Birthday    Here it is, for all the people who wanted someting like this
when "Normally" was posted. This is Part Four, Preceded by "Normally",
"Affairs of the Heart" and "Kidnapped." Of course, theye are not mine.
And, to quote T'Mar, "They're enjoying themselves." This is followed by
whichever one I post next. Ah, the joys of writing. 

 Of course, I'd like to thank Raa, Shu and Jenner, all of whom drool over
their computers. It's sad, really. (no, who am I kidding? I do it, too.) 

 Well, it was my birthday, I was bored, I have a dog collar. So I got a
little carried away. So sue me. Or thank me, I don't care which as long as
I hear from you. ;~P 

 *Disclaimer* These hot guys belong to Alliance . They're not mine.
Really, I'm just borrowing them. If they were mine, I'd be rich by now.
I'll let them out for some air once in a while. Oh, and Cal is mine. 

 ************ 

 "Birthday" 

 It was a slow week. Ray sat at his desk, staring off into space. The case
he was working on was not as important as the event coming up--Benny's
birthday. This was special. This was when he'd sweep Benny off his feet
(perhaps literally, he thought with an inward grin) and tell him how he
really felt. He'd seen those little sidelong glances Benny had been
shooting him over the past months--and he'd been careful to note them,
because each glance bolstered his confidence. He thought about the
circumstances under which Benny had first told him he found Ray
attractive. Ray had been shocked at first, but now he was beginning to
realize that what he had once dreaded in himself he could now accept. He
thought about Benny's perfect, rare little smile. He thought about kissing
those lips, tasting Benny, longing to be tasted himself. He imagined what
Benny would say. 

 "Have you got that under control yet?" A man's voice asked. Ray looked
up. It was Lieutenant Welsh. Ray shuffled some papers, attempting to look
busy. 

 "I'm on it, Sir." He stammered. "I'm waiting for a search to come back.
It shouldn't take long." 

 "I don't want you getting too distracted, Detective." Welsh said sternly.
Ray nodded. Welsh moved off. Then he took a step back towards Ray's desk.
"Next time, look busy before I get there." He smiled, and left. 

 Ray sighed, and picked through the photos of the crime scene on his desk.
It had originally been a robbery, a group of thieves attempted to smash
the front window of an adult specialty store, but the couple who lived
above the storefront came down to investigate. They caught two of the
thieves with their arms full--full of bondage gear and a bag of cash from
a stash under the register. The couple had singlehandedly defeated the
remaining thieves and tied them up properly until the police arrived.
These were photographs of the trussed thieves, wriggling and snorting
through the ball gags and leather harnesses as the police gawked and
snickered at them. No one had died. Nothing serious had happened in the
past two days, and so Ray had to tie up the case himself. He caught
himself laughing at his pun. Now all he was waiting for was a list of
inventory from the store's owner, and an i.d. on two remaining suspects.
It was boring work. 

 The phone rang. Ray snatched it off the hook with a desperate "Vecchio!".
It was the store owner. 

 "You got that list for me?" Ray asked her. 

 "I can read it to you. Most of the stuff was recovered by my tenants, but
this is the merchandise that was missing." 

 Ray got a pen and a piece of paper. "Shoot." He said. 

 "Okay. One 12" riding crop, black leather, three pairs of handcuffs, a
set of black studded leather ankle restraints, with 12" chain, one small
red ball gag, a 2" black studded collar with attached ring and two foot
chain, three medium cock rings, in brushed, galvanized and surgical steel,
a quilted silk blindfold and a box of condoms, cherry-flavoured." 

 Ray raised an eyebrow at the last one. "You sure that's it?" 

 "We took inventory on Sunday. That's it." 

 "We'll do our best to recover the merchandise, ma'am." Ray said. "Thank
you for calling." 

 "Thank you." She said. "Goodbye." 

 Ray hung up, then looked again at the list he'd copied down. What sort of
thieves would break into a store like that? Exceptionally horny ones, he
figured. He gathered the photographs back into the file folder, slid the
list on top, and went to get a coffee. 

