due South fic, for primroseburrows
Title: Between the Lines
Author: omphale
Rating: PG-13
Notes: slidellra offered fabulous beta advice, even if I didn't always take it. I was tempted to try my hand at S&A, but ended up going for the traditional.
Snippet: Somebody snickered, and Ray glared around the room. The only other person in sight was the cashier and he was busy doing something with a big stack of magazines.
Ray was in this shop on Broadway, searching for a book for his brother’s kid, when he saw a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. A big flash of red, stop sign red, Canada red, and when he glanced to the right, the red had shiny buttons and came with a pair of boots.
So, fine, Fraser in a bookstore. Who didn’t see that coming? Ray had figured him for a public library kind of guy-he certainly hadn’t ever seen a huge stack of books in that Consulate office, and it wasn’t as if Fraser could store the damn things under his hat-but there was no rule against Canadians shopping at Unabridged. Better than the leather store, at least. Although, given the reputation, not by much.
He should at least have taken off the uniform, because it wasn't like there weren't enough rumors already.
Ray, he was here looking for a gift. For his niece. That was his excuse, and if there was another reason, like maybe he’d been talking to a guy at St. Pete’s and been told to go home and think about it before jumping feet first into the big giant pool of queer that hanging out with Fraser seemed to create, well, that was nobody’s business but his own. Besides, it wasn't like he listened, because the whole thing required investigation and this was the place to find some information. Sitting at home would only get him into trouble.
Fraser didn’t have any nieces. And he was being a big red impediment to Ray’s efforts to explore his possibly deviant sexuality, what with standing under a sign with two of those funny circle and arrow pictures on it.
It was a hell of a trek to get up here from his apartment, so Ray grabbed a book off the nearest shelf-kids liked Harry Potter, so that should work-and headed across the store to look at fiction. Chances were he could wait Fraser out in there, reading tags and pretending he cared about poetry or something. Besides, the gift buying should be a good enough excuse if Fraser did spot him lurking. The guy would be too polite to ask why Ray was shopping here instead of Borders. Hopefully.
After a few minutes, he glanced over and couldn’t see anyone, so he started moving-casual, it was all very casual-back to the corner with the sign. He’d gotten as far as photography when he heard a familiar cough.
Ray grabbed the closest book and pretended to read the back as he turned around. Fraser stood a few feet away, hat in hand. "Hello, Ray."
Busted. Ray glanced up. "Fraser. Hey. Just here to pick up, um, a gift. For my niece. It’s her birthday. She's nine." Ray waved his book as evidence.
When Fraser’s eyebrows tried to climb into his hair, Ray looked at the cover. Shit. "Not this book. This is...it’s...I was just looking. I mean, not really looking. Not looking with intent or anything. Just...you know. Looking." He held up the other book, the right book, the book without the naked guys on the cover, and waved it around, too.
Somebody snickered, and Ray glared around the room. The only other person in sight was the cashier and he was busy doing something with a big stack of magazines. Moving them from one pile to another on the counter.
Fraser, on the other hand, seemed awfully interested in something behind Ray’s shoulder. Ray turned his head, trying to follow Fraser’s line of sight to where. Oh. Yeah, that was certainly eye-catching, all right. He’d maybe come back later for that one.
Ray smirked. He really hadn't given enough thought to the options open to him, here. Maybe he could combine research and practice. Try out his lines on somebody who, if he wasn't interested, at least wouldn't say anything later. "So, you come here often?"
Fraser’s mouth snapped shut, and he shifted awkwardly. Direct hit. "Not often, no. They’re very good about ordering volumes when requested, though." He twitched a little, like he wanted to reach for something, but other than that the only evidence Ray had that something was weird was the flush that was climbing out of his uniform and up his face.
He couldn’t resist. Nobody would have been able to resist. Besides, Fraser was blocking the exit. Ray reached back and pulled down the book that Fraser was now carefully not looking at. He took his time flipping through, making sure Fraser could see the illustrations, touching his thumb to his mouth every couple of minutes and then using it to turn the pages. "You think it’s any good?"
Fraser straightened his shoulders and put his hat back on. Then he took it off again. "I wouldn’t know anything about its quality. But I’m led to understand by the gentleman behind the counter," Ray glanced up, and sure enough, the guy was grinning at them and waving, “that the images are highly erotic.” Fraser licked the corner of his mouth.
Fraser licked his lip, and Ray took a few seconds to translate. Sounded like he said-he did. Fraser was talking about sex. In public. Well, not sex in public, because really that was just Ray’s brain going places it shouldn’t, and he was pretty sure that having a big selection of gay books didn't mean that there should be actual naked gayness going on in the aisles.
