Disclaimer: Alliance owns these guys, not me. 

I wrote this story by the light of a candle during Irene.  Hurricanes
give me insomnia, and that was about my only inspiration. This is my
first *happy* short story, so be kind. I wasn't sure I liked it, but
at the same time, I couldn't see how to improve on it.  So suggestions
are very welcome. 

PG for M/M INTERACTION, H/C. IF YOU ARE UNDERAGE OR BOY-ON-BOY DOESN'T
DO IT FOR YOU, GO BACK, WALK ON, BUG OFF. Thank you kindly. 

Flood
By
Rae
********************

"Our flight has been cancelled. Damnit! I knew we should have gone for
one of the early morning flights!" Detective Ray Kowalski hung up the
telephone, sighing deeply. "This really sucks." Constable Benton Fraser
looked up from the copy of  'Discover' that was laid across his knee
and watched his partner collaspe on the bed with a frustrated cry. "What
sucks, Ray?", he asked, rolling the word 'sucks' with obvious distaste.
Kowalski lay back on the bed with his arms stretched out. "*This*.  Being
stuck here." Fraser frowned.
"I don't understand. I thought you wanted to come to Florida." The detective
sat up and tossed his friend a sideways glare. "Yeah. I did. For sun
and beaches, the ocean and hot women in dental floss bikinis." The Mountie's
eyes narrowed in confusion and for a moment he thought to ask about the
'dental floss bikinis' but then thought better of it. Ray gestured wildly
to the window. Outside, rain fell in sheets and a strong wind twisted
the palms. "Not this. A freakin' hurricane. It hasn't stopped raining
since the plane touched down.  It figures Irene would nail Florida when
we get here. Mother Nature's a bitch." Kowalski was off the bed now and
pacing nervously. "And we can't even get back to Chicago for another
two days. Even the goddamn parking lot's flooded."  Fraser closed the
magazine and placed it on the small table to his right.  The blond was
still mumbling angry curses to himself as he paced the room. Ben watched
the action quietly for a few minutes. Back and forth. Back and forth.
His partner, easily excitable as he was, was even more agitated than
usual. Since they arrived in Florida two days, neither man had stepped
out of the motel room. The seminar they had come for had been cancelled
due to bad weather and the roads were completely flooded. Ben himself
was quite content to read magazines and whittle away at pieces of wood.
Kowalski did not take to the situation quite so well. Before the end
of the first day he claimed he was going 'stir-crazy' and that if it
didn't stop raining he was going to start shooting holes in the wall.
The blond grew worse as the storm progressed and at this point, well....Back
and forth. Back and forth. "Ray?" 
"What?!", Kowalski snapped. Fraser tilted his head slightly.
"Can you please sit down? Your pacing, it's quite unnerving." The blond
gave him an icy glare. "Unnerving.", he muttered under his breath as
he sat down again on the bed. This time he crossed and uncrossed his
legs and then began to nibble at his fingernails. Fraser's brow furrowed
as he observed this. "Ray, are you worried about the storm?" The detective's
head snapped around. "Worried?! Hell, no! Why would I be worried? Just
a storm, right? Why would you think I was worried?" "Well, to be truthful,
your behaviour is unusually erratic and-"
"Erratic?! I'm not being erratic." A roll of thunder very nearly caused
Ray to jump off the bed again. Wide green eyes darted to the window and
watched the shaking palms. "You think this place is, like, secure?",
he asked, voice shaking. "Secure, Ray?"
"Yeah. Like it's not gonna fall over or somethin', right?" The detective
laughed nervously. "That's highly unlikely.", Ben replied, not quite
sure what to do or say to put his partner at ease. "Good, good. That's
very good.", Kowalski responded and he began to chew his fingernails
again. Outside, the cry of the wind was growing in pitch. Closer to the
window, Ben turned his face to that sound. It brought back recollections
of the great blizzards he'd experienced in the Northwest Territories.
How he missed those things now. Turning from the roar, he saw that his
partner was rocking slightly and mumbling to himself. Ben stood and moved
to the other bed, an action his partner seemed to take no notice of.
Or least chose not to acknowledge it.  Even as Fraser sat down, the lights
buzzed, flickered and then went out, leaving the two men in the dark.
"Shit.", Ray whispered.
"Profanity.", Ben chastised gently.
"Shut up, Fraser.", the blond snapped back.
"As you wish." He heard the bed creak and Ray's feet touch the floor.
"We gotta a flashlight or somethin', Frase?", the detective whispered.
"No, Ray. But I have some  matches and there's a small candle on the
table. Perhaps- " He felt his partner brush past him and said, "I think,
perhaps we should just stay seated. It's not safe to move around when
we can't see anything." Of course, he said this more for his partner's
sake than his own. Ben was used to limited lighting and his eyes were
quickly adjusting to the darkness. Ray, on the other hand--there was
a startled cry followed by a muffled "oomph!" as the detective tripped
over his hand luggage--well, he wasn't quite so skilled at navigating
the dark. "Are you alright, Ray?" 
"Oh yeah, Fraser. I'm just dandy.", Kowalski replied. Lightning lit up
the room then, more prominent now that it was pitch black. The sudden
disorienting result had an alarming effect on the detective who scrambled
to his feet and crashed into a wall he did not see. "Ray?" Fraser started
to move toward his friend. Another flash of lightning caused Ray to make
a mad dash for the bathroom, somehow managing to make the trip without
inuring himself any further. Alarmed and confused, Ben followed and found
his partner huddled inside the bathtub. "Ray?", he murmured gently. 
"D-don't like storms, Frase.", he replied softly. The Mountie squatted
beside the tub and ran his thumb over his friend's cheek. "Let me get
the candle.", he whispered. He started to move, but was caught by the
detective's fingers curling in his sleeve. Fraser gently clasped the
blond's wrist and freed his arm. "I'll come back.", he said reassuringly.

