Title: In the Trunk

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Benton Fraser was never one to hide from a fight, but he also knew when he was outnumbered, and he was not a foolish man. He hunkered down between cardboard boxes and dusty antiques and then duck walked, which was made very difficult by a stetson and tightly cinching Sam Browne belt, beneath the line of sight. He could hear the men armed to the teeth, as all Americans tend to be, move about in the attic where he was. Fraser canvassed his surroundings, looking for an easy exit, or at least a safer hiding place than just out in the open.

The open top of a large antique steamer trunk invited him. Its red velvet lining almost looked comfortable, so, removing his stetson, Fraser stealthily made his way over to it and climbed inside. He reached up and gently lowered the yawning top, keeping his fingers between the top and its locking mechanism so that it wouldn't seal him in. He wasn't prepared to die of suffocation in a trunk, only to have his rotting corpse found months later by a poor unsuspecting cleaning person.

Fraser slowed his breathing, and thought of a way to ambush the criminals so that he could get on and find his partner, Ray Vecchio, who was in the museum somewhere.

Hopefully, alive, Ben added in his head. Please be alive.

He lay there half on his back and his knees turned to the side, listening to the movements of the three men who were sloppily searching for him. If it was he, and he was looking for someone, the first place he would have looked was in any large container.

That search would have included the steamer trunk.

He heard their murmurs of wanting to check someplace else and Fraser breathed a sigh of relief. He waited a moment longer, concentrating on talking himself out of sneezing from the dust. And while he waited for them to make their exit, he heard another sound, someone had bumped into some of the boxes near the trunk and uttered a muffled curse. The beyond that one sound he heard the voices of the men coming back. Suddenly the lid of the trunk flew open and a sharp angled object pounced down upon him.

Fraser coughed out a breath of agony and surprise, as all points seem to catch him in the chest and belly. The man suppressed a cry of alarm and the lid of the trunk closed with a quiet *click*. One whiff of that expensive cologne, Ben relaxed.

"What the fu--!"

"Ray..." he whispered.

"Benny!" he gasped back.

"Yes, Ray. It's me."

"What are you doing in here??" Ray demanded, squirming against the Mountie's body.

"Same thing you are. Getting low..."

"Laying low," Ray corrected him and then shook his head. "I thought Mounties always stood their ground."

Fraser chuckled from somewhere in the dusty dark.

"Not against three semi automatic weapons with clips containing sixteen rounds each, Ray. No."

Ray shook his head again. Fraser would never cease to amaze him.

"Are you still armed, Ray?" Ben asked, although the last part of his question was muffled when Ray put a hand over his mouth.

With his head perked up as far as it would go against the curved dome of the roof of the trunk, Ray merely listened to what was going on outside. Footsteps came right up to the outside of the trunk.

"C'mon Robert. Let's get out of here," called a voice.

"Let me just check in here," he answered and thumped the trunk with his boot toe. "Sounds like something's in here."

Ray felt Fraser's mouth move beneath his hand as he set his jaw.

Ready to fight, Ray thought. Ben, no matter what his public airs were to the contrary, always enjoyed good fisticuffs, as he would call it.

Robert hooked his fingers beneath the lip of the trunk and pulled at it. It refused to budge. Something was in there, he was sure of it, something heavy. He jerked upon it some more and then seeing that he wasn't going to get it open without a key; he kicked its brocade side and tromped away.

Fraser and Ray didn't relax until a few minutes later, until they were sure the men were gone.

"Ray?" asked Fraser, still muffled.

"What?" he asked sullenly.

He wished Fraser wouldn't talk, he had to think a moment.

"You can take your hand from my mouth. I think they're gone on now."

Ray turned his eyes towards the Mountie's voice. He realized that because he had pressed down so hard, his fingers were parting Fraser's supple lips, and resting against his closed teeth.

"Sorry, Benny," he whispered, pulling his hand away and then wiping it on his jacket.

Ray took in a long breath. At least they wouldn't suffocate in there. He could feel cool air source coming in from between the cracks in the joints of the trunk. The second thing Ray Vecchio noticed was that he was currently lying between his partner's tensed thighs, with his hands splayed against his chest and that very fact made him uncomfortable. Ray wriggled a bit, trying to not press against him when all that he was doing was pressing and rubbing against him and then he stiffened when he heard Fraser gasp.

"Sorry," he muttered, wholly embarrassed.

"It's o.k., Ray. I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" he asked softly.

Fraser cleared his throat, nervous and embarrassed that he was more than enjoying the pressure of Ray's elbow on his groin.

