Benton Fraser | Due South

[dogsled]

BENTON FRASER。

"You know, Fraser, when they offered me this assignment, they made it sound kind of normal. They say, 'Hey, Ray, here's a chance to start over, ditch the past.' 'What's the catch?' I say. 'Oh, your partner's Canadian.' Canadian? I got nothing against Canadians, except for the time when they won the World Series, which I'm willing to overlook. But at no time did they say, 'you'll be working with a Mountie who's got a wolf that's a florist'"

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[kickem]

[The "thank you kindly" is nice. Cute even, and it gets Ray smirking lightly because he's heard that a million times before but never quite in this context. It's amazing how a polite Mountie can sound so much dirtier to Ray's ears when he knows what's behind those words. It would appear Lou's taken by it all too, judging by that doe-eyed look she's giving them both as Ray steals a quick glance.

It's nice to see strangers look like that towards Fraser now. Now, but not before. Before it only sparked annoyance and outrage from Ray with a constant, self-pitying cry of "why not me?", but he's beginning to realise that it wasn't the women he was desperately seeking attention from. Even if Fraser barely ever took up the offers of women throwing themselves at him, Ray had still been jealous, jealous for Fraser's attention, not for theirs. It makes sense. Just stupid that he hadn't realised sooner, but both he and Benton had always been stubborn individuals.]

Right. Thanks.

[Those free gifts were more than useful considering Ray's barely-there supplies of them back home. Never getting laid kind of made a guy consider condoms a waste of money, and lube was in short supply when his hand was his only source of company. Such thoughtful freebies, but it's not the freebies that he's thinking about now that he's glancing around the store.]

Uh. Y'know what? Give us a sec, ring them things through. I gotta get a proper look.

[He had, after all, been mostly averting his gaze when he'd first arrived, trying to keep himself on the task at hand, but now they'd got what they needed so where was the harm in exploring?

He gently jerks his head towards one of the cramped aisles, signalling for Fraser to follow and, in case that gesture wasn't obvious enough, giving a playful tug on the still attached leash. That collar was going to give him hours of entertainment. Might keep Fraser from running off at work too...

The aisle provides a mostly private little corner where Ray can drop his shoulders and relax for a second, leaning in close to Benton and voice kept low.]

You uh, you want anythin'? My dick's kinda suggestin' we buy out the whole store right now, heh. Pretty sure we didn't budget for that.

[dogsled]

[ If there was a moment for reflecting on his relationship with Ray, this wasn't really it, but it did occur to him that he was happy. For the first time the attention of other people wasn't sending him into a frenzy of blushes and uncertainty--he had certainty; he had Ray, and that was all he really wanted. So other people could look, it wouldn't change the fact that he was taken - quite taken - and very happy, and imminently satisfied, perhaps for the rest of his life.

He licked his lips, following Ray quietly through the shop, his eyes on his feet until Ray addressed him. He was paying a lot of attention, of course, to Ray's new confidence, to the shop, to the tug on the leash.

It's good that Ray likes the leash--he likes it too. Likes it a lot. To be fair, the leash is very much a physical representation of what binds them every day with Ray always on Fraser's heel, or Fraser on Ray's, walking elbow to elbow.

This is different, and it's better, and he's thriving on it. The collar, after all, was so beautiful, so him. Well...maybe not better. There's a part of this that isn't work, and work is its own kind of wonderful. Spending any time with Ray is wonderful.

But the question: ]

Given the savings we've made, there's a hundred and fifty seven dollars left in the hat, although come to think of it, you should save at least twenty eight for pizza. [ He bit his bottom lip, sparing a considering glance at the shelves. ] Is there anything in particular that's...sparking your imagination?