Ray lay curled up in the tub until he heard the sharp click of Ben's
boots on the tile. He heard the strike of the match and then a small
flame cast a erie glow across the Mountie's face. Fraser lit the candle
and put it on the sink. He shook out the match as it neared his fingertips
and flicked the charred piece into the garbage. "Is that better?" Ray
didn't make any reply, only stared wide-eyed at the ghastly shadows that
the dim light cast against the wall. "Ray?" Kowlski's eyes darted to
his partner. "Can you  move forward?" Again the detective made no verbal
reply, but did as he was asked. Ben slipped into the tub and then eased
Ray back against him. Another roll of thunder made the blond scramble
closer to his partner, burying his face in the against the soft flannel
of his shirt. Ben put his arms around his friend and held him tightly,
trying to soothe the tremble from the small form. 

Ray gasped and looked up as he heard the scrape of branches over the
roof. Fraser cupped Kowalski's face and forced his friend to look at
him. "Close your eyes.", he whispered. Kowalski seemed far away, lost
in his own fear. Ben gently covered his friend's face with his hand.
"Close your eyes, Ray." When he removed his hand, Kowalski's eyes were
shut, though there was frantic movement behind the eyelids. Fraser's
mind whirled, trying to think of some way to help his friend through
this. An idea came in the form a most impure thought that Ben tried to
shake. He gazed at his friend's face, focusing on the lips that were
pursed so tightly. He thought then to taste those lips, as he had always
wanted to. But there would be consequences tomorrow and he could not
bear Ray's anger, or worse yet, his disgust. Such a trepass would be
unforgivable. But...how beautiful he was. Fear, anxiety, nothing could
take that boyish from him. The eyes opened then and Ben could see the
green of the northern forests in the glittering orbs. Heart pounding
and head swimming, he let his lips brush over Ray's. His partner gasped
softly, reaching up to lightly caress Ben's cheek. Another gentle feather-soft
touch of lips, never really closing into a kiss. He hardly took notice
of Kowalski's hand slipping underneath his shirt until the light play
of fingernails grazing his chest caused him to gasp. Suddenly he was
no longer in control. Ray moved forward and kissed him with shameless
urgency, pushing him back against the side of the tub. And Ben was lost.
No equilibrium. No understanding. No storm.  No outside world. No line
between reality and fantasy. Only he and Ray existed here. And he was
drowning..... 

