TEAM ROMANCE: Day 5, "The Shirt Maketh the Man"
Title: The Shirt Maketh the Man
Author: aingeal8c
Team: Romance
Prompt: “I thought it was silk.”
Pairing(s): Fraser/Vecchio
Length: 1400 words
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Author's note: Thanks to brynnmck & dessert_first for betaness and advice.
Summary: Ray wants to know what Fraser is wearing.
Once you've read the story, please take a moment to vote in the poll below. Ratings go from 1 (low) to 9 (high), so all you need to do is enter a single number in that range into each text entry box. You'll be able to see the Prompt and Team (Genre) information in the header above.
More details about the voting procedure can be found here.
**
Ray checked his watch for the fifth time. Mounties, it seemed, took longer than his ex-wife to get ready. Fraser had already spent ten minutes asking Ray if he should wear a tie for their date, and whether it was best to wear his new dark blue or his black suit. Ray loved him but while Fraser could dress both casually and formally a mix of the two eluded him.
He’d mentioned to Fraser one evening that he wasn’t too keen on dating a guy whose sole formal wear for dates was a red suit. That had been after they’d been at restaurant and half the patrons had come to see ‘the Mountie’. It hadn’t been the understated occasion Ray had planned. Fraser owned one suit but he rarely wore it. Now thanks to Ray he had a couple more, now all he had to do was choose which one to wear.
Finally Fraser appeared in what could only be described as the kind of thing Ray remembered wearing as a teenager, trying to emulate his hero John Travolta, apart from the flares. His blue suit looked like fine but there was something about the ensemble that was very ‘Saturday Night Fever’.
Ray sighed as he looked at his lover. “Benny, what are you wearing?” He pointed to Fraser’s shirt which, in particular, seemed to be from the seventies.
“It’s a shirt, Ray,” Fraser replied.
“I can see it’s a shirt, what’s it made of?”
“I thought it was silk.”
“Benny, you can tell me the life cycle of a silk worm, you can sniff fabric and tell me what cologne I’m wearing, and you can’t tell a silk shirt from polyester?” Ray asked.
Fraser blushed. “I had to borrow it, Ray I was too distracted in the store to purchase one,” he explained.
“By what?”
“Well, you were trying on a pair of pants and my gaze was drawn to the changing rooms.”
“Do you have x-ray vision now?”
Fraser shook his head. “I’m afraid not, Ray. Although even if I did it wouldn’t be polite to look on you while you were changing.”
“So, you just imagined me instead?”
“Yes, well…erm…” Fraser was unable to explain.
“Hey, it’s okay, Benny. I mean a guy can have fantasies. I’ve imagined you in situations before.”
Fraser brightened up. “Really, Ray?”
“Yes, really. Why do you think I let you leave the store without a shirt?”
“Ah. Were they good fantasies?”
“Yeah. But you wearing that wasn’t part of those fantasies.”
Fraser turned around and examined himself. “I don’t look that bad, do I, Ray?”
“You couldn’t look bad if you were wearing a paper bag.”
“Do they make them in my size?” Fraser asked.
For a moment Ray thought he was serious until his lover giggles gave him away. “Very funny, Benny. I’m serious.”
“You don’t think my attire is appropriate?”
“Not unless we’re doing disco.”
“Ah. My shirt?”
Ray took another look. “Yeah your shirt. Where did you get it from?”
“Mr Mustafi lent it to me.”
Ray wrinkled his nose. “Ewww, Fraser!”
“He did wash it, Ray.”
“In what?”
“I would imagine soap.”
“I can’t believe you’re wearing another guy’s clothes.”
“You wear my clothes,” Fraser pointed out.
It was true; whenever Ray was feeling lazy he’d pull on one of Fraser’s shirts. He’d spent an entire weekend in them once.
“That’s not the same thing,” Ray protested.
“It’s not?”
“No! People in a relationship are supposed to share clothing. It’s like a rule.”
Fraser rubbed his thumb along his eyebrow. “I’ve never actually heard of that, Ray.”
“What? Eskimos don’t wear each other’s fur coats?”
