned softly.

Vecchio broke away, breathing fast. "Well? You made up your mind yet?"

"Yeah." He licked lips gone suddenly dry. "But how the Hell are we gonna convince Fraser?"

A shrug. "That won't be a problem as long as he thinks we're okay with it."

"Are we?" A weak bubble of semi-hysterical laughter rose inside him.

"Only one way to find out." Vecchio grabbed his wrist and started off down the hallway.

"Are you crazy?" He resisted. "Here? Now? In your bed?" In Fraser's bed? Oh, God…

He was ignored. With an internal shrug, Ray abandoned his doubts and decided to go with it. If it went wrong, he could always blame it on Vecchio afterwards. He liked that idea...

"What are you grinning at?"

He shrugged. "Nuthin'."

With a resigned shake of his head, Vecchio released him and turned away, unbuttoning his shirt. Ray gulped and shrugged his jacket off into an untidy heap on the floor. His T-shirt soon joined it. His nerves were stretched taut, and he turned so he wouldn't have to watch as Vecchio undressed. His stomach was doing flip-flops, and there were goose bumps all over his body. Finally, he slid out of his shorts and dropped them too.

They turned to face each other at the same moment, and there was a long silence. For weeks he'd admired the sensual elegance of Vecchio's body, when he thought the other man wasn't watching. Now he could see what lay under the loose, well-designed clothing, and he wasn't disappointed. Wide shoulders tapering to a narrow waist and hips. Long slim legs. All covered with a smooth olive skin and twin patches of dark hair on his chest and at his groin.

He wasn't anything like Fraser, or Renny. Both of them bigger men, both pale and broad; both hung like horses. Ray's eyes dropped to the long dark slender cock swaying heavily against his thigh. Nothing like them… oh, man… Vecchio was appraising him in the same way. Approvingly, he thought. They moved together as though drawn by magnets.

This time it was on the lips, but Ray wasn't inclined to protest. They stood close together, allowing their bodies to touch, their hands to explore, while they kissed. They didn't linger, but by the time they reached the bed they were both hard. Vecchio twisted and pulled Ray down on top of him.

Now that it was happening, his nervousness dissipated rapidly. Vecchio had never seemed to feel any at all. They wrestled against each other like a pair of horny teenagers then lay breathless, their hands still exploring. There was a curious pleasure in the simplicity of it. No messy emotions, just a rough, wary kind of friendliness and sex.

It was about then that the laughter died out of the green eyes and Vecchio set about a serious examination of his body. A long, detailed examination.

"Oh Geez…" Ray shuddered happily. "He's been giving you lessons, Vecchio."

Vecchio lifted his eyes from contemplation of Ray's cock. "You kidding? I taught him everything he knows." He grinned.

"Yeah, sure… don't stop!" His voice rose protestingly on the last word.

"Just changing venue, Stanley." Vecchio stretched out alongside him and rolled him onto his side.

Long arms wrapped around him from behind, as Vecchio began to thrust, sliding his cock along the cleft of Ray's ass. The kissing and suckling continued, on his throat and shoulder now; a long-fingered hand closed around his cock. He began to fuck it enthusiastically.

"Not too fast." The arms tightened suddenly. "Ya wanna make it last don't ya?"

He panted happily. "I don't care. Fast. Slow. Whatever."

Vecchio chuckled softly in his ear. "Just wait, okay?"

He rolled away and Ray heard the rustle of foil. He turned in time to see a condom being snapped into place. He sat up.

"No. No way. I don't do that." It wasn't just that he didn't like it. The last time he'd been fucked, he'd been fucked in more ways than one… he didn't need to be reminded of that.

Vecchio eyed him curiously. "Why? You don't know what you're missing."

"Don't I?" The words tasted sour in his mouth. "It wasn't that great."

"Oh…" A smile stretched Vecchio's lips. Somehow Ray found himself smiling back. "You just need some practice, Stanley. I'm betting Benny threw you in the deep end. He's never quite figured out that he's…" the smile widened still further, "…kinda built."

That was an understatement. As he hesitated, Vecchio rolled him firmly back into position and scooted up behind him. "Relax, Stanley. Trust me, okay?"

"Okay, but if I don't like it, it stops. You hear?"

"Sure. No problem." Vecchio's voice was muffled against his shoulder.

Slick, gel covered fingers began the expected caress, sliding between his ass cheeks, then probing inside. This was okay; he never minded this part of it. The slow movement of Vecchio's long fingers went on and on, until his body ached with the pleasure of it and his cock was standing straight out from his body as if it was trying to take off into orbit all by itself. He hardly felt the difference when the fingers were removed and replaced by Vecchio's cock.

It wasn't anything like it had been with Fraser. There was no discomfort, emotional or physical, just the feeling of having the emptiness inside him filled. Ray moaned and shuddered, pushing back against the bony hips and the hardness that stretched him so deliciously. Vecchio responded immediately, the smooth glide became a faster, harder rhythm.

"God." A breathless laugh sent hot breath gusting over his neck. "You've got the tightest little ass, Stanley. Cute too."

He didn't answer, too engrossed in the sensations coursing through his body. Vecchio reached around him and gripped his cock again, and his arousal hitched itself several levels higher. He clenched his fists over Vecchio's and let himself soar.

By the time his breathing had calmed down a bit and his heart had stopped trying to pound its way out of his chest, Vecchio had separated from him and was rolling the condom off his still hard cock. Ray pushed himself up onto his elbows with an effort, then sat up. His fingers curled easily round the dark, flushed cock. Vecchio caught his breath.

"Now it's my turn, Vecchio." He grinned, enjoying the feeling of being the one in control.

His partner dragged him closer, long fingers tangling in his hair and he nuzzled the sweaty, hairy centre of Vecchio's chest.

"Oh, yeah... that's nice." Vecchio pulled him closer still.

After a moment he tumbled over backwards, dragging Vecchio down on top of him, and wrapped his arms and legs around the slim hips. This time he was the one kissing and nipping at the tender skin of Vecchio's throat. The other man was too absorbed in his own needs to pay much attention, but that was okay. Kind of exciting, actually, that he could turn his partner on so much.

It wasn't long before the driving rhythm faltered and Vecchio caught his breath on a hoarse sob. Ray tightened his legs, and thrust up against the hard cock. Another sob, and Vecchio was coming, a hot surge of wetness on his belly.

They lay wrapped around each other for a while, then Vecchio moved away, reaching for some tissues. They exchanged sated grins and Vecchio flopped down beside him.

"Not bad, Stanley. Not bad at all."

Ray thought about objecting to the 'Stanley', but the tone of Vecchio's voice was, if anything, affectionate. He stared up at the ceiling. "Yeah? You were okay too, I guess."

There was no answer. When he looked, Vecchio was asleep. With a sigh he rolled over and pressed his cheek against the wide, bony shoulder.

*

It had taken much longer than he'd expected to finish the reorganisation of the filing system, mainly Ben suspected, because Turnbull was helping him. At nine p.m. he'd finally bowed to the inevitable and bought some takeout. Dief had been particularly unimpressed by the burger that he'd been offered in lieu of his regular dinner.

The apartment seemed to be empty when he opened the door, but Dief gave a happy little whuff and trotted down the hallway to the bedroom instead of making for the kitchen as he normally would. Ben smiled. That meant Ray must be in there waiting for him. He'd already removed his belt and lanyard and was unbuttoning his tunic by the time he was at the bedroom door.

Ray met him just outside, naked and still half-asleep. "Hey, Benny."

"Ray." He moved into Ray 's embrace for a kiss.

After a moment Ray drew back. "Benny... I've got a surprise for you."

He didn't seem very excited, or even particularly happy about it. Ben cocked his head questioningly. "What is it Ray?"

"Benny..." Ray lifted a hand to his cheek and Ben began to feel seriously alarmed.

They were interrupted by another whuff from Dief and a voice, answering him, from inside the bedroom. Ben pushed Ray aside and tried to move past him, but Ray grabbed his arms. "Benny lissen..."

He stopped in the doorway, staring over his lover's shoulder at Ray Kowalski, sitting naked in a tangle of sheets on the bed, with Dief sniffing interestedly at his chest. Time seemed to stop as his body tried to deal with the shock. Then his heart started beating again.

"Benny!" Ray's hands tightened on his arms.

