fic: Out

[rubberbutton]

Title: Out
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Rating: PG
Words: 1,300
Summary: Fluff.

Ray gripped the phone extra tight to keep it from slipping through sweat-slick fingers. His heart was beating so loudly he was sure his mother could hear it on the other end.

“I’m glad to hear you’re doing well, Raymond. It’s good of you to let me have these little glimpses into your life, since you never call.”

“I call, I call,” Ray protested. “I’m talking to you now, aren’t I?”

“It’s been three weeks.”

Ray swallowed. “Yeah, well, there’s been a lot going on. I’ve been busy.”

“I understand, you have your priorities,” she said in the tone calculated to inspire the most guilt in Ray. “And how is Benton?”

He didn’t think he was going to get a better opening. “Yeah. About him. Him and me. ...Us.”

“Yes, dear?”

“We’re together.”

His mother hmmed to herself and he could practically see her nodding absently. “Aren’t you usually?”

“No, Ma, no. I mean, we’re together as in partners in a romantical-type way. Together together.”

There was dead silence. “Oh,” his mother said finally, “does this mean you weren’t already?”

*****

“Hey,” Ray said, popping his head into Welsh’s office. “I need to update some of my paperwork.”

Welsh didn’t look up from the report he was studying, instead punching a few numbers into a calculator. “You mean you’re actually keeping on top of something? Of your own volition?”

“Yeah, well, it’s important.” Ray took an awkward stance leaning against the door, hands shoved deep in his pockets. “Stella’s still listed as my next-of-kin, you know, for emergencies and stuff.”

“Uh huh.” Welsh examined the number on the calculator’s display and frowned at it.

“And since we’re not married anymore, it’s not fair, right? To have her be responsible for me. And she’d just as soon tell ‘em to pull the plug.”

“Is this coming to a point, detective?” Welsh tried a different sequence of numbers.

“So I’m going change it to someone who does care.”

“And that would be?”

Ray shrugged carelessly. “Fraser.”

Welsh looked up from the report, and studied Ray for a long moment. “And does he agree to this?”

“Yeah, he agrees. We have an agreement.” Ray met Welsh’s gaze steadily.

“I see.” Welsh bend back over his desk. “I’ll have Nancy dig out the file.”

*****

Fraser was trapped behind Ray’s desk, Frannie perching precariously on the edge, her skirt riding up inch by inch.

Ray couldn’t hear her from across the room, but Fraser’s deer-in-headlights expression said everything.

”Hey, hey,” he yelled, his voice carrying and making them both flinch. “Scoot.” He made a shooing gesture at Frannie as he reached them. “I’m sure you’ve got many important things you need to be doing right now.”

“Geez, Ray.” Frannie got of his desk with a little wiggle. “I was just talking to Fraser here; it’s none of your business.”

“The way you were talking to him, it sure is my business.”

“Ray,” Fraser stood, placing a calming hand on Ray’s shoulder. “Francesca and I were just discussing a possible timetable for the robbery. There was nothing untoward going on, I assure you.”

“Yeah, well maybe not on your end.” Ray covered Fraser’s hand with his own and squeezed. “But Frannie’s got untoward written all over her.”

Frannie looked at them, arms crossed tightly under her breasts. Fraser had stepped in so close to Ray they were almost glued together. She took in Ray’s aggressive body language, their clasped hands. And for the first time—possibly in her entire life—Frannie got the picture. Her eyes widened and she squeaked.

“I, uh, gotta go. There’s some...thing that needs checking.” She turned and fled.

“Was that really necessary?” Fraser asked, just the slightest bit chiding.

“Yeah.” Ray’s thumb stoked along Fraser’s wrist once and he released him. “It was.”

*****

“All right, Ray. Now the defense attorney is going to try and trip you up, question your memory, your motive. We’ve been over all the possible questions he could ask. Don’t let him get to you.” Stella ran a hand down her skirt, smoothing out non-existent wrinkles.

“I know, I know. Stay on message,” Ray muttered more to himself, feeling the usual pre-court nerves jangling. He tugged unhappily at the collar of his shirt—the thing was too damn tight.

“You’ll be fine.” Stella reached out and straightened his tie in reflexive move left over from years of marriage. “Just remember that this guy is guilty, we have the evidence—“

“Stella.”

“Yes?” She brushed lint off his shoulder.

“I’m sleeping with Fraser.”

“What?” she repeated blankly.

“Fraser.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sleeping with him.”

She blinked. “Oh.”

“It’s serious.”

The corner of her mouth twitched. “I’ll say.”

“No, I mean, we’re serious. Long term relationship serious. ...Just thought you should know,” he finished lamely.

“Right. Thanks.” She studied him, setting her hands on her hips. “Stanley Raymond Kowalski, I swear to god, you let this rattle you on the stand or start telling the jury about your gay love affairs, I will personally strangle you.”

“Okay. Seems fair.”

She smiled beatifically. “Then go get ‘em, tiger.”

*****

“The weather here has been a bit cool. It rained yesterday, but that’s quite common this time of year—as you well know.”

Ray rolled his eyes. Fraser’s phone skills needed work.

“Mmm hmm,” Fraser was murmuring, “I had no idea just how complex running a bowling alley was. Tell me more about the pin changing mechanism.”

Ray grinned and stretched out on the couch, the warning look he got from Fraser reminding him to take his shoes off. Fraser was wearing a t-shirt, an honest-to-goodness t-shirt—one of Ray’s, actually. It looked like it had been ironed, but Ray was willing to forgive that since it was also distractingly tight across Fraser’s chest and arms.

“Ray is doing well.” Ray looked over at the sound of his name. Vecchio asking about him? He had no idea they were that close. There was a long pause and something in Fraser’s face made Ray pay close attention, propping himself up on an elbow. Fraser was definitely making a point of not looking at him. “Yes. It’s true. How did you...ah, Francesca, of course.”

Ray pushed himself all the way up.

“Almost a month now.” Fraser looked distressed, and Ray’s hand clenched the couch cushion. “I didn’t mean—I wasn’t keeping it from you, Ray. Of course I was going to tell you...yes, he’s right here.” Fraser glanced over at Ray nervously. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Gimme,” Ray said reaching out an insistent hand. “I’ll talk to him.”

Fraser looked dubious but finally yielded the phone.

“Yeah?” Ray said, glad his voice didn’t quaver.

“You just had to one-up me, didn’t you?” Vecchio said by way of greeting.

“You know me. I’m an all or nothing kind of guy.”

Vecchio grunted. “Uh huh. So do you, you know, love him?”

Ray nodded and then realized Vecchio couldn’t see him. “Yes, I do.”

“You’re going to take care of him? Because we both know he needs it.”

“Yeah. I’m going to try, but sometimes he throws himself off the building before I can get there—I’m not taking the blame for that.”

Fraser who was eaves-dropping shamelessly looked about to protest, but Ray held up a hand to shush him.

“Don’t I know it,” Vecchio muttered darkly. “I guess I don’t need to tell you that if you ever hurt him...”

“You’ll hunt me down, break my knee-caps and they’ll never find the body.”

“You got it. All right,” Vecchio said grudgingly, “you have my blessing.”

“Like I need it,” Ray snorted, handing the phone back over to Fraser, who exchanged a few last pleasantries with Vecchio and hung up.

“Well, that,” Ray said as Fraser turned back to him, looking extremely relieved, “was anticlimactic.”

Comments

[rubberbutton.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked! Oh, yes, there should definitely be more of the gang finding out about the boys (like they didn't already guess).