FIC: Family Ritual (Ray Levoi/Walter Crow Horse, PG-13) for jean_c_pepper
TITLE: Family Ritual
RATING: PG-13
FANDOM: Thunderheart
PAIRING: Ray Levoi/Walter Crow Horse
SUMMARY: Ray’s parents come to Bear Creek for a making new family ceremony.
AUTHOR’S NOTES: For jean_c_pepper, who wanted Ray’s parents to come out to the rez. This is technically a sequel to Homecoming, Marrow, and Stealing Home, though they are not required reading.
Ray couldn’t have sex when his parents were in the same time zone, so Crow Horse made sure they stocked up before Ray’s folks came out for the hunkapi. Walter held Ray close as they rocked together, whispered into his skin, “We’re going to be family.”
***
“So we’re all marrying your boyfriend.”
“It’s not a wedding, sir. But, yeah; we’re all going to be family.” The Colonel didn’t look convinced, so Ray added, “The ritual was originally used to make peace treaties and avoid war.”
“Hmm,” the Colonel said.
***
Ray sat in bed, petting Jimmy and watching Crow Horse get ready for sleep. He spun Walter’s ring around his left ring finger with his thumb, absently.
Walter shut off the water after brushing his teeth, and then he shut off the light. He walked to the bed, a shadow in the dark. The mattress dipped as Walter sat, and Ray fell against him. An exhalation, somewhere between a laugh and a gasp, left Ray’s mouth. Walter let his eyes adjust to the room without artificial lights, waited until he could see Ray’s face, surprised and happy, before threading his fingers through Ray’s hair and kissing him.
***
Crow Horse’s ma crushed pigments on the cutting board in the kitchen. The Colonel came in for a closer look.
“What are you doing?”
“Making paint.”
“What for?”
“We’re going to paint our faces,” Ray said. “It’s part of the ceremony, to symbolize rebirth into our new family.” He caught the Colonel’s expression, and added, “You don’t have to, sir.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“He’s high-maintenance, enit?” Crow Horse’s ma said in Lakota, rolling her eyes.
Ray squirmed. “You know there’s no right way for me to answer that.”
She laughed.
***
“We’re going to eat, and pass around the channúnpa wakhan-”
“The what?”
“Uh, pipe,” Ray said. “We’ll pass around the pipe.”
The Colonel gave him a look. “And we’re going to be smoking-”
“Tobacco. Just tobacco. And just for ceremony.”
“So we’re going to eat, and smoke, and you’re going to have your face painted,” the Colonel said. “How is this different from going to the fair?”
***
The Colonel was a lifetime used to waking early, and being on vacation didn’t change that. He woke while the sky was still dark, and rummaged through Raymond’s kitchen for some coffee. The can was near empty. He frowned, found the keys to the rental car, and then went to the driveway, where he found Raymond’s boyfriend’s police cruiser had parked him in. He cursed, went back inside, and looked for the keys to that heap. He was unsuccessful; he poked his head in Raymond’s bedroom.
The keys to the cruiser were on the dresser. The Colonel had the keys in his hand and was halfway out of the room when a small movement from the bed caught his eye. That three-legged mutt, its feet twitching with dog dreams. The Colonel turned to go again, and then turned back. Raymond was laying on his belly, stripped to the waist, his face slack with sleep. His boyfriend had an arm draped around Raymond’s waist, as familiar as habit, pulling him close.
***
Ray laid in Walter’s arms afterwards, his heart slowing from its frenetic pace. He nuzzled the joint of Walter’s jaw.
“We’re already family,” he said.