For snoopypez, Tale As Old As Time
Title: Tale As Old As Time
Author: sdwolfpup
Recipient: snoopypez
Pairing & Rating: Fraser/Vecchio, PG (I KNOW)
Word count: 8100
Summary: “The point is that friends don’t let friends vacation with the Vecchios.”
Disclaimer: Not mine, not even a little.
Author's Notes: Huge, huge thanks to china_shop for her amazing beta work. I am eternally grateful. Title from “Beauty and the Beast.” Oh yeah, I went there.
**********
Main Street
“I can’t let you do this.”
“Ray. It’s just-“
“No, Fraser, you don’t understand. You’ve never done this before. You think it’s all going to go perfectly fine and we’re all going to get out of it alive. I’m telling you that I’m going to kill someone and then you’ll have to testify at my trial.”
“Ray.”
Ray glanced over to see Fraser silently regretting Ray’s complete lack of good manners. “I grew up with them, Fraser.”
“And you’ve managed to avoid harming anyone so far.” Fraser tipped his head and smiled at Maria, who was handing her bags over to them both. Ray slung one over his shoulder and nearly threw out his back.
“What do you got in here, hammers?” he shouted after her as she headed for one of the taxis. “Do you know the last time I took a vacation with my family, Benny? Nineteen eighty-four. Do you know why? Because Frannie, in a fit of madness, threw all of my clothes into the ocean. On the first day! I wore the same thing the rest of the trip.”
“Why didn’t you just-“
“Because it was Florida and I wasn’t going to chance swimming out there and getting eaten by sharks. What, you couldn’t carry this yourself?” Ray added when Tony dropped another piece of luggage at his feet.
“That’s Frannie’s. I’m not carrying that.”
“You’re a pal, Tony.”
Tony just smirked and continued out the door with his single rolling suitcase.
“You’ve could’ve bought new clothes, Ray.”
“That’s not the point! The point is that we didn’t even last a day. The point is that friends don’t let friends vacation with the Vecchios.”
Fraser just shook his head, and then bent to help Maria’s youngest, Alice, with her overflowing Little Mermaid suitcase as she teetered onto the porch.
“You can sit next to me on the plane, Benton,” Francesca said, sidling up to them.
“Back off, Frannie, everybody’s already got their seats.” She put one hand on her hip, ready to fight, and Ray raised his eyes heavenward in despair. “Do we have to do this now? We’re already late and you know Ma is going to make the taxi take the long way to O’Hare.”
Frannie glanced at the cars. “We can settle this later.”
“You see?” Ray said as Frannie hurried off to the taxis idling out front, shouting at the driver to take the fast route. “You see what I’m saying? Just say you’re sick, Benny. Say you got a call from the Consulate. Here!” Ray grabbed his cell phone. “They always call me when they want you anyway.”
Fraser smiled a little, in a disturbingly enigmatic way. Ray had learned to be wary of those smiles on Fraser’s face. “I think it will be a wonderful opportunity, Ray. Besides, I made plans for Diefenbaker to stay with Maggie and Sunshine this weekend, and he’d hate to have his vacation cut short.” Fraser bent down and managed to round up the luggage left standing on the porch before striding off to the taxis, a noticeable bounce in his step. Ray gave him half an hour, and started planning ways to rescue him once he’d realized what a mistake this had been. And then, maybe - if he was brave enough, and he could be as brave as Dief, right? - Ray could make the move on Fraser he’d been planning with his family out of town and the two of them safely alone in Chicago.
Frontierland
Frannie won the battle of the airline seats only because Ray couldn’t figure out a way to demand that he get to sit next to Fraser without coming across as any more of a schoolgirl - which he hadn’t even noticed until Frannie called him one. She may have won the battle but he figured he won the war: he and Benny were sharing a hotel room the two nights they were there. Though that was turning out to be a complicated victory; now that they’d stowed their luggage and shooed Frannie out of the room, it wasn’t doing much to help dampen Ray’s libido. Mostly it was earning Ray a gold medal in the Stare Anywhere But At Your Partner Changing Olympics.
“So, uh, you got anything you want to see while we’re here, Benny? We don’t have to hang with the family the whole time if you don’t want to. The kids are going to probably dictate most of what they do anyway.”
“I don’t mind spending time with your family, Ray. And I’ve never been to Disneyland; I look forward to experiencing it through the joy of a child.”
Ray, his back safely to Fraser, shook his head. Only Fraser could be sincere about something that belonged in a Hallmark card. “There’re other things to do around here,” he tried again. “Nice restaurants and things.” Ray fidgeted with the hotel-provided shampoo bottle, opening and closing the cap. Why it was out here with the coffee maker he couldn’t say.
“I suppose we’ll have to see how the weekend goes,” Fraser said. The way he said it, like there was something more underneath it, finally pulled Ray around. But when he saw what Fraser was wearing, he gaped.
"Benny. What is that?"
