i can't decide whether is should be PG or R

i know this is kinda late for Halloween, but that's what happens in a country where there's no tradition of celebrating it.

Nik and i were discussing this little problem.... she said her idea of celebrating Halloween is to watch the Simpsons ep. but it wasn't on this year...

what an *exciting* story that would make! "Nope, it's not it, you can turn off the TV, Benny." "All right, Ray.")

i of course replied....

>are you kidding, that's perfect! just think what they could get up to on the >sofa

and that was the end of it. but then i decided to play with it after all.

some explanatory notes...

Neighbours is one of Australia's most sucessful soaps ever...

Sex/Life is a real show. unfortunately, its showing in New Zealand at the moment. Australia has a lot to answer for...

i can't decide whether is should be PG or R

usual disclaimers...

oh, yes. this is for all those people who keep complaining i don't put enough sex in my stories. i've now written three in a row with plenty of sex, so shut up!

Halloween Down Under

"So, Benny, did you find out about any Halloween parties for tonight?" It was the first time Ray had been out of Chicago on Halloween, and not just out of Chicago, but out of the States entirely. He and Ben had been sent to Brisbane, Australia to extradite an escaped criminal because they had been the arresting officer and main witness in the man's trial. After a week, the decision had finally been made and tomorrow they would be returning to Chicago with their prisoner. But tonight was Halloween and Ray wanted to party.

"Well, no Ray... you see Halloween is an almost exclusively North American holiday, it's not widely celebrated in Australia. The Australians prefer to celebrate Guy Faulkes Night instead. That falls on November fifth, however, so..." Ben's voice trailed off at the look of disgust on Ray's face.

"So there's no parties?"

"None that I could find, Ray. Although we will be crossing the International Date Line going back, so we'll arrive in Chicago on October 31st."

"Yeah, at ten o'clock at night. All the fun'll be over by then."

Ben waited patiently, there was nothing he could do about the airline schedule, after all.

"Might as well see what's on TV, I guess..." Ray leafed through the TV Guide the motel had supplied. "... Neighbours. Geez, who wants to watch a show about somebody else's neighbours, are they crazy? What else... hey, you might like this Benny..." he grinned wickedly. "You like documentaries, don't you? "Sex/Life, a magazine style series on sex issues...", what d'you think?"

"I'd rather not, Ray."

"You disappoint me. Let's see... All right! The Simpsons! Hey, maybe it'll be the Halloween special, you know, the one with the story about the Raven, you'll love that Benny."

"I've never heard of that show. I assume it's American?"

"Never heard of it? Are you kidding? It's great. Its a cartoon. You must have seen it."

"A cartoon? Oh..."

Ray sighed. "What?"

"Well, it's just that I've noticed that cartoons often seem to perpetuate inappropriate stereotypes. And they also contain a level of violence unsuitable for children."

"This is an adult cartoon, Benny."

"Oh dear!"

"No! Not that kind of adult, I just mean that its something that's aimed more at adults than children, that's all. It's on in a few minutes. Just enough time to get some popcorn."

Five minutes later they were sitting on the couch, a bowl of popcorn between them and the TV on. Ben watched the opening sequence with something like dismay on his face, then the story started. After a couple of minutes...

"Uh, Ray... I don't think..."

"No. That's not it." Ray fiddled with the remote and the TV went blank.

"We could watch something else, Ray."

"Nah."

They finished the popcorn in silence.

"What would you like to do now, Ray?"

Ray looked across at the Mountie speculatively. Not that you could tell he was a Mountie just from looking at him... they had both succumbed to the, for them, unseasonal heat and had taken to wearing the local uniform of dress shorts and short sleeved shirts. Or at least Ben had taken to wearing shorts. Ray was all too aware that his legs were not his best feature and had settled for the lightest weight pants he could find. Now, off duty, Ben was wearing just a loose singlet and baggy, cotton-knit shorts and looked... luscious was the word that sprang to mind...

"We could always try Trick or Treat..."

"Ray, I've already explained..."

"I know, the Aussies don't celebrate Halloween. That doesn't mean we can't. Just the two of us."

"It would tend to limit what we could do though."

Ray just looked at him.

"All right, Ray. How?"

Ray grinned and reached across to grab the front of Ben's singlet, pushing the popcorn bowl out of the way with his free hand. He pushed Ben down against the arm of the couch and, once the Mountie was thoroughly trapped, kissed him lingeringly on the lips. Almost at once, he began to have second thoughts, he drew back, but a hand on his cheek stopped him in mid-retreat. He studied the slightly flushed face carefully and then, since it appeared to be what Ben wanted, he kissed him again.

This time Ben's lips parted complicitously against Ray's and Ray had no hesitation in taking full advantage of his acquiescence. For a long time there was no sound other than their breathing and the small wet sounds of their lips touching and parting. Ray closed his eyes and began to explore Ben's face with his lips and tongue, feeling Ben's breath hot on his cheek and throat. He shifted lower, investigating Ben's throat, feeling the pulse fluttering against his lips like a moth trapped beneath the skin... A gentle finger was tracing the curves of his ear, toying with the lobe, tracing a line down his throat. Neither of them had said a word.

