God, it's great to finish something

[beledibabe.livejournal.com]

Even if it is only 803 words and kinda tangential to the challenge. As kassrachel, who gives great beta, sez, le sigh.



“...and the bloody footprints ended there, at the edge of the gorge.”

Fraser poked the fire with the long stick he’d carefully chosen, stripping the bark with a calm patience that had made Ray want to grab it from his hands and break it into pieces. Now the flames glinted in Fraser’s eyes and reddened his skin.

“Your turn, Ray.”

Ray rubbed the back of his neck. His turn. Yeah, right. Fraser’d get the shock of his life if he knew exactly what kind of turn Ray wanted.

“I’m no good at this, Fraser. Let’s skip me and go right to Looooooouuuuu Skagnetti and the princess.”

“You have an excellent imagination. Surely you can think of a frightening or fantastical tale to tell.” Fraser raised an eyebrow and tilted his head in the way that made Ray’s fingers itch with the need to grip Fraser’s skull and angle his face just so...

“Fantastical?” Ray snorted. Okay. Fraser wanted fantastical, that’s what he’d get.

“There were these two guys, see. Partners. A cop and a... another kinda cop. They worked good together, were friends, all that. Only the one cop...” He paused. “The first cop, not the other cop—”

“It might clarify things if you gave these police officers names.”

Ray sighed. Why was he not surprised? “We’ll call them... Pat and Mike. Okay?”

Fraser nodded.

Where was he? Oh. Right. “Only Pat had this secret from Mike.”

“What kind of secret?”

“Fraser, who’s telling the story here?”

“I’m sorry, Ray. Please continue.”

Ray squinted up into the blackness above them. “So Pat and Mike keep working together, and Mike thinks everything’s copacetic, because Pat never said anything.”

“About the secret.” Fraser leaned forward and poked the fire again.

“Right.”

“Surely, if they worked together as closely as you suggest, Mike would have some inkling about Pat’s reticence.”

“Nope. Mike’s got no inkling at all.” Ray stretched his hands out, the fire warming his palms and chilly fingers. “Not ‘cause he’s stupid or anything. Just... He’s not the kind of guy who’d think of things like that.”

“Like Pat’s secret.”

“Yeah.” A log popped, sending out a shower of sparks. Ray coughed and pushed his fingers through his hair. “And then one day, something happened so they couldn’t be partners anymore. Mike got a good offer closer to his home, and that was great. Pat was really happy for him, but Pat knew that if he didn’t tell Mike his secret before he left, he – Pat, I mean – would regret it for the rest of his life.” Ray took a deep breath.

“It would be a shame to live with such regrets.” Fraser’s voice sounded thin.

“That’s what Pat decided. So he got Mike away from everything and sat him down and... told him.” Ray swallowed. Jeez, his mouth was dry.

After a minute, Fraser cleared his throat. “Told him what, Ray?”

“His secret, Fraser.” Ray rolled his eyes. “Weren’t you listening?”

“I was listening.” He shifted on the log. “Very carefully. And the secret was...”

“Nothing much. Just that he liked him – Mike, not Pat. I mean Pat liked Mike, but not the way Mike liked Pat. Pat wanted to...” Fraser went still and Ray sighed. What the hell had he been thinking? This story sucked.

Still. Might as well finish things once and for all.

“Pat wanted to kiss Mike. And touch him. And have Mike touch him. ‘Cause he thought Fr— Mike was a freak, but his kind of freak. But Mike got weirded out and left. And Pat, he stayed behind and thought about how he’d messed things up.” He let his breath out in a gusty whoosh and rubbed his eyes. Damn smoke.

“I don’t think Pat messed things up at all.” Fraser clasped his hands and stared at his boots. “I turned down the transfer, Ray.”

After at least an hour, Ray’s heart started to beat again. “This is a story, Frase. I made it up. All make believe, fantastical, like you said.”

“It seems...” Fraser’s tongue flickered over his lips. “It seems fairly factual to me. Except for the end, which was incorrect and misleading.”

Ray stared at him. “Oh, yeah? What’s the correct end, then?”

“Mike didn’t get weirded out by Pat’s secret. In fact,” Fraser said, standing and walking over to Ray, “Mike had the same secret.”

He looked up into Fraser’s solemn face. “That so?”

“Exactly.” Fraser sank down on the log beside him and rested a broad hand on Ray’s knee.

Ray’s hand hovered over Fraser’s. “I didn’t just make it up?”

“Not in the least.” Fraser turned his hand palm up, and Ray’s fingers came to rest in his warm grasp. Tightening his grip, Fraser turned and opened his mouth.

“High atop Sulfur Mountain in his lonely stone cabin, Loooooouuuu Skagnetti...”