 So what was he going to plan for Benny's birthday? As he watched the
coffee cup filling in the machine, a gloriously mischievous idea came over
him. He grabbed the coffee, nearly spilling it, and rushed back to his
desk. A perfect birthday idea. Benny would never know what hit him. He sat
at his desk, pulled out a phone book and made calls for the next half
hour. 

 *** 

 Benton came home at about 6:30, too late to hitch a ride from Ray, but
he'd enjoyed the walk home. And at 6:30, he opened the door to his
apartment to find a small square box on the end of his bed. It had not
been there when he'd left, he knew. He picked it up. It was light, and
when he shook it he could hear a faint jingle of metal. Perplexed, he
opened the box. 

 

 Inside, nestled in a sheet of white tissue paper, was a black studded dog
collar. This confused him even more. There was a small card beside it. He
read the cramped printing. 

 "It's not for the wolf, it's for you. Try it on." There was no signature.
He stared at the card, trying to think who it could have possibly come
from. Even Franchesca would never go this far. 

 Shrugging, he put the collar on the table, and just looked at it. It
would fit his neck, but--he didn't want to think what. It was strange. It
was strange, but intriguing. He ran a finger along the cone-shaped studs.
They tickled his finger. The collar was well made, double stitched around
the buckle, and next to the buckle was a small metal plate engraved with
something. He looked closer. "Ben" it read. He didn't know what to do with
the collar, so he left it there. 

 It sat on the table all night, and when Benton got up the next morning,
it was still there. He looked at it while cooking bacon and eggs for his
breakfast. He couldn't just leave it there. He ate, rubbing the studs with
his thumb, smelling the faint scent of leather cloy to his fingers. He
washed the dishes, thinking about the strange gift. And before he left, he
tucked it under his pillow where no one would see it. 

 *** 

 Ray was bored again. The two suspects from the day before had been
identified by the tenants from above the store, and the missing
merchandise had been recovered. And, despite the proximity of Benny's
birthday, he was still bored. He was thinking maybe of waxing down the Riv
after work. He could work off a little steam, maybe stimulate his brain
back to thought again. Maybe, he thought, he could ask for Benny's help. 

 And speaking of Benny, where was he? It was well past noon, and his shift
was over. Ray strained his neck looking for a glimpse of red serge. No
luck. He wasn't here yet. Still, he did have a job. And Ray had one as
well, he reminded himself. Back to work. 

 He rearranged the piles on his desk, sharpened a few pencils, and fired
his rubber bands at a smudge on the wall. Still bored. He counted his
paper clips. Twenty-six. Still bored. He shuffled through old receipts and
bills that should have been thrown out months ago, and added a new one
from his coat pocket. His stomach growled. He got up from his desk, and
walked over to Elaine. 

 "I'm going out for a sandwich, anything you want?" He asked. 

 "Not right now, thanks." She waved him away. "Maybe some other time." 

 Ray dug his keys out of his pocket, and walked to the Riv. Benny came
around the corner as Ray was unlocking the door. 

 "Hello Ray." He said. 

 "Hey Benny. Where's the red?" 

 Benton looked down at his clothes. 

 "I needed to dry clean my uniform." He said matter-of-factly. And I have
the afternoon off. I was just coming to find you." 

 "Well ya found me. I was just gonna get some lunch. Wanna come?" 

 "I'd love too." 

 They got into the Riv, and pulled out of the parking lot. Ray glanced
over at Benton. Ben caught his glance and held it. Ray looked back at the
road. 

 "So." Ray said, attempting to start up a conversation. "Anything new?" 

 "No, Ray." Benton said. Ray nodded. 

 "Your birthday's coming up, isn't it? Got any plans?" Ray watched him out
of the corner of his eye. 

 "No, Ray." Benton said. Ray saw a flicker of something like apprehension
cross his face. 

 "Has my sister sent you a birthday card yet?" 

 "No, Ray. A card, I think, would be too subtle. I should think she'd be
much more flamboyant about it." Benton looked uncomfortable for a moment.
"A lot less mundane." 

 "If she knew about it", Ray thought to himself. Frannie didn't know. He
wasn't going to tell her. She'd just embarrass Benny further anyway. 

 "So you don't have any plans, huh?" Ray grinned. "I'll have to throw you
a party or somethin' won't I?" 

 "Ray, please don't make a fuss about my birthday, it's not that
important." 

