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. Opinions welcome:
Vassago@dazedandconfused.com