ds_flashfiction | Six challenges in search of an effort (Reply)

Okay. Because I am at heart a lazy person, I'm going to link together the six challenges I missed into six connected pieces of one fic, which should also be able to stand alone as separate fics. I am not at present sure how I am going to accomplish this. When they're all posted, you will be able to hop from one to the other via links at the bottom of each page. Oh, yes, and the usual warnings for language and slash. Not fer kiddies, kiddies.

Here goes. First, for the Darkness Challenge:

Head Trip I: Darkness
by lamardeuse

He'd always hated the darkness.

Back when he was first married, Stella and him could never agree on how much light they should have on during the night. He wanted a night light on, something, partly for security, and partly because he tended to fall over stuff when he got up at two a.m. to use the bathroom. But Stella needed things black, pitch black, sensory deprivation level here, because if she didn't have that her mind chased its tail like a mad dog, she couldn't sleep, and was cranky the next morning.

Well. Eventually she was cranky all the time, but that was for a different reason.

Even the weakest night lights were no good, they bugged her, and sleep masks were out, they gave her headaches. So Ray would lay awake a lot of nights, listening for the sounds of someone jimmying the door, wondering how many toes he was going to mash tonight during the trip to the john.

When he got the chance to work night shift, he jumped at it. Sleeping during the day was great, except for the huge, gaping problem that there was no one beside him.

If he could've known the future, he would've seen it as practice.

*~*~*~*~*

So when Fraser and Ray left on their adventure, it occurred to him that maybe this hadn't been such a good idea--well, on about a hundred levels, but also because it would probably get pretty dark at night, what with no electric lights or anything. And call him crazy, but Ray figured getting a few hours' sleep once in a while would be a good idea, considering this adventure stuff probably took a lot out of you.

But the Northwest Areas were full of light.

Once you were away from the city, it was shocking how bright the night sky really was, with the gaping wound of the Milky Way slicing through constellations and empty space, pouring light down on your head. And there was the moon, which when it was full seemed to rival the sun for sheer power. And then the snow would take all this light and reflect it back, making everything seem to glow, making the air almost shimmer with cold silver energy.

But Ray still didn't get much sleep.

Because one night early on, in the middle of a dream about drowning in blackness so thick it filled up his nose and his mouth until he couldn't breathe, he awoke with a start and saw Fraser, asleep, his expression peaceful, unguarded, happy, happier than Ray'd ever seen him.

Fraser, lying beside him, with the stars lighting him up, making him seem--it was like his face was glowing with it, like one of those Renaissance religious icons, only this was no trick of paint and gold leaf, this was true, here. This was real.

This was Fraser, where he belonged. Somewhere between open sky and snow, where the horizon blended them together, until you were walking in the clouds.

And where did he belong?

Ray thought about it a long time.

Then he squeezed his eyes shut and covered them with his hands to block out the light.

*~*~*~*~*

So now Ray slept in the dark, pitch dark black, black hole black, just like Stella had once, and he laughed when he first thought that Fraser could've helped him save his marriage, if only he'd gone on an Arctic adventure with him and fallen in love with the way the starlight fell on his skin. But now he didn't think it was funny any more.

Because he was still sleeping alone. And that sucked.

Punching the pillow again, Ray rolled over in the darkness and waited for sleep to come.

When he dreamed, he dreamed of light.

End

(631 words)

Next: Head Trip II: Door