But the talking was going on in public. Sort of. In front of that overly helpful employee, at least. Who had given up pretending to work, and was now watching Ray and Fraser like they were some sort of tennis match. Ray was half-expecting scorecards.
"Ray? Ray? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you." Fraser put his hat back on his head and started to back away. He ran smack into the magazine rack, which gave Ray and his imagination enough time to figure out that he was about to blow his chance.
He reached out and grabbed Fraser by the rope. "Nah. I’m not upset. Just distracted." Ray let go of Fraser and leaned back a little, feeling his shoulders hit the shelf behind him. His neck was up against the corner of something, but now was no time for caring about comfort. He tilted his chin down and looked at Fraser while he slid the book back onto the shelf next to his leg. The blush was back. That was a good sign. "See anything you want?"
Fraser tugged at his collar. "Perhaps. There are certainly some intriguing items to be purchased." He took his hat back off, setting it carefully atop a nearby shelf. "And you?"
Ray wasn't entirely sure that was a question, but he put down the rest of the books and stuck his hands in his pockets to think about it. "Maybe. Maybe not. Jury's still out." Which was a complete lie, because he knew, and Fraser knew, and he knew Fraser knew...forget it. They were on the same page.
"I should leave you to your browsing, then. I’ve a few things to gather before I leave, but perhaps we could...Would you join me for dinner?" Fraser wasn’t giving much away, but he had a look on his face that was half anticipation, half challenge. He leaned in and brushed against Ray’s hip as he pulled the photography book back off the shelf. "You’ve left this in the wrong place, you know. It belongs," and now he was leaning close, hand next to Ray’s neck as he breathed into his ear, "here."
Ray closed his eyes, but nothing happened. He opened them to see Fraser, innocent as always, carrying their books to the counter. Bastard thought he was winning. Ray, though, he'd been using his body to flirt for years. He could tease with the best of them, and Fraser was going down. He just didn't know it yet.
Ray cracked his neck and straightened his spine. He waited until Fraser looked up to see where he was, and deliberately slouched a little as he ran his hands down his thighs. When Fraser’s eyes widened, he twisted and slid around the corner of the magazine rack, stepping close enough to brush against Fraser’s side and whisper, "I’m not done looking, yet," before he wandered off to the corner where he’d first spotted Fraser. Something told him he wanted to know what Fraser had been shopping for.
Author: omphale
Rating: PG-13
Notes: slidellra offered fabulous beta advice, even if I didn't always take it. I was tempted to try my hand at S&A, but ended up going for the traditional.
Snippet: Somebody snickered, and Ray glared around the room. The only other person in sight was the cashier and he was busy doing something with a big stack of magazines.
Ray was in this shop on Broadway, searching for a book for his brother’s kid, when he saw a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. A big flash of red, stop sign red, Canada red, and when he glanced to the right, the red had shiny buttons and came with a pair of boots.
So, fine, Fraser in a bookstore. Who didn’t see that coming? Ray had figured him for a public library kind of guy-he certainly hadn’t ever seen a huge stack of books in that Consulate office, and it wasn’t as if Fraser could store the damn things under his hat-but there was no rule against Canadians shopping at Unabridged. Better than the leather store, at least. Although, given the reputation, not by much.
He should at least have taken off the uniform, because it wasn't like there weren't enough rumors already.
Ray, he was here looking for a gift. For his niece. That was his excuse, and if there was another reason, like maybe he’d been talking to a guy at St. Pete’s and been told to go home and think about it before jumping feet first into the big giant pool of queer that hanging out with Fraser seemed to create, well, that was nobody’s business but his own. Besides, it wasn't like he listened, because the whole thing required investigation and this was the place to find some information. Sitting at home would only get him into trouble.
Fraser didn’t have any nieces. And he was being a big red impediment to Ray’s efforts to explore his possibly deviant sexuality, what with standing under a sign with two of those funny circle and arrow pictures on it.
It was a hell of a trek to get up here from his apartment, so Ray grabbed a book off the nearest shelf-kids liked Harry Potter, so that should work-and headed across the store to look at fiction. Chances were he could wait Fraser out in there, reading tags and pretending he cared about poetry or something. Besides, the gift buying should be a good enough excuse if Fraser did spot him lurking. The guy would be too polite to ask why Ray was shopping here instead of Borders. Hopefully.
After a few minutes, he glanced over and couldn’t see anyone, so he started moving-casual, it was all very casual-back to the corner with the sign. He’d gotten as far as photography when he heard a familiar cough.
Ray grabbed the closest book and pretended to read the back as he turned around. Fraser stood a few feet away, hat in hand. "Hello, Ray."
