The other one
Jun. 7th, 2003 04:51 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
pollitt.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ds_flashfictionAs said in my previous post, I had another story I'd been working on. Well, it seems the muses didn't want me to rest until the other story was finished (I had a page of notes), so I listened. So I can sleep now *g*
Thank you to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
linda3m and especially to ardent_muses, who hashed this story out with me until the wee hours of the morn. A, you rock, hun, another really late night story hash is now under our belts *g*.
Connect
By Pollitt
6.6/7.03
--oo--oo--oo--oo--oo--oo--oo--oo
'Dammit', Ray thought to himself as he listened to the buzz of dead cellular air, 'this was not how it was supposed to happen.'
Fate must've been laughing its ass off at him. It appeared his debt of near misses and quick cover-ups had finally come due. Ray's out-dated cell phone, which had been the size of a shoe (though not as cool as Maxwell Smart's), had finally gone to the cellular circular bin. Which meant he'd been forced to endure a lengthy sales pitch from a salesman whose smile made Ray want to grind his own teeth. After hearing that phones today could do almost everything but cure the hiccups, he'd finally just bought the top-of-the-line model the kid had been holding to avoid having to listen to one more spiel.
Damn his new cell phone and all the fucking extras! All he'd wanted was a stupid 'end' key, not all the buttons that let him check out the time in Tokyo, the weather in London and the latest news in Brussels. Just end, as in conversation done, good-bye, done with talking, farewells said, finito.
He'd just been talking to Fraser, talking about their day - Fraser recounting Turnbull's near-suicidal dash to save the picture of the Queen from some well-sugared brat who had been wielding a paintball rifle.
Nothing was different - they'd talked, laughed, made plans to do pizza and watch the hockey game on TV later that night and then said good-bye.
And just as he usually did, Ray whispered, "I love you, Fraser" into the silence after he'd disconnected. Only this time, instead of reading 'call ended', Ray was informed in flashing LED numerals that it was 12:34 a.m. in Tokyo, and from the slight hitch of breath and the slight crackle from the earpiece, Ray knew Fraser'd heard him.
After three minutes and counting, it was now 12:37 in the land of Godzilla and a ball of tension the size of that radioactive lizard was currently doing an angry tango in Ray's stomach, because Fraser had yet to say a word. Not an "I'm sorry, Ray" speech, or an "And I, you" qualification, not even an "I beg your pardon." Just dead air. In his head, Ray could almost hear the cartoon 'zip' of Fraser high-tailing it back to Canada, or the distant sound of a door slam on any possibility of anything more than a friendly arm over the shoulder or brotherly hug.
'Way to go, Kowalski.'
Fucking cell phone.
Looking at the blue-lit faceplate, Ray poked the 'end' key, this time successfully killing the call.
At 12:46 Tokyo standard time, the sound of Ray's door opening jerked him out of his wallow. The sound of nails on the floor made him aware of the lupine presence and the pound of feet told him a human companion was a mere few steps behind.
Ray thought of saying he was sorry, that he didn't mean it like it sounded, that he loved Fraser symbolically or like a brother and every other variation of the truth he'd said before, but Fraser's mouth stopped his and Fraser's hands found his, gripping them tight. When they separated, both breathless, words that were waiting to be said fell into the shadows as first Fraser and then Ray smiled, then laughed, and finally kissed again until they again were breathless.
All words were forgotten save three, which were said over and over again throughout the night - whispered into each other's ear and into each other's skin.
"I love you."
____________________________________
Meanwhile, back at the Canadian Consulate:
The receiver of the phone in Fraser's office hung from its cord over the edge of his desk, exactly where he had dropped it, and where it would remain until early the next morning when Turnbull, confused as to why the Consulate had yet received any calls, entered the closed, empty office and placed it back on the cradle.
Thank you to
linda3m and especially to ardent_muses, who hashed this story out with me until the wee hours of the morn. A, you rock, hun, another really late night story hash is now under our belts *g*.By Pollitt
6.6/7.03
--oo--oo--oo--oo--oo--oo--oo--oo
'Dammit', Ray thought to himself as he listened to the buzz of dead cellular air, 'this was not how it was supposed to happen.'