Ray sighed, heard it echoed above his head, and buried his face in the curve where Ben's shoulder met his throat. He slipped the strap off Ben's shoulder and followed the fall of fabric down over well defined pectoral muscles to close his lips around a small tight nipple. A sound somewhere between a sigh and a moan escaped from Ben and a hand slid inside Ray's collar, caressing the sensitive nape of his neck. Suddenly, just stroking Ben's body through the singlet wasn't enough... Ray pulled it out of Ben's shorts and slid his hands beneath the cloth, running them over the hot silky skin. A movement of the body beneath him, a slight interruption to his caress, and the singlet was thrown to one side. Ray barely noticed, he was trying to touch as much of Ben as possible, given that he was handicapped by only having two hands and one tongue...

At last Ray drew back enough to look at Ben, checking that he was still OK with this. The flush had spread down his throat and across his bare chest and he was breathing quickly... but then so was Ray. He wanted more. He wanted so much more, so badly, it scared him.

Ben looked back at him solemnly, waiting. There was no mistaking the evidence of his arousal, two thin layers of cloth could hardly disguise that, but Ray still hesitated. He took hold of the drawstring of the shorts and waited until a barely perceptible nod authorized him to continue. It was oh so easy to slide both shorts and boxers down over hips that lifted obligingly to clear the way. Ray tossed them aside, forgotten the moment they left his hands, but could not tear his eyes away from Ben's until the lids lowered over the blue eyes, half shuttering them and releasing him from their spell.

Ray drew in a deep breath, almost starved of oxygen, and allowed his gaze to travel slowly downwards from Ben's face. The sight of him sprawled there, flushed and achingly aroused was almost unbearable. He was stunningly beautiful... every muscle was well defined and, just now, taut with tension. He had very little body hair, just a fine line of dark hair running down his belly into a small thatch of dark curls from which his cock rose, a pale trembling column.

"God, Benny... you're so beautiful..."

Ben didn't respond, and Ray leaned forward and took up his trail of kisses where he'd left off, moving slowly downwards, not wanting to rush this. But soon his hand seemed to move of its own volition to the place where it wanted to be. His own moan was muffled against Ben's skin, but he clearly heard the sharp intake of breath above his head as his fingers caressed the hard flesh. With an effort Ray resumed his kiss, moving more quickly now, over the rigid belly, feeling it contract at his slightest touch, until his lips encountered a familiar, tangy, slipperiness. His tongue swept out to taste it properly and then he turned his head to taste the source.

A long drawn-out shudder swept through Ben's body as Ray took the cock into his mouth, and his hips pushed up instinctively, then subsided, accepting this new caress passively. Ray tightened his lips around the shaft drawing it into his mouth and allowing it to slide free again... a hand on the back of his head guided him into a rhythmic rise and fall, until the body under his hands began to tremble steadily.

Ray lifted his head, not ready to finish this yet and Ben, almost oblivious until the cessation of Ray's caresses got through to him, opened his eyes, his lips parting on an inarticulate protest until he saw that Ray was struggling with the buttons on his shirt. He reached out and helped Ray to tug the offending article over his head. It took longer to dispose of Ray's pants and underwear, but then they were both naked at last. Ray was kneeling between Ben's legs, he simply tumbled forwards onto his chest and felt Ben's arms and legs close around him.

The sensation of being held, the insistent pressure of their cocks against each other's bodies, was overwhelming at first and they simply lay there, motionless. Then, slowly, they began to move in a fluid dance, finding their rhythm, varying the tempo. Soon they were lost in the urgency of their desire, the rhythm faltering into chaos and a final, mind-shattering climax.

Ray could feel the hard pounding of Ben's heart against his own, the rapid rise and fall of his chest as they both struggled for air. He turned his head and saw a tiny trickle of sweat making its way down the column of Ben's throat. He licked it away and heard the change in Ben's breathing. Suddenly he felt very unsure of himself, a new experience. Usually after making love he felt secure, sure that his partner had wanted it as much as he had. This time he wasn't sure of anything.

He lifted his head and looked at Ben. Ben was looking just as uncertain as Ray felt. They stared at each other in silence for a moment, then Ben lifted a hand to caress Ray's cheek and smiled shakily at him. Ray kissed him, slowly, putting everything he felt into it. When it was over he lay with his face pressed to Ben's, too emotionally drained to speak for a while. Finally, he whispered "Happy Halloween, Benny" and felt Ben's smile against his cheek.

"Happy Halloween, Ray..."

He drifted for a while, just enjoying the feeling of being held, and having his back gently stroked.

"...Ray?"

"Mmm?"

"Do you really think I'm beautiful?"

Ray sat up, not believing the question, but one look at Ben's face convinced him. He grinned.

"Hell, Benny, everyone thinks you're beautiful. Haven't you noticed?"

Ben shook his head slightly.

"Take it from me, Benny."

Ben smiled, suddenly. It almost took Ray's breath away.

"I already have, Ray. Was that the trick or the treat?"

"The treat. Want to hear what the trick is?"

Ben nodded warily. Ray bent over and whispered in his ear then sat back to watch as Ben's eyes widened suddenly.

the end

PS. if anybody wants to write a story about the trick, please feel free!

elaine