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ds_flashfiction2003-10-22 09:05 am
jenboo.livejournal.com) wrote in ds_flashfiction2003-10-22 09:05 am
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Third time's a charm, I guess. I started two other attempts to fulfill this challenge and they both fell really flat. This turned out a bit more shmoopy at the end than I expected, but I think I like where it went.
Weighing in at 1079 words.
The Wedding Guest
by JennyB.
The man sat at the back of the hall wrapped in an overcoat, his dark brown, wavy hair slicked back from the rain. He’d missed the beginning of the ceremony, but that couldn’t be helped. It had been difficult getting through C&I at the border.
He sat with his hands in the pockets of his soaking wet overcoat, wire-rimmed eyeglasses perched on his slim nose. The lenses were just glass, not prescription, but they completed his new look, so he wore them. They also served to slightly obscure his eyes, one of the few things the surgeons hadn’t been able to alter.
He’d been surprised to hear his friend had been posted to a city in Canada. Fraser’d never been much on cities, but then he’d never really had a good reason to stay in one before. Being posted in Ottawa? Well, the Mother Ship had definitely called Fraser home.
The man looked to the front of the hall to see Fraser and his partner both in dress uniform, proud to declare their love for each other and their status as police officers all at once. He’d never seen the blond man in uniform before. He looked good in it, as good as anyone could look in that navy and white monstrosity. But then the glow on his face that said he was the most right he’d ever been in his life probably had something to do with that.
Jealousy flared deep in his center and he fought it down. That was over and it was time to move on. This was just his way of saying goodbye. He’d even brought a wedding gift.
The officiant gave a blessing and the two men kissed softly. The unknown visitor felt his throat constrict and his eyes sting. He blinked away the moisture and shook off the emotions he refused to name.
As the couple preceded the massed attendees, Fraser looked curiously at him. He bit the inside of his bottom lip, the pain enough to not make him flinch from the possibility of being recognized. He’d been assured that even his own mother wouldn’t know him now, a fact that had been proven when he walked in and she’d looked directly at him, scowling because someone had arrived late. There had been no recognition at all in her eyes, only disappointment and annoyance.
He hung to the back of the receiving line, hoping to avoid the crush of a crowd, but still wanting to congratulate the happy couple. When he got to Fraser and his partner, he laid on the practiced West Coast blandness of his new accent as he held his hand out to the blond.
“Congratulations to you both. You must be very happy.”
“We are, thank you. I don’t think we’ve met. Are you a friend of Ben’s? There’s something familiar about you, but I can’t place the face.”
He choked, not sure how to answer that. He hadn’t even thought of a story to explain his presence at this wedding. Some undercover cop he was. Well, not anymore, but he was still alive and that was the point, right?
Just then, Fraser turned to greet him and he froze, clutching the hand of the blond man. From behind his wire rims, he saw the impossible. Fraser’s eyes widened slightly and then new warmth seeped into his features.
“Yes, Ray, he’s a very old and dear friend. Please allow me to introduce my husband, Ray Kowalski.”
Silence followed and he suddenly realized that Fraser didn’t know his new name and jumped in to introduce himself to Kowalski.
“Peter Lawford.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I’m afraid not. My parents had a thing for the Brat Pack.” At least he had a story for that.
The blond just chuckled and nodded. “I can sympathize. My real name’s Stanley.”
He felt a genuine smile of commiseration bloom on his face. Kowalski really wasn’t such a bad guy, especially if he was able to make Fraser this happy. “I see why you don’t use it.”
“Will you be staying for the reception, Peter?” Fraser asked, his eyes showing that he knew this unexpected guest couldn’t stay.
“I’m afraid I can’t. I have someone waiting on me. We’re off to Vancouver. I recently accepted a position teaching history at UBC.”
“You’ll be staying in Canada, then?”
“I think so. For a while anyway.” Foolishly, dangerously, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled a card out of his wallet, giving it to his friend. “If you’re out that way, look me up. I don’t have many old friends to talk to anymore.”
He held his hand out to Fraser, who took it and used it to pull him into a hug. “It’s good to see you well, Peter.”
He closed his eyes and sank into that familiar warmth for a second before hugging the mountie back fiercely. “It’s good to see you, too, Benny. Take care of yourself. And him, too,” he added, nodding at Kowalski.
Hands buried deep in his coat pockets again, he trudged down the front steps of the old reception hall and lifted his face to the rain, letting the water on his glasses cloud his vision for a moment. Taking them off to wipe them dry, he saw another man, tall and slim with close-cropped salt and pepper hair, dressed in jeans, hiking boots and a weatherproof coat approach him up the walk.
“Are you ready to go, Peter?”
The man formerly known as Ray Vecchio took one more look back at the doors of the reception hall which had closed behind him and shook off the last vestiges of his old life. He gazed lovingly at the man he had met when he first entered the Witness Protection Program. The man who had not been afraid to fall in love and pull Ray with him, help him with the transition to his new life and even move to Vancouver with him. The man who had understood his need to say goodbye. He wondered how Andy would react if Benny and Kowalski ever showed up on their doorstep. But they would cross that bridge if and when it ever tried to explode on them.
Peter Lawford took his lover’s hand, kissed him briefly and led the way to their canopied truck, getting in on the passenger’s side. Andy slid behind the wheel and started the engine, reaching across the bench seat to squeeze his partner’s hand.
“Take me home, babe.”
The truck pointed itself West and they drove off into the setting sun.
Weighing in at 1079 words.
The Wedding Guest
by JennyB.
The man sat at the back of the hall wrapped in an overcoat, his dark brown, wavy hair slicked back from the rain. He’d missed the beginning of the ceremony, but that couldn’t be helped. It had been difficult getting through C&I at the border.