Ben awoke to find that the storm had passed, save some gusty winds, and
the lights had come back on. Ray slept soundly beside him, long fingers
curled tightly into the Mountie's shirt. Fraser reached down to stroke
his friend's spiky hair and smiled at the small, happy squeak this action
inspired. Slowly, the sleeper stirred. A jaw-cracking yawn, arms stretching
outward so that Ben had to duck to avoid being hit. Ray opened his eyes.
He looked around himself. *Bathtub? I'm in the bathtub. Last time I woke
up in a tub I had a bottle of  Wild Turkey glued to my lips. What the
hell happen--Fraser?* Kowalski stared at his partner in disbelief as
the memories of last night came flooding back. *Aw, jeez. Not good. Definitely
not good.* "Good morning, Ray.", Ben said shyly. Kowalski forced a smile.
"Good morning, Frase." Gripping the sides of the tub, he hoisted himself
out and massaged his stiff muscles. "Um, uh...Yeah, uh, storm's over.
I wanna see the beach.", he said quickly, inching toward the door as
he spoke. "I wouldn't recommend that, Ray. I doubt the beaches are open
and even if they are the roads probably aren't safe. I-" "Save the lecture.
I did not come to Florida to sit in a bathtub with you. Now, I'm going.
You can sit here or you can come with, the choice is yours.", he snapped
and was gone. Ben blinked rapidly. A certain flush of relief came over
him, that Ray had not brought up last night's incident. But this relief
was joined by a certain dull ache in his chest, again caused by the fact
that Ray had said nothing. He crawled out of the bathtub and cracked
his neck. He didn't want to go to the beach. He didn't want to be around
Ray, didn't want to see that look in his eye. But Ray was still his friend
and partner, and he would follow the detective to the ends of the earth
if he asked him. 
 
  Ray had taken time only to straighten his rumpled clothes and attempt
to tame his rebellious blond spikes. By the time Ben came out of the
bathroom, the detective was already at the door. "C'mon, Frase! Pitter-patter.
I wanna see the ocean." The Mountie nodded and quickly fell in step behind
his partner. They were half out the door, when Ray suddenly spun around,
snapping his fingers. Startled, Fraser stumbled back. "About last night,
Frase...um, we should--um, we need to talk." Ben nodded, his face paling.
"Yes, Ray." The detective dropped his bag and closed the door. Fraser
bowed his head, turning his Stetson over in his hands. "Frase-", he began.
Ben didn't look up.
"Yes, Ray?" Kowalski stopped, glaring at him partner.
"Do not do that, Fraser! Do not do that!" He continued, even as the flustered
Mountie struggled with an apology. "Do not do that deer-caught-in-the
headlights thing, like ya don't know what I'm talking about!" "I-I-I'm
sorry, Ray. I didn't-I didn't mean to-"  
"What was that all about?! Huh?! Was that like the buddy-breathing thing?"
"W-well, no. I-I-"
"Did you want to do that? I mean, where did it come from?"
"Ray-" The detective turned away, gesturing wildly.
"Cause I have to ask myself what the hell I was doing curled up in a
bathtub last night, making out with my partner and that's not even the
most confusing part." "Ray-"
"I have these feelings that have been eating away at me since the Henry
Anderson-" "Allen.", Ben corrected without realizing it.
"-Allen. I didn't say anything before, 'cause, ya know, that would have
been weird." "Ray-"
"And I thought maybe it would go away. All in the mind, ya know, Frase?
But then last night, last night, you had to do that thing and now I'm
all confused." He turned around, staring at the ground as he spoke. "Which
it explains why I'm standing here making a complete ass of myself-" "RAY!"
Kowalski's head shot up and now it was he who was flustered. "Huh?"
"You are not an...'ass', Ray.", he said gently. "You are the most beautiful
person I have ever met and not a day goes by that I don't thank God for
you." Kowalski smiled, dropping his eyes as he blushed. Fraser stepped
foward and cupped his partner's face. "I wanted to kiss you last night
and I have wanted to for a very long time. If you would allow me, I would
like to do it again. And, " he added, now blushing even brighter than
his partner. "more." Kowalski's eyes grew large. *More?  Did Fraser just...?
Was the Mountie suggesting...?*  He stared at his partner and watched
the color rise and Ben tug at his shirt collar. *Oh, yeah.* The detective
moved forward, claiming his friend's lips in a ravenous kiss. Ray pushed
him onto the bed and climbed over him. "And more, Fraser?", he asked,
nipping at the Mountie's jawline. He felt Ben's grip on his forearms
tighten. "Yes, Ray..." Almost a moan. Kowalski grinned wickedly, sliding
down and working open the buttons on his partner's shirt. *Gonna have
to make more noise than that, buddy.* "Ray?"
"Hmm?"
"I thought you wanted to see the ocean." Fraser's voice was teasing.
Oh, well, two could play at that game. Kowalski ran his hands over his
partner's broad, pale chest and lowered his head to taste the clean,
inviting skin. "We." *kiss* "Have." *kiss* "Oceans." *kiss* "In." *kiss*
"Chicago." *kiss* "Those are lakes, Ray.", Fraser managed, though his
voice was strained. *kiss* "Who cares?"
"Raaay..." *Oh, yeah.*

End.

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