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ds_flashfiction49. F/K "Just drive the damn car!"
For missmalapert
I've discovered that I'm no good with snippets. It took me three tries to actually manage something sensible with less than 1000 words. So in the spirit of giving, I’m going to post all three attempts. All are F/K.
Title: Anniversary
Rating: G
945 words
by Phenyx_tP
Corporal Benton Fraser, RCMP stepped into the tavern and stomped the mud from his boots. He removed his Stetson and carefully brushed the moisture from its brim. The storm outside wasn’t particular severe, but the rain had been falling steadily all evening.
Looking around, Fraser nodded to those patrons who noticed him. He returned a salute from Constable Marsh as he strode toward the bar. With a concerned frown, Fraser leaned over the counter to speak with the bartender.
“Thanks for calling, David,” Fraser said.
“No problem, Corporal,” the round balding man said. “No way I would let him wander home on his own in this condition.”
“I appreciate it,” Fraser said.
The barkeep nodded. “Like I said, no problem. Ray doesn’t do this very often. Hardly ever has more than the one beer when he comes in. He hasn’t gotten tanked in ages.”
“Hmm,” Fraser agreed. “Not since last year.”
A light came on in the bartender’s eyes. “Yeah, now that you mention it, it has been exactly that long. This day means something to him eh?”
“You could say that,” Fraser told him. “Thanks again David. I mean that.”
“Never mind,” he replied. “Just take him home.”
Fraser went to Ray’s favorite corner booth and placed a hand on the ex-detective’s shoulder. “It’s time to go home, Ray.”
Ray looked up at Fraser and blinked slowly. “Hi Ben.”
“Hi Ray,” Fraser smiled. “Come on. We’re going home.”
Ray thought about it for a moment before he agreed. “Okay.”
Fraser helped Ray to his feet and kept him upright while they left the tavern. In the darkness, Ray squinted through the rain. “I parked the pickup over at the post office,” he said.
“That’s fine, we’ll fetch it tomorrow. I’ve got the jeep,” Fraser informed him.
Once settled in the automobile, Fraser began the drive to the cabin. For several minutes all was quiet between them. So much so that Fraser thought Ray may have fallen asleep.
Ray’s voice in the darkness startled him a bit. “Are you mad, Fraser?” Ray asked.
“No Ray. I’m not mad.”
“Good.”
After a pause, Fraser pressed on, because he really just couldn’t stop himself. “But I just don’t understand why you feel the need Ray.”
“Just drive the damn car,” Ray snapped.
“Ray,” the admonishing tone in Fraser’s voice was enough to cut through the alcohol-induced fog in Ray’s mind. “It’s been a long time since you signed your divorce papers,” Fraser said. “Why do you find it necessary to mark the anniversary of it in this manner?”
“Cause I do, that’s all.” Ray answered with a pout.
“That is no answer,” Fraser scolded lightly. “And I think I deserve a straight answer about this. I’ve earned it these past five years, haven’t I?”
“Yeah Ben,” Ray said sadly. “You have.”
“Well?”
“You deserve better than this, Ben,” Ray said quietly. “You deserve better than me.”
“Ray,” Fraser frowned. “Sometimes your insecurities drive me batty. You are the best thing that ever happened to me, do you understand? I love you. Always have and I always will. Haven’t these five years proved that to you?”
Ray leaned his head against the window and studied Fraser’s profile. “I was with Stella for fifteen. I thought they were pretty damn good years. But somewhere along the way she got unhappy. I have no clue how long she was unhappy. How many of those years did she spend trapped and miserable without me even noticing?”
“That was a long time ago, Ray.”
“Are you happy Ben?” Ray asked.
“Yes! God yes,” Fraser replied without hesitation. He reached across the seats and took Ray’s hand in his own, weaving their fingers together.
“You seem happy,” Ray agreed with a nod. “But I get scared sometimes. I wonder, what am I not noticing? How much longer can he put up with my crap?”
“I am not going anywhere,” Fraser promised. “I am perfectly happy with our lives just as they are. I wouldn’t know what to do without your crap to make my life bearable.”
“I don’t ever want you to feel trapped or miserable, Ben,” Ray said seriously. “I’d rather die than be the cause of your unhappiness.”
“It is never going to happen. I swear.”
“You can’t,” Ray told him. “You don’t know the future. You don’t know for sure.”
“I know this,” Fraser said. He tugged on Ray’s hand, pulling the inebriated man down to pillow his head in Fraser’s lap. Fraser stroked his fingers through Ray’s hair while he drove. “I know that you make me happy.” Fraser murmured. “I know that my life is richer for having you in it. I love having you in my life and in my bed. I love being married to you and plan on staying that way for a long, long time.”
Ray sniffled and rubbed his cheek against Fraser’s thigh. “Me too, Ben.”
For several minutes they rode on in silence. After a time, Ray’s voice asked sleepily, “Ben? If things ever start to go sour, promise me we can go to a marriage counselor.”
“Sure. Of course,” Fraser nodded.
“Stella and I never did that,” Ray added thoughtfully. “That would help, I think.”
“Excellent idea, Ray.”
“Hmm,” Ray’s response was groggy and slurred. “Do we have marriage counselors in Canada?”
“Yes Ray,” Fraser smiled affectionately.
“Maybe it will be all right then,” Ray said.
“I’m sure it will be.”
Ray sighed. “Wish I knew how to believe you.”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to.” Fraser tightened his fingers in Ray’s hair and squeezed gently. “I plan on spending the rest of my life proving it to you.”