He sat with his hands in the pockets of his soaking wet overcoat, wire-rimmed eyeglasses perched on his slim nose. The lenses were just glass, not prescription, but they completed his new look, so he wore them. They also served to slightly obscure his eyes, one of the few things the surgeons hadn’t been able to alter.
He’d been surprised to hear his friend had been posted to a city in Canada. Fraser’d never been much on cities, but then he’d never really had a good reason to stay in one before. Being posted in Ottawa? Well, the Mother Ship had definitely called Fraser home.
The man looked to the front of the hall to see Fraser and his partner both in dress uniform, proud to declare their love for each other and their status as police officers all at once. He’d never seen the blond man in uniform before. He looked good in it, as good as anyone could look in that navy and white monstrosity. But then the glow on his face that said he was the most right he’d ever been in his life probably had something to do with that.
Jealousy flared deep in his center and he fought it down. That was over and it was time to move on. This was just his way of saying goodbye. He’d even brought a wedding gift.
The officiant gave a blessing and the two men kissed softly. The unknown visitor felt his throat constrict and his eyes sting. He blinked away the moisture and shook off the emotions he refused to name.
As the couple preceded the massed attendees, Fraser looked curiously at him. He bit the inside of his bottom lip, the pain enough to not make him flinch from the possibility of being recognized. He’d been assured that even his own mother wouldn’t know him now, a fact that had been proven when he walked in and she’d looked directly at him, scowling because someone had arrived late. There had been no recognition at all in her eyes, only disappointment and annoyance.
He hung to the back of the receiving line, hoping to avoid the crush of a crowd, but still wanting to congratulate the happy couple. When he got to Fraser and his partner, he laid on the practiced West Coast blandness of his new accent as he held his hand out to the blond.
“Congratulations to you both. You must be very happy.”
“We are, thank you. I don’t think we’ve met. Are you a friend of Ben’s? There’s something familiar about you, but I can’t place the face.”
He choked, not sure how to answer that. He hadn’t even thought of a story to explain his presence at this wedding. Some undercover cop he was. Well, not anymore, but he was still alive and that was the point, right?
Just then, Fraser turned to greet him and he froze, clutching the hand of the blond man. From behind his wire rims, he saw the impossible. Fraser’s eyes widened slightly and then new warmth seeped into his features.
“Yes, Ray, he’s a very old and dear friend. Please allow me to introduce my husband, Ray Kowalski.”
Silence followed and he suddenly realized that Fraser didn’t know his new name and jumped in to introduce himself to Kowalski.
“Peter Lawford.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I’m afraid not. My parents had a thing for the Brat Pack.” At least he had a story for that.
The blond just chuckled and nodded. “I can sympathize. My real name’s Stanley.”
He felt a genuine smile of commiseration bloom on his face. Kowalski really wasn’t such a bad guy, especially if he was able to make Fraser this happy. “I see why you don’t use it.”
“Will you be staying for the reception, Peter?” Fraser asked, his eyes showing that he knew this unexpected guest couldn’t stay.
“I’m afraid I can’t. I have someone waiting on me. We’re off to Vancouver. I recently accepted a position teaching history at UBC.”
“You’ll be staying in Canada, then?”
“I think so. For a while anyway.” Foolishly, dangerously, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled a card out of his wallet, giving it to his friend. “If you’re out that way, look me up. I don’t have many old friends to talk to anymore.”
He held his hand out to Fraser, who took it and used it to pull him into a hug. “It’s good to see you well, Peter.”
He closed his eyes and sank into that familiar warmth for a second before hugging the mountie back fiercely. “It’s good to see you, too, Benny. Take care of yourself. And him, too,” he added, nodding at Kowalski.
Hands buried deep in his coat pockets again, he trudged down the front steps of the old reception hall and lifted his face to the rain, letting the water on his glasses cloud his vision for a moment. Taking them off to wipe them dry, he saw another man, tall and slim with close-cropped salt and pepper hair, dressed in jeans, hiking boots and a weatherproof coat approach him up the walk.
“Are you ready to go, Peter?”
The man formerly known as Ray Vecchio took one more look back at the doors of the reception hall which had closed behind him and shook off the last vestiges of his old life. He gazed lovingly at the man he had met when he first entered the Witness Protection Program. The man who had not been afraid to fall in love and pull Ray with him, help him with the transition to his new life and even move to Vancouver with him. The man who had understood his need to say goodbye. He wondered how Andy would react if Benny and Kowalski ever showed up on their doorstep. But they would cross that bridge if and when it ever tried to explode on them.
Peter Lawford took his lover’s hand, kissed him briefly and led the way to their canopied truck, getting in on the passenger’s side. Andy slid behind the wheel and started the engine, reaching across the bench seat to squeeze his partner’s hand.
“Take me home, babe.”
The truck pointed itself West and they drove off into the setting sun.
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I find it odd that I had to give RayV hair plugs and a nose job before he cooperated on this. *g*
Actually, I kept trying to get him to deal directly with Fraser for an entire scene, but it just wasn't working. Then I realized that they really wouldn't need to say much and that Ray needed to make a graceful exit.
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Is "Andy" supposed to be someone I recognize (maybe from another show)?
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Andy's a character that's sort of lurking...I actually suspect he's going to show up in another Vecchio story soon. But this did seem right in a weird way. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
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Oh, I do so love stories where both Rays are actually okay guys. They each have their problems, but they both love Fraser, and there's their connection. This was very, very nice, and however much it means to me that Fraser and Kowalski end up together, I also really, really liked the end you gave to Vecchio and his man...very, very nice.
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I can't imagine that they would *really* hate each other once they got to know each other. Oh, they might razz each other all the time, but they'd understand each other on a certain level. (they might even shag each other, but that's another story in another universe. *g*)