Raffles Fic: The Other Crime
Remember Bunny and Raffles went to Scotland for a belated Easter holiday? Here's a fic about that. Happy Easter!
Title: The Other Crime
Pairing: Bunny / Raffles
Warnings and ratings: There is sex, but nothing too graphic
Word count: 2131
Author's note: this is set shortly after the events of 'The Silver Chest' in the collection "A Thief in the Night".
I have finally taken up my pen to write about the holiday that Raffles and I had in Scotland soon after our little adventure with Raffles's silver chest and the strong-room of the City and Suburban Bank. With what light hearts and laughing faces we departed for our journey! And not once did we fall foul of the law during our trip, except for .... well, you shall hear about that soon.
Raffles had taken a small cottage on the shores of the Loch L---. There were some other dwellings nearby and a public house where we took our meals. The rest of the time we spent boating, fishing and going on long walks. It was quite chilly, to be sure, but in all other respects we were having a capital time.
One day we decided to take the boat all the way to the other shore of the Loch. Accordingly we started out early, after a good breakfast of porridge and kippers, and carrying sandwiches provided by the kindly landlady of the inn. There was a lodge on the other shore, we were told, so we might have shelter in case of rain. The day started out fine, but clouds gathered in the sky before we were halfway across, and a steady drizzle came down on our heads by the time we made it to the opposite side. Cursing our luck, we made haste to disembark and rush to the lodge, but as I jumped from the boat, my foot slipped and I fell into the cold water of the Loch. The shock stunned me, as I had not expected the water to be so cold, and I stayed there a few seconds before Raffles waded in and pulled me out, scolding me for being a clumsy fool. Thus we stumbled into the lodge, which thankfully had a fireplace with kindling.
I stood in the middle of the hall, wet and shivering, whilst Raffles rushed about lighting the fire and grabbing some rags and canvas coverings.
"Bunny, man! Don't just stand there. Get your wet things off." He called out, pulling off his own jacket and shirt. Once the fire was going nicely, he came up to me and helped me undress, my own fingers being too numb to manage the task by myself. He stripped me completely, soaked to the skin as I was, and wrapped me in a canvas. Then he put another canvas on the floor and bade me sit close to the fire. I sat there, my teeth chattering, and heard Raffles moving about, pulling off his own things and laying out our wet clothes to dry. Then he was by my side and I caught a flash of bare leg, haunch and chest as he sidled under the canvas next to me.
"You'll warm up quicker this way. I say Bunny, lie down so that I can lie beside you. We need to be close together."
Now I must come to my own shameful part in this story. When Raffles had undressed me, especially when he had drawn my trousers off with a grunt, a thrill had run down my spine. I regret to say it was caused by a sentiment distasteful to all decent people. But felt it I did, Lord have mercy on my soul! Our seclusion in this lodge, our physical proximity, and our nakedness, combined to produce such a surge of this evil feeling in me that nobody could mistake it if they saw a certain part of my anatomy.
As Raffles drew me nearer and lay me down on the floor, my one fear was that he would brush against my nether regions and so discover my unspeakable secret. That would surely spell the ruin of our friendship. Thief he may be, but even Raffles would not put up with such a disgusting business.
My distress must have shown plainly on my face, for Raffles cried out in concern. "Good God man! You're pale as a ghost. Here, come closer." And he put his arms around me and clasped me tight to his chest! Overcome with terror, I became completely still. Raffles could not fail to realise the situation now, so I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable shout of disgust and the violent repulsion.
Only it never came. I heard Raffles gasp against my ear, and then I heard him chuckle. By God, he chuckled! And then he murmured, "Well, well!" and drew back to look at me. Tears of shame sprang to my eyes and I attempted to move away, but was restrained by his strong grip.
"Where are you going?" He asked in a low voice.
"Let me go!" I said wretchedly, avoiding his gaze. As if I could ever look him in the eye again!
"Bunny, Bunny, Bunny. It's a good sign, old chap; for it shows your blood is still warm!" He said in his most affectionate manner.
"You don't despise me then?" I asked quaveringly.
"Despise you! Whatever for?" He remarked casually and caught hold of my hand. It was icy cold, and his was not much warmer. After chafing my hands in his for a second, he put my fingers in his mouth and sucked gently. I couldn't help gasping, it felt so good to have my fingers in the moist heat and I fell into a kind of stupor. After a few moments he stopped sucking and moved my hand to the small of his back so that my arm was around his waist. The next thing I knew were his warm lips on my mouth.
Did I try to salvage any last shred of decency in me and stop Raffles in these monstrous advances? Did I check his deplorable behaviour and urge him to cease immediately? No, I did not. I could not and I would not. When he kissed me, all capacity for thought and reflection fled my mind. The only thing I wanted was to kiss him back, to return caress for caress. No nymph and satyr ever cavorted with such abandon as we did on the dank floor of that lodge on that day. I felt such joy and exhilaration in our amorous contortions that I thought my heart would burst.
