Small Spaces
 

m/m relationship

Small Spaces
By Katy Deery 

"Now let me see if I undestand you correctly, Ray.  You want to 
have sexual relations with me.	Is that correct?"

"Fraser!"  Ray looked around furtively, his skin tinging red as he spotted
Elaine staring inquisitively in their direction.  "Would you keep your
voice down.  I don't need half the precinct knowing my personal business."

"I just want to be sure that I'm not making incorrect assumptions.  It
is possible that you believed I was in some physical distress earlier
due to the injuries I had sustained and that was why you proceeded to
drag me into the cupboard and administer the kiss of life.  I wouldn't
want to jump to eroneous conclusions based on 
incomplete data, although, to my knowledge, putting your tongue 
down the victim's throat has never been included in any of the 
life-saving courses I've attended."

Ray threw him a look of disbelief, only to be met with the mountie's
sincere stare.	He didn't believe it for minute.

"Alright, alright, I do want to go to bed with you."  Exasperation making
his voice rather louder than intended, Ray found his face matching his
friend's jacket as the squad room chatter fell to 
silence and all eyes turned his way.  "Look, can we have some 
privacy here?  I'm just trying to teach the mountie some pick up lines,
OK?"  His look daring anyone to make something of it, he 
waited until all eyes were turned back to their work before dragging
Fraser down the hall and pushing him into the broom cupboard.

"You do it on purpose, don't you?"  Ray accused.

Fraser looked at him innocently.  "Do what, Ray?"

Vecchio slid down against the wall until he was sitting on the floor.
"Embarrass me in front of everyone.  First it's the wolf, then it's all
those cases you keep bringing me.  Now I'm going to have to live with
leather bar jokes."  He raked his hand through his hair.  "Why do I let
you do this to me?"  

"Because you love me?"

The words were no more than a soft whisper, but they penetrated 
the blackness like a knife.  For a moment there was  no reply, then Ray
looked up, a wry smile on his face.  "I guess I do.  I'm sorry, Fraser.
I know you don't want this.  I should have just kept my big mouth shut."
He gazed up at the mountie wistfully. "My dad's right. I am a screw up.
Everything I touch falls to pieces."

He was unprepared for the hands that reached down and pulled 
him to his feet.

"If I ever hear you talk like that about yourself again, I shall
personally
make it my business to knock some sense into you." 
Ray was too shocked by Fraser's actions to struggle and after a 
moment the mountie's gripped loosened. "And by the way, I love 
you too."

If Ray was shocked before, it was nothing to what he was feeling now.
"You...you LOVE me?"

"Yes, for some time actually."	Fraser smoothed out the wrinkles on Ray's
lapels, leaving his hand resting over Ray's heart."

"Why?"	it was a genuine question.  Ray couldn't think of any 
reason for Fraser to choose him over all the other people who 
wanted the mountie.

"Why do I love you?  Because the thought of not loving you is 
inconceivable to me." Fraser gently cupped Ray's face.	"Because you
are the most decent person I know," Fraser moved closer, 
"and because I want to be part of you in every way imaginable."  He
brought
his lips down softly onto the ones below him, teasing them until they
opened under his tender ministrations.	
Not sure if he believed in the reality before him, Ray answered 
Fraser's need with a desperation of his own, clutching at this 
miracle in front of him for fear it would vanish into the darkness.
Separating
only to the merest breath, Ray chuckled with total 
happiness as he saw utter surprise and wonder transform Fraser's face.
"I hope you know what you're doing, 'coz I sure as hell don't." 

Fraser shook his head.	"I don't think there was a book in my 
grandmother's library that covered this."

Ray smiled at him. "What, not even an old Inuit story about what they
do in those sweat lodges of theirs?"

"No.  I'm afraid my education has been sadly lacking in this area, Ray."

Ray's smile broadened.	"Good.	We'll learn together.  I'm all for lots
of practice, Benny."

Fraser nodded enthusiatistcally.  "I do believe that is the way to achieve
the best results.  Shall we start now?"

Ray looked around.  "Let's take this somewhere a little less 
cramped.  I think this broom's starting to have designs on my 
body."

Yanking the offending object out of the way, Ray opened the door and
followed Fraser back out into the corridor.

Coming face to face with Elaine was not in their plans however.  Fraser
recovered first.

"Ahh, Ray was just showing me the...ahh, terrible lack of cleaning
equipment
you have in the building."

Throwing Fraser a look of disgust, Ray tried to salvage what he 
could from the situation.  "We were just going over my latest case."
Seeing Elaine's 'get real' look, Ray tried to bluff it out.  "Hey, the
cupboards the only place for a little privacy around here."

Elaine reached over and patted him on the cheek.  "Vecchio, if you really
believe that everyone doesn't know what's going on with you and the
mountie,
then you're not the detective you think you are."  Waving at the them,
she continued on down the corridor.   "Bye, 
boys.  Have fun."

Both men watched her in amazement until she disappeared around 
the corner.

"And I was worried about leather bar jokes," Ray whispered, 
wondering what he'd find on his desk tomorrow.	Putting the whole thing
behind him for now, he grabbed Fraser's arm and started to hussle him
down the corridor. "Come on, Fraser.  We're losing 
good practice time.  Anyway, I have to have a serious talk with Dief.
I want to make sure he understands about us."

"That's all right, Ray.  I've already discussed it with him."

Ray came to an abrupt halt.  "You told the wolf about us?"

Fraser nodded.	"Yes.  Well, it seemed only fair."  This time it was
Fraser who took Ray's arm and pulled him along.

"What'd he say?" Ray asked. It was a measure of the mountie's 
influence in his life that the question seemed perfectly reasonable to
him.

"He wanted to know if he could use my bedroll since I wouldn't be needing
it as often." Fraser looked puzzled.  "He seemed to take your compliance
in this relationship for granted."

Glad that Dief approved of him, Ray grinned and swung his arm 
around Fraser's shoulders.  "Hey, maybe we should pick up some 
Twinkies on the way to your place................"

And they lived happily ever after.

THE END