 Ray wasn't listening to him. This was going to be the best birthday
present ever! 

 *** 

 When Benton got home there was another box on his bed. He picked it up,
noting its weight was more significant than the first. And it made a lot
more noise. He pulled off the lid and saw a metal chain with rings every
six inches down its length. On one end was a lobster claw clip, and on the
other a black leather loop. Frowning, he pulled out the collar from under
his pillow. As he suspected, the clip attached to the ring on the collar.
He clipped the chain onto the collar, and stood there, not sure whether to
be amused or afraid. A smile flickered across his lips, and he put the
chain back in the box, and stuffed the collar in his pocket. 

 He looked around the room. Diefenbaker wagged his tail happily from
underneath the kitchen table. Benton went over to him. 

 "I know you saw something, Diefenbaker. You've been here all day. Who was
it?" He looked deep into the wolf's eyes. There was a smudge of something
white on Dief's nose. Benton touched his finger to it. Icing sugar!
Someone had been feeding Diefenbaker donuts, presumably to buy the wolf's
silence. Someone who knew Diefenbaker very well. He mentally ran through
his list of people who gave Dief donuts. There were several, but only one
who gave Dief jelly donuts. Ray. 

 

 This made him sit down on the edge of his bed. Ray was giving Dief donuts
so he could sneak into his room and leave him presents? He pulled out the
dog collar again. But why? This didn't make much sense any more. Now he
was embarrassed that maybe Ray was mocking him. Of course Ray knew how Ben
felt about him, and maybe the events of the past few weeks were getting to
him. Ben had spent a lot of time with Sean. And so this collar was a gift
from Ray. He felt a bit better knowing who it was from, but he was still
apprehensive. He rubbed his thumb down the row of studs, pausing to caress
the metal engraved with his name. Of course. If it had said 'Benny' he'd
have known who it was from instantly. Ray wanted this to be a surprise.
Well, he'd keep it a surprise. But he'd surprise the dickens out of Ray
while doing so. 

 *** 

 When Ray got to his desk on his next shift, a small box was waiting for
him. He was intrigued, and picked it up to open it. 

 "Vecchio?" He heard a gruff voice behind him. He slid the box into his
pocket, and turned to face Welsh. 

 "Sir?" 

 "Someone's reported a body in a stairwell at Central and North. A
custodian found it this morning. Messy job, a shotgun to the chest. You
want it, don't you?" 

 "Yes Sir." Ray wasn't going to hang around the precinct all day. He'd
rather be on a scene. "I'm on my way." 

 "Good." 

 Ray hurried to his car, pleased finally to be able to get away from his
desk. On top of that, he loved driving the Riv. The car had balls. He
smiled as he pulled up to the crime scene. Yellow tape had already been
strewn liberally around the stairwell and its doors, and a photographer
was already snapping pictures. Several cops were hanging around, reluctant
to go back to their cars or their desks. 

 "Hey Ray!" The photographer called. "Better than desk work, huh?" 

 Ray smiled as he looked around. 

 "As much as I hate to say it, Cal, I appreciate a well-executed crime.
Whadda we got here?" 

 One of the other cops gave him the rundown. 

 "A Mr. Evans found 'em this morning. Shotgun to the chest, and probably
beaten at the time of death. Not surprising, though. Apparently this guy's
a prostitute." 

 "Guy?" Ray had seen the curly blonde hair and skirt and assumed it was a
woman. 

 "Transvestite." Cal said, moving past Ray. "Flashy dresser though. Good
taste in clothes. A little on the trampy side, but still a bit classy." 

 "What so you're suddenly a fashion designer?" Ray smirked. "Wait, oh, I
guess, the camera. It's your day off, isn't it?" 

 "Yeah." Cal sneered. "I only moonlight as a cop. By day I'm a fashion
photographer. Get to work." 

 "Any witnesses? Anyone see something suspicious?" Ray asked the two cops.


 "We brought in this guy's street partner. He was part of a group doing
this sort of thing. She-- uh--he gave us a description of the guy who went
off with--uh--Ms. Keegan there. He's been taken back to the precinct for
questioning and to work with the sketch artist." The cop shifted
uncomfortably. "But no one actually saw or heard anything." 