A long while later, we lay entwined in front of the dying embers of the fire, Raffles stroking my hair and face with his elegant fingers. We did not speak, for what was there to say? I was in a state of rapture. But later, after our clothes had dried somewhat and we had eaten our sandwiches and explored the shore a little, my feeling of euphoria began to wane. By the time we came back to our cottage in the evening, I was positively miserable. What had we done! Were we indeed sunk so low that no taboo of society was too strong to break? Was I so blind in my adoration of Raffles that I could forget all sense of right and wrong?
These were the thoughts flying through my mind as I lay in bed for the next two days, most wretched and abject. I could hear Raffles leaving in the morning and coming back in the evening, but I made no move to join him, and he blessedly left me alone. On the third day, I heard a knock on the door and he entered with a tray before I could answer.
"Bunny, my dear fellow, you haven't eaten for two days. Mrs Petrie was kind enough to send some soup for you. No, no, not a word from you. You must have something, old chap, or you'll be quite ill."
I was too weary to protest as he prodded me into a sitting position and placed the tray on my lap. Upon his attempt to spoon-feed me, I snatched the spoon out of his hands and had a few mouthfuls of soup. I must admit, I was quite hungry and the soup was delicious.
When I had finished, Raffles, who had been sitting silently all the while, took the tray and walked to the door. "I've got some really good stuff from the neighbours, if you fancy a 'wee dram', Bunny. There's also a Sullivan with your name on it, just begging to be smoked. Join me in the parlour, will you?"
I nodded. We could not avoid each other for ever. So I washed and dressed and sat near the window of the front room, smoking, watching the rain and guzzling some of Scotland's finest. Raffles kept up a stream of talk, about the neighbours and their eccentricities, about what Mrs Petrie had said, how much of the Scots tongue he had learnt, and so on.
"By Jove, Bunny! Next time we meet Inspector McKenzie I'll speak to him in his own language. Can you picture his face?" He laughed heartily.
The mention of the good policeman reminded me of our life until now in London -- we were criminals to be sure, but we were not complete degenerates. Now we were absolutely beyond the pale! I groaned and buried my face in my hands.
Raffles fell silent. I heard his footsteps as he paced back and forth. Presently I heard him say, "You haven't spoken a word since our excursion two days ago. Out with it Bunny, what is troubling you?"
I couldn't bear it any more. That he could stand there, cool as brass, after all that had happened! I poured out my anguish and shame in incoherent words, punctuated by violent sobs. I denounced Raffles as a reprobate, he had dragged me down into the mud with him, had corrupted me now beyond all hope. It was unfair of me to lay all the blame at his door, since I had been no unwilling participant in my debauchery, but I was in such a turbulent frame of mind that I did not think. At length, after exhausting myself, I gave over to weeping silently into my handkerchief.
For a few moments Raffles did not speak. Then he cleared his throat and began most calmly. "It's a deucedly strange thing, morality. Only think, a few months ago you committed a crime with me for the first time in your life. And two days ago you committed another crime with me for the first time -- it is the first time, is it not? -- in your life. Yet what was your reaction then, and what is it now!"
I threw up my head. "That's preposterous! How can you even compare the two incidents!"
Raffles smiled. "Yes, Bunny. How can I possibly compare the two crimes? The first one involved breaking into someone's property, stealing their goods, causing them financial harm and damage to their reputation, all for our own monetary gain. The other crime involved no thieving, no harm to any other person, and no financial gain to us. Yet you could not be more elated about the first and more dejected about the second. Why is it so?"
I hung my head and made no reply. Raffles, damn him, was playing his usual trick again, of talking around any moral obstacle so that you couldn't but see things from his point of view. I would not fall for it this time, I resolved. But even as I did so, I knew it was futile. I had realised something terrible; for all my feelings of repugnance, I wanted to do it again with Raffles. I desired to embrace him again, kiss him, run my hands over his splendid form. I loved Raffles and there was no help for it.
I sat there immobile, with downcast eyes, until I spied Raffles standing beside me. He put his hand under my chin and raised my head. Then, with indescribable gentleness, he said, "I'm a hard man, rabbit, and you'll continue to think me so when I say that I'm not ashamed and I have no regrets about what we did. But Bunny, my dear old chap, I am sorry to have upset you. If you wish to put this behind us, just say the word and I'll never allude to it again. We can forget it ever happened."
"And if I don't?" The bold, wanton words surprised even myself, but it was I who uttered them! I stood up and faced Raffles. "What if I don't wish to forget?"
Raffles looked at me hard and steady. "Are you sure?" His eyes shone with an unwholesome eagerness, but there was something else too, a kind of tenderness and longing.
