F/K Snippet: Plenty (G)
Mar. 13th, 2009 09:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
arrow00Title: Plenty
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
arrow00
Pairing: Fraser/RayK
Rating: G
Wordcount: 750
Categories: futurefic
Notes: A totally, totally belated birthday snippet fornos4a2no9. Sorry, Nos! Started writing it but life bit me in the ass.
Plenty
By Arrow
It's late summer up at their cabin, and Ray sniffs the air, thinking, We'll be going home again soon. They've been returning to Chicago earlier and earlier in the year, and Ray suspects it's because Ben's old injuries are catching up with him, and his skin's getting too thin for the harsh weather up here.
Still, they won't give up taking at least some of the year up here. Ben needs it, and Ray's sort of come to need it too, though part of the game is pretending they both don't know that.
Ray reaches over to pour the last of the coffee, and Ben smiles at him, a sweet, carefree smile, before turning the page of the local paper he's reading. He frowns suddenly and then draws in a sharp breath.
"What?" Ray puts down his cup to come stand at Ben's shoulder. Looking down at the article, Ray sees it's an obituary. He blinks at the fuzzy picture and reads the name, figuring it's a mutual friend of theirs. But he doesn't recognize her.
Ben says, "It's Victoria." There's deep shock in his voice, and something like relief, only that's not it, exactly.
"Holy crap." Ray reaches for his glasses, but Ben's already handing them to him along with the paper.
"'Ms. Danvers was a pillar of the community,'" Ray reads aloud, not bothering to hide his disgust. "Apparently, get this—she devoted her life to caring for rescued animals. Unbelievable."
"Ray." Chiding.
"What? I can't help it, Ben. She—" Ray drops the paper onto the table so he can wave his hands. "She tried to destroy you." Ray had gotten the story out of Ben over the years in bits and small pieces, like the whole thing would bite him if he tried to let go of it all at once. "She had everything. She had you. She had all of you, and she still fucking—"
"But I wasn't enough." Ben sounds way too calm, almost unconcerned. Maybe it's been a long time, but something like that you don't just let go of. Ray can't believe Ben's taking it so easy.
"Don't say that."
Ben gets up slowly, which means his back is bothering him today—another thing to thank the bitch for. He reaches out and pulls on Ray's arm to reel him in.
"It's true." Ben says softly, planting a kiss on Ray's temple. Pulling back, Ben gives him an open look—his dead serious, totally sincere look, the one that always makes Ray pay attention. "I wasn't enough. Back then, Ray. Before I met you." He gives Ray a soft kiss, as if to stop him from protesting.
Thirty years ago or so, Ray would have hotly denied it, would have kicked someone in the head for saying Fraser was anything less than perfect. But he remembers how hard it was when they first started this thing for real. When Fraser twisted himself into a crazy knot trying not to need Ray. That was back before Fraser started really trusting him. And yeah, maybe some of that damage was from the bitch, but not all of it.
Some of it was bred in the bone.
But this Fraser—his Ben—with the carefree, sweet smile and deep calm...well, he hadn't shown up for a long time. Ray had to coax him out, while Fraser did the same for him, patiently waiting when it got to be too much and Ray ran; always still there when Ray came back.
"Maybe we should send flowers," Ray says finally. "Sounds like she did her best to make good. And seems like someone misses her, anyway."
Ben's smile could've bought the sun. "Oh, I don't think we need to go that far. But we can at least raise a glass."
Ray accepts the challenge, grabbing his cup of coffee and lifting it up. "To Victoria."
"To Victoria," Ben says, lifting his own cup. There's only the faintest shadow in his eyes.
Ray twists a smile and says solemnly, "Thanks for throwing away a perfectly good Mountie. I owe you one."
Ben tucks his tongue into his cheek. "I'm really very grateful she did."
"Me, too. So damned grateful." Tossing back the last of his coffee, Ray says, "C'mon, old man, I think you need one of Ray's special back rubs."
"I'm perfectly fine," Fraser protests. But he's learned, because he lets Ray pull him up and push him into the cabin.
Yeah, maybe neither of them was enough before.
But now they're both plenty.
....................
2009.05.13
Author:
arrow00Pairing: Fraser/RayK
Rating: G
Wordcount: 750
Categories: futurefic
Notes: A totally, totally belated birthday snippet for
nos4a2no9. Sorry, Nos! Started writing it but life bit me in the ass.Plenty
By Arrow
It's late summer up at their cabin, and Ray sniffs the air, thinking, We'll be going home again soon. They've been returning to Chicago earlier and earlier in the year, and Ray suspects it's because Ben's old injuries are catching up with him, and his skin's getting too thin for the harsh weather up here.
Still, they won't give up taking at least some of the year up here. Ben needs it, and Ray's sort of come to need it too, though part of the game is pretending they both don't know that.
Ray reaches over to pour the last of the coffee, and Ben smiles at him, a sweet, carefree smile, before turning the page of the local paper he's reading. He frowns suddenly and then draws in a sharp breath.