“It’s funny you should mention that. I once stayed with a family who only had three coats between the six of them. Of course it wasn’t their fault that the polar bear had…”
Ray held up a hand. “No. We are not having another Inuit story about how the caribou gave them nylon.”
“I’m not familiar with that story, Ray.”
Ray threw his hands up. “I made it up!”
“Oh. You know your story telling skills could be very useful, Ray.”
“Benny, I’m not Tolstoy.”
“No. You’re Ray Vecchio who would be able to tell a story that fitted in well with your oral traditions.”
“What oral traditions?” Ray asked. “How many Vecchios do you know tell stories?”
“I would imagine that…” Fraser paused, catching Ray’s annoyed gaze. “Oh. You meant the storytelling as a metaphor?”
“Yes, a metaphor. But you can’t go in that.”
“Why not, Ray?” Fraser asked fiddling with his collar.
“You’re scratching again.”
Fraser seemed to have something of an aversion to blended fabric. It was odd he had such sensitive skin considering the harsh issue Mountie soap he washed with and the fact his dress uniform was extremely itchy. Of course Ray never saw him scratch when in the red serge but the uniform was different. Right now Fraser was scratching around his collar and on his arm.
Of course being Fraser he didn’t admit it right away. “I’m just hot.”
“You are not just hot. If you were hot you’d sweat not itch.”
“I’d itch if I had heat rash, Ray,” Fraser said, scratching his arm.
“It’s not that hot,” Ray pointed out. “Benny, it’s okay to be allergic to some fabric.”
Fraser continued to scratch.
“Stop that,” Ray said. He took hold of Fraser’s hands and held them before he nbent forward to kiss him. Kisses always helped Fraser see his point of view. He also enjoyed kissing Fraser so it was the best of both worlds. After a leisurely couple of minutes of kissing Ray leaned back and let go of Fraser’s hands.
“It is a little itchy, Ray.” Fraser admitted.
“See, this is why you shouldn’t wear other people’s clothes.”
“I didn’t get itchy when I wore your tie, Ray.”
“Because we’re together. You know like if I wore one of Frannie’s dresses it wouldn’t itch because we’re family.”
Fraser’s eyes widened. “You’d wear one of your sister’s dresses?”
Ray groaned. “It was just an example.”
“Well, yes, Ray, Francesca isn’t your size.”
“Are you saying I’m fatter than her?” Ray asked, accusingly.
“No, your shoulders are broader and your bust…”
“I don’t have a bust.”
“Exactly, Ray.”
“Why is it everything comes back to dresses with you?”
“It was your example.”
Ray sighed. “Okay, the point is you can’t wear this shirt, Fraser.”
“I can’t?”
“No.”
Ray gently unbuttoned the shirt. Fraser didn’t help nor hinder, though Ray noticed he’d licked his lips and his breathing was slightly harder than usual. He didn’t say anything but was touched by the fact that Fraser trusted him to unbutton his shirt, and the way he seemed to enjoy it too. When all the buttons were undone Ray kissed Fraser and with a little help slipped the shirt off. He ended the kiss and smiled.
“Isn’t that better, Benny?” he asked.
“I’m going to have to iron the shirt before I return it,” Fraser said glancing at the shirt now on the floor.
“We can do that. Well, we can do something.”
“And now I don’t have anything to wear,” Fraser pointed out.
“Well, you can go out in your pants,” Ray suggested with a slight leer.
“Ray!”
“Maybe we don’t have to go out,” Ray suggested running a hand lightly up Fraser’s arm.
“That’s a good idea, Ray. Although aren’t you over dressed?”
Ray laughed and started undoing his shirt. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“Perhaps if I helped you,” Fraser suggested.
“Sure, Benny, let’s just go somewhere a little more private,” Ray said, already encouraging Fraser into the bedroom.
“Yes, Ray.”
As the bedroom door closed Ray had to admit there were advantages to staying in over going out. And while Fraser couldn’t dress smart casual he looked good in only his birthday suit. It was one of the best dates Ray could remember, and he owed it all to a scratchy polyester - not silk - shirt.
**
THIS POLL IS NOW CLOSED. ANY FURTHER VOTES WILL NOT BE COUNTED.