"I'm your man, AJ. I always will be." I said and grabbed his hand. And this time it was I who led the way to our criminal activities.
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Title: The Other Crime
Pairing: Bunny / Raffles
Warnings and ratings: There is sex, but nothing too graphic
Word count: 2131
Author's note: this is set shortly after the events of 'The Silver Chest' in the collection "A Thief in the Night".
I have finally taken up my pen to write about the holiday that Raffles and I had in Scotland soon after our little adventure with Raffles's silver chest and the strong-room of the City and Suburban Bank. With what light hearts and laughing faces we departed for our journey! And not once did we fall foul of the law during our trip, except for .... well, you shall hear about that soon.
Raffles had taken a small cottage on the shores of the Loch L---. There were some other dwellings nearby and a public house where we took our meals. The rest of the time we spent boating, fishing and going on long walks. It was quite chilly, to be sure, but in all other respects we were having a capital time.
One day we decided to take the boat all the way to the other shore of the Loch. Accordingly we started out early, after a good breakfast of porridge and kippers, and carrying sandwiches provided by the kindly landlady of the inn. There was a lodge on the other shore, we were told, so we might have shelter in case of rain. The day started out fine, but clouds gathered in the sky before we were halfway across, and a steady drizzle came down on our heads by the time we made it to the opposite side. Cursing our luck, we made haste to disembark and rush to the lodge, but as I jumped from the boat, my foot slipped and I fell into the cold water of the Loch. The shock stunned me, as I had not expected the water to be so cold, and I stayed there a few seconds before Raffles waded in and pulled me out, scolding me for being a clumsy fool. Thus we stumbled into the lodge, which thankfully had a fireplace with kindling.
I stood in the middle of the hall, wet and shivering, whilst Raffles rushed about lighting the fire and grabbing some rags and canvas coverings.
"Bunny, man! Don't just stand there. Get your wet things off." He called out, pulling off his own jacket and shirt. Once the fire was going nicely, he came up to me and helped me undress, my own fingers being too numb to manage the task by myself. He stripped me completely, soaked to the skin as I was, and wrapped me in a canvas. Then he put another canvas on the floor and bade me sit close to the fire. I sat there, my teeth chattering, and heard Raffles moving about, pulling off his own things and laying out our wet clothes to dry. Then he was by my side and I caught a flash of bare leg, haunch and chest as he sidled under the canvas next to me.
"You'll warm up quicker this way. I say Bunny, lie down so that I can lie beside you. We need to be close together."
Now I must come to my own shameful part in this story. When Raffles had undressed me, especially when he had drawn my trousers off with a grunt, a thrill had run down my spine. I regret to say it was caused by a sentiment distasteful to all decent people. But felt it I did, Lord have mercy on my soul! Our seclusion in this lodge, our physical proximity, and our nakedness, combined to produce such a surge of this evil feeling in me that nobody could mistake it if they saw a certain part of my anatomy.
As Raffles drew me nearer and lay me down on the floor, my one fear was that he would brush against my nether regions and so discover my unspeakable secret. That would surely spell the ruin of our friendship. Thief he may be, but even Raffles would not put up with such a disgusting business.
My distress must have shown plainly on my face, for Raffles cried out in concern. "Good God man! You're pale as a ghost. Here, come closer." And he put his arms around me and clasped me tight to his chest! Overcome with terror, I became completely still. Raffles could not fail to realise the situation now, so I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable shout of disgust and the violent repulsion.
Only it never came. I heard Raffles gasp against my ear, and then I heard him chuckle. By God, he chuckled! And then he murmured, "Well, well!" and drew back to look at me. Tears of shame sprang to my eyes and I attempted to move away, but was restrained by his strong grip.
"Where are you going?" He asked in a low voice.
"Let me go!" I said wretchedly, avoiding his gaze. As if I could ever look him in the eye again!
"Bunny, Bunny, Bunny. It's a good sign, old chap; for it shows your blood is still warm!" He said in his most affectionate manner.
"You don't despise me then?" I asked quaveringly.
"Despise you! Whatever for?" He remarked casually and caught hold of my hand. It was icy cold, and his was not much warmer. After chafing my hands in his for a second, he put my fingers in his mouth and sucked gently. I couldn't help gasping, it felt so good to have my fingers in the moist heat and I fell into a kind of stupor. After a few moments he stopped sucking and moved my hand to the small of his back so that my arm was around his waist. The next thing I knew were his warm lips on my mouth.
Did I try to salvage any last shred of decency in me and stop Raffles in these monstrous advances? Did I check his deplorable behaviour and urge him to cease immediately? No, I did not. I could not and I would not. When he kissed me, all capacity for thought and reflection fled my mind. The only thing I wanted was to kiss him back, to return caress for caress. No nymph and satyr ever cavorted with such abandon as we did on the dank floor of that lodge on that day. I felt such joy and exhilaration in our amorous contortions that I thought my heart would burst.
