Title: Prelude to a Dream

Author: Kim Lowe

Rating: R

Pairing: RK/BF

Warnings: slash. weirdness. a little bit of sex. hasn't been beta'd, though it did have a reader (heeheehee)

Spoliers: none

Disclaimers: all the usual

Feedback: "I get on my knees for no one . . . but I'll beg standing up!"

Archiving/Re-posting: Whatever floats your boat, as long as it has my name on it as author.

Note: A short Halloween RayK/Fraser fic.

The title of this alludes to the movie _Prelude to a Kiss_. If you've seen the movie, lucky you, you have a slight heads up on what might happen in the plot. If you haven't, don't worry about it. Hope you like it!

Prelude To A Dream
by Kim Lowe

"Auuuuoooooooooooooooo......!" The howl cut through the relative stillness of the night and stirred Ray from his sleep.

"Aw, Dief, cut it out, would ya'? I know it's Halloween and all, but come on. Just lemme get some sleep!"

"Auu, auu, auuuuoooooooooooooooo......!"

Raising himself up on one arm and readying a pillow with the other, Ray searched the room for the offending wolf. "Dief! Where the hell are ya'? Just cut it out, or this pillow is headed straight fer yer...what the hell??"

Fraser was sitting beside him, wearing nothing but an innocent expression. Glancing down at himself, Ray realized he was still naked, too, from their earlier round of lovemaking. Fraser looked at Ray. "Auuoooo - "

"Yeah, yeah, you said that already, Frase. What the hell are you doing?"

Fraser's voice answered, but Ray couldn't see his lips moving. "Oh, dear. I should have known he would do it again sometime."

"*Who* would do *what* 'again sometime,' Fraser? What are you talking about? And why are you doin' the, the, the ventrilisam thing?"

"The term is 'ventriloquism,' Ray, but I am not using that technique. No, this is far more difficult a situation than that."

Still all that Ray saw was Ben sitting there on the bed looking at him, though he knew the other man was speaking, *somehow*. "Look, just tell me what's goin' on here, cuz I sure don't get it." He stuck one pale, lean hand out and began tracing lazy circles on Fraser's thigh.

Fraser voice came out tinged slightly with laughter. "Ray, you may not want to do that right now."

Ray's hand slid higher on Fraser's leg, then slipped down to cup his groin. "And why not, Fraser? You got somethin' against sex on Halloween?" He was answered by strong licks on his face, courtesy of Fraser, and a burst of laughter at the same time, also courtesy of Fraser . . .

"Hey, cut that out, c'mon, you're ticklin' me, and I gotta tell ya' it ain't doing much for the mood here." More licks, swiping at the end of his nose. Ray yanked his hand away from Fraser's crotch and swatted at his lover's head. "Fraser!"

"Actually, Ray, I'm over here."

Ray looked around wildly, finally seeing Diefenbaker over in the corner, gazing at him with that mocking grin on his face. "That's real funny, Fraser," Ray commented, turning back to the man in the bed. "I told ya' not to do that vent..that throwing yer voice thing."

"I assure you I'm doing nothing of the kind. The fact of the matter is, Diefenbaker has taken the liberty of exchanging our souls for All Hallows Eve again." Ray stared at Dief, who was apparently talking with Fraser's voice.

"Um, yeah whatever you say, Fr..wait, what do you mean, 'again'??" He swung his head back and forth between man and wolf, unsure of where to direct his words.

"Well, Ray, he used to do it every year when we lived in Canada, but this is the first time he's chosen to try since we've been living here in Chicago."

Ray shook his head and pressed his fingers against his temples, trying to sort everything out. "Okay, so assuming I believe you and assuming the stuff you're saying is true, how did he do it? And what does it mean?" The figure beside him just sat and stared at Ray and the wolf, one eyebrow raised.

"Ray."

"And how long does he get to stay you and keep you as him?"

"*Ray*."

"Or can you undo it? And - "

"RAY!!"

Ray glanced up, meeting Dief's - er, Ben's eyes. "Yeah?"

"Dief came into my dreams tonight and performed the ritual there. He has shamanistic powers that are much stronger at this time of year, so he chooses to exchange his lupine form for mine and use it to his advantage. Generally, he returns the next morning, just before I wake, and returns to his own body."

"I don't know *how* you can say all o' that so matter-of-factly, Benton-buddy. And why didn't you mention any of this before so I might know what to expect come tonight?" As he talked to the being that looked like Diefenbaker, Ray found himself absently rubbing the back of the creature
that looked like Fraser as though he were petting Diefenbaker. It was a very odd situation.

"Well, as I said, Ray, Diefenbaker hadn't been attempting the switch since we had come to Chicago, so I had no inclination this year would be any different. I'm not even sure why he chose this occasion for it, after all this time."

"Ah."