Busted. Ray glanced up. "Fraser. Hey. Just here to pick up, um, a gift. For my niece. It’s her birthday. She's nine." Ray waved his book as evidence.
When Fraser’s eyebrows tried to climb into his hair, Ray looked at the cover. Shit. "Not this book. This is...it’s...I was just looking. I mean, not really looking. Not looking with intent or anything. Just...you know. Looking." He held up the other book, the right book, the book without the naked guys on the cover, and waved it around, too.
Somebody snickered, and Ray glared around the room. The only other person in sight was the cashier and he was busy doing something with a big stack of magazines. Moving them from one pile to another on the counter.
Fraser, on the other hand, seemed awfully interested in something behind Ray’s shoulder. Ray turned his head, trying to follow Fraser’s line of sight to where. Oh. Yeah, that was certainly eye-catching, all right. He’d maybe come back later for that one.
Ray smirked. He really hadn't given enough thought to the options open to him, here. Maybe he could combine research and practice. Try out his lines on somebody who, if he wasn't interested, at least wouldn't say anything later. "So, you come here often?"
Fraser’s mouth snapped shut, and he shifted awkwardly. Direct hit. "Not often, no. They’re very good about ordering volumes when requested, though." He twitched a little, like he wanted to reach for something, but other than that the only evidence Ray had that something was weird was the flush that was climbing out of his uniform and up his face.
He couldn’t resist. Nobody would have been able to resist. Besides, Fraser was blocking the exit. Ray reached back and pulled down the book that Fraser was now carefully not looking at. He took his time flipping through, making sure Fraser could see the illustrations, touching his thumb to his mouth every couple of minutes and then using it to turn the pages. "You think it’s any good?"
Fraser straightened his shoulders and put his hat back on. Then he took it off again. "I wouldn’t know anything about its quality. But I’m led to understand by the gentleman behind the counter," Ray glanced up, and sure enough, the guy was grinning at them and waving, “that the images are highly erotic.” Fraser licked the corner of his mouth.
Fraser licked his lip, and Ray took a few seconds to translate. Sounded like he said-he did. Fraser was talking about sex. In public. Well, not sex in public, because really that was just Ray’s brain going places it shouldn’t, and he was pretty sure that having a big selection of gay books didn't mean that there should be actual naked gayness going on in the aisles.
But the talking was going on in public. Sort of. In front of that overly helpful employee, at least. Who had given up pretending to work, and was now watching Ray and Fraser like they were some sort of tennis match. Ray was half-expecting scorecards.
"Ray? Ray? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you." Fraser put his hat back on his head and started to back away. He ran smack into the magazine rack, which gave Ray and his imagination enough time to figure out that he was about to blow his chance.
He reached out and grabbed Fraser by the rope. "Nah. I’m not upset. Just distracted." Ray let go of Fraser and leaned back a little, feeling his shoulders hit the shelf behind him. His neck was up against the corner of something, but now was no time for caring about comfort. He tilted his chin down and looked at Fraser while he slid the book back onto the shelf next to his leg. The blush was back. That was a good sign. "See anything you want?"
Fraser tugged at his collar. "Perhaps. There are certainly some intriguing items to be purchased." He took his hat back off, setting it carefully atop a nearby shelf. "And you?"
Ray wasn't entirely sure that was a question, but he put down the rest of the books and stuck his hands in his pockets to think about it. "Maybe. Maybe not. Jury's still out." Which was a complete lie, because he knew, and Fraser knew, and he knew Fraser knew...forget it. They were on the same page.
"I should leave you to your browsing, then. I’ve a few things to gather before I leave, but perhaps we could...Would you join me for dinner?" Fraser wasn’t giving much away, but he had a look on his face that was half anticipation, half challenge. He leaned in and brushed against Ray’s hip as he pulled the photography book back off the shelf. "You’ve left this in the wrong place, you know. It belongs," and now he was leaning close, hand next to Ray’s neck as he breathed into his ear, "here."
Ray closed his eyes, but nothing happened. He opened them to see Fraser, innocent as always, carrying their books to the counter. Bastard thought he was winning. Ray, though, he'd been using his body to flirt for years. He could tease with the best of them, and Fraser was going down. He just didn't know it yet.
Ray cracked his neck and straightened his spine. He waited until Fraser looked up to see where he was, and deliberately slouched a little as he ran his hands down his thighs. When Fraser’s eyes widened, he twisted and slid around the corner of the magazine rack, stepping close enough to brush against Fraser’s side and whisper, "I’m not done looking, yet," before he wandered off to the corner where he’d first spotted Fraser. Something told him he wanted to know what Fraser had been shopping for.