A long while later, we lay entwined in front of the dying embers of the fire, Raffles stroking my hair and face with his elegant fingers. We did not speak, for what was there to say? I was in a state of rapture. But later, after our clothes had dried somewhat and we had eaten our sandwiches and explored the shore a little, my feeling of euphoria began to wane. By the time we came back to our cottage in the evening, I was positively miserable. What had we done! Were we indeed sunk so low that no taboo of society was too strong to break? Was I so blind in my adoration of Raffles that I could forget all sense of right and wrong?
These were the thoughts flying through my mind as I lay in bed for the next two days, most wretched and abject. I could hear Raffles leaving in the morning and coming back in the evening, but I made no move to join him, and he blessedly left me alone. On the third day, I heard a knock on the door and he entered with a tray before I could answer.
"Bunny, my dear fellow, you haven't eaten for two days. Mrs Petrie was kind enough to send some soup for you. No, no, not a word from you. You must have something, old chap, or you'll be quite ill."
I was too weary to protest as he prodded me into a sitting position and placed the tray on my lap. Upon his attempt to spoon-feed me, I snatched the spoon out of his hands and had a few mouthfuls of soup. I must admit, I was quite hungry and the soup was delicious.
When I had finished, Raffles, who had been sitting silently all the while, took the tray and walked to the door. "I've got some really good stuff from the neighbours, if you fancy a 'wee dram', Bunny. There's also a Sullivan with your name on it, just begging to be smoked. Join me in the parlour, will you?"
I nodded. We could not avoid each other for ever. So I washed and dressed and sat near the window of the front room, smoking, watching the rain and guzzling some of Scotland's finest. Raffles kept up a stream of talk, about the neighbours and their eccentricities, about what Mrs Petrie had said, how much of the Scots tongue he had learnt, and so on.
"By Jove, Bunny! Next time we meet Inspector McKenzie I'll speak to him in his own language. Can you picture his face?" He laughed heartily.
The mention of the good policeman reminded me of our life until now in London -- we were criminals to be sure, but we were not complete degenerates. Now we were absolutely beyond the pale! I groaned and buried my face in my hands.
Raffles fell silent. I heard his footsteps as he paced back and forth. Presently I heard him say, "You haven't spoken a word since our excursion two days ago. Out with it Bunny, what is troubling you?"
I couldn't bear it any more. That he could stand there, cool as brass, after all that had happened! I poured out my anguish and shame in incoherent words, punctuated by violent sobs. I denounced Raffles as a reprobate, he had dragged me down into the mud with him, had corrupted me now beyond all hope. It was unfair of me to lay all the blame at his door, since I had been no unwilling participant in my debauchery, but I was in such a turbulent frame of mind that I did not think. At length, after exhausting myself, I gave over to weeping silently into my handkerchief.
For a few moments Raffles did not speak. Then he cleared his throat and began most calmly. "It's a deucedly strange thing, morality. Only think, a few months ago you committed a crime with me for the first time in your life. And two days ago you committed another crime with me for the first time -- it is the first time, is it not? -- in your life. Yet what was your reaction then, and what is it now!"
I threw up my head. "That's preposterous! How can you even compare the two incidents!"
Raffles smiled. "Yes, Bunny. How can I possibly compare the two crimes? The first one involved breaking into someone's property, stealing their goods, causing them financial harm and damage to their reputation, all for our own monetary gain. The other crime involved no thieving, no harm to any other person, and no financial gain to us. Yet you could not be more elated about the first and more dejected about the second. Why is it so?"
I hung my head and made no reply. Raffles, damn him, was playing his usual trick again, of talking around any moral obstacle so that you couldn't but see things from his point of view. I would not fall for it this time, I resolved. But even as I did so, I knew it was futile. I had realised something terrible; for all my feelings of repugnance, I wanted to do it again with Raffles. I desired to embrace him again, kiss him, run my hands over his splendid form. I loved Raffles and there was no help for it.
I sat there immobile, with downcast eyes, until I spied Raffles standing beside me. He put his hand under my chin and raised my head. Then, with indescribable gentleness, he said, "I'm a hard man, rabbit, and you'll continue to think me so when I say that I'm not ashamed and I have no regrets about what we did. But Bunny, my dear old chap, I am sorry to have upset you. If you wish to put this behind us, just say the word and I'll never allude to it again. We can forget it ever happened."
"And if I don't?" The bold, wanton words surprised even myself, but it was I who uttered them! I stood up and faced Raffles. "What if I don't wish to forget?"
Raffles looked at me hard and steady. "Are you sure?" His eyes shone with an unwholesome eagerness, but there was something else too, a kind of tenderness and longing.
"I'm your man, AJ. I always will be." I said and grabbed his hand. And this time it was I who led the way to our criminal activities.
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