I Love You, Idiot

by Iris M Gray

Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine, no matter how much I wish they were.

Rating: G, m/m, slash, humour

Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski

If you don't like same-sex pairings, don't read it!

I Love You, Idiot

by Iris M Gray

"I love ya, ya idiot!" There was frustration, exasperation, and pleading in Ray Kowalski's voice.

"Pardon me, Ray?" Fraser sounded puzzled. Who could blame him? thought Ray. It was probably the oddest declaration of love he'd ever heard.

"I said, I said I love ya, Frase." The corners of Ray's mouth turned up slightly. "I also said yer an idiot."

"But Ray, why?" asked Fraser. Ray had confirmed what Ben had thought he'd heard his partner say, but he was no less puzzled.

"Why do I love ya, or why did I call ya an idiot?" asked Ray.

"Either. Both. " Ben found himself unable to think clearly. Ray loved him. Ray *loved* him? The declaration had come completely out of - what was the American expression? - out of left field. It was so bewildering that Fraser temporarily ignored the part about Ray calling him an idiot. It wasn't much different than Ray's calling him a 'freak' when they'd first met.

Ray hadn't intended to tell Fraser of his feelings in quite this manner. He had been avoiding telling Fraser at all, but had tentatively intended to invite Fraser over for a quiet dinner or something at his apartment, preferably without the wolf there to distract them, and somehow - he hadn't planned exactly *how* - tell him then. He stammered, "I, uh, well, I love ya just 'cause yer *you*, Frase."

"But what is it about my being *me* that causes you to love me?" asked Fraser.

Damn. Ray had the feeling that banging his head against the wall could be more productive than talking to Fraser sometimes. "Well, yer always there when I need ya. You've saved my life more than once. "

Fraser nodded as if to say, 'Continue.'

"Yer just, yer a good person - ya open doors for people, ya help little old ladies across the street. Yer *nice*." Ray swallowed and took a deep breath. "And, and - ya don't resent me fer replacing Vecchio. Ya just accept me. Whether I'm chasing after Stella, which was completely hopeless, or trying to solve an eight year old murder case that was already closed - ya just go right along with me. Yer, yer amazing, Fraser."

Fraser smiled. "Thank you kindly, Ray," he said. Then his face clouded slightly. "But why did you call me an idiot?"

"Aw, Frase," sighed Kowalski. "Sometimes, I just, I get frustrated, ya know? Yer always taking risks, ya jump off buildings, ya go after armed perps without any weapon of yer own, and, and, I'm afraid that one day yer gonna get yerself killed. So when ya asked me why I wouldn't let ya go after that psycho who robbed the liquor store, I just had to tell ya the truth. " He paused. "But I didn't mean to say it quite like that. I was kinda hard on you, Frase. I'm sorry. Yer not an idiot."

"No, Ray, I think I *am* an idiot," replied Ben.

"Wha--? Why?" asked Ray in confusion.

"For not seeing what you have obviously been feeling for me for some time. For not paying closer attention. For not telling you that I love you, too."

A wide grin split Kowalski's face. "Ya love me, Frase?" he asked.

"Yes, I do. Very much so, in fact," Fraser replied.

"Why, Frase?" Ray asked. Turnabout was fair play.

"Because, as you said, Ray, you are *you.* You are Ray."

Ray stepped close enough to Fraser to look directly into the Mountie's clear blue eyes, close enough that they were almost, but not quite, touching. "And what," he asked, "is it about me being me that you love?"

Fraser put his hands on Ray's shoulders. "You have accepted me as I am, which I believe was just as difficult, if not more so, than my accepting *you.* You not only accepted my presence as Ray Vecchio's partner, you made me *your* partner. You are obviously very deeply committed to your job as a police officer. You believe in justice. You will go to any lengths to right what you perceive to be wrong, even if no one else can be bothered. And," he added, his eyes twinkling, "you have cute hair."

"Awww, Fraser!" exclaimed Ray. Fraser cut off any further protests by leaning forward and kissing his partner, hard. Ray sighed. "I love ya, ya idiot."

Fraser grinned. "I love you too, Ray."

END