Fraser put on an innocent expression. "What is what, Ray?"
"On your head. What is that on your head? Are you wearing Mickey Mouse ears?"
Fraser was blushing under the black plastic ears. “Yes, Ray.” He tugged at the felt cap, pulling it down tighter on his head. He was also wearing jeans and a white t-shirt underneath a long-sleeved red shirt that was making Ray’s mouth water. Fraser looked ridiculous - and as stupidly attractive as always. “Is it all right?”
Ray swallowed and then grinned, and catching his own reflection in the mirror he could tell how weak it was. “Yeah. You look…you look fine.”
Tony banged loudly on their door, shouting at them to “get your butts in gear.”
“Last chance to escape, Benny. We could use the windows - we’re only two stories up.”
Fraser smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Ray.” He strode forward, squeezing Ray’s arm as he passed. “I’m ready to go.”
Critter Country
They greeted Disneyland the standard Vecchio way: with a lot of hollering. Alice spent the walk through the parking lot squealing over every new Disney character she saw; they were parked in Pumbaa lot - Ray had secretly hoped they’d get a dwarf, like Grumpy - and she had a lot of time to squeal. Mike and Becky, Maria’s two oldest kids, were planning out every single ride they wanted to go on, and were arguing about how many times they should hit Space Mountain when the sight of the giant Disneyland sign made them stop arguing and start cheering.
Maria and Tony shepherded the kids towards the noisy crowds, and Ray was helping Ma along, which left Frannie to coo over Fraser’s mouse ears. “I really respect a man who isn’t afraid to embrace his inner child,” she was saying, draped over Fraser’s arm. She was wearing too-short shorts and a bright pink t-shirt. She looked pretty - and happy - and while Ray would normally have approved of that for his sister, he felt sick at the thought that it was for Fraser, and that Fraser might notice.
“Come on, Benny, help me get tickets,” Ray interrupted, dragging him to one of the lines and leaving Frannie glaring after them. It was mid-day, long after the morning rush would’ve crashed through the turnstiles, but they still had to wait. Ray glanced at Fraser, who didn’t seem to be cracking yet under the crush of the crowd and the noise. “You like roller coasters, Benny?”
“I’m not really sure, to be honest.”
“What, you’ve never been on one? Ever?”
“Well, I’ve done some white-water rafting, which is extremely invigorating. But, no,” he amended on Ray’s baleful look, “no roller coasters.”
“This oughta be good.”
“I have high hopes.” Fraser was staring intently at Ray, his eyes calm and watchful.
“Do I have something on my face?”
“No. It’s just,” Fraser paused, licked his lower lip - a move Ray both enjoyed and cursed - and then gestured. “You’re next.”
“What?”
Fraser pointed past him. “At the ticket window. It’s your turn, Ray.”
Ray blinked and walked to the window, his mind stuck on that look on Fraser’s face. He was pretty sure that hadn’t been a “go to the ticket window, Ray” look. It seemed more like an “I’ve got something important that I want to say” look. Except Fraser could get that look when he was talking about lichen. Ray was so caught up in deciphering it that he missed when the ticket lady told him how much nine tickets to Disneyland was going to set him back.
He couldn’t miss it when he went to sign the receipt. “Are you kidding me? Do we get to ride around in our own carriage while we’re in there?”
“No, sir, but the cost of maintaining Disneyland is extremely high and we value every customer and try to ensure that your experience at the Happiest Place on Earth is worth it,” the lady stated in a well-rehearsed monotone.
“My own funeral wouldn’t be worth this much,” he muttered, signing the bill. She just handed over the tickets and a map without saying anything else.
They fought their way through the turnstiles, and then to the lockers, where Ray paid entirely too much to store their extra jackets and back-up supplies. They spent half an hour getting everyone to the bathroom, before they finally all stopped near a giant statue of Donald Duck and huddled around one of the fold-out maps to make a plan. Ray had wanted to get Fraser alone again to see if whatever he’d been about to say came spilling out, except even Ray had underestimated the pull of Disneyland. The best Ray could do in all of the commotion was to catch Fraser’s attention once in awhile, but Fraser had reverted to the single-minded, almost demented, optimism from Chicago. Maria and Ma volunteered to take Alice on the kiddie rides, while the rest of them conquered the mountains of Disneyland. They all agreed to meet up again for dinner in a few hours, and split up.
Tony and Mike led their little pack, while Frannie glued herself to Fraser’s side. Again. Ray hung back with Becky, who was talking a mile a minute about her favorite Disney characters. It gave him a good opportunity to shoot lots of dirty looks at Frannie and marvel at her speed - he hadn’t even realized she’d left him with Becky until his ears started filling with the girl’s chatter.
“And Janie really likes Ariel but I like Belle better. Do you like Belle?”
Did Frannie have to lean in that near to Fraser? And why was Fraser listening to her so intently? “Sure.”
“What’s your favorite Beauty and the Beast song?”