Fate must've been laughing its ass off at him. It appeared his debt of near misses and quick cover-ups had finally come due. Ray's out-dated cell phone, which had been the size of a shoe (though not as cool as Maxwell Smart's), had finally gone to the cellular circular bin. Which meant he'd been forced to endure a lengthy sales pitch from a salesman whose smile made Ray want to grind his own teeth. After hearing that phones today could do almost everything but cure the hiccups, he'd finally just bought the top-of-the-line model the kid had been holding to avoid having to listen to one more spiel.
Damn his new cell phone and all the fucking extras! All he'd wanted was a stupid 'end' key, not all the buttons that let him check out the time in Tokyo, the weather in London and the latest news in Brussels. Just end, as in conversation done, good-bye, done with talking, farewells said, finito.
He'd just been talking to Fraser, talking about their day - Fraser recounting Turnbull's near-suicidal dash to save the picture of the Queen from some well-sugared brat who had been wielding a paintball rifle.
Nothing was different - they'd talked, laughed, made plans to do pizza and watch the hockey game on TV later that night and then said good-bye.
And just as he usually did, Ray whispered, "I love you, Fraser" into the silence after he'd disconnected. Only this time, instead of reading 'call ended', Ray was informed in flashing LED numerals that it was 12:34 a.m. in Tokyo, and from the slight hitch of breath and the slight crackle from the earpiece, Ray knew Fraser'd heard him.
After three minutes and counting, it was now 12:37 in the land of Godzilla and a ball of tension the size of that radioactive lizard was currently doing an angry tango in Ray's stomach, because Fraser had yet to say a word. Not an "I'm sorry, Ray" speech, or an "And I, you" qualification, not even an "I beg your pardon." Just dead air. In his head, Ray could almost hear the cartoon 'zip' of Fraser high-tailing it back to Canada, or the distant sound of a door slam on any possibility of anything more than a friendly arm over the shoulder or brotherly hug.
'Way to go, Kowalski.'
Fucking cell phone.
Looking at the blue-lit faceplate, Ray poked the 'end' key, this time successfully killing the call.
At 12:46 Tokyo standard time, the sound of Ray's door opening jerked him out of his wallow. The sound of nails on the floor made him aware of the lupine presence and the pound of feet told him a human companion was a mere few steps behind.
Ray thought of saying he was sorry, that he didn't mean it like it sounded, that he loved Fraser symbolically or like a brother and every other variation of the truth he'd said before, but Fraser's mouth stopped his and Fraser's hands found his, gripping them tight. When they separated, both breathless, words that were waiting to be said fell into the shadows as first Fraser and then Ray smiled, then laughed, and finally kissed again until they again were breathless.
All words were forgotten save three, which were said over and over again throughout the night - whispered into each other's ear and into each other's skin.
"I love you."
Meanwhile, back at the Canadian Consulate:
The receiver of the phone in Fraser's office hung from its cord over the edge of his desk, exactly where he had dropped it, and where it would remain until early the next morning when Turnbull, confused as to why the Consulate had yet received any calls, entered the closed, empty office and placed it back on the cradle.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Thank you
Date: 2003-06-07 10:21 pm (UTC)Thank you for letting me know you liked the story.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-07 04:09 am (UTC)::blush::
Date: 2003-06-07 10:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-07 04:22 am (UTC)And funny! I particularly liked this:
At 12:46 Tokyo standard time, the sound of Ray's door opening jerked him out of his wallow.
And the Godzilla reference. :)
Re:
Date: 2003-06-07 10:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-07 05:38 am (UTC)Thank you
Date: 2003-06-07 11:01 pm (UTC)Thank you, I'm rather glad I stayed up late too. When the muses talk, I've learned it's often best just to listen and obey, you can get to sleep easier that way ;) And thank you for your kind words, they mean a lot to me.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-07 06:47 am (UTC)Particularly liked the "meanwhile back at the Consulate" end.
Re:
Date: 2003-06-07 11:03 pm (UTC)Thank you, hon!
and damn, it's time Ray got a new, smaller cell phone!
Oh man, I know! I couldn't believe how huge that thing was when I was watching Odds the other night.
Particularly liked the "meanwhile back at the Consulate" end.
Thank you, for some reason it felt like something you'd see at the end of a movie -- the couple finally gets together and then there's that final piece of information given to explain earlier events *g*
no subject
Date: 2003-06-10 11:01 pm (UTC)And Fraser winking at Turnbull as he says "Thank you, Turnbull, I had other things on my mind and had to get to Ray, er, Detective Kowalski's ... Um, nevermind. Thank you, Turnbull."
