ds_flashfiction | songfic challenge by bohemian storm

bohemian--storm.livejournal.com posting in

With love and hugs to

the_rum_is_gone for standing over my grammar with a whip and beating it into submission.

F/K
950 words
Pre-slash, post-CotW.
Song used was 'Empty Road' by Matthew Good.

He'd been prepared to hate Canada. He'd been prepared to go in, adventure to his heart's content until his toes got frostbite and he and Fraser couldn't stand the close quarters anymore, and get out. Head back to Chicago with the Mountie in tow and get back to his normal life, his regular life. The life with pizza and beer and baseball on TV, not old Canadian movies with weird looking actors that he could barely see anyway because of the crappy reception, the life where he had an apartment and a turtle and a really fucking sweet car, not to mention a job. But they'd come to the end of the adventure and Ray had settled down into Fraser's spare room and he'd just stayed. Fraser had mentioned Chicago once, but only to ask Ray who was taking care of his turtle and his car. Ray had told him Frannie had the turtle and his dad had the GTO, then he'd casually added that his mother was going to box up some of his things and send them up to Inuvik. Fraser had only nodded and said, "Okay, Ray," and that had been that.

Still, Ray had figured that the day would come when he'd hate Canada, he'd hate the cabin he and Fraser were living in and he might even hate Fraser. But nearly a year later that day hadn't come and Ray was rapidly settling into the understanding that he didn't hate Canada and that, in fact, he might just love Canada. A little bit. That part was the easy part. The little bits of Ray's brain that had started to suggest that maybe he didn't just love Canada were a little more difficult to get used to.

But he stayed. In the morning he walked Diefenbaker down the empty road that stretched from the town, past the cabin and all the way to the foot of a moutain about two miles away. Fraser had told him early on that rock climbers drove down that road during the summer months, eager to be the first one to the top of the mountain and Ray had informed Fraser in all seriousness that anyone who climbed that mountain was probably lacking a few brain cells and, much to Ray's surprise, Fraser had agreed. Regardless, it was pretty and quiet and it made Ray feel like he never had anything to worry about ever again, which wasn't exactly true, he knew, but it was a nice thought.

When he walked Dief along the quiet path, he was able to admit, if only to himself, why he'd really stayed in Canada. Why he'd spent the past year holed up in the tiny guest bedroom in Fraser's cabin, sharing only a wall with the Mountie. Well, a wall and most meals, but nothing more. Not all the things he wanted to share; he wanted to share everything, not in the very least a bed, which was what that tiny voice in his head kept insisting and he kept trying to ignore. Ray had stayed because he wanted to. Simple and scary and hard to accept. He had stayed because, while Chicago was home, so was Fraser and all Ray had to do was pick which one was more home to him. That part had been easy.

Telling Fraser was much more difficult and Ray spent most days trying to think of a way to say it. Diefenbaker occasionally offered his help, which Ray appreciated, but he didn't think that licking Fraser's face was really going to get them anywhere, despite what the wolf insisted.

"Today?" he asked the quiet afternoon and Diefenbaker yipped in agreement. Ray smiled in return and nodded. "Alright, wolf. Today."

And he watched as Diefenbaker chased rabbits and birds and the occasional leaf, looking embarrased when he realized that it was indeed a leaf and not an animal, but Ray always pretended not to see that. Today. It sounded funny in his head, like it couldn't possibly be real, but he'd made some kind of commitment, he realized that now. To the wolf, to Fraser, to himself, he'd promised something and whatever it was, he had to go through with it.

When they returned to the cabin, the truck was parked out front and the sun was setting behind the trees and for a moment, Ray stood and looked at the cabin, at the truck, at Fraser's shadow passing in front of the window over the kitchen sink. Sometime over the past year, this place had become home to him and he didn't hate Canada. He didn't hate any of it, in fact. It worked for him, for them. He never thought it would have, he never thought it was possible, but here it was. Working.

"Hey, Fraser," he said when he opened the door and kicked the snow off his boots. "We gotta talk about somethin', buddy."

And what would he say? Fraser looked up at him expectantly and Ray thought he saw something almost like fear in Fraser's eyes, so he smiled easily and shook his head.

"No, it's okay." He went over to the couch and sat down, staring at his feet. "Okay, so here's the thing..." All I know is that I love you. I wanna stay. Here. For good. Forever. Me and you, okay.

"Yes, Ray?" Fraser asked, then sat down beside him and Ray felt the couch dip.

He looked up, smiled once more and started again. "Here's the thing..."

Current Mood: hungry

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

helleboredoll.livejournal.com

Oh! You've made me happy again :) How do you always nail these lovely little quiet moments so well? I would whine and plead for more, except the way you've set it up, I know it's all going to work out just fine ;) *Le happy sigh*

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songfic challenge by bohemian storm

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