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Sep. 11th, 2004 01:57 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
threequarters.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ds_flashfictionI started something much darker on Monday night, but after the week I've had I really couldn't work on it anymore. I figured I deserve some fluff. So here is my therapy for the week. 1570 words of Fraser/RayK, rated G.
Sterling Silver
It's sterling sliver - two thick silver cords wrapped around each other. Just wrapped, not tied or bound or knotted or nothin'. It's like they're there by choice, together 'cause they want to be, not 'cause they have to be. It's perfect, it's exactly what I wanted. And it only took an afternoon of agonizing and a little help to get it right.
I started looking at rings the day I read the news in the paper. I mean man, I didn't really need another reason to love Canada, but the Yukon giving a thumbs up to gay marriage really just tipped the scales. So I started my search by going over to the McCallums' place to use their computer. I really didn't want Ben to stumble across some site I visited on our computer and figure things out. But after a solid hour of looking I got kinda frustrated. Nothing seemed right to me.
See with Stella, she pretty much picked out her own ring and at the time I was so caught up in making her happy I didn't care what she had on her finger, as long as it meant she was my girl. But with Ben I want it to be really special, like symbolic of what we are to each other. Nothing I found lookin' online seemed right though, they all were too flashy or showy - definitely not things that remind me of Ben.
I decided then to go into town. There's this woman named Mary who runs this weird store that's a real hit with the tourists. She's got an odd collection of stuff in there - local arts and crafts, jewelry, fabric, kitchen gadgets - you name it, she's got it. And if not she can usually get it. I figured there had to be something there that I liked. But after two hours of looking through the stuff she had on display, and even some catalogs she had, I was no closer to findin' a ring for Ben. So Mary finally asks me what I want the ring for and what specifically I'm lookin' for it to say. I spent the next ten or so minutes trippin' over my words trying to get her to understand what I wanted the ring to mean, what Ben and I are to each other, and all that stuff.
Let me tell you, Mary must be some kinda saint, 'cause she just sat there the whole time, makin' sense of the jumbled flood of words and ideas that came out of my mouth. When I finally shut up and stopped babbling, she picked up a piece of paper and sketched out a design that was really pretty simple but was just what I was lookin' for. Turns out some of the jewelry she sells in her shop she made herself. Said she doesn't really do personal orders anymore cause she's getting older and her hands aren't as steady as they used to be, but she'd make an exception for me and Ben. Guess she knew Ben's mom way back when. She tells me she's glad to see things turned out so well for him. I blush when she says that 'cause I know she means I'm one of those things that turned out good, and I never really thought of myself that way before.
Mary tells me to give her two weeks and I start stressing 'cause I realize I have no idea what size ring Ben wears. Mary says not to worry though, she's got a good eye for that stuff. Later, when Ben brings by her weekly groceries, she'll get an extra good look at his hand and just figure it out. So I left her place feeling pretty damn good. The ring was gonna be perfect and it wouldn't set me back too bad financially. That's pretty good cause I don't really make so much money anymore.
See, two months back from the adventure and I was miserable in Chicago and Ben was miserable in Canada. They promoted him and the posting they offered was too good to turn down. And me, I'm a Chicago cop, there's not so much else I can do with my life. We'd still have vacations holidays Ben said, and if I was still interested maybe I could retire up north with him. That made me laugh. If there is one thing Ben will never have to worry about, it's me losing interest. Still, I tried to tell him that I'd be okay givin' up being a cop for him, but he started makin' noises about how some day I might grow resentful of him for that. And you know, maybe he was right, but we never got much of a chance to figure that out.
Anyway, I return to Chicago, which suddenly seemed colder in winter than the Northwest Areas ever did. I was unhappy as hell and I guess I wasn't focusing so well 'cause one afternoon while investigating a lead, I get careless and end up in the hospital with a bullet in my left thigh. After a series of surgeries they managed to put the shattered bone back together in somethin' resembling working order. Still, things aren't too good 'cause my doctor comes in one day and tell's me that while I'll be able to walk on it, field work is out of the question. I retired on disability almost right then. There was no way in hell anyone was gonna put me behind a desk. And if I wasn't being a cop, what was keeping me in Chicago?
When I went to check out of the hospital after my final surgery, I told the doctor I was headed up to the Yukon. He told me it wasn't such a hot idea, said the climate wouldn't be so good for my leg. He actually had the balls to tell me I'd be pretty miserable. Goes to show what he knows though. What may not be best for my leg I knew was gonna be best for my heart and that's what's important in the end. Besides, I knew Fraser'd watch me like a hawk and make sure I didn't do a damn thing to over work my leg.
So I thought for a moment about making some sarcastic comment to the doctor, but I figured if I was headin' to Canada I better start actin' Canadian. I just smiled at told the doctor I'd manage.