"I... I'm sure that there could have been other places I could have hidden instead of..."

"Benny. Please don't get nuts on me," Ray chuckled. "What, are you psychic Mountie now? Knowing my every move?"

"No," he answered.

"Good. Now move over a little so that I can get the trunk open and then I can quit rubbing your um... uh, Benny, wait, uh.. ok, like that just... wait a minu-OW!"

"Oh dear! I'm sorry Ray."

Fraser stopped trying to squeeze his body from beneath Ray's slender one, and off to the side. There was just not enough room in that steamer trunk and unfortunately someone had turned up the heat in there. Ray rubbed his eye where Fraser's fingers had accidentally jabbed him and lay there for a moment with his head against the Mountie's side.

"Benny... Benny... what the hell is that poking me?!"

Fraser frowned.

"It's poking me in the face, get it.. get it!"

Fraser reached down and felt around for Ray's face. Then taking in a deep breath he cleared the obstruction.

"It's just my belt, Ray. Nothing to worry about."

"Well... all those buckles and snaps felt like they were gonna tear my skin off."

"I'm sorry..."

Ray rolled his eyes and finally made it onto his back, his spine crushed against the hard muscle of the Mountie's thigh.

"I think I can reach the lock."

"I'm sure that it's already locked, Ray," Ben answered matter of factly.

"I know that, Fraser, I want to *unlock* it."

Ray tousled with the steamer trunk lid and then with the skeleton key lock, with no luck. After exerting himself he lay back against Fraser.

"It's locked," he informed the Mountie, softly.

"Ah."

"I'm locked in a dark dusty steamer trunk with a Mountie... all I need is to be licked by a deaf wolf. How do I get myself into these things."

Fraser said nothing and Ray sighed. He squeezed shut his eyes. Things definitely couldn't get any worse. He wasn't sure if he'd be better off facing those goons with guns, or staying locked in a steamer trunk with a... pleasantly smelling, monosyllabic Mountie. Actually it wasn't all that bad in there with Fraser and the neetsfoot oil he'd used on his Sam Browne was rather soothing.

"Ray..." Fraser, said suddenly.

"What?"

"It probably would be more comfortable for the both of us if you... ah, either turned on your side... with you back to me, or... facing me."

Ray thought a moment. He definitely didn't want to do the latter. No way was he going to lie pressed against Ben, with their legs entwined like lovers. He chose to turn his back, which proved to be a mistake.

"Something's poking me in the back now, Benny."

"It's still my belt, Ray, and I can't very well take it off, now can I?"

Ray grumbled, "You don't have to get snippy. I don't like this anymore than you do."

He then squirmed again and tried to make himself comfortable, but the thick buckle argued irritably with his spine and he couldn't take it any more.

"I have to shift, Benny," Ray announced. "You take a look at the lock."

"All right, Ray," he said calmly and took the slender detective by the arms and slid him effortlessly across his body until he was completely on top of him. Ray held his breath. Did Ben mean to pause like that?

The Mountie wriggled from beneath him and tried to squash himself up against the side of the trunk to give Ray more room. Ray quickly arranged himself, scooting up towards the far end of the trunk so that the front of his thighs and knees rested along Fraser's shoulders and back.

Damn, Ray breathed silently, feeling a strange surge of electricity pass through his body. If he keeps doing that...

Wow. It's getting hot in here.

Ray shook himself. No way was he having feelings towards the most annoying man in the known universe. That was not happening.

Ben, shifting onto his side, flicked open one of his belt pockets and pulled out his small penlight. Holding it between his teeth he directed the oval of yellow light to the lock and peered at it. Ray waited apprehensively, hoping the next words that followed Fraser's deep sigh was; there, Ray, and I've got it. It was just stuck.

Instead what followed that sigh was,

"It's still locked, Ray. There's nothing I can do."

"Damn!" Ray swore and folded his arms.

The two men lay in silence for a moment.

Ray spoke.

"What do we do now?"

And don't say Diefenbaker will come save us...

"I'm sure Diefenbaker will certainly pick up our trail and come to our aide," Fraser said.

Ray grunted with displeasure and purposely jammed his knee hard into the middle Mountie's back. Fraser made a small noise of discomfort, much to Ray's satisfaction.

"Fraser. Dief is not going to be able to get us outta here. What? Is he gonna pick the lock with his teeth or something?"

The Mountie said nothing and Ray could hear him shifting about a bit to replace the penlight back into the pouch. He sighed.

"I was only giving a suggestion, Ray," Ben said testily. "Diefenbaker does not have any lock picking abilities. None that I'm aware of, anyway."