Hee.
Thank you for your comments, and I'm glad you liked the story.
I love you, too
Date: 2005-02-28 04:59 pm (UTC)Thanks for this!
Belinda
Re: I love you, too
Date: 2005-02-28 05:46 pm (UTC)Tokyo time
Date: 2003-06-07 08:50 am (UTC)Re: Tokyo time
Date: 2003-06-10 10:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-07 10:40 am (UTC)wow.
Date: 2003-06-10 11:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-07 11:29 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-06-10 10:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-07 11:50 am (UTC)Hee.
Date: 2003-06-10 11:17 pm (UTC)Thank you again.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-07 12:00 pm (UTC)And poor Ray really needs a new cell phone. If we're laughing *now* at how big it is, imagine how it's going to look in a couple more years. *G* We'll be going "what IS that thing?".
Mwah!
Date: 2003-06-10 11:19 pm (UTC)Awww, thanks, A! Hee, and we have yet another late night story hash to reminise about. Hee. Nothing tops the two paragraph/three hour conversation, though *G* Thank you again for all your help, and thank you for your kind words.
And poor Ray really needs a new cell phone. If we're laughing *now* at how big it is, imagine how it's going to look in a couple more years. *G* We'll be going "what IS that thing?".
I know! My god... in this instance, the size thing is *not* something to brag about *g*
no subject
Date: 2003-06-07 12:30 pm (UTC)But then I laughed out loud at the whole Japanese thread -- Tokyo time and Godzilla -- and the Get Smart reference, so all was not angst in chez Coupe.
And the tag is inspired.
Way to go, girl!
::blushes more::
Date: 2003-06-10 11:25 pm (UTC)::blush:: thank you, Carla!
Love poor Ray's total frustration and humiliation, and the fact that he usually whispers "I love you, Fraser" after disconnecting. Man, that makes my heart break. ::sniffle::
Awwww ::offers a tissue:: it was only a little bit that he was angsting... and I bet it made the end result a good deal sweeter (not like finally getting Fraser wouldn't be sweet enough *g*)
But then I laughed out loud at the whole Japanese thread -- Tokyo time and Godzilla -- and the Get Smart reference, so all was not angst in chez Coupe.
Wahoo! Given that I tend to be a (sap) and die-hard romantic, I had to throw some laughs and levity in there so it wasn't too angsty, so I'm glad chez Coupe was not completely angsted :)
And the tag is inspired.
Way to go, girl!
Hee. Thank you so much, Carla!
no subject
Date: 2003-06-07 02:01 pm (UTC)::blush::
Date: 2003-06-10 11:15 pm (UTC)Sometimes, it seems, Fate actually knows what it's doing *g*
no subject
Date: 2003-06-07 02:50 pm (UTC)*sigh* I loved this. I loved the whole thing. It was funny and charming.
Thank you.
Date: 2003-06-10 11:28 pm (UTC)words that were waiting to be said fell into the shadows
*sigh* I loved this.
Aww. Thank you :-)
I am such a fangirl... I read this and hear Cate Blanchett in FotR saying that Gandalf has fallen into shadow.
... I think the muses are rolling their eyes at me *G*
no subject
Date: 2003-06-07 02:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-10 11:29 pm (UTC)Thank you *g*
no subject
Date: 2003-06-07 03:44 pm (UTC)Lovely work.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-10 11:31 pm (UTC)Hee. Good thing it wasn't the computer (who hates him), or else he probably would've sent a mass forward to the entire 2-7 proclaiming his love for the Constable *g*
Lovely work.
Thank you, Beth.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-08 07:31 am (UTC)::blush::
Date: 2003-06-10 11:33 pm (UTC)Thank you!
no subject
Date: 2003-06-08 10:52 am (UTC)All words were forgotten save three, which were said over and over again throughout the night - whispered into each other's ear and into each other's skin.
Guh.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-10 11:35 pm (UTC)Awwww! Hee, that's so wonderful. Thank you, Kalena *g*
Since I'm always late, all I can say, once again, is, "What they said."
Hee, I'm never on time, so really, no worries. Thank you kindly for taking the time to comment on the story.
All words were forgotten save three, which were said over and over again throughout the night - whispered into each other's ear and into each other's skin.
Guh.
;-)
no subject
Date: 2003-07-25 12:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-26 08:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-23 05:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-16 08:45 pm (UTC)