 By the time Ray had finished examining the scene, it was lunchtime. As
the coroner and her assistants took the body away, Ray motioned to Cal. 

 "You wanna get a sandwich?" He asked. 

 "Sure. Can I catch a ride with you back to the precinct?" 

 Ray nodded. 

 While they were eating their lunch, Ray remembered the box in his pocket.
He pulled it out. 

 "What's that?" Cal asked, wiping his mouth. 

 "I'm not sure." Ray opened it, then blushed violently. Inside, on a bed
of tissue paper, was a coiled studded collar. He hastily shoved it back
into his pocket. Cal snickered. 

 "Got yourself a girlfriend?" He asked. 

 "Huh?" Ray stammered. "No, no, um I'm not sure where I got this from." 

 Cal smiled. "Yeah sure. I remember your ways. Just don't do anything
stupid." 

 "So now I get sex advice from a photographer? What gives you the right,
Dr. Westheimer?" 

 "Hey nothing, nothing." Cal backed down. "Just teasing you. Didn't mean
to offend you." 

 "Let's go." 

 They paid their bills, and Ray drove back to the precinct. As Cal left to
go to the darkroom, he called back to Ray. "Have a good time!" 

 "Very funny." Ray groaned. He'd never live this down. 

 When he got back to his desk, there was an update on the case. There was
nothing left to do but wait. As he sat down, the phone rang. 

 "Vecchio!" 

 "Ray?" It was Benny speaking from a pay phone. "I wasn't sure if I should
phone you at work. Am I interrupting anything?" 

 Always thinking of someone else, Ray thought. "Not anything but getting
older. What's up?" 

 "I was--ah--thinking about tomorrow evening, Ray." There was a hopeful
note in his voice. Ray gulped. 

 "What is it, Benny?" 

 "I was thinking that I was going to get a cake." Ray could hear the
strain. This was hard for Benny. "And since Diefenbaker and I can't eat
all of it, I was--ah--wondering if you would like a piece." 

 

 "Don't worry about it, Benny." Ray said quickly. "I'll get a cake for you
tomorrow. You want me to bring it over?" 

 "Please." 

 "Then it's a date." Ray said. "How does noon sound?" 

 "It sounds fine." Benny said quietly. 

 "I'll be there with bells on." He smiled. 

 "I don't think that will be necessary, Ray." 

 Ray laughed. "Loosen up, Benny. I'll bring you a present." 

 "That's really not necessary." 

 "Of course it is. Don't argue with me, I know what I'm doing. I'll see
you tomorrow." 

 "Yes, Ray." 

 Ray hung up, a smile on his face. He had everything he needed at home in
a paper bag. All he had to do was get the cake, and--the anticipation made
him shiver. This was going to be fun! 

 *** 

 Benny hung up the phone, overjoyed that Ray had accepted his invitation.
He was so happy just knowing things were shaping up. He got to his
apartment, and bounded up the stairs. When he opened the door, there was
another box on his bed. He carefully pulled off his boots and stowed them
in the closet. He wanted to open the box, but let the anticipation grow.
As he hung up his red coat, his leather jacket dropped off the hanger. He
picked it up to hang it again, and remembered the collar in the left-hand
pocket. He ran the length of leather through his fingers. Ray. Ray had
given him this. He cautiously raised it to his neck, looking at his
reflection in the mirror on the inside of his door. Despite himself, he
buckled it at the back of his neck. He looked at his reflection. It was
startling, a band of black across his throat, incongruous with his
suspenders and white shirt. He smiled, and ran his hand over the row of
studs. He felt different wearing the collar. More aware of his body, more
aware of the sensitive skin on his throat. On a whim, he got the chain and
clipped it on to the ring. It was a bit much, he thought. But the
collar--that he could deal with. Thus steeled, Ben took the box off his
bed. 