Ray then laughed sourly.

"I bet if he thought there were some doughnuts... or the remnants of my lunch in here, he'd get it open."

"Ray," Fraser said sharply. "I wish you wouldn't refer to Diefenbaker like he was some sort of unwanted beast. It's your choice to have him around, so stop... complaining."

Ray took in a quick breath.

Had Fraser actually told him, in not so many words, to shut up?

"Well excuse me, Fraser," he answered a bit amused. "But it seems to me, that you do more complaining about your own damn wolf than I do."

"That's different," Fraser shot back and Ray noticed that he sounded angry.

Ray wasn't sure if he wanted an annoyed Mountie in such close quarters. He's seen what Fraser was capable of when he got irritated.

"Oh kay, oh kay, Fraser. Whatever you say," Ray answered quietly, hoping to mollify the situation.

"Fine," came the answer over his shoulder.

Ray rolled his eyes. He then stretched his long legs out as far as they would go, which, to his surprise almost could be fully extended.

"At least I'm not claustrophobic," he muttered to himself.

He heard Fraser mutter something in return.

"You got something to say, Benny?" Ray asked, his tone a bit threatening.

"As a matter of fact, Ray," he said turning his head. "I said, if you were claustrophobic, then you'd be more unbearable than you are now."

That did it! Ray wasn't going to take his snide remarks anymore. He opened his mouth to retort, but Fraser kept talking.

"I mean, it's one thing after another with you. If it's this way, you want it that way, if it's that way, you want it this way. You are completely exasperating and I don't understand why Dief finds you so appealing..."

His voice trailed off, obviously right along with his fizzling anger.

"... and please...for the love of God, please stop jabbing me in the back!"

"Tell me what you really think, Fraser," Ray answered. "You act like you're the most perfect man in the world. Well think again, my friend. Why do you think you *have* no friends? It's not their fault... it's yours. You try to show up everybody within shooting distance. Who wants to hang around that?!"

There. He'd said it and he hoped he'd hurt the Mountie.

"You're right, Ray."

That took the wind right out of the Vecchio sails and he relaxed from a tenseness he wasn't aware he was holding. Immediately he felt bad and he wanted to apologize. Then part of him waited to get the old Mountie guilt trip, Fraser usually slathered on him, but the man didn't say anything more.

"I didn't mean that, Benny," Ray whispered after a long time.

"Yes, you did, Ray. And I thank you for telling me how you felt. It was... time we got our opinions out in the open."

"But... I only said that... because I knew it would hurt your feelings, Benny. I didn't mean it."

Ben closed his eyes and then his body relaxed. He could feel Ray's warm firm body pressing up against his back. Ray certainly knew his weak points and knew how to hit them hard.

"And I'm sorry about jabbing you in the back, Benny."

Fraser felt himself smile and he dropped his head.

"Do you really think I'm like that, Benny?"

"No, Ray. I don't. I guess I was... just trying to hurt you too."

"Well, you really know low blows..."

"I'm sorry, Ray," he said, easily.

"I'm sorry too, Benny."

Ray thought a moment, was he really sorry, or was he just saying that to appease his friend. He sighed again, scooted down so that he was parallel to the Mountie and leaned forward to put his forehead on Fraser's shoulder.

What am I doing getting closer to him??

"This isn't exactly how I wanted to die," Ray said. "Alive in a coffin."

"It isn't a..."

"I know it's not a coffin, Fraser. I'm just saying. "

"Ah."

Ray smiled to himself. Then a wave of temptation swept over him, temptation to put his arms about the Mountie's waist and hug him. But he fought it and distracted himself with words.

"I bet this is a major fantasy of yours, Benny," he joked. "Being stuck in tight quarters with me."

The Mountie was quiet for a moment.

"We're usually facing each other."

Ray blinked in the dusty darkness. He could feel the hairs rising all over his body.

What did he just say?

"What did you just say?"

Fraser cleared his throat nervously. He didn't mean to have said that. And he certainly didn't want to repeat it. He was sure that Ray would unholster his gun and shoot him through the back.

"Nothing, Ray," he said instead.

"Oh no, no, no, Fraser," he said. "You said something. So if you had the balls to say it once, then you can say it again."

Dizzy, Fraser closed his eyes and his head swam with the abrupt swings in emotion he was experiencing in such a short span of time.

"I *said* that we're usually facing each other."

"Facing each other?" Ray asked hesitantly. "Doing... what?"

"Whatever you want..."

"I'm not asking for... yeesh, Benny. We're not having this conversation anymore."

"Why not? You asked."

