Disclaimer: Due South and its characters belong to Alliance Atlantis and a bunch of other people who are not me. This is just for fun, not for profit. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Notes: Beta thanks to Betagoddess and most especially to J S Cavalcante. Y'all rock. Thanks, too, to Omphale, who unwittingly inspired my choice of title.

Story Notes: Written for the ds_flashfiction "First Line" challenge.

"Wash." Ray's mumble was accompanied by a vague handwave toward the bathroom. "I stink," he added, and yawned until his jaw cracked.

Fraser slid Ray's jacket off his shoulders and hung it on the doorknob, unwilling to step away from him long enough to hang it properly in the closet. "Well, yes," he acknowledged as Ray moved in and wrapped his arms around Fraser's neck. "You are a bit fragrant." He could feel Ray's fatigue, the heavy weight of him; Ray wasn't so much hugging him as leaning on him. He ran his hands over the warm curve of Ray's back. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to work with you on this case."

"Long one," Ray mumbled into his neck. "Got 'em, though. Every last one of 'em, locked their sorry asses up."

"Did you get any sleep at all?" Ray didn't answer; he just swayed gently, draped over Fraser's shoulders, and hummed softly into his neck. "Ray? When did you last sleep?"

"One, two... no, Wednesday... wait, what day is it?" Ray shoved himself off Fraser in slow motion, turning unsteadily toward the back of the apartment. "Shower," he said, and shuffled in that direction, clumsily shedding clothing as he went.

Fraser trailed along behind him, picking up Ray's shirt and then his undershirt, and reaching out to steady Ray once or twice when his balance wavered.

Once they reached the bathroom, Fraser turned Ray to face him, opened his fly and tugged his pants and briefs down his legs, and then sat him down on the closed toilet lid. "I think that in your condition, a bath would be a wiser choice," he said, and turned on the taps. "Do you think you can--"

Ray was leaning back, his eyes closed, his pants still around his knees.

"No, I don't suppose you can." Fraser knelt on the floor in front of Ray, removed his boots and socks, and finished undressing him. After a moment's thought, he stood and undressed himself as well.

When the tub was full, Fraser helped Ray (who reluctantly cracked one eye when urged to move) to lower himself into the tub, and then slid in behind him, tugging Ray back against his chest.

Ray leaned contentedly against him, his arms drifting beside him in the water and his head lolling on Fraser's shoulder. "Nice," he said, and smiled.

Every time Fraser convinced himself that he could not possibly love Ray more, he learned different. He held him close, savoring the joy of Ray in his arms and breathing in his ripe scent, and then planted a soft kiss on Ray's temple and reached for the soap, forgoing the washcloth for the anticipated pleasure of his bare, soap-slick hands on Ray's naked skin. "Let's get you clean," he said, his voice a soft rumble.

Limp and passive in his arms, Ray gave himself over to Fraser's ministrations and allowed him to do as he liked. Fraser found tight, tired muscles and massaged them with soapy hands. Ray groaned, soft, contented noises that vibrated right down to Fraser's cock, which had been nestled fully erect and ignored against Ray's ass ever since they'd entered the tub.

Succumbing to greed even as he silently chastised himself, Fraser allowed himself the guilty indulgence of lingering over Ray's belly, his genitals, the cleft of his ass. He knew he should make short work of the bath and let Ray get to bed, but he couldn't deny himself the pleasure of touching him.

"Feels good," Ray mumbled, his cock swelling hard in Fraser's hand. "Yeah."

"You're tired," Fraser whispered, softly stroking Ray's cock. "You need sleep."

Ray thrust lazily up into Fraser's slick grip. "Sleep later. Fuck me now."

Fraser's cock pulsed against the silken-wet skin of Ray's ass. "There'll be time for that tomorrow, after you've slept." But his fingers strayed down below Ray's balls.

"Now," Ray insisted sleepily. "Missed you. Been days. Days." He groped behind him, sending warm water swirling around Fraser's cock.

"I've missed you, too, Ray," Fraser said, his lips moving over the nape of Ray's neck. "More than I can say."

Ray fumbled the lube down off the soap dish; it landed with a small splash in the water. "Do me."

The silicone lube was resistant to water, and though it took a little time and care, Fraser was able to get Ray slicked up even under water.

"Yeah," Ray said, his legs sprawled wide and boneless. "Yeah."

"Yes," Fraser said, and lifted Ray onto his cock, sliding into him carefully, letting Ray's water-buoyed weight settle slowly down until they were fully joined.

"Oh, fuck yeah," Ray breathed.

Ray weighed almost nothing, floating in the warm embrace of the water and Fraser's arms. A gentle thrust of Fraser's hips set them into a slow rhythm that flowed with the wavelets lapping gently against the sides of the tub.

His usual urgency entirely absent, Ray leaned back against Fraser's chest and let him fuck him leisurely, easy as he liked. Fraser might have wondered if he'd fallen asleep except for the purring rumbles that rose from his chest, punctuated with an occasional "fuck" or "yeah," and the erect cock that moved slickly, lazily through Fraser's loose fist.

On impulse, Fraser released Ray's cock and scooped up a handful of warm water, dribbling it over Ray's hair. It wasn't until the third handful, with his hair nearly soaked, that Ray made an inquisitive sound.

"Shhhh." Fraser reached behind him for the shampoo bottle, snapped the cap open, and squeezed a small dollop onto Ray's head. He set the bottle on the floor beside the tub and then sank his fingers into Ray's hair, massaging the shampoo into his scalp.

"God," Ray said. "Fuck." He tucked his hands under Fraser's thighs, interlocked their ankles, and pulled himself down onto Fraser's cock. "Good. Feels good."

Fraser's cock pulsed and swelled, and he sucked in a deep breath, just the sound of Ray's pleasure enough to bring him close to orgasm. He rubbed luxuriously at Ray's scalp with both hands, letting Ray fuck himself.

"Jesus." Ray's voice was high and tight. "Fuck. God." He pulled himself down onto Fraser's cock again and again, sending water sloshing up the sides of the tub. "Fraser."

"Yes, Ray," Fraser murmured, dropping one soapy hand to encircle Ray's cock, stroking it fast and hard. "Yes."

Ray fucked himself hard one more time and his orgasm took him, shook him, burst from him in pulsing spurts and wordless, throaty grunts.

Fraser held Ray's lathered head close against his cheek and came and came and came inside him, spilling his heart along with his semen, until there was nothing more of him to give.

Some time later, Fraser became aware that the water was beginning to cool and that his cock had softened and slipped out of Ray. He tenderly stroked the soapy, wet hair back off Ray's forehead. "We need to get you to bed," he said, his voice oddly hoarse.

Ray grunted, his eyes still stubbornly shut. He grumbled a little as Fraser reached around to pull the drain plug and then tugged Ray up onto his knees and then finally to his feet, where he stood swaying. It only took a moment or two under the shower's spray to rinse Ray's hair and wash them both clean of lube, and another minute to towel most of the water off.

Ray stumbled into the bedroom and tumbled into bed, flopping down onto his belly.

Fraser slid into bed beside him. He leaned over and kissed Ray between his shoulder blades. "Good night, Ray," he murmured. "Sleep well."

"Night," Ray mumbled into the pillow. "Love you."

Fraser dropped his head, resting his cheek in the hollow of Ray's spine. "And I you," he whispered, his words almost lost in the sound of Ray's soft snores.

~ fin ~