The leg's not so bad now, I walk with a limp a lot of the time and sometimes when the weather is really bad I have to use a cane. I don't mind though. I'm still able to do odd jobs every now and then - a little auto work here, a little home repair there - and manage to make some money. Mostly though I work at the tiny little rec center they have here. I'm kind of the recreational sports guy. I do it all, hockey, soccer, touch football, you name it. There's only about a handful of kids, so it's nothing grand, just me and the kids horsing around most of the time. It's a volunteer job so there's no pay, but I don't mind at all 'cause it keeps me busy.
It's a good life and it's only gonna get better when I ask Ben to make it all official. I know it's silly and all, cause there is no question what we've got is real, but part of me really wants to do it and do it right. Left to his own devices I know Frase would never even think of askin' me. See, I made several comments way back in Chicago - before we ever started gettin' horizontal - about how I never really wanted to get married again, cause of Stella and all the bad memories surrounding my failed marriage. Mostly I think I said that because I didn't think anyone would ever really want to be with me like that again, or that I'd ever find anyone I'd want to share my life with. I guess I figured if I made it seem like it was my choice it would be a little less painful.
But 'cause I said that, Ben'll never ask me 'cause he thinks I'd freak. It's something I know he wants though, and now that the option is there, I'm startin' to realize I want it too.
I picked up the ring this afternoon. It's heavy and strong and perfect. I keep running my fingers over it, unable to really grasp the magnitude of what I'm about it do. This is it for me, and even though I've known that from the start, this just makes it concrete. It'll no longer just be something he and I know, it'll be out there for everyone to know and that makes me feel pretty damn good.
Any minute now Frase is gonna walk through the door. And as soon as he's done makin' a fuss over my black eye (Sam Kelly still needs some serious work on her slapshot) I'm gonna ask him. I'm gonna pull out the ring I've been keeping warm in my hand for over an hour, and I'm gonna slip it on his strong finger. Which I hope won't be covered in the bad smelling junk I know he's gonna insist on puttin' on my eye.
And it's gonna be perfect.
Sterling Silver
It's sterling sliver - two thick silver cords wrapped around each other. Just wrapped, not tied or bound or knotted or nothin'. It's like they're there by choice, together 'cause they want to be, not 'cause they have to be. It's perfect, it's exactly what I wanted. And it only took an afternoon of agonizing and a little help to get it right.
I started looking at rings the day I read the news in the paper. I mean man, I didn't really need another reason to love Canada, but the Yukon giving a thumbs up to gay marriage really just tipped the scales. So I started my search by going over to the McCallums' place to use their computer. I really didn't want Ben to stumble across some site I visited on our computer and figure things out. But after a solid hour of looking I got kinda frustrated. Nothing seemed right to me.
See with Stella, she pretty much picked out her own ring and at the time I was so caught up in making her happy I didn't care what she had on her finger, as long as it meant she was my girl. But with Ben I want it to be really special, like symbolic of what we are to each other. Nothing I found lookin' online seemed right though, they all were too flashy or showy - definitely not things that remind me of Ben.
I decided then to go into town. There's this woman named Mary who runs this weird store that's a real hit with the tourists. She's got an odd collection of stuff in there - local arts and crafts, jewelry, fabric, kitchen gadgets - you name it, she's got it. And if not she can usually get it. I figured there had to be something there that I liked. But after two hours of looking through the stuff she had on display, and even some catalogs she had, I was no closer to findin' a ring for Ben. So Mary finally asks me what I want the ring for and what specifically I'm lookin' for it to say. I spent the next ten or so minutes trippin' over my words trying to get her to understand what I wanted the ring to mean, what Ben and I are to each other, and all that stuff.
Let me tell you, Mary must be some kinda saint, 'cause she just sat there the whole time, makin' sense of the jumbled flood of words and ideas that came out of my mouth. When I finally shut up and stopped babbling, she picked up a piece of paper and sketched out a design that was really pretty simple but was just what I was lookin' for. Turns out some of the jewelry she sells in her shop she made herself. Said she doesn't really do personal orders anymore cause she's getting older and her hands aren't as steady as they used to be, but she'd make an exception for me and Ben. Guess she knew Ben's mom way back when. She tells me she's glad to see things turned out so well for him. I blush when she says that 'cause I know she means I'm one of those things that turned out good, and I never really thought of myself that way before.
Mary tells me to give her two weeks and I start stressing 'cause I realize I have no idea what size ring Ben wears. Mary says not to worry though, she's got a good eye for that stuff. Later, when Ben brings by her weekly groceries, she'll get an extra good look at his hand and just figure it out. So I left her place feeling pretty damn good. The ring was gonna be perfect and it wouldn't set me back too bad financially. That's pretty good cause I don't really make so much money anymore.