 It was not heavy, and when he shook it, it made no metallic noise. He
pulled the lid off, and pulled out a length of black fabric. He twisted it
over one hand. It was a blindfold, made with several layers of black silk
to keep the light out. A smile broke across his face. He had expected
something like this. Ben folded it carefully, and pressed it to his face.
He felt the smooth silk slide on his lips, and cautiously sniffed it. A
wave of excitement ran through him. It smelled like Ray's aftershave,
faintly, but still recognisable. He wondered if Ray had tried it out
first. He placed the black silk underneath his pillow, and put the chain
back in its box. He felt the collar again, feeling the once-cold metal now
warmed with his body heat. Reluctantly, he pulled it off and put it under
his pillow. He was going to be a year older. So why did he feel like a
child again? 

 ***** 

 Ray hummed a tuneless refrain as he climbed the stairs to Benny's
apartment. On any other occasion, he would have been grumbling by the time
he reached the second floor, but today was special. He carried a cardboard
box, a paper bag and a basket of food his mother had insisted he take with
him. His hands were full, so he tapped on the door with his foot. Benny
opened the door almost immediately, as if he'd been waiting for him to
knock. 

 "Hello Ray." Benny said. 

 "You haven't eaten yet, have you?" Ray asked as he bustled into the
apartment. "Ma insisted I bring you and your wolf some lunch." He looked
around. "Where is Dief?" 

 "Diefenbaker's gone to visit Maggie this afternoon." Benny said. "He was
quite eager to go. I didn't tell him about the cake." 

 "We'll save him a piece, then." Ray began setting food out onto the
table. "Now, we've got-- um--fettucini parmesan, fresh bread and butter,
red wine--you don't drink, though--" 

 "Ray." Benny said calmly. 

 Ray looked up from his fussing. 

 "Anything we have is fine." Benny said. 

 "Okay, let's eat." Ray said. 

 "Fine." 

 They ate quickly, avoiding uncomfortable silence with inane small talk,
until Ray cleared the table and placed the cake and the paper bag in the
centre. 

 "Now, no peeking. Close your eyes." Ray said. "I'm gonna get your
birthday present." 

 Ben closed his eyes, a faint smile in his lips. Ray nearly melted at the
sight of Benny, blissfully unaware of what was about to happen. Ray took a
deep breath. 

 "You are under arrest.." Ray said, pulling Ben's hands behind his back
and snapping handcuffs around his wrists. "You have the right to remain
silent." From the paper bag, he pulled a handkerchief, which he twisted
into a rope and put between Ben's teeth. "Anything you say or do can and
will be used against you in a court of law." Ben bit down on it, his eyes
still closed, and Ray tied it behind his head. "You have the right to an
attorney--where are the presents I gave you?" Ben indicated his bed with a
shrug of his shoulder and a nod of his head. Ray ran and collected the
blindfold, chain and collar. He tied the blindfold around Ben's eyes, and
buckled the collar around his neck. "If you cannot afford an attorney, the
court will provide you with one." He snapped the chain onto the collar.
Then he leaned very close to Ben's ear, and whispered "You will be held
until your trial--", grabbed the paper bag with one hand, and physically
led Ben closer to the bed. He pulled down on the chain, forcing Ben to
drop to his knees on the floor. Ray heard him moan once, muffled slightly
by the makeshift gag. He pulled the blanket off the bed, spreading it on
the floor. Then he upended the paper bag. 

 

 Ben listened as he heard the rustle of the bag and several objects
falling onto the blanket. Effectively blinded, his remaining senses
strained to determine exactly what Ray was doing. He felt warm hands
fumbling at his collar, unbuttoning the first three buttons. Ray's mouth
kissed the hollow of Ben's throat, and Ben tilted his head back,
encouraging him. He felt the next two buttons go, and another kiss further
down his chest. His shoulders tensed as Ray undid the last few buttons,
and kissed down to Ben's navel. Ben leaned back, but a tug at the collar
pulled him back. "The sentence--" Ray breathed, pulling Ben's shirt from
his pants, "--is incarceration--" He pulled the shirt off Ben's shoulders,
and left it hanging from his wrists behind him. Then he moved away. Ben
waited, his skin tingling, aware of even the slightest breath of air
moving around him. He could feel Ray close to him, but not yet touching.
He felt a breath of warm air at his neck. Ray was behind him now, standing
over him. Ben craned his head back attempting to catch a warm kiss from
Ray's lips. Ray trailed a finger along Ben's bottom lip as his mouth
kissed the soft place behind Ben's ear. The warm kisses moved across, over
the gag, closer to Ben's waiting lips, and came tantalizingly close,
stopping short of their destination. Ben stifled a moan. Carefully, Ray
coaxed Ben forwards onto the floor. Ben lay with his cheek pressed against
the bedroll, his hands still cuffed behind his back. 

 In a swift movement, Ray straddled him, feeling Ben's back and ass
muscles tightening. He grabbed one of the objects he'd dumped out of the
bag--a bottle of aromatherapy oil. He squeezed some into the palm of one
hand, and rubbed his hands together rapidly to warm the oil. He heard Ben
sniffing the air, trying to determine what it was. Ben tried to say
something, but it came out muddled. Ray shushed him, stroking his
shoulders with scented hands. The smooth scent of sandalwood filled the
silence between them. Ben's shoulders twitched, and Ray unlatched the
handcuffs. He massaged both wrists tenderly, his fingers sliding softly
over the faded scars, and kissing them both in turn. Ben whimpered. His
muscled shoulders tensed as Ray trailed his fingers up the ridge of his
spine. Ray massaged Ben's neck and shoulders, working down the smooth
back. He treated the area around the bullet scar with reverence, kissing
it and stroking it, before moving on. He could feel the warmth of Ben's
body between his legs and under his hands. Ben was groaning in pleasure,
muffled slightly by the gag. Ray stood up only long enough to roll Ben
over. 

 Ben's pleasure was clearly indicated by the obvious bulge in his blue
jeans. Ray squeezed more oil into his hands, and stroked Ben's smooth
chest. He preceded each lightly lubricated stroke with a kiss to the
attended area. By the time he reached Ben's navel, Ben was groaning louder
and practically writhing under him. Ray grabbed Ben's belt. Ben laid back,
his neck muscles taut. Ray teased him, unbuckling the belt very slowly,
and taking time with each of the buttons on Ben's button-fly blue jeans.
Finally, Ben's cock was freed from the denim, and was separated from Ray's
touch only by a thin layer of cotton. With scented hands, Ray slid under
the elastic waist of the boxer shorts, and eased them further down to join
the blue jeans around Ben's lower legs. Ben writhed again, and Ray grabbed
another one of the objects beside him. 

 Ben froze as he felt something cold along his breastbone. Ray was tracing
circles around each nipple with something cold and hard. He could feel
Ray's oiled finger against the nub of one nipple, while the cold object
traced around the other. He moaned again, and Ray began to trace the cold
object down his belly, towards Ben's cock. Ben felt it move around the
base of his cock, and gritted his teeth. Then it moved away. 

 Ray watched the expression on Ben's face as he withdrew the teaspoon. It
had taken him forever to find it, but it was perfect for the job, its
handle round and blunt and, more importantly, cold. Ben had enjoyed the
change in sensation, and Ray realized he was very close to coming. He
rubbed one nipple with the handle, while he licked the other one. Then,
trailing kisses down Ben's flat belly, he ran his tongue up the shaft of
Ben's cock. He heard Ben gasp sharply, and he began to caress the soft
skin with his tongue. Ben thrust with his hips, and then Ray put both
hands firmly on them, holding Ben down. He worked to the tip with his
tongue, and then curled his tongue under it as he sucked gently. Ben's
panting grew louder, until Ray applied the final suction, and then with a
cry Ben came, filling Ray's mouth. Ray swallowed involuntarily, then
withdrew. 

 Ben lay back on the bedroll, breathing heavily, strands of hair straying
onto his sweat- dampened forehead. Ray carefully untied the gag, and threw
it away. Ben's arms snaked around his waist, and pulled him down beside
him. Ray pulled off the blindfold. Ben's blue, blue eyes looked back at
him, dark with satisfaction. 

 

 "Well?" Ray breathed. 

 Ben's answer was to pull Ray closer to him, his mouth locking over Ray's
in a deep kiss. Ray's eyes closed. Ben rolled over, pinning Ray beneath
him. Ray opened his eyes. Ben was kneeling over him, a smile on his face.
Then Ray saw he had the handcuffs. 

 "You have the right to remain silent--" 

 THE END. 

 By Jen Coe 

 jesterangel@hotmail.com  

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