-
End
For missmalapert
I've discovered that I'm no good with snippets. It took me three tries to actually manage something sensible with less than 1000 words. So in the spirit of giving, I’m going to post all three attempts. All are F/K.
Title: Anniversary
Rating: G
945 words
by Phenyx_tP
Corporal Benton Fraser, RCMP stepped into the tavern and stomped the mud from his boots. He removed his Stetson and carefully brushed the moisture from its brim. The storm outside wasn’t particular severe, but the rain had been falling steadily all evening.
Looking around, Fraser nodded to those patrons who noticed him. He returned a salute from Constable Marsh as he strode toward the bar. With a concerned frown, Fraser leaned over the counter to speak with the bartender.
“Thanks for calling, David,” Fraser said.
“No problem, Corporal,” the round balding man said. “No way I would let him wander home on his own in this condition.”
“I appreciate it,” Fraser said.
The barkeep nodded. “Like I said, no problem. Ray doesn’t do this very often. Hardly ever has more than the one beer when he comes in. He hasn’t gotten tanked in ages.”
“Hmm,” Fraser agreed. “Not since last year.”
A light came on in the bartender’s eyes. “Yeah, now that you mention it, it has been exactly that long. This day means something to him eh?”
“You could say that,” Fraser told him. “Thanks again David. I mean that.”
“Never mind,” he replied. “Just take him home.”
Fraser went to Ray’s favorite corner booth and placed a hand on the ex-detective’s shoulder. “It’s time to go home, Ray.”
Ray looked up at Fraser and blinked slowly. “Hi Ben.”
“Hi Ray,” Fraser smiled. “Come on. We’re going home.”
Ray thought about it for a moment before he agreed. “Okay.”
Fraser helped Ray to his feet and kept him upright while they left the tavern. In the darkness, Ray squinted through the rain. “I parked the pickup over at the post office,” he said.
“That’s fine, we’ll fetch it tomorrow. I’ve got the jeep,” Fraser informed him.
Once settled in the automobile, Fraser began the drive to the cabin. For several minutes all was quiet between them. So much so that Fraser thought Ray may have fallen asleep.
Ray’s voice in the darkness startled him a bit. “Are you mad, Fraser?” Ray asked.
“No Ray. I’m not mad.”
“Good.”
After a pause, Fraser pressed on, because he really just couldn’t stop himself. “But I just don’t understand why you feel the need Ray.”
“Just drive the damn car,” Ray snapped.
“Ray,” the admonishing tone in Fraser’s voice was enough to cut through the alcohol-induced fog in Ray’s mind. “It’s been a long time since you signed your divorce papers,” Fraser said. “Why do you find it necessary to mark the anniversary of it in this manner?”
“Cause I do, that’s all.” Ray answered with a pout.
“That is no answer,” Fraser scolded lightly. “And I think I deserve a straight answer about this. I’ve earned it these past five years, haven’t I?”
“Yeah Ben,” Ray said sadly. “You have.”
“Well?”
“You deserve better than this, Ben,” Ray said quietly. “You deserve better than me.”
“Ray,” Fraser frowned. “Sometimes your insecurities drive me batty. You are the best thing that ever happened to me, do you understand? I love you. Always have and I always will. Haven’t these five years proved that to you?”
Ray leaned his head against the window and studied Fraser’s profile. “I was with Stella for fifteen. I thought they were pretty damn good years. But somewhere along the way she got unhappy. I have no clue how long she was unhappy. How many of those years did she spend trapped and miserable without me even noticing?”
“That was a long time ago, Ray.”
“Are you happy Ben?” Ray asked.
“Yes! God yes,” Fraser replied without hesitation. He reached across the seats and took Ray’s hand in his own, weaving their fingers together.
“You seem happy,” Ray agreed with a nod. “But I get scared sometimes. I wonder, what am I not noticing? How much longer can he put up with my crap?”
“I am not going anywhere,” Fraser promised. “I am perfectly happy with our lives just as they are. I wouldn’t know what to do without your crap to make my life bearable.”
“I don’t ever want you to feel trapped or miserable, Ben,” Ray said seriously. “I’d rather die than be the cause of your unhappiness.”
“It is never going to happen. I swear.”
“You can’t,” Ray told him. “You don’t know the future. You don’t know for sure.”
“I know this,” Fraser said. He tugged on Ray’s hand, pulling the inebriated man down to pillow his head in Fraser’s lap. Fraser stroked his fingers through Ray’s hair while he drove. “I know that you make me happy.” Fraser murmured. “I know that my life is richer for having you in it. I love having you in my life and in my bed. I love being married to you and plan on staying that way for a long, long time.”
Ray sniffled and rubbed his cheek against Fraser’s thigh. “Me too, Ben.”
For several minutes they rode on in silence. After a time, Ray’s voice asked sleepily, “Ben? If things ever start to go sour, promise me we can go to a marriage counselor.”
“Sure. Of course,” Fraser nodded.
“Stella and I never did that,” Ray added thoughtfully. “That would help, I think.”
“Excellent idea, Ray.”
“Hmm,” Ray’s response was groggy and slurred. “Do we have marriage counselors in Canada?”
“Yes Ray,” Fraser smiled affectionately.
“Maybe it will be all right then,” Ray said.
“I’m sure it will be.”
Ray sighed. “Wish I knew how to believe you.”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to.” Fraser tightened his fingers in Ray’s hair and squeezed gently. “I plan on spending the rest of my life proving it to you.”
-
End
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