The Fast Runner	 The Fast Runner

 by Kass

  

 Author's website: http://www.trickster.org/kass/

 Disclaimer: Boys are theirs, words are mine.

 Author's Notes: Thanks to Sihaya Black for beta.

 Story Notes: Written in response to the "movies" challenge at livejournal
community ds_flashfiction.

 

 

 When the movie ended, I just sat there on the couch, watching the credits
roll. Still mesmerized. 

 After a moment, Fraser cleared his throat. I glanced his way. 

 "That was...longer than I expected." He sounded apologetic. "I hope you
weren't--" 

 Bored, was what he was going to say, but I didn't let him get there.
"That was amazing. Is it really like that?" 

 "Pardon?" 

 I waved my hands in a gesture that was supposed to mean Up North, but was
probably sign-language for some completely other thing. "The Northwest
whatsits. Is it really like that up there?" 

 His eyes softened, went a little nostalgic. "It used to be." Quietly,
almost talking to himself. "Still is, sometimes." 

 "It's so -- so bare, so -- how do people live without trees, anyway?" 

 Fraser smiled. "They make do. The Inuit are a surprisingly resourceful
people, Ray. Why, I once saw a man turn a walrus carcass into--" 

 "No, I mean -- I know you can make things with, like, sinews and bones. I
mean, don't people go crazy without anything to look at?" 

 "Ah." Now he was getting my drift. He chewed on his lower lip for a
moment. "Those who are...born to it...find the spareness beautiful, even
comforting. For a native of the Arctic, the temperate forests of southern
Canada would be quite overwhelming. The sights and sounds, the smells, the
diversity of species, might seem to him like the din of an enormous crowd
does to you." 

 Fraser looked...homesick. Like he was pining for the fjords, you know? Or
the ice floes, or the tundra, or whatever. 

 "But you got used to being here," I offered. 

 His eyes startled slightly. "Eh? Yes, I suppose I have." There was a
pause. "Although I have spent significant time with the Inuit, I'm not
actually Inuit myself. I didn't belong that far north. Sometimes I think I
don't entirely belong anywhere." 

 Ouch. Hearing that felt like a punch to the gut. I could only imagine
what saying it felt like. 

 Just to find something to say to get us off that track, I came out with,
"I'd like to see it sometime." 

 "The Arctic?" Fraser sounded shocked. 

 Suddenly it sounded like a great idea. "Yeah! Why not? I get to show you
all my favorite parts of Chicago, you know, Vish's pierogi place and the
lake and--" I was fumbling for places to name and couldn't think of any
others. "Anyway, you ought to get to show me your favorite parts of
Tuktoyuktuk." 

 He was really smiling now, so I ran with it. 

 "I mean, assuming you got favorite parts of Tuktoyuktuk. For all I know,
there's nothing worth seeing up there, nothing but--" 

 "Oh, there's plenty to see, Ray." 

 Suddenly my palms were wet and my mouth was dry. Fraser has a way of
doing that to me: he'll come out with a line like that and it sounds so
damn much like he's flirting that I just can't help wanting to respond. I
swallowed hard and did my best to push the thoughts out of my mind. 

 "All right, it's a deal, then. One of these days, I'll go back there with
you." 

 It was just a lousy vacation I was agreeing to, I knew that, but somehow
it felt like I was promising more. Like more was what he wanted. 

 Fraser offered his hand, a shake to seal the deal I guess. His palm was
warm and his grip was firm and for that second I didn't want to let go. 

 (593 words) 

End The Fast Runner by Kass: kass@trickster.org

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