See, two months back from the adventure and I was miserable in Chicago and Ben was miserable in Canada. They promoted him and the posting they offered was too good to turn down. And me, I'm a Chicago cop, there's not so much else I can do with my life. We'd still have vacations holidays Ben said, and if I was still interested maybe I could retire up north with him. That made me laugh. If there is one thing Ben will never have to worry about, it's me losing interest. Still, I tried to tell him that I'd be okay givin' up being a cop for him, but he started makin' noises about how some day I might grow resentful of him for that. And you know, maybe he was right, but we never got much of a chance to figure that out.
Anyway, I return to Chicago, which suddenly seemed colder in winter than the Northwest Areas ever did. I was unhappy as hell and I guess I wasn't focusing so well 'cause one afternoon while investigating a lead, I get careless and end up in the hospital with a bullet in my left thigh. After a series of surgeries they managed to put the shattered bone back together in somethin' resembling working order. Still, things aren't too good 'cause my doctor comes in one day and tell's me that while I'll be able to walk on it, field work is out of the question. I retired on disability almost right then. There was no way in hell anyone was gonna put me behind a desk. And if I wasn't being a cop, what was keeping me in Chicago?
When I went to check out of the hospital after my final surgery, I told the doctor I was headed up to the Yukon. He told me it wasn't such a hot idea, said the climate wouldn't be so good for my leg. He actually had the balls to tell me I'd be pretty miserable. Goes to show what he knows though. What may not be best for my leg I knew was gonna be best for my heart and that's what's important in the end. Besides, I knew Fraser'd watch me like a hawk and make sure I didn't do a damn thing to over work my leg.
So I thought for a moment about making some sarcastic comment to the doctor, but I figured if I was headin' to Canada I better start actin' Canadian. I just smiled at told the doctor I'd manage.
The leg's not so bad now, I walk with a limp a lot of the time and sometimes when the weather is really bad I have to use a cane. I don't mind though. I'm still able to do odd jobs every now and then - a little auto work here, a little home repair there - and manage to make some money. Mostly though I work at the tiny little rec center they have here. I'm kind of the recreational sports guy. I do it all, hockey, soccer, touch football, you name it. There's only about a handful of kids, so it's nothing grand, just me and the kids horsing around most of the time. It's a volunteer job so there's no pay, but I don't mind at all 'cause it keeps me busy.
It's a good life and it's only gonna get better when I ask Ben to make it all official. I know it's silly and all, cause there is no question what we've got is real, but part of me really wants to do it and do it right. Left to his own devices I know Frase would never even think of askin' me. See, I made several comments way back in Chicago - before we ever started gettin' horizontal - about how I never really wanted to get married again, cause of Stella and all the bad memories surrounding my failed marriage. Mostly I think I said that because I didn't think anyone would ever really want to be with me like that again, or that I'd ever find anyone I'd want to share my life with. I guess I figured if I made it seem like it was my choice it would be a little less painful.
But 'cause I said that, Ben'll never ask me 'cause he thinks I'd freak. It's something I know he wants though, and now that the option is there, I'm startin' to realize I want it too.
I picked up the ring this afternoon. It's heavy and strong and perfect. I keep running my fingers over it, unable to really grasp the magnitude of what I'm about it do. This is it for me, and even though I've known that from the start, this just makes it concrete. It'll no longer just be something he and I know, it'll be out there for everyone to know and that makes me feel pretty damn good.
Any minute now Frase is gonna walk through the door. And as soon as he's done makin' a fuss over my black eye (Sam Kelly still needs some serious work on her slapshot) I'm gonna ask him. I'm gonna pull out the ring I've been keeping warm in my hand for over an hour, and I'm gonna slip it on his strong finger. Which I hope won't be covered in the bad smelling junk I know he's gonna insist on puttin' on my eye.
And it's gonna be perfect.
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no subject
Date: 2004-09-11 01:16 pm (UTC)I SO would like to see Fraser's face when Ray's asking him... ::sigh::
Thanx! Just the right story to go to sleep now!
no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 09:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-11 04:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 09:11 pm (UTC)You're welcome, and thank you for the kind feedback.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-11 04:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 09:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 09:07 pm (UTC)so Ben can give him a ring and accept
You know, I was thinking about this, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if he already had a ring. And maybe he's been hanging on to it for a while, wanting to say something but always so worried about Ray's reaction. Just kind of seems like a Fraser thing to do.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-11 06:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 09:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 05:15 pm (UTC)And, of course, I love me some happily ever after. *g*
no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 09:08 pm (UTC)And, of course, I love me some happily ever after.
Man, so do I. And some weeks you just need it.
Thanks for the feedback!
no subject
Date: 2004-09-15 08:59 am (UTC)And as soon as he's done makin' a fuss over my black eye (Sam Kelly still needs some serious work on her slapshot) I'm gonna ask him.
:-)