Poll Vote for this story
Author: aingeal8c
Team: Romance
Prompt: “I thought it was silk.”
Pairing(s): Fraser/Vecchio
Length: 1400 words
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Author's note: Thanks to brynnmck & dessert_first for betaness and advice.
Summary: Ray wants to know what Fraser is wearing.
Once you've read the story, please take a moment to vote in the poll below. Ratings go from 1 (low) to 9 (high), so all you need to do is enter a single number in that range into each text entry box. You'll be able to see the Prompt and Team (Genre) information in the header above.
More details about the voting procedure can be found here.
**
Ray checked his watch for the fifth time. Mounties, it seemed, took longer than his ex-wife to get ready. Fraser had already spent ten minutes asking Ray if he should wear a tie for their date, and whether it was best to wear his new dark blue or his black suit. Ray loved him but while Fraser could dress both casually and formally a mix of the two eluded him.
He’d mentioned to Fraser one evening that he wasn’t too keen on dating a guy whose sole formal wear for dates was a red suit. That had been after they’d been at restaurant and half the patrons had come to see ‘the Mountie’. It hadn’t been the understated occasion Ray had planned. Fraser owned one suit but he rarely wore it. Now thanks to Ray he had a couple more, now all he had to do was choose which one to wear.
Finally Fraser appeared in what could only be described as the kind of thing Ray remembered wearing as a teenager, trying to emulate his hero John Travolta, apart from the flares. His blue suit looked like fine but there was something about the ensemble that was very ‘Saturday Night Fever’.
Ray sighed as he looked at his lover. “Benny, what are you wearing?” He pointed to Fraser’s shirt which, in particular, seemed to be from the seventies.
“It’s a shirt, Ray,” Fraser replied.
“I can see it’s a shirt, what’s it made of?”
“I thought it was silk.”
“Benny, you can tell me the life cycle of a silk worm, you can sniff fabric and tell me what cologne I’m wearing, and you can’t tell a silk shirt from polyester?” Ray asked.
Fraser blushed. “I had to borrow it, Ray I was too distracted in the store to purchase one,” he explained.
“By what?”
“Well, you were trying on a pair of pants and my gaze was drawn to the changing rooms.”
“Do you have x-ray vision now?”
Fraser shook his head. “I’m afraid not, Ray. Although even if I did it wouldn’t be polite to look on you while you were changing.”
“So, you just imagined me instead?”
“Yes, well…erm…” Fraser was unable to explain.
“Hey, it’s okay, Benny. I mean a guy can have fantasies. I’ve imagined you in situations before.”
Fraser brightened up. “Really, Ray?”
“Yes, really. Why do you think I let you leave the store without a shirt?”
“Ah. Were they good fantasies?”
“Yeah. But you wearing that wasn’t part of those fantasies.”
Fraser turned around and examined himself. “I don’t look that bad, do I, Ray?”
“You couldn’t look bad if you were wearing a paper bag.”
“Do they make them in my size?” Fraser asked.
For a moment Ray thought he was serious until his lover giggles gave him away. “Very funny, Benny. I’m serious.”
“You don’t think my attire is appropriate?”
“Not unless we’re doing disco.”
“Ah. My shirt?”
Ray took another look. “Yeah your shirt. Where did you get it from?”
“Mr Mustafi lent it to me.”
Ray wrinkled his nose. “Ewww, Fraser!”
“He did wash it, Ray.”
“In what?”
“I would imagine soap.”
“I can’t believe you’re wearing another guy’s clothes.”
“You wear my clothes,” Fraser pointed out.
It was true; whenever Ray was feeling lazy he’d pull on one of Fraser’s shirts. He’d spent an entire weekend in them once.
“That’s not the same thing,” Ray protested.
“It’s not?”
“No! People in a relationship are supposed to share clothing. It’s like a rule.”
Fraser rubbed his thumb along his eyebrow. “I’ve never actually heard of that, Ray.”
“What? Eskimos don’t wear each other’s fur coats?”