"What do you mean, 'ah,' Ray?"

"Nothin', I'm just doin' one of yer ah's."

"I see."

"Oh, no ya' don't. Yer not beatin' my 'ah' with yer 'I see,' uh-uh, Fraser."

"All right, Ray."

Ray glared at the wolf across the room. "Y'know, Frase, Dief is looking better and better over here . . . "

Fraser's body whined. Just don't fight.

"That's just silly, Ray." Fraser's voice had just the slightest hint of doubt to it.

"Izzat so? I see a beautiful man who happens to have more animal instincts than usual, and I see a know-it-all, talking wolf. Which would you pick?"

"Well, Ray, if that's what you'd like; I must warn you, though, that his tongue baths are not always pleasant, and he uses his teeth quite a bit less gently than I do." No doubt there now - he knew he was winning.

Ray's eyes shrank to slits. "I don't even wanna know how you know that." Suddenly his mind revealed vivid images of what harsher biting would feel like on certain parts of his lower anatomy, and he winced at the very thought. "Okay, okay, so you're still the better choice. Wouldn't want to
give Dief any funny ideas about the rest of the year anyway. So how can we fix it? Y'know, get you back into you and him back into him?"

"I don't know if we really can, to be honest. I've never felt the need to try, just let him have his fun for a night . . . and learned to never *ever* ask what he did during that time." At a questioning glance from Ray, Fraser just grimaced and said, "Please don't ask."

Ray shrugged, looking puzzled. "So yer tellin' me there's no way we can switch you back?"

"I don't know. If there is, it must involve somehow getting into his dreams and undoing the exchange."

"So why can'tcha try that? And why's he just lookin' at me like that?" Ray kept his eyes on the wolf, slightly unnerved by the way the clear blue eyes of the man next to him were penetrating him.

"Ray, he always just looks at you like that, you're just not used to the look coming from my eyes."

"Oh. I guess you're right. So how 'bout that dream thing? Dief's just sittin' here anyway, so you won't be takin' away his night of fun."

"Which makes no sense to me at all. I cannot fathom what made him decide to exchange our souls tonight if he wasn't going to make use of my body in any way, unless - perhaps he was hoping that you would either not realize what had happened. Well, no, that's unlikely, since he was howling to wake you up - perhaps he simply hoped that you would indeed choose him over me for
the night, Ray." The wolf's jaw flapped quite a bit as Fraser tried to analyze the situation.

"Another thing I don't really wanna think about, Frase."

"Ah. Yes, well, in any case, I suppose an attempt at trading our bodies back would be in order. He and I both need to be asleep, though."

"I figgered as much. Can you do that, fall asleep real quick and get him to, too?" Ray sounded dubious, which of course just challenged Fraser to prove he was capable.

"Of course, Ray. I will just perform a series of deep relaxation exercises with him, and we'll be asleep in no time. We'll start with the - "

"No, Fraser, that's okay, I don't need details, just do it. Pitter patter let's get at 'er." Ray reached over and patted his bed companion on the head, winking at the wolf.

"Right you are." The wolf trotted over to the bed, hopped up, and settled in before the Mountie, who looked as though he were about to start pouting. Fraser's voice seemed very disembodied as he began to chant, the lupine head moving very slowly from side to side. Ray watched attentively at first, then promptly fell asleep, followed moments later by Fraser and Diefenbaker.

. . .

"Ray." No response from the nude, scruffy, blond-haired angel lying sprawled across two-thirds of the bed. Fraser tried again, more insistently this time.

"*Ray*." Still nothing. Fraser slid down to press his mouth close to his partner's ear, and started to whisper the name again.

"Ra - " The man beneath him pounced, twisting him over onto his back and holding him down with two strong fists curled under like paws. For a moment, Fraser's expression was one of exasperation. Then it turned to shock, and he let out a groan as the other man began to lick his face, then lap excitedly at his chest, shoulders, and arms.

"Auuooo?"

"Oh, dear." Ben tried to lift the head up from his torso. He called over his shoulder to where he'd lain his wolf on the floor after the 'transplant,' hoping to rouse Ray from his slumber. Fraser tugged insistently, complaining, "Dief, that wasn't fair. You shouldn't have allowed me to regain control of my own body if you were going to take over Ray's."

He was ignored, and his partner pulled away and continued licking at his chest, then the eager tongue twisted around one of his nipples, and then down, and down, and down . . . "Oh. . . . Dear. . . . Now, Ray, you really . . . ohhhh . . . shouldn't have . . . mmm . . . pulled that trick on me.
Ahhh."

"Well, that was your trick, Frase, so now you're getting' yer treat. Happy
Halloween."

Diefenbaker raised his head momentarily and observed his friend gasping, calling out the name of his lover. He yawned, grumbled to himself, and went back to sleep. Next year . . .

- end -