Whomping Challenge

[lynnmonster.livejournal.com]

Thanks to heuradys for the speed-beta!



Ray was punching his refrigerator door so hard that the seal was popping open occasionally and the alphabet magnets were rattling against the surface. Some had already fallen onto the floor.

Fraser was concerned that Ray would seriously damage his hands, if he hadn't already.

"Stupid." Bang! "Cocksucking." Bang! "Fuckup!" Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Ray. Ray. Ray!"

Ray was still cursing and punching and didn't appear to hear him, so Fraser moved from the entryway into the kitchen area and hovered behind him.

"Ray!"

Startled mid-swing, Ray jumped back and turned around, catching Fraser in the stomach with his elbow in the process.

With an unsupressable "oof," Fraser abruptly found himself sitting on the floor.

"Shit, Fraser -- sorry, sorry, sorry. Are you ok?"

The increase of pressure of Ray's hand on his arm at his worried squeeze reminded Fraser to breathe and respond.

"Yes, I believe I'm fine." He remained seated, trying not to wince at the twinges fore and aft, and Ray scooted down next to him on the kitchen floor. "I should be asking you the same question."

Ray looked at him disbelievingly as he plucked up Ray's hands and ran his thumbs over the abused knuckles.

"Are you all right?" Fraser asked, since Ray seemed content to stare mutely at their joined hands.

When he finally spoke, Ray's voice was rough, but whether with emotion or simple hoarseness Fraser couldn't tell.

"I could have gotten you killed, Fraser. You shouldn't care. What are you doing here, anyway?" Fraser released Ray's fingers and let them drop.

"Based on the manner of your precipitous departure from the station, I thought you might be upset."

Ray snorted derisively.

"No, Fraser. I'd be upset if I'd dinged the Goat. I'm ... I don't know what I am. Freaked. Sorry. Stupid."

"Ray, I'm fine. Perhaps a bit winded after our little accident just now," and they had to grin at each other, "But I'm fine."

Ray's grin fled his face as swiftly as a cloud blocking the sun.

"Yeah, but ... I was concentrating so hard on chasing that guy that I didn't even think they might be herding us. Separating us on purpose. You could have -- you could have gotten really hurt." Ray swallowed a little uncomfortably. "And -- as much as I'm always trying to get you to wait for backup, it's worse to wait for it and have it appear too late because your partner's a fuckup. "

Fraser made a noise of protest and opened his mouth to speak.

"No, Fraser -- you don't get it. Every time I blink I see what would've happened to you if I hadn't gotten back to you in time. And those guys were serious, so I'm looking you in the face, but all I'm seeing is swollen bruises, chipped teeth, and an ear that looks like something that belongs in a butcher's window. If not worse. Gives me the creeps."

Fraser held his tongue as Ray picked up an orange "E" from where it had fallen and turned it over and over.

"You deserve a better partner, Frase."

"Not possible, Ray."

"Nah, I'll talk to Welsh. He could figure something out."

"Ray," Fraser said, exasperated, "I don't want another partner. I don't need another partner. You're the best partner I could possibly have."

"Says you," was all that Ray replied, but some of the lines on his face smoothed out.

Fraser longed to make some physical demonstration of affection, but he wasn't sure where the boundaries were, where the dividing line between reassurance and unwanted attention might lie.

In an uncanny display of intuition, Ray answered Fraser's need by slinging an arm around Fraser's shoulders and tipping his head back to rest on the cabinet behind them.

Not wanting to move and ruin the moment, Fraser mirrored Ray's posture and leaned his head back, too.

They sat on the floor of the kitchen in a comfortable silence. The warm glow of artificial light filled the apartment and reflected brightly against the evening darkness pressing against the half-open windows. The quiet was only broken by the hum of the refrigerator and the sounds of children playing echoing up the alley on the warm spring breeze -- and Fraser knew, he *knew* that once upon a time, Ray had been one of those same rambunctious children.

Fraser was suddenly overcome with a rush of affection for the child the man beside him must have been, and gave Ray's knee an unthinking squeeze. His stomach clenched -- in anticipation of what, he wasn't entirely sure, except to know that it could be nothing good -- but Ray gave no indication of minding the gesture. In fact, Ray's head rolled closer to Fraser's as he turned to face him.

"So, partner -- what say we go get Dief and scare up some dinner?"

"As you wish," replied Fraser, briefly regretting that Ray thought him completely incognizant of popular culture.