He focussed his eyes once again on the man in front of him. When he spoke, he couldn't keep the pain of betrayal out of his voice. "Why, Ray? Why did you do this?"

"You're still in love with him, Benny." Ray took a deep breath. "You need him."

It was true, but still the pain raged through him. There was no way out for him. At least, not this way. "Ray, I can't lose you... I can't..." he glanced over at Ray Kowalski still sitting on the bed, staring at them. How could Ray have thought that this would solve anything? "...and you thought that having sex with Ray would help? For God's sake..." he stopped, biting his lower lip.

"Think about it, Benny. You love both of us, we both love you... and Stan and me, we get on okay. He's all right." Ray's eyes conveyed the same urgency as his voice. "The three of us, Benny. Think about it."

The three of them? Ben closed his eyes, fighting for control. Images danced against the inside of his eyelids; images of his two lovers, together; of himself and Ray Kowalski that last time they'd made love. He felt Ray's arms go around him, holding him tightly. He smelt of... dear God... of sex... of himself, and of Ray Kowalski...

"Benny." Lips brushed his cheek and he opened his eyes with a shudder. Instinctively, they turned to the bed, and Ray, again. "Benny, it's okay."

He wished he could believe it. "Ray, are you sure about this? I don't want..." he couldn't even say it aloud. The thought that he might lose not one, but both of them terrified him.

"Look, Benny..." Ray shifted uneasily and released him. "While I was undercover? I didn't always sleep alone. Sometimes it was just business. Sometimes for company."

Ray hesitated and Ben smiled at him. It was the first time Ray had spoken about the time he'd spent undercover, but this wasn't anything he hadn't already guessed. "I know. Nero?"

"Yeah. And others. Men and women." A faint smile flickered over the mobile lips. Ray shrugged one shoulder with deliberate carelessness. "None of them mattered to me... it never felt like it touched what we had, you know?"

He nodded, wondering where this was leading and Ray sighed, moving closer again, and took hold of his arms. "It was the same with Stella. It wasn't like you thought, but we did sleep together a few times. The thing is... Benny, it made me realise, when I got back here, that this..." he tightened his grip, "us... that's what matters. And if sharing you with Kowalski is what it takes... well, I can handle it, okay? I think he can too. We both want it to work, that's why we did this."

"You did it for me." For a moment Ben was dumbfounded, then he took in the look on Ray's face. He was absolutely serious. "You really mean that."

"Yeah, I do." Ray released him. "Go to him, Benny."

All this time and Ray Kowalski hadn't said a word. Encouraged by a tiny shove from behind, Ben walked on shaking legs to the bed and sat, gingerly, on the edge.

"Hi Frase." Ray's eyes turned to his with a nervous smile, then looked over his shoulder. "What now, Vecchio?"

"I'm gonna go feed Dief and give you two some time together. But I'll be back real soon." The bedroom door closed quietly.

He couldn't take his eyes off Ray's delicate, almost feminine features. It seemed like an eternity since he'd last seen the other man. Impulsively, he reached out to touch his lover's cheek.

Ray leaned towards him. "Frase..." his eyelids drooped a little.

The first kiss was tentative, almost frightened. And frightening in the emotions it roused in him. His arms went around Ray and he felt Ray's hands on his chest, sliding inside his open tunic. Once again he could smell the scents of both his lovers, confusing his senses enough to make his head reel. Ray's mouth opened under his and he lost himself in it.

A familiar touch barely registered in his mind for a moment, then he realised that Ray, Ray Vecchio, was back, and removing his tunic. Then a soft breath against the nape of his neck heralded a gentle kiss. It startled him even so, making him break off the kiss. Ray Kowalski eyed him nervously.

"Relax, Benny." Ray's fingers, an unmistakable touch, caressed his bare arms. "It's okay. Let us do this, love."

"Yeah, Frase, we'll take care of you." Ray Kowalski's eyes glinted wickedly and some of Ben's uncertainties evaporated.

He leaned forward again and kissed Ray deeply, while more kisses were rained on his neck and throat and jaw. Both men were touching him, stroking and teasing, gently removing his clothing. Ben drifted in a haze of pleasure, only coming back to reality when Ray's absence at his back registered on him. He shifted restlessly but his other lover wasn't letting go. Then he felt a frustrated mutter and realised that Ray was kneeling at his feet trying to remove his boots.

Eventually, Ray succeeded in his efforts and transferred his attentions to the zipper of Ben's jodhpurs. That was an easier task, and within moments his cock was freed from the confines of his shorts, and imprisoned in the even hotter confines of Ray's mouth. Pleasure reverberated through his body, and he felt Ray Kowalski's hands caressing and soothing as Ray Vecchio, kneeling between his thighs, drove him almost to the brink before releasing him. They broke apart, all three of them breathless and shaking.

The two men shared a moment of wordless communication and then Ray Kowalski drew him down to lie beside him. Ray Vecchio obligingly lifted his legs onto the bed and slid his jodhpurs and shorts off in one tangled bundle and tossed them aside.

It was incredible to lie back and allow the two men who knew his body better than anyone to make love to him. After a moment Ben simply closed his eyes not caring which of them was touching him, or where. He could feel the soft tickle of hair against one side of his body, and the silky glide of sweaty skin against the other. He could feel their two cocks, one pressing insistently against each hip.

The quiet sounds from his lovers were driving him crazy with need. Ben dragged in a deep breath and opened his eyes. They were kissing, their hands stilled on his body for the moment. Strangely, it had never occurred to him that they would want to pleasure each other while they made love to him. The sight of them was arousing him more than anything they'd done to him.

Ray Kowalski drew back and they both smiled at him.

Amused green eyes assessed him. "You like that, do you, Benny? Watching us?"

"Yes." It was hard to breathe. Ben swallowed and ran his tongue nervously over his lower lip. "Oh yes…"

The two men exchanged a glance and a conspiratorial grin. They resumed their attentions to Ben's body, but now they were taking pains to include each other. He watched Ray Vecchio's long fingers moving over Ray Kowalski's body, curling around the pale cock and pumping it lazily. Neither of them was in any hurry, having already sated their needs at least once tonight, but Ben was going crazy with lust.

He groaned and didn't care when they both laughed softly. The long fingers left Ray's cock and drew the blond head downwards. Ben's cock was slowly, painstakingly licked and then sucked into Ray Kowalski's mouth. He arched his hips upwards, blindly seeking release, and was checked by a firm grip on his thighs.

Kowalski's cock was resting lightly against his shoulder, Ben realised, but his arm was trapped between their bodies, and his other lover wasn't letting go of him either. The gentle nuzzling of his throat distracted him momentarily, from what that other mouth was doing.

"Ray!" Once again, he had no idea which Ray he was appealing to, but this time it didn't matter.

A quiet chuckle gusted hot breath against his cheek and then Ray Vecchio was leaning across him, kissing and sucking the thick cock. A muffled yelp came from further down the bed and the sucking on Ben's cock faltered.

Ben managed to free his arm enough to join in, with a firm caress over Ray Kowalski's buttocks and lower back. The slender hips jerked suddenly and then his whole body went limp. Ben shivered, almost at the end of his self-control. Surely he couldn't be any more aroused than he already was. A tongue slid between his parted lips, one lover delivering the taste of the other. He could be more aroused… dear God…

It seemed like it would never end, that he would never be allowed release. Ben writhed helplessly under the dual onslaught of his lovers as Ray Kowalski renewed his sucking. He didn't resist as he was rolled onto his side and the familiar sensation of being filled, possessed, began. This time nothing could prevent him. The echoes of his own cry followed him into the darkness.

Once again, he was sandwiched between his lovers, hot and sweaty and too weak to move. Ben felt his lips curve into a smile. "Ray?"

"Mmn, Benny?" "Yeah, Frase?"

Oh, dear… he couldn't quite repress the giggle that rose to his lips.

A heavy sigh came from his left. "You'd better call me Stan."

*

A profound silence lay over the breakfast table as Ray Vecchio placed the coffee mug squarely in front of Kowalski. He saw the pale eyes light up as the first whiff reached his partner's nostrils. Benny was already sipping at a cup of camomile tea, his face thoughtful. It wasn't an unpleasant, or even an awkward silence. More exhausted, really. Ray grinned. It had been quite a night.