"What?" Ray puts down his cup to come stand at Ben's shoulder. Looking down at the article, Ray sees it's an obituary. He blinks at the fuzzy picture and reads the name, figuring it's a mutual friend of theirs. But he doesn't recognize her.
Ben says, "It's Victoria." There's deep shock in his voice, and something like relief, only that's not it, exactly.
"Holy crap." Ray reaches for his glasses, but Ben's already handing them to him along with the paper.
"'Ms. Danvers was a pillar of the community,'" Ray reads aloud, not bothering to hide his disgust. "Apparently, get this—she devoted her life to caring for rescued animals. Unbelievable."
"Ray." Chiding.
"What? I can't help it, Ben. She—" Ray drops the paper onto the table so he can wave his hands. "She tried to destroy you." Ray had gotten the story out of Ben over the years in bits and small pieces, like the whole thing would bite him if he tried to let go of it all at once. "She had everything. She had you. She had all of you, and she still fucking—"
"But I wasn't enough." Ben sounds way too calm, almost unconcerned. Maybe it's been a long time, but something like that you don't just let go of. Ray can't believe Ben's taking it so easy.
"Don't say that."
Ben gets up slowly, which means his back is bothering him today—another thing to thank the bitch for. He reaches out and pulls on Ray's arm to reel him in.
"It's true." Ben says softly, planting a kiss on Ray's temple. Pulling back, Ben gives him an open look—his dead serious, totally sincere look, the one that always makes Ray pay attention. "I wasn't enough. Back then, Ray. Before I met you." He gives Ray a soft kiss, as if to stop him from protesting.
Thirty years ago or so, Ray would have hotly denied it, would have kicked someone in the head for saying Fraser was anything less than perfect. But he remembers how hard it was when they first started this thing for real. When Fraser twisted himself into a crazy knot trying not to need Ray. That was back before Fraser started really trusting him. And yeah, maybe some of that damage was from the bitch, but not all of it.
Some of it was bred in the bone.
But this Fraser—his Ben—with the carefree, sweet smile and deep calm...well, he hadn't shown up for a long time. Ray had to coax him out, while Fraser did the same for him, patiently waiting when it got to be too much and Ray ran; always still there when Ray came back.
"Maybe we should send flowers," Ray says finally. "Sounds like she did her best to make good. And seems like someone misses her, anyway."
Ben's smile could've bought the sun. "Oh, I don't think we need to go that far. But we can at least raise a glass."
Ray accepts the challenge, grabbing his cup of coffee and lifting it up. "To Victoria."
"To Victoria," Ben says, lifting his own cup. There's only the faintest shadow in his eyes.
Ray twists a smile and says solemnly, "Thanks for throwing away a perfectly good Mountie. I owe you one."
Ben tucks his tongue into his cheek. "I'm really very grateful she did."
"Me, too. So damned grateful." Tossing back the last of his coffee, Ray says, "C'mon, old man, I think you need one of Ray's special back rubs."
"I'm perfectly fine," Fraser protests. But he's learned, because he lets Ray pull him up and push him into the cabin.
Yeah, maybe neither of them was enough before.
But now they're both plenty.
....................
2009.05.13
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-03-14 07:39 am (UTC)Also I am signed up for ficfinishing to get that darned Girl!Ray story DONE...but can't start till Monday, when Spring Break starts. Between now and Sunday night I have to get the Ray painting finished and complete a color-matching exercise as well.
So I'm off to get some sleep, and...I'll be around on Monday, I'm sure. :)
Anyway, thanks for the magical story!
no subject
Date: 2009-03-14 05:55 pm (UTC)And three cheers for Spring Break. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-03-14 08:56 pm (UTC)Teen!RayK
A couple of notes: It's very hard to scan color images on black paper, and the scanner tends to read a lot of color saturation that isn't visible to the human eye. On the other hand, the eye is far more sensitive than any camera, so I don't know how to solve this one yet. My Photoshop skills are, er, very modest. Okay, pretty bad. :)
Also this scanned at a much larger size than the original image, and this particular colored pencil technique depends on optical mixing--the colors mix in your eye/brain, not on the paper. So...make the image smaller or stand back from the monitor to get a better idea of how it really looks. The original is only 6x9 inches.
Okay...so please let me know what you think: Does he look like Teen!Ray to you?
(General note: The link is clickable by anyone on my flist. I discovered that limiting access during upload wreaks hell with permissions later on, for some unknown reason. One more way in which LJ's galleries need a serious overhaul. Anyway, if anyone else sees this and wants to offer beta comments, have at it. I'm not sure how much updating of this drawing I'll do, as too much fussing can have unfortunate consequences, but I am happy to have the concrit, and it'll be put to good use in future projects or any updates of this piece--assuming I still like it tomorrow, which is by no means certain. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-03-15 02:44 am (UTC)It definitely looks like teen!Ray as I would imagine him; but, more importantly, it's such a refreshing approach.