"Well, I'm not asking anymore. God, I can't believe that. I can't believe..."

Ray sighed again.

"You were fantasizing about me, Benny?"

"Yes, Ray. I do. I did..."

Curiosity got the better of Ray.

"Like what?"

"I'd rather not discuss it, Ray," he said softly.

"Benny! You can't just say something like that, and let the subject drop."

"Ray. It'll only make you uncomfortable. I don't want to bring it up... not at this particular juncture."

"Oh, great. Yea thanks. Tell me Fraser!"

"I want to make love with you, Ray," he blurted out in frustration. "I want that. I want to be with you...are you satisfied?"

Ray felt the body before him clenching as the words left him. Fraser actually had wants! He laughed a bit.

"I don't need you laughing at me, Ray," he ground out.

"I wasn't laughing, Benny," Ray said gently. "I wasn't. Honest."

Ray took in a breath and tried another approach to get the man to talk.

"I mean... it just took me by surprise. I didn't think you wanted me like that, you know... you wanting... me... that's a big deal."

"I've always wanted you, Ray," he answered quietly, finally able to speak his own thoughts; those same thoughts that burned inside him for years.

It was like a heavy weight had been lifted and he wanted to weep. He had already dug his own grave and he might as well lie in it. What could he lose now?

Ray smiled to himself, feeling extraordinarily sexy at that moment and that feeling goaded him into flirting with Fraser.

"So... what kind of stuff, besides making love to me, did you want to do?"

He heard Fraser groan softly.

"Please, Ray..." he pleaded.

Ray slipped his arms about Ben's waist and drew him closer... well a little closer. Ray paused a moment.

This wasn't too bad, he thought.

He liked the feel of the Mountie's body against him. Not that he would, under normal conditions admit it to anyone, he too had some fleeting fantasies about Benton Fraser. Who wouldn't? The man was beautiful and he had a heart of gold.

"C'mon, Benny," he purred, nuzzling the back of his neck. "Tell me."

"I... I just... I..."

"You want me to touch you, Benny?"

"Yessss..." he gasped.

While he talked, Ray's hand eased around his front and down to his groin. He gave him a soft, but firm stroke and Ben moaned softly. Ray felt electrified and the stiffening erection beneath his palm burned like a white hot coal.

Fraser then jerked and Ray stilled his hand.

"Ohhh, Ray. Don't. Please."

Ray released him, to the confused Mountie's chagrin and pleasure.

"I thought you wanted me to do it," Ray said a bit petulantly.

"Ray. You don't understand."

"I guess I don't, Benny. You say you want one thing, and then when I want to give it to you, you don't want it."

"I didn't say I didn't want it or you, Ray. I... just not here. It isn't... right."

"Well, Benny. I don't know if we're even gonna get out of here alive. Why not here."

Ray trailed his fingers up and down the Mountie's back. Ben opened his mouth to speak, when he heard the approach of very wolfish nails clicking on the hardwood floor.

"It's Dief!" he cried. "Dief!"

After a moment they both heard a nose snuffling about the edges of the trunk. Ben snagged his penlight and shone it out through the opening of the lock. Ray heard the wolf starting to scratch at the trunk's opening and much to their surprise the top of the steamer trunk flipped open.

Both men sat up immediately, both gasping in a breath of cool air. Diefenbaker sat down before the trunk, and giggled at them.

"Oh, Dief!" Ray crowed and he climbed out of the trunk. "Thank you, thank you!"

He hugged the wolf soundly. Fraser stood and stretched his back before stepping out of the hot velvet confines.

"How did he get the thing open?" Ray asked.

Fraser turned to examine the trunk's lock.

"There's a latch that I couldn't reach from the inside, that he obviously struck when he clawed at it."

"Good Dief. Good boy!" Ray grinned patting the wolf again.

"Ray," Fraser said and Ray straightened to look at his blushing friend.

"Yea, Benny?"

Ray felt his heart pick up speed.

"We have criminal to apprehend."

Ray felt a huge let down sink like a stone in the pit of his stomach. He hadn't expected the Mountie to say that. And with that, Fraser bent to snatch up his stetson, turned and made a dash towards the stairs leading to the first floor of the museum.

"Benny!" Ray called after him. "They are long gone by now! Where the hell are you running to?"

But the Mountie had already gone, hotly pursued by his wolf and leaving Ray to his own devices. After what went on in the trunk, he wasn't sure how to feel or what to think. But he knew they would definitely have to discuss it sooner of later. Fraser running off like that was just prolonging his fate. Ray smiled and followed the Mountie and his wolf.

--end