The silence continued a little longer as the two Americans first inhaled the aroma deeply, then took a swig of the brew. A good caffeine jolt was exactly what they both needed.

Stan cleared his throat. "So, what're we gonna do? I mean…" he hesitated and swallowed as two pairs of eye fixed on him. "Well, last night was pretty…" he waved his hand in the air. "But what happens now?"

It didn't seem like Ben had any answers, and Ray wasn't any too sure himself. It had all seemed so simple last night, but he hadn't thought much about what came next. "Uh, well we could…" all sorts of ideas occurred to him, but they mostly revolved around the three of them being naked and in bed. "I dunno. You could move in here, I guess. Or we could get a bigger apartment."

Ben's eyes widened but he didn't say anything. Stan was staring with his mouth open.

"Move in?" Stan put his mug down as though he might drop it. "You mean live with you guys?"

"Yeah, why not?" Ray shrugged and took another scalding gulp of coffee. "You'd like that wouldn't you, Benny?"

"Well, Ray…" Ben smiled rather uncertainly and Ray cursed himself, remembering the conversation they'd had several weeks ago about this kind of situation. "If it's what Ray… I mean, Stan, wants…"

They both looked at Kowalski, who was studying the dark surface of his drink with great intensity. It was obvious he was aware of their scrutiny, but for a long time he didn't move. His lips tightened suddenly and he finally looked up.

"No. I don't wanna do that." His eyes travelled from Ray's to Ben's and a tiny smile crossed his face. "I done the domestic thing with Stella for too many years. I'm not ready to go there again. Leastways, not yet."

"So, what then?" Ray tried not to show his relief. Better not to rush into anything quite so cosy.

Ben cleared his throat. "Stan can come to, um… visit. Or we could go over to his…" he blushed deeply.

"Sure!" Ray seized on it with some relief. "And it doesn't always have to be… you know… all of us. I mean Benny could stay over with you sometimes."

"Or you could." There was a decided glint in Stan's eyes.

Ray tried, and failed, to hold back a pleased smile. "Yeah. I could."

*

Turnbull extricated himself from the hot, sweaty clinch with some difficulty. "Why don't you just tell me what's wrong, Ray?"

Damn! Kowalski pushed himself up onto his elbow and stared down at his lover. He kept forgetting how Renny always seemed to see right through him. His mind wasn't on the business at hand, and it showed. He'd been putting this off for days now, until he realised that avoiding Renny was only going to hurt him more.

His fingertips brushed across the flushed cheek almost reluctantly. It was incredible how important this klutzy, crazy guy had become to him. The weeks they'd been together had been some of the happiest of his life. Happier, in some ways, than when he'd got together with Fraser, because there'd always been an undercurrent of fear… fear of losing him, he knew now; which had made him edgy and irritable. With Renny it had been so easy.

Renny's big hand captured his and held it against the angular cheek. "Ray?" His voice was determined.

"All right." Ray sat up, shrugging off the sheet. He'd wanted so badly to make love just one last time, but maybe it was better this way. "There's something I gotta tell ya. It ain't gonna be easy, okay?"

"I understand, Ray. Please go on."

He groaned. Why did Renny have to be so damn polite about it? "Well… things have kinda changed… I was gonna tell ya…" he took a deep breath. "I can't see ya any more, after tonight."

The Canadian didn't move a muscle.

"Renny?" Worried, Ray leaned over him. "It's not you, honestly. I just think we oughta…" he stopped as the larger man sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

Renny was searching among their scattered clothes for his shorts. He began to drag them on, almost violently. "It's all right Ray. You don't have to make excuses. I… I've been expecting this. I don't know why you wanted me in the first place."

The deep voice broke and Ray flung himself across the bed and threw his arms around the broad torso. "It's not like that. I swear it, Renny. Please. Listen to me."

It was the right thing to say. Ever obedient, the Mountie released the shorts and they slid down his legs to the floor. The wide shoulders slumped.

God, this was awful. Ray remembered how he'd felt when he broke up with Fraser. And that had been his decision. Although he'd had absolutely no intention of telling anyone about it, he found himself stumblingly explaining the whole crazy situation. When he finally finished, there was silence. Ray was still holding his lover. He pulled Renny around and pushed him back onto the bed.

It was a relief to tell somebody what had happened. It was more than a relief, afterwards, to lie quietly with his head on Renny's chest, feeling the tickle of his chest hair and the beating of his heart against his cheek. Renny's large hand began to stroke his hair almost absent-mindedly.

"A menage a trois? With Constable Fraser and Det Vecchio?" There was only the mildest hint of disbelief in the deep voice.

"Yeah. Crazy, huh?" He grinned against the solid surface of Renny's chest. "I mean, I can hardly believe it." He remembered, suddenly, who he was telling this to. "Sorry. I didn't mean to…"

Renny shifted away from him and they lay face to face. "But it makes you happy. You love Fraser." A tentative smile crossed his lips. "I'm glad for you, Ray. I hope it works out."

That was the last thing he wanted to hear. It would have made him feel a Hell of a lot better if Renny had yelled at him or stormed out. He leaned a little closer and kissed the fine lips, sliding his tongue between them.

"Ray, I don't think we should." Renny pulled back abruptly.

"Why not?" He kissed his soon-to-be ex-lover roughly. "This is supposed to be our night to say goodbye. I wanna do this, Renny. Don't tell me that you don't."

The long face grew longer. "Oh, Ray…"

Suddenly, he was seized into a desperate embrace and kissed hungrily. Ray returned the kisses with enthusiasm, rubbing his body against the much larger one. He wanted to make this special for Renny. And he knew exactly how he could do it. But first, the entrée… Ray lowered his head to the broad chest and began to nip and suck at the dusky pink nipples. Renny liked it a little on the rough side, and tonight he was going to have the time of his life.

By the time he reached Renny's groin, the fair skin was radiating heat and dappled with tiny marks that would serve as a reminder of this night for a while before they faded. The large body stirred restlessly beneath him, and then settled again. Renny was obviously willing to allow him to do as he pleased. Ray smiled at the sight of the long thick cock rising with lumbering eagerness at his touch though still only semi erect.

He pressed his cheek against the shaft, inhaling the scent of his lover's arousal, his fingers cradling its weight. After a moment, Ray turned his head and began to explore its surface with his tongue, caressing the ropy veins that meandered across its surface. Taking his time, and ignoring the breathless moans from above his head, he slowly made his way to the voluptuous curves of the cockhead.

Like his cock, the fragrant scent of Renny's pre cum was unique, different from either Fraser or Vecchio. Just as each man was different, not only in himself, but in the way that Ray reacted to them. It was only now that he could begin to understand how Fraser could love both him and Vecchio at the same time. The discovery frightened him. He wasn't ready to understand that. Accepting that it was even possible had been difficult enough

"Ray?" Renny's large hand brushed his cheek. "Are you all right?"

He looked up to meet Renny's blue eyes. "Yeah, sure I am. You're just too distracting, is all." Ray grinned and decided it was time after all. He reached over to his bedside drawer and pulled out a pack of condoms and lube.

The blue eyes widened and Ray was seized by doubt. "You do want this, don't you Renny?"

"Oh, yes, Ray!" A tremor ran through the Canadian's body. "How do you want me to…"

Ray kissed him. "Just relax, okay? This is for you. Enjoy it."

Now that it was so close, he had to rein in his impatience. He smoothed a fingerful of lube between Renny's cheeks, zeroing in on his anus. The soft opening pouted against his touch as Renny moaned. It was so easy to slide his fingers inside. Ray released a long-held breath and leaned over his lover's body. The long arms pulled him into a firm embrace and he began to rock, sliding his cock against Renny's while he finger-fucked him.

Renny's legs wrapped around his waist and Ray had to fight a sense of claustrophobia. Renny was just so damn big that it made him feel like a child in his arms. But Renny's arms and legs were guiding him, urging him on, and for a while he simply took his own advice and relaxed into the rhythm of their lovemaking.

It was enough for a while, but then the telltale tremors started in his own body and were immediately mirrored in his lover's. Not without difficulty, or objection from Renny, he managed to extricate himself and roll on a condom with shaking hands. Another small blob of lube smeared over the tip would be enough, he thought. It certainly didn't seem to bother Renny, as he buried himself in the hot passage.

Renny's face was alight with desire, his eyes wide and more than a little wild. A pair of large, determined hands clamped themselves over his butt and drove him still deeper. He didn't need any encouragement. With a choked cry, Ray began to thrust furiously, driving deeper, harder… totally losing control. And still, it seemed, Renny wanted more. His body arched up, impaling itself onto Ray's burning cock, and although the few words he managed to gasp out were totally incomprehensible, Ray understood their meaning perfectly.

From somewhere deep inside himself Ray managed to find just a little more strength. He flung his body in a frantic burst of energy against the much larger one, plunging recklessly towards oblivion. Taking Renny along for the ride.

He thought his lungs would burst. Long after Renny's breathing had returned to almost normal, Ray was still wheezing and gasping for air. Now it was comforting to be held securely in strong arms against a broad sweaty chest, he realised with some amusement. When his laboured lungs would allow it, he sat up and took a good long look at his lover.

Renny wasn't beautiful. Not in the usual sense of the word. Not like Fraser. He didn't have that incredible innate sexiness that Vecchio had. Still, there was something about his long, rangy body and angular face that attracted Ray. Something about the almost innocent blue eyes and the puppyish eagerness to please, that appealed to his sense of protectiveness. And he was a demon in bed.

He stroked Renny's cheek and saw his smile falter slightly before it was fixed firmly back in place. He couldn't believe this would be the last time. Ray slid back down against the warmth of Renny's body and rubbed his check against the damp tickle of his chest hair. He didn't want to lose this. Didn't want to lose all the weird and wonderful facets of Renny's personality that made him the unique person he was. God, how could he just say goodbye and walk away?

The answer was simple. He couldn't.

*

"And he went for it?" Ray Vecchio couldn't believe his ears. "Really?" As he watched in amazement, Stan blushed. He'd never thought his partner knew how to do that. Certainly, he'd never seen him do it before. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No, I ain't kidding you!" Stan scowled at him. "Why shouldn't he? We're doing it."

Well, there was that. Ray shrugged, conceding the point. He wasn't particularly interested anyway; as long as Stan was happy and Benny was happy, he could care less. One of the things he'd learnt while he was undercover was to worry about the essentials and let go of the rest. The essential thing in this case being that nothing should damage his relationship with Benny. He shifted his position on the couch a little and kissed Stan again.

It had been a fun afternoon. Benny had made it clear that he was okay with the idea of the two of them spending some time together. Had encouraged it, really, claiming they should get to know each other better. So Ray had taken Stan to Finelli's where they'd shot a couple rounds of pool and then they'd come back to Stan's apartment and made themselves comfortable on the couch. He liked being with Stan, Ray had found. It was a lot like the Saturday afternoons he'd spent with Frankie when they were kids, before he'd found out what Frankie was really like.

A lot like those afternoons; when all that mattered was that they were a pair of randy teenagers who couldn't get a girl and were willing to 'practice' on each other. Except that Stan was even better than Frankie at giving long, deliciously slow hand jobs that just went on and on and on… He was pretty good at taking them too. Ray gave the handful of hard cock a gentle squeeze and felt a shiver run through Stan's slender body. Good. That meant he was ready for the next step.

He released his cock, reluctantly, from Stan's practised grasp and slid to the floor. The condoms were down there, and the lube, but first he needed to undress his partner. That was no hardship because Stan's body was lovely in its own way. A bit too thin maybe, but what was there was nicely muscled. Knowing grey eyes watched him as he worked the tight black jeans and clinging cotton knit shorts down over his thighs and off altogether.

Stan knew he liked what he was seeing. Their rivalry had disappeared almost overnight, once they both had what they wanted, and, as an unexpected bonus, each other as well. Ray hadn't felt any need to hide the pleasure he found in Stan's body, and after the three of them had had a couple of sessions of mind-blowing sex, Stan had relaxed enough to respond in kind.

Ray grinned as his partner shifted position, drawing his legs up and wide in invitation. His eyes were heavy lidded with pleasure, his lips pursed in that sexy way he had. Ray's eyes drifted down over a body pale as Benny's and as lean as his own to the thick, eager cock that Stan was fingering impatiently. He shoved his own jeans down, wanting suddenly to be inside all that passionate heat. It hadn't taken him long to convert Stan from being a confirmed top to an enthusiastic bottom.

He stroked his fingers lightly over Stan's balls and down the firm muscle of his perineum. Down further… caressing the waiting hole, feeling it quiver at his touch. Stan hissed with pleasure. It was fun to watch the way the delicate features changed each time his fingers brushed over the sensitive flesh. He could have continued with his teasing for a long time, but a hard grip on his wrist brought him up short.

"Get on with it, Vecchio."

"That's not polite, Stanley. Call me Ray." He almost laughed aloud at the outraged look on his lover's face. Before Stan had a chance to object, he pulled his wrist free of the slackened grip and stroked again. Stan gasped. He leaned forward and sucked the heavy cock into his mouth then released it. "Call me Ray, lover."

The thin, pretty lips worked soundlessly for a moment. "Ray. Get on with it, Ray. For God's sake."

"Mmm…" he lowered his head and licked away the pre cum gathering in Stan's slit. Traced the thick vein down the length of his cock and continued southward to tease at the hot, pulsing bud. Stan wriggled and moaned at his touch. It was almost too easy to want him. Kowalski had to have the most fuckable ass he'd ever seen.

Suddenly impatient, Ray tore open the foil wrapper and rolled a condom down over his cock. He hadn't liked using them at first, but now when he put them on his arousal increased as his body recognised that it was going to get what it most wanted. He smeared a little lube on the tip and pushed his way easily into his lover.

Stan yelled and his legs came up to wrap themselves around Ray's waist and pull him closer. He waited a moment for Stan to settle and then began a slow, steady thrusting. The kind of pace he could keep up for as long as Stan could take it. Someday he'd have to teach Stan how to do it to him, Stan being the more impetuous kind of lover.

A little encouragement had Stan's cock standing firmly to attention once more and Ray let his mind wander and his eyes half close as his hips kept up their instinctive rhythm. Stan's moans and grunts faded into the background and there was only the pleasure of the hot, tight grip on his cock, the wonderful friction as he moved. As though from a tremendous distance, he heard a key turn in the lock on the apartment door. Ray smiled. Benny. The one thing he needed to make this absolutely perfect.

Then he noticed that Stan had frozen. His eyes opened wide, taking in the horrified expression on his partner's face. With a sense of foreboding, Ray turned his head. There was a Mountie in the doorway, but not his Mountie. Not the right Mountie. He took in the scarlet face, the shocked, almost helpless look that Turnbull exchanged with Stan.

Stan wasn't moving at all. Seemed incapable of speaking either. The silence between them stretched out to infinity. Then Ray heard footsteps coming along the hallway and his protective instincts went into overdrive. "For God's sake get in here and close the door!"

Turnbull flinched and ducked inside. The door slammed shut behind him and they all exchanged another look. Then Stan shifted uneasily and Ray realised he was still cock-deep inside him. God! Instead of putting him off, he realised with a burst of amusement that it was turning him on even more. Impulsively, he reached out to the large man standing uncertainly by the door. Turnbull stared at him as though he'd never seen a hand before.

"Stan?" Ray glanced at his partner and their eyes meshed.

Stan swallowed convulsively. "Hey Renny? Join us?"

A choked sound came from the other side of the room and Turnbull walked stiffly towards them. Ray glanced at Stan again and was surprised by the tenderness of his smile. Then the other man was sinking to his knees beside the couch, his eyes on Stan's face.

Stan reached for the Canadian and drew him into an embrace. "It's okay, Renny… come on, lover, come here…"

Ray watched as they kissed slowly, forgetting him for the moment, he thought. It was both arousing and moving to see the way Stan treated his lover. Obviously there was more affection between them than he'd realised. He waited, wondering whether he should leave them alone together for a while, as he had when he'd brought Stan back to Benny. But when he moved, Stan wrapped his legs even tighter around Ray's waist, holding him there.

Turnbull was relaxing visibly as Stan soothed him with kisses and caresses. Soon his hands began to wander over the slender chest, finding a nipple and teasing it with surprising delicacy considering their size. For the first time Ray considered him in a sexual way. It had never really occurred to him before, but then he'd never seen Turnbull in a T-shirt that looked like it had been painted onto him, or in crotch hugging jeans before. He had a long rangy body, with well-developed thighs and big strong-boned hands. Not his usual type, but attractive all the same.

Stan had begun to pull the white T-shirt out of the jeans, and Ray decided it was time for him to join in. As the cloth was slowly drawn upwards, he began to stroke the exposed skin of Turnbull's back. Stan mirrored his caresses on the broad chest. Turnbull flinched like a nervous animal at first, then settled just as quickly. Ray took Turnbull's hand from where it was, blindly exploring Stan's chest, and lowered it to cover Stan's cock. Both men moaned at the same moment.

With a little grin, Ray began to move again. The effect on Stan was immediate. His body arched and he groaned helplessly.

"Ray? Oh, Ray!"

The soft moan came from Turnbull and Ray had to remind himself that the Canadian meant Kowalski, not him. All the same it sent a jolt of arousal through him. He thrust a little harder. Somehow he didn't think this was going to be a long slow fuck any more. Not when Turnbull's large hand closed around Stan's cock and began to pump it lovingly. Not when Stan's hips bucked once, reflexively, then steadied into a rhythm to match his own movements.

Well, he was always willing to go with the flow. Ray began to touch both men, brushing his hands lightly over their bodies. Turnbull's sandy head lowered itself over the pale chest, his lips seeking a nipple and Stan gasped. God, it was incredible; almost as incredible as being with Stan and Benny. When Stan reached for the front of Turnbull's jeans, Ray felt like cheering. Somehow he didn't think that Turnbull was really ready for him to do that.

He watched as the zipper slowly descended. If the bulge in the front of those jeans was anything to go by, it would be a sight worth waiting for. And it was. Long and thick enough even to outshine Benny's. He had to give it to the guy, Kowalski sure knew how to choose them… Stan was pulling on the heavy cock like it was some kind of lifeline and Turnbull was groaning, thrusting into his hand like a man possessed. If they didn't ease up it would all be over in seconds.

They both froze when Ray's hand closed over Stan's. He grinned at them. "Slow down, will ya? There's no prize for finishing first."

The two of them fell into a clinch again and Ray was left holding the heavy cock. He started to stroke it, giving it the attention it deserved. After a while he used his free hand to drag Turnbull's jeans halfway down his thighs, the better to enjoy the view. He cupped the swaying balls in one hand, still stroking with the other, then continued, sliding his fingers all the way between Turnbull's parted thighs and back again. Turnbull rocked into his touch, his uncertainty apparently forgotten.

Under their combined attentions, Stan was hovering on the brink of climax. Ray could feel the random twitches of his muscles, growing less controlled all the time. There was one last thing he wanted, though. With a touch on the broad shoulder, he got Turnbull's attention and drew his head down to Stan's groin.

They were all three of them way beyond any hesitation now. Turnbull took Stan's cock into his mouth and sucked it enthusiastically, his head bobbing up and down. Stan screamed, his body arching up, almost dislodging Ray. When he came down again, Ray began to thrust hard, holding the narrow hips against the couch. Even so, he didn't expect it to end so abruptly. But suddenly the muscles were contracting around his cock and Turnbull's throat was rippling as he swallowed. Stan slumped, limp and sated, against the couch. Leaving the two of them high and, for the moment at least, dry.

With a resigned sigh, Ray slid free of Stan's body, still painfully aroused and not exactly sure what he was going to do about it. Turnbull would need release too, but whether he was prepared to go one on one with a comparative stranger was uncertain. At the moment he was obviously too busy kissing Stan to care. Ray sat back on his heels, idly fondling his cock, waiting on whatever developments might happen.

The two lovers were whispering to each other. Love talk, Ray assumed, until Turnbull looked at him, smiling shyly, and moved away from Stan.

"May I?" Turnbull blushed deeply and cleared his throat. "I mean…"

He'd always been a sucker for Canadian politeness. "Sure." And he didn't even know what he was agreeing to.

But a moment later those large, clumsy looking hands were rolling the condom off his cock, then stroking it firmly. He shivered and thrust through the tight grip. Incredible. They pressed together, bare chest to bare chest, Turnbull's breath searing his cheek, and Ray began to return the favour.

He thought that would be it, and he would have been happy enough if it had been. He didn't expect Turnbull to lift him, as easily as he might have lifted a child, and sit him on the couch next to Stan. Or for Turnbull to crouch between his legs and take his cock into the generous depths of his mouth.

While his senses were still reeling from that unexpected development, Ray felt Stan twist beside him to lick and suck at his nipples. Their hands were touching him everywhere and he surrendered to the sweet sensations, allowing the pleasure to almost overwhelm him. Turnbull was frighteningly good at this. He hadn't expected that; nothing in his previous encounters with the younger man had hinted at anything like this.

The pleasure was building inside him, building to a peak from which there was only one way down. A long desperate plunge into nothingness. His body craved it, but without Benny there to catch him, his mind suddenly rebelled. He hadn't expected to feel this way.

"It's all right, Ray. You can let go. It's okay."

Stan's quiet voice brought him back from the edge of panic. He opened his eyes to see his partner's face, too close to his own. He blinked, startled. "I'm fine."

Stan nodded and moved away. "Renny? Come on up here."

Ray watched, almost entranced as Turnbull slid up onto the couch. There wasn't really enough room for the three of them, but Turnbull solved that by spreading himself across Stan's lap before lowering his head once again to Ray's cock. Stan stroked his hands over the flat planes of the younger man's body, pushing his jeans and shorts down a little further. Then with a quick grin at Ray, he toppled sideways and began to lick Turnbull's impressive erection.

It took a bit of wriggling and shifting before it worked, and then Ray leaned back against the couch and watched as Stan got seriously to work on Turnbull. It didn't seem to be having much effect on him. The truly inspired blowjob he was lavishing on Ray never faltered for a second.

Soon he was soaring again, but this time there was no uncertainty. This time he knew he could trust himself to these two men. He spread his arms out, one hand gripping the armrest, the other the back of the couch and let his body relax into the imminent climax. Even so, it rushed upon him, taking him unawares.

Turnbull's head was resting heavily in his lap. Ray opened his eyes with an effort and looked at the big, sprawling body, and the full, drooping cock lying across Stan's sleeping face. He smiled and ran his fingers lightly over the cropped hair. Mounties… he wondered if they were all like that.

*

"So, you like what you see, Frase?"

Ben wondered why Ray even needed to ask. If the expression on his face wasn't enough, then the obvious constriction in his jeans was evidence of his pleasure. He stared at his lover's pale, slender body and at the way his thumb and forefinger slid smoothly along his thickened shaft with every negligent flex of his wrist. Surely common sense would tell Ray that he was enjoying this display.

In spite of that, he smiled patiently. "Of course I do, Ray."

The grey eyes rolled heavenwards for a moment. "You're not playing the game Frase… you're supposed to tell me how hot I am. Tell me how turned on you're getting." The movement of his hand stilled for a moment. "You are turned on, aren't ya?"

"Oh yes." Ben smiled brilliantly. "Very turned on, Ray."

Ray sighed. "Well how about you join in, then?"

"Join…?" Ben blinked at him, disconcerted until he realised what Ray was asking for. "Oh! Of course."

He couldn't keep himself from blushing as he slipped loose the button of his jeans and drew down the zipper. Underneath, as requested by Ray, he was wearing nothing at all. His cock sprang free with some enthusiasm from the rough denim and he cupped its semi-hardness in his hand. He was aware that Ray was watching appreciatively.

"Oh, yeah…" Ray moaned softly. "Do that thing with your foreskin, will ya?"

He slid the foreskin back and forth against his delightfully sensitised cockhead. "You mean this, Ray?" A shiver of pleasure ran through him. "Or this?" Unable to resist the urge to tease, he tugged gently at the end of the foreskin, stretching it out well past the tip of his cock. Ray shuddered, as Ben knew he would. It didn't matter how many times he told Ray it didn't hurt, was in fact pleasurable, Ray still cringed every time he saw it.

"Euww, Fraser!"

Already, he could feel the first tremors of an incipient climax starting in his thighs. Ben grinned and relented, retracting the foreskin back to completely expose his swollen and gleaming cockhead to Ray's admiring gaze. He brushed the slippery wetness down over his cock, using it as a makeshift lubricant.

Ray licked his lips, an almost feral expression on his face. "Yeaaaah… that's better."

There was a satisfied silence for a short while, broken when Ray's breath began to come in pants and gasps. Ben felt a tightening in his own groin at the uninhibited sounds. He leaned back against the headboard of his bed and watched Ray though half closed eyes. Ray's head was thrown back, his slender throat taut, lips pouting sensually as he continued the steady stroking of his cock.

"Frase?"

Startled out of his reverie, it took Ben a moment to respond. He opened his eyes fully. "Yes, Ray?"

"You wanna do it like this, or…?"

"Or what, Ray?"

His lover moved closer, rising onto his knees. Ben accepted the implicit invitation, sliding his tongue lavishly over Ray's cock, following it to the base and nuzzling the sweaty thatch of hair, several shades darker than the hair on his head. His lips brushed across the heavy swell of Ray's balls and he sucked one gently into his mouth for a moment. A stifled groan told him that his gesture was appreciated. Ray's cock reappeared, hovering before his nose and Ben took it between his lips, intent on bringing his lover to climax.

Ray pulled back without any haste until the weight of his cock pulled it free from Ben's lips. "How about…" he cleared his throat of its sudden hoarseness. "How about we do something different, Frase?"

He was always willing to try something new. Ben smiled up at him. "Oh yes, I'd like that Ray. What do you want?"

In answer, Ray simply turned one-eighty degrees and sank down into a crouch, his hips lifting invitingly. Ben swallowed with difficulty. This wasn't new, but he had very clear memories of the last time they'd done it.

He stroked Ray's pale buttock rather longingly. "Are you sure, Ray?"

A grey eye appeared over the pale shoulder. "Yeah, I'm fine with it. Vecchio's been… well, kinda getting me used to it. I wanna do it. Really."

Ben ran his hands lightly over Ray's back and buttocks and thighs, sending shivers through the slender body. Then he shifted his own position, crouching down in his turn to kiss the soft, downy skin. His tongue slipped into the cleft of Ray's buttocks, gently seeking the sensitive opening, and felt it flutter wildly at his touch. His hand crept between the parted legs to slowly massage the swaying balls and stroke the dancing cock.

Ray's moans rose steadily in both volume and frequency, a reliable guide to his readiness for someone who knew him as well as Ben did. So he wasn't surprised when Ray moved away once again. A foil square was flipped back wards to land beside his knee. He ripped it open and rolled the condom hastily onto his cock.

At the last moment, he hesitated, remembering all the other times when attempts to make love this way had resulted in discomfort, if not outright pain, for Ray. The thought that his two lovers had been making love like this when he wasn't with them was actually intensely stimulating, Ben found.

"It's okay, Fraser." Ray's protest eliminated the last of his worry, and he positioned himself carefully before pressing gently home.

It was easier than it ever had been before and Ray's groan was one of pleasure. Ben reached around his lover's chest, drawing him into a more upright position, and began to thrust up and forwards in long slow strokes.

Ray arched back against him. "Ohhhh… yeah…"

The slow bump and grind of their bodies was sending waves of pleasure through him, but Ben was also uncomfortably aware of how awkward their position was. It didn't come as much of a surprise then, when Ray pulled away with an irritated mutter. Ben tried to catch his breath, to will himself to calmness, but he was far too aroused to succeed. He waited dazedly as Ray looked around then moved to lean against the headboard, facing the wall.

"You gonna stop now, Mountie?" Ray grinned wickedly at him over his shoulder.

Ben started. "Oh! No!"

He positioned himself hurriedly and entered his lover again. This time he felt no hesitation. Ray was far too obviously enjoying himself. He lengthened the thrusts, plunging deep, withdrawing almost completely before pressing home again. Ray was muttering and moaning in that way he did when he was intensely aroused. Ben drove in as far as he could go and hung there, feeling the tremors running through the tight internal muscles. Ray couldn't last much longer, he thought, and that was his last thought for a while as every muscle in his body simultaneously tried to tie itself into knots and turn itself inside out. He barely heard his own voice crying out Ray's name.

Ray was still moving against him, he realised dimly. Ray was chanting something…

"…fuck, fuck, fuck… ohhhh, fuuuuck…"

His sense of self-preservation coming to the fore, Ben tightened his slackened grip on Ray's cock and pumped it furiously. His own cock was still hard enough to give his lover pleasure, and he rocked into the hot clutch of Ray's ass. Ray gave a choked cry as his body convulsed, his ass muscles tightened painfully around Ben's sensitive cock and his cock pulsed wildly. Mindful of what his other lover would say about the mess, Ben closed his fingers over the slick cockhead, collecting his cum as it spurted out in a hot gush.

"Oh, fuck…"

Ray slumped against him and Ben smeared the sticky substance over Ray's belly and chest, delighting in the rich aroma. As his cock softened, Ben knew he'd have to withdraw, but Ray didn't seem to be in any state to support himself. He solved the problem by toppling them both over onto the mattress. After a moment he withdrew reluctantly from his lover and removed the condom, carefully tying off the top and depositing it in the waste bin beside the bed.

Eventually, Ray rolled onto his back with a sigh. He turned his head and smiled at Ben.

"Wow…" his voice was hushed.

Ben took in the sight of his lover, limp and sated, with sunlight gleaming on his sweaty skin. "Indeed." He rolled over and wrapped his arms around Ray. Kissed him gently on the lips. Ray shuffled closer and they lay relaxed and happy amongst the tangled sheets.

"So, Frase… was it my name or his this time?"

The question caught him off guard. He glanced at Ray's face, which was quite calm. At least as calm as Ray's face ever got. It almost seemed as though the question was of minor interest to his lover. Ben thought about it for a moment, rolling the names around in his head and mouth. The confusion he'd felt at first had entirely disappeared now. In his mind each name was quite distinct… there was Ray, elegant and darkly sensual, rich and sombre and sweet; and Ray, all light and energy and sharp edges; and unexpected tenderness. Each name was imbued with the characteristics of its owner. Each name was completely different.

"Yours." There was no doubt at all in his voice. He saw the corners of Ray's mouth curl upwards.

They didn't say anything more for a long time. There wasn't anything that needed to be said.

Finally Ray sighed and pushed himself up on his elbow. "I'd better go. I'm seeing Renny tonight. Better save some energy for him."

Ben grinned. "That seems only fair, Ray." He hesitated, but really, he wanted to know. This relationship Ray had with his subordinate was rather… surprising. "You care a lot about him, don't you?"

"I love him." The words seemed to startle Ray as much as they startled him. Ray recovered fast, throwing him a wicked grin. "I might just let him do me, some day. He's even bigger than you are, lover."

Ben frowned slightly.

Ray's grin widened. "It's true! Are all Canadians like that, or just Mounties?"

"Ray!"

But Ray was just getting into his stride. "I mean, do they have some kind of size test, or sumthin'? If you ain't hung like an elephant you can't get in?"

"That's just silly, Ray. The RCMP accepts women cadets." Really, Ray was just being annoying.

"Oh yeah…" Ray considered that fact for a moment. "Maybe the girls, they have to be… you know…" he mimed a pair of large breasts and grinned rather coarsely, Ben thought.

"Now, Ray…" it was time to put a stop to this silliness. "Does Turnbull know you love him?"

Ray went suddenly still. "I dunno. I haven't said anything. I'm not sure he'd believe me." He rubbed his head distractedly. "He's been hurt, I think. He doesn't say much, but I can tell."

Ben was starting to feel distinctly uncomfortable discussing Turnbull like this. "Well, Ray…"

He was interrupted. "I don't like this Fraser. Shutting him out like this. It's not fair on him."

"Ray…" he knew what was coming next. "It wouldn't be… I work with him, Ray. It would be… difficult…"

"I work with Vecchio." Ray shrugged. "We deal with it."

Oh dear. Ben made a last attempt. "How do you know Turnbull would… would want to be involved?"

Ray gave an exasperated snort. "I don't. Geez, Frase… it's no use me saying anything to him if you won't go for it."

Ben raised his eyebrows. "You seem fairly sure that Ray will agree."

"Yeah, I am." Unexpectedly Ray grinned. "You better ask him about that." He leaned over and kissed Ben on the mouth then rolled off the other side of the bed. "I'm gonna clean up and get outta here."

*

He was fidgeting. He knew it, and tried to stop, but he couldn't help himself. Ray was watching him unobtrusively, noting every move he made. If only this place wasn't so… so public.

Ray leaned froward and pitched his voice above the overloud music. "Renny. Are you sure about this? If you want to change your mind, just say so."

"Oh, no Ray. Really." If only he could stop fidgeting…

A sweet smile crossed his lover's lips. "You wanna dance?"

Turnbull felt his eyes widening. Dance? Here? He cast a quick glance around the crowded room. There were couples dancing. Men. Dancing together. A hand caught his wrist and he felt himself being pulled out of his seat. He followed Ray to the small patch of floor set aside for dancing, and allowed himself to be taken into a loose embrace.

"Relax, willya? Nobody's gonna notice us." Ray seemed quite at home here. Turnbull wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not.

It was awkward at first, but Ray was a good dancer. After a while Turnbull leaned against his lover, buried his face against the wildly disarrayed hair and moved with him. It was pleasant, he discovered, even relaxing. He closed his eyes.

Some time later, Ray sighed against his cheek and moved away a little. "They're here, lover."

"Oh!" All his composure fled.

He looked over at the door and saw Det Vecchio and Constable Fraser standing together. Ray was already waving to catch their attention, signalling them towards the table they'd occupied and which was still, miraculously, empty. They all got to the table at the same time.

After a moment's confusion, they took their seats and Turnbull found himself sitting next to Fraser, with Ray Vecchio on the other side, and his own Ray beside him. Their drinks arrived quickly, largely due, he thought, to the waiter's obvious fascination with Fraser. He sipped at his drink, a coke, and tried to melt into the background.

The other three men, no doubt used to this situation, talked quietly, when the noise around them permitted. A hand laid itself on his thigh and he jumped. Ray grinned. He glanced at Fraser to gauge his reaction and noticed for the first time that Vecchio had an arm draped casually around his shoulders.

"So, we gonna do this?" Vecchio leaned forward, his eyes shining.

Ray was looking at him questioningly. "Renny?"

A sudden spurt of panic took hold of him. He looked to Fraser instinctively for guidance. "Sir?"

"You'd better call me Ben." Fraser's soft voice was quite calm.

He took a deep breath and nodded speechlessly. The others exchanged a glance.

Vecchio shrugged. "Okay, where do we go? Any ideas?"

Ray grinned and stood. "Upstairs. They got these rooms you can hire." He pulled a plastic key card out of his jacket pocket. "You guys coming?"

His face on fire, Turnbull trailed after his lover, all too aware of the pair at his back. Ray flourished the card in front of the bouncer's eyes and they all trooped up the stairs. He felt like every man in the bar knew what they were about to do. Come to think of it, they probably did. It wasn't a comfortable thought.

Finally, they were inside the room. They stood looking at each other, at the ceiling, at the floor. Anywhere but at the huge bed that almost filled the room. Some unspoken signal passed between the other men and Ray moved closer, opening his arms. Turnbull leaned into his embrace, noticing that Vecchio and Fraser were doing likewise. Then he forgot about them as Ray kissed him hungrily.

His chest was being stroked with a rough kind of tenderness, his nipples teased through his thin T-shirt. Ray's mouth muffled his moan. He turned away from the other couple, trying to forget them for the moment; and succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. He was working on the buttons of Ray's grey shirt when a light tap on his shoulder brought him back to earth with a thud.

"Time for a change, kiddo." Vecchio smiled at him, teasing but friendly. He exchanged a nod with Ray.

Suddenly, he was alone with this strangely compelling man. He'd been afraid of Det Vecchio, when they'd first met. He'd soon found out, of course, that he was safe enough, but some of that nervousness still remained. Even after that day they'd… a blush rose in his cheeks and Vecchio grinned at him.

The warm mouth closed over his, breath scented with the wine he'd been drinking in the bar. Gradually, Turnbull relaxed into Vecchio's arms, beginning to enjoy himself. He caught sight of Ray and Fraser locked in a similar embrace, kissing deeply. When a warm tongue infiltrated his mouth, he accepted it without a second thought. He began to participate, returning the kiss and sliding his hands over Vecchio's slim back. He felt almost disoriented by the similarities between Ray Vecchio and his lover. Similar in build, similar in temperament, in some ways. And yet so very, very different…

A wiry thigh slid between his legs, pressing up against his balls and Turnbull gasped. The green eyes were watching him carefully and he smiled reassurance. It felt rather wonderful, actually. Vecchio's hand, with its long fingers, brushed over the front of his jeans and cupped the bulge of his arousal. Instinctively, Turnbull leaned into his touch. They kissed again while Vecchio rubbed against his erection with gentle insistence.

He ought to reciprocate, Turnbull thought. It was only polite, after all. A glimpse of Ray, bare to the waist in Fraser's arms, sent a jolt through him. He laid his hand over the front of Vecchio's pants, gripping his cock through the thin cloth.

"Great, Renny. That feels good." Vecchio smiled at him.

It felt better than good. An image of that cock, dark and long and slender, and the memory of that day sent a shiver of pleasure through him. He could still taste it in his mouth, still feel its velvet heat. He seized the mobile mouth in a hungry kiss, melting into the strong arms.

When they disappeared he felt painfully bereft. Until he looked into a pair of blue-grey eyes in a face as flushed as his own must be. Turnbull went into Fraser's arms without a murmur, only realising, when his hands touched bare skin that he, too, had removed his shirt. It felt like hot satin, damp with sweat and stretched over firm, rounded muscle. Fraser lost no time in drawing his T-shirt up and off over his head.

It wasn't so easy to accept this. Fraser was his superior officer, in seniority and position, if not in rank. But it seemed as though Fraser wasn't concerned by the implications. Turnbull made a mental note to himself that he should discuss this with Fraser tomorrow, and tried to put it out of his mind.

Fraser's kiss was every bit as mesmerising as Vecchio's had been. Their tongues slid against each other's with sensual ease. Their bodies shaped themselves to fit perfectly together and he could feel Fraser's erection nudging his own. They began to move, rubbing against each other, heightening his arousal to the point of discomfort.

The need for air drove them, finally, to end the kiss. Fraser moved away a little and Turnbull felt a distinct pang of disappointment. Then the square hands dropped to his waist and began to unfasten his jeans. With a little gasp, Turnbull followed suit. They did no more than free each other's erections before leaning back into each other, allowing their cocks to rub together. Slippery with pre-cum as they were, it was a delightful sensation.

Suddenly Ray was back. Both Rays. The four of them closed into a huddle of bare flesh and warm, eager hands. Turnbull felt someone tugging at his jeans and shorts pulling them down till they slid off his thighs. He kicked off his shoes and stepped out of the puddle of denim and plain white cotton, vaguely aware that all of them were now naked. Again they pressed together, allowing their cocks to brush indiscriminately against each other. His breath was coming uncomfortably fast.

"Renny? Are you okay, lover?" Ray's quiet voice settled him. A reminder that there was one constant point in this shifting mass of sensuality.

He managed a tremulous smile and got one, not much steadier, in return. Ray's hand grasped his wrist and tugged gently. "This is wild, ain't it?"

"Yes, Ray." He followed his lover towards the bed.

It was reassuring to see that there was more than enough room on the bed for them to pair off without touching. He sank down beside Ray and wrapped himself around his lover with an eagerness that was as much relief as desire. Ray rolled him onto his back and stretched out on top of him, gently rubbing back and forth. The slow movements were almost hypnotic. Turnbull fell into a trance-like state as Ray caressed and kissed him.

Every so often, he'd catch a glimpse of Vecchio and Fraser locked together in a tangle of pale and olive-skinned limbs, and his arousal would increase. He knew that Ray had noticed his interest and the response it elicited, but to his intense relief his lover said nothing. The quiet sounds coming from the other side of the bed were distracting enough. He tried to close them out, but couldn't stop himself from listening. Nor could he stop his eyes from straying to the other side of the bed.

"Renny?" Ray stopped moving and bent his head to suck briefly at a nipple. "Feeling better now?"

"Oh yes, Ray." He smiled up into his lover's heavy lidded gaze, then turned his head to follow Ray's gaze.

Fraser had reversed his position and was sucking deeply on Vecchio's cock. As they watched he drew back until its whole gleaming length was free and only the tip remained still in his mouth. Vecchio's body arched up and the American gave a throaty groan.

Ray lowered his head again to whisper in his ear. "Want them to join us?"

It shocked him, as everything about this situation had shocked him, but his heart began to pound and his cock leapt wildly in reaction.

Ray grinned. "I guess that means yes."

Turnbull nodded speechlessly.

"Hey guys? Wanna come over here?" Ray's voice sounded distinctly shaky.

The two men exchanged a look and then Vecchio pulled away, sliding out from under Fraser. He grinned in a friendly fashion at Turnbull and rolled off the edge of the bed. Fraser simply moved over to lie against Turnbull's left side and accept a kiss from Ray. He was so busy watching the two of them kiss, he almost forgot about Vecchio. The arrival of a warm, slender and very aroused body on his right side startled him.

"It's okay, Renny. Just me." The long, lovely fingers teased his nipple. "Why should they have all the fun, huh?" Vecchio kissed him, tongue plunging deep into his mouth.

Once again they all began kissing and touching indiscriminately, but he was indubitably the centre now. Both Fraser and Vecchio were turned towards him so that their cocks pressed hot and eager against his body, and Ray was still lying on top of him, cradled between his parted thighs. The intensity of what he was feeling left him breathless and disoriented. A hand slid down the inside of one thigh, drawing it wider. On his other side someone… Vecchio, he realised somewhat distractedly, followed suit. Then both legs were drawn up, folded back across his body.

He was kissing Fraser now, he thought, but out of the corner of his eye he caught Ray's smile, and then his lover disappeared. A moment later he felt a soft wet caress over his balls, sliding downwards to encompass his anus. He shuddered under the gentle ministrations of the other two men as they sought to soothe him. His heart was racing, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He knew what was coming next and wanted it with all his heart and soul, even though he thought it could quite possibly kill him…

The slow penetration was worse than torture, but at last Ray was covering him again and his legs were released so he could wrap them around his lover. His body thrust itself urgently against the invading cock and for a while he forgot that he and Ray weren't alone. When the madness passed, he became aware that Fraser and Vecchio were still holding him, and that Ray was included in their embrace. Suddenly it struck him what the three of them were offering him. Not just a sexual encounter, but the chance to become a part of their relationship. To become their partner, in all senses of the word.

It filled him with awe that any of these men would consider him worthy, let alone all of them. Ray, he was sure, was the catalyst, but Fraser and Vecchio had agreed to it. Suddenly Turnbull knew that what they were doing now wasn't enough. It was still him and Ray, with the other two merely supporting their lovemaking. Aiding and abetting, he thought with a little grin.

Of course, Ray noticed the change in him immediately. He stopped his movements and lifted his head to stare questioningly into Turnbull's face. He didn't know how to say what he wanted, so he wrapped his arms more tightly yet around his lover's slender body, and rolled them onto their sides, still sandwiched between Fraser and Vecchio.

Ray understood. He grinned wickedly. "Are you guys ever gonna get involved?"

The mock complaint drew a laugh from Vecchio, but Fraser looked searchingly at Turnbull's face. "Are you sure about this Turnbull?"

"Yes, sir… I… I mean, Ben." He blushed furiously. He was sure he would never really be able to think of his superior as Ben. Even Ray never called him Ben.

The other two were already taking his agreement for granted. Ray slid free of him, and Turnbull felt him go with some regret, but also… He heard the rustle of foil behind him and felt the slick glide of a lubricated condom against the cleft of his buttocks with a thrill of anticipation. Ray had removed his condom now, and was assisting, with some enthusiasm, as Fraser rolled a fresh one on himself.

A pair of arms slid around his waist and a soft, sexy voice breathed in his ear. "You ready for this, Renny?"

He swallowed and nodded, his throat too constricted to speak, and waited with some trepidation. But it was easy. He was still stretched and open from Ray's penetration, and Vecchio entered him smoothly. He lay trembling as Vecchio began to thrust in long gentle strokes, unhurried and sure.

"Easy, kiddo. I'm not hurting you am I?" Vecchio's lips brushed against his throat.

He felt himself beginning to relax. "No… it's just so… so…"

"Weird?" The quiet voice was amused. "You'll get used to the idea, don't worry."

Vecchio was being so understanding, so unlike what he'd expected. Turnbull suddenly found himself thinking that it would be easy to love him. Not like Fraser. Fraser was more somebody to be adored from a distance. Or from a distance of about ten inches… which was about how far away he was right now, close up against Ray's back, with a look of complete abandonment on his face.

Once again they pressed together in a four-way embrace, Ray and himself on the inside, Vecchio and Fraser enclosing them. Each thrust of Vecchio's hips pushed him gently against Ray's body, as Ray was pushed against him in turn. After a few hesitations, they began to move in unison. It was absolutely glorious. Ray's face was transfused with pleasure, Fraser's almost incandescent. Turnbull heard Vecchio's breathless moan and wondered how the two of them looked to their lovers' eyes.

The pace quickened. Vecchio's breathing was harsh in his ear, his cock driving into him faster, harder and less controlled. Ray's cock beat against his in a wild tattoo as his whole body was rocked by Fraser's thrusts. And he… he was so far beyond his normal limits that he was completely lost. There was only sensation piled on sensation. Then Ray began to climax, his cock pulsing out hot jets of cum, his movements spreading it liberally over their bellies. A chain reaction swept through them, Fraser was the first to give way, then Turnbull. He felt his ass muscles tighten around Vecchio's cock, and with a choked sob, the other man succumbed too.

They all collapsed into a sweaty tangle, gasping for breath as though they'd run a marathon. Time passed. Probably a long time… Turnbull drifted back to awareness to discover than Ray was once again sprawled on top of him, and Fraser and Vecchio were lying on either side of him. After a moment, Fraser rolled away with a groan and Renny could see him trying to remove the condom with hands that shook. A muttered curse from his other side told him that Vecchio was having similar problems.

Soon they were back again. Ray stirred against him for a moment, then subsided. With a quiet sigh of pleasure, Turnbull allowed himself to relax into an exhausted stupor.

"Tell me we don't have to be out of here anytime soon." It was Vecchio's voice, still showing signs of breathlessness.

Ray's head stirred weakly against Turnbull's chest. "Nope. Got it for three hours."

Fraser moaned, and Turnbull could only concur. Three hours? They couldn't survive that long. Silence fell again.

Eventually, Ray's weight on his chest got to be too much for him to bear. Turnbull wriggled uncomfortably and they all shifted and settled again, still tangled together. Fraser's face, flushed and sweaty, with damp tendrils of hair clinging to it, was beside his. He stared at it, awe-struck, until the dark lashes lifted. It only seemed natural and right to kiss him.

The others were stirring too. Ray's hands, unmistakable, and another touch, equally distinctive, began to move over his body. He ignored them, concentrating all his attention on this one incredible thing. He was kissing Fraser, and Fraser was kissing him back. He was touching Fraser, stroking his cock, his balls. Being touched by him. The god he had idolised for two years was naked in bed with him… just another man.

Behind him he heard Ray's voice muttering something incomprehensible, but no doubt uncomplimentary.

Vecchio was laughing. "Give it up, Stanley. He's Benny's now. Nobody can resist Benny."

He turned to hotly deny the accusation. He was Ray's and would never be anybody else's. This was entirely different… A pair of green eyes glittering with amusement met his. Over Vecchio's shoulder, Turnbull could see Ray, glaring. He looked from one to the other, uncertainly and, as he hesitated, Ray broke into a reluctant smile. Fraser's warmth leaned against his back and an arm slid around his waist. Without another word being said they all sank down onto the mattress.

It would be a while before any of them would be ready to get serious, but that didn't have to stop them getting… acquainted, he supposed was the best word, under the circumstances. Their breathing was starting to get audible again when Vecchio pulled away from between him and Ray.

"You realise what this means, don't you Benny? Now that there's four of us."

Much to Turnbull's surprise Fraser giggled. "We should be playing Americans against Canadians, Ray?"

Vecchio shook his head in dismay. "Nope." He paused dramatically. "It means we're gonna havta get a bigger bed."