“It’s funny you should mention that. I once stayed with a family who only had three coats between the six of them. Of course it wasn’t their fault that the polar bear had…”
Ray held up a hand. “No. We are not having another Inuit story about how the caribou gave them nylon.”
“I’m not familiar with that story, Ray.”
Ray threw his hands up. “I made it up!”
“Oh. You know your story telling skills could be very useful, Ray.”
“Benny, I’m not Tolstoy.”
“No. You’re Ray Vecchio who would be able to tell a story that fitted in well with your oral traditions.”
“What oral traditions?” Ray asked. “How many Vecchios do you know tell stories?”
“I would imagine that…” Fraser paused, catching Ray’s annoyed gaze. “Oh. You meant the storytelling as a metaphor?”
“Yes, a metaphor. But you can’t go in that.”
“Why not, Ray?” Fraser asked fiddling with his collar.
“You’re scratching again.”
Fraser seemed to have something of an aversion to blended fabric. It was odd he had such sensitive skin considering the harsh issue Mountie soap he washed with and the fact his dress uniform was extremely itchy. Of course Ray never saw him scratch when in the red serge but the uniform was different. Right now Fraser was scratching around his collar and on his arm.
Of course being Fraser he didn’t admit it right away. “I’m just hot.”
“You are not just hot. If you were hot you’d sweat not itch.”
“I’d itch if I had heat rash, Ray,” Fraser said, scratching his arm.
“It’s not that hot,” Ray pointed out. “Benny, it’s okay to be allergic to some fabric.”
Fraser continued to scratch.
“Stop that,” Ray said. He took hold of Fraser’s hands and held them before he nbent forward to kiss him. Kisses always helped Fraser see his point of view. He also enjoyed kissing Fraser so it was the best of both worlds. After a leisurely couple of minutes of kissing Ray leaned back and let go of Fraser’s hands.
“It is a little itchy, Ray.” Fraser admitted.
“See, this is why you shouldn’t wear other people’s clothes.”
“I didn’t get itchy when I wore your tie, Ray.”
“Because we’re together. You know like if I wore one of Frannie’s dresses it wouldn’t itch because we’re family.”
Fraser’s eyes widened. “You’d wear one of your sister’s dresses?”
Ray groaned. “It was just an example.”
“Well, yes, Ray, Francesca isn’t your size.”
“Are you saying I’m fatter than her?” Ray asked, accusingly.
“No, your shoulders are broader and your bust…”
“I don’t have a bust.”
“Exactly, Ray.”
“Why is it everything comes back to dresses with you?”
“It was your example.”
Ray sighed. “Okay, the point is you can’t wear this shirt, Fraser.”
“I can’t?”
“No.”
Ray gently unbuttoned the shirt. Fraser didn’t help nor hinder, though Ray noticed he’d licked his lips and his breathing was slightly harder than usual. He didn’t say anything but was touched by the fact that Fraser trusted him to unbutton his shirt, and the way he seemed to enjoy it too. When all the buttons were undone Ray kissed Fraser and with a little help slipped the shirt off. He ended the kiss and smiled.
“Isn’t that better, Benny?” he asked.
“I’m going to have to iron the shirt before I return it,” Fraser said glancing at the shirt now on the floor.
“We can do that. Well, we can do something.”
“And now I don’t have anything to wear,” Fraser pointed out.
“Well, you can go out in your pants,” Ray suggested with a slight leer.
“Ray!”
“Maybe we don’t have to go out,” Ray suggested running a hand lightly up Fraser’s arm.
“That’s a good idea, Ray. Although aren’t you over dressed?”
Ray laughed and started undoing his shirt. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“Perhaps if I helped you,” Fraser suggested.
“Sure, Benny, let’s just go somewhere a little more private,” Ray said, already encouraging Fraser into the bedroom.
“Yes, Ray.”
As the bedroom door closed Ray had to admit there were advantages to staying in over going out. And while Fraser couldn’t dress smart casual he looked good in only his birthday suit. It was one of the best dates Ray could remember, and he owed it all to a scratchy polyester - not silk - shirt.
**
THIS POLL IS NOW CLOSED. ANY FURTHER VOTES WILL NOT BE COUNTED.
Poll Vote for this story