Ray was pretty sure he’d never actually seen the movie. “I don’t know, what’s yours?”
“I really like ‘Be Our Guest.’ I love when Cogsworth starts sneezing because of the salt.” She burst into giggles, and Ray couldn’t help smiling. He smiled even more when Fraser patted Frannie’s hand and disengaged himself.
“You think they’ll have a - what’d you call it?”
“Cogsworth?”
“Yeah, Cogsworth. Think he’ll be here?”
She pursed her lips thoughtfully, but Ray could see the glee shining in her eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe! Do you think we could see, Uncle Ray?”
“We certainly can.” Ray smiled down at Becky. “Maybe we’ll even see Beast.”
She grabbed his hand with both of hers, beaming at him. “We could have our pictures taken with him.”
Ray gave a mock shudder. “He’s too scary for me.”
“He’s not scary,” she admonished him. “He’s just ugly. Like daddy’s friend, Lou.” Ray had to look away to hide his laughter, and he caught Fraser staring at him. Ray grinned and was met with a bright smile from Fraser that made Ray’s heart stutter. He had to get them away from the family, get Fraser alone and on Ray’s terms, and see if all of that staring meant what he hoped it did.
That staring had been what had given Ray’s lust-hazed brain the courage to even think about approaching Fraser. Sure, Benny looked at everyone with that careful, thoughtful gaze of his, but they’d been working together - hanging out together - for over two years. They’d made it through Victoria and Irene and at least 25 different attempts on their lives. Ray hoped he knew his best friend pretty well by now. Well enough to risk that friendship.
“Mama said you’re like the Beast because you yell a lot but you don’t mean it.”
“She said that, did she?”
Becky nodded, her face solemn. “And she said Mr. Fraser is like Belle because he’s so pretty.” Ray snorted. “Do you think he’s pretty, Uncle Ray?”
He couldn’t help it - he started to blush. “Men aren’t usually called pretty. They’re handsome.”
“Mama says Mr. Fraser is pretty.” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Aunt Frannie thinks so, too. She likes-likes him.”
“Yeah, I know,” Ray muttered.
“Do you like-like Mr. Fraser?”
“What?!”
Becky’s face was innocent and open. “You’re always smiling at him. Mama says that when people like-like each other, it makes them smile a lot.”
“Your mama doesn’t shut up, does she?”
“You shouldn’t say that,” she chided him, before grinning like Ray had told her she was getting a lifetime supply of ice cream. “But she does talk all the time. That’s how I know about Aunt Frannie.”
Ray had heard enough about Frannie and Mr. Fraser. “So, uh, what’re your other favorite Disney movies?” he asked, desperate.
“Oh, I like a bunch!” she said, before rattling onwards.
Ray breathed a sigh of relief. And when he caught Fraser looking back at him again, he tried his best not to smile. Much.
ToonTown
Frannie, Becky, and Mike took turns bending Fraser’s ear and claiming him as their ride partner during the endless day. He seemed unfazed by it all, and even seemed to be enjoying himself, although Ray found that suspicious at best.
Eventually, Ray claimed Fraser as his “ride buddy” for Space Mountain, and as they settled into their seats next to each other and dragged the foam-covered metal bars over their laps, Ray grinned. He glanced over and saw Fraser looking much the same. Becky and Tony were in the seats in front of them, though Becky kept squirming around trying to look back and wave. “This one’s in the dark, Benny,” Ray said. “Think you can handle it?
“I’m sure I’ll be fine, Ray.”
“Well, if you need to, you can just grab onto-” Ray nearly bit his tongue off trying to stop the end of that sentence. Becky’s eye watched them through the space between the seats, and she waved again. They both waved back. “Onto the, uh, bar.”
“Thank you, Ray, that’s good advice.” The car jerked into motion and the other people on their coaster all cheered. They rolled into a black-lighted tunnel, and their shirts started to glow. “How clever,” Fraser said, smiling.
It was hard to appreciate the design of the coaster when Fraser’s leg was pressed against Ray’s. There wasn’t a lot of room in these seats for two adult men, and Fraser’s Fraser-ness - his clean smell, the sturdiness of his body - was impossible to ignore. Ray thought Fraser might’ve said something else, so he nodded his head in a sort of circular motion, trying to encompass both ‘yes’ and ‘no,’ and wondered what Fraser would do if he put his hand on Fraser’s thigh.
They left that area and were taken upwards into the darkness, the ride’s music building steadily through the speakers behind their seats. The inside of the ride was plastered with stars and Ray could see - and hear - the other coasters as they tore around the track. Suddenly, he felt Fraser’s hand press up against his, solid and warm. It felt like an anchor in the surreal darkness, but before Ray could say anything, the track dropped and off they went, and Ray was too busy shouting to ask Fraser anything. By the time the ride rolled to a stop back at the beginning, Fraser’s hands were safely on his side of the car and Becