Disclaimer: Due South and related characters are property of Alliance and Paul Haggis. No copyright infringement intended. Will not profit from this and will plead insanity if sued. You have been warned!

Thanks are due to Audrey for her corrupting influence ;-), for firing up my imagination and for posting this on my behalf.

Warning: Very mild and implied m/m. No sex.

Suited

by Hsu-Lyn Yap

"What?!"

"Nothing."

"Then stop staring at me! You're making me nervous."

"I wasn't staring at you."

"Yes, you were, now, stop it!"

"I wasn't staring, Ray."

"Okay, you weren't. Just stop looking me in that funny way then."

"What funny way?"

"*That* funny way. Like there's something wrong with me or my suit. I know I'm not exactly in pristine condition at the moment, but there's no need to give me that look. See, you are doing it again!"

"I can't stop it, if I don't know what you mean, Ray."

"You very well know what I mean." Ray grumbled and tried to twist around the tiny space they were in.

"How did we manage to get ourselves trapped in a disused mine in Chicago?" he muttered, more to himself than to the Mountie who still managed to look passably tidy in his brown uniform.

"Well, we were investigating the smuggling of those exotic pets, and this is the place they were holding the animals until....."

"It was a rhetorical question, Fraser!" Ray snapped irritably. "Damn! Won't those rescue people hurry up? I'm getting a cramp in my leg."

"They are hurrying the best they can, Ray. They can't risk another rockfall."

"Why did we have to be trapped in the smallest space possible?" Ray grumbled again as he tried to get himself into a more comfortable position, while at the same time avoid kicking the Mountie in the ribs.

"Was that rhetorical as well, Ray?"

"You very well know that was! Lay off the naivet for now, ok?"

"As you say, Ray." Fraser paused. "I didn't have an answer to your question, anyway. I really cannot imagine why we are trapped in a space this small. Logic dictates that we should have a bigger space than this. It didn't make sense for the rockfall to happen so close to the end of the cave. We are lucky that we have this space, actually. At the rate of the......"

"Fraser?"

"Yes, Ray?"

"Just lay off the theories, ok? You are using up the air." Ray ended his quest for a more comfortable position by resting his back against the uneven wall of the mine and tucking his long legs close to him. Fraser did the same, which left them facing each other in the small space they had. They had the light from a torch which was some consolation, and there was the comforting whirr of the tools of the rescuers.

"Good thing we had back up this time, or we'd probably be dead by now." Ray leaned back the best he could and closed his eyes tiredly.

"Well, there'd only have been dehydration to be worried about. And you did not have to be worried about the air, Ray. There is an outlet that's providing us with fresh air."

"I know, Fraser. There is a constant draught somewhere in the region of my neck, and it's driving me crazy, as if you are not enough." He kept his eyes closed.

"Say, Fraser. This remind you of the time we were stuck in that bank vault?"

"Well, except for the dimensions and the fact that it's not bank robbers drilling on the other side, yes, I tend to agree with you, Ray."

"Do you have to be so precise? A simple yes or no would have sufficed. But you have to go through this whole rigmarole about....you are doing it again." Ray's eyes snapped open.

"Doing what, Ray?"

"Staring at me. What's on your mind, Benny?"

"Nothing." But the usually firm voice lacked conviction.

"I said you were a bad liar, and you still are, Benny. Now, out with it. What are you thinking about? Do you have some hare-brained scheme that would get us out of here sooner than the rescuers can? It's probably going to be dangerous, so you want me to agree. Is that it?"

"No, Ray." Fraser's face was thrown into shadow as the torch flickered and dimmed. "I have no plan to get us out of here, and there is no need to. The rescuers will be through in about 20 minutes."

"Then, what is on your mind?" Ray's voice lost their customary irritation and impatience. "I know you want to say something , so don't deny it. You have 20 minutes before they come through, Benny, and I know you're not going to say anything once we get out of here. So, come on."

"I've nothing to say, Ray." Fraser mumbled, looking at a point exactly six inches to the left of Ray's head. That was the extent of the space there

was, anyway.

"Is it about me?" Ray asked quietly.

Fraser's eyes snapped back to Ray. "No!" he exclaimed immediately. "Well, yes, in a way, but not ....." his voice died away in confusion.

"So, it is about me." Ray's voice remained quiet. "Are you mad with me, Benny?"

"No, Ray. Of course not." Benny was quick to deny it. "It's not exactly you, Ray."

"Then, you are mad at someone?"

"No, I'm not mad at anyone." Benny sighed, but volunteered no more.

"Then, is it about someone else? Frannie?"

Benny shook his head. "No, Ray. It's not Frannie. I....I just don't know how to say this."

"Well, Benny, you have all of 18 minutes to figure out how to say it. I'm not leaving this place without knowing what's on your mind. Dammit, Benny! We've been through so much together, the least you can do is to tell me if there's something troubling you!" Ray's patience had fizzled out. "Especially if it's to do with me!"

"I wouldn't say that it's troubling me, Ray." There was a small smile on Fraser's lips.

"You have a word for everything, don't you? Everything, except how to tell me what's on your mind. You are the most infuriating person I've ever met in my life!" Ray sighed and leaned his head on his knees.

The silence in their little enclosure was broken only by the mechanical whirring of the drills. The muted voices of the rescue team had not even started to penetrate the rock yet. Only by shouting could they communicate. Apparently, everything was operating as planned, and the voice of Lt. Welsh assured them that they would be out in 10 minutes or so.

"Ray?"

"Yes, Fraser?" Ray did not even bother to look up at him.

"I was thinking...that is, I am of the opinion that....."

"Yes, Fraser?"

"Your suit, Ray, it's..." Fraser paused.

"This is no time to be criticising my suit." Ray said, when there was nothing else forthcoming.

"The colour, it's..." he paused again.

"Or the colour. In fact, this is one hell of a time to be criticising my sense of dress!" Ray snapped as he glared up at the Mountie before him.

Fraser gave him a weak smile. "It suits you, Ray."

The expressive eyebrows rose as Ray stared at Fraser.

"Did I hear you correctly, Benny?" he managed to choke out after a short silence. A silence during which Fraser was wishing the rescuers would hurry up and break through the rockfall.

"Yes, Ray." Fraser looked embarrassed, but ploughed on ahead. "It's the colour. This shade of green...it matches your eyes." He said in a rush, as if trying to get it over as quickly as he could.

"My eyes?" Ray continued staring, even as a smile started to work it's way up to the said eyes.

Fraser made an impatient gesture with his hand and shook his head. "I didn't know what I was saying. I'm sorry, Ray. I just..."

"But you always know what you are saying, Benny." Ray was grinning now. "And I told you that you were staring, didn't I?"

"I was, Ray, and I'm sorry. I just couldn't help noticing, that's all."

"My suit, or my eyes?"

"I shouldn't have said anything." Fraser mumbled to himself, and started as Ray laid a hand on his.

"No, seriously, Benny. Was it my suit, or my eyes?"

Fraser stared, first at the long, warm fingers covering his own, and then into the controversial green eyes which held a warm smile as they looked back at him.

"Your eyes, Ray." Fraser said quietly. "I couldn't help it. The other day when I saw ...it just... happened."

"What other day and what happened?" Ray asked gently, unlike his usual rash manner.

Fraser shook his head and grimaced. He should have listened to his instincts and just kept quiet. As it was, more and more was being said, and Fraser himself was not even sure of what it was that was happening. It was going too fast for him!

The sound of drilling was much louder now, and little bits of stone was starting to fall through the hole that was being created for them.

"It looks like they got through sooner than we expected." Fraser took the opportunity to change the subject.

"It would appear so." Ray agreed, still smiling that infuriatingly enigmatic smile.

"We're going to talk about this when we get out, Benny. And there is no way that you are getting out of this." He promised as they started to clear the debris that was falling through the widening hole.

"Oh, and while we are on the subject of suits, did I ever tell you that you look a damned sight better in your brown uniform than in the red one you persist in wearing?"

"Well, no, Ray." Fraser looked surprised.

"Well, now you know!" Ray grinned, even as the last of the rocks fell away to create a hole large enough for them to crawl through.

THE END

Hsu-Lyn Yap
(copyright 1997)

tuktoyaktuk@hotmail.com

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NB. Any reference to brown uniform being better than red serge is purely an expression of personal preference. I'm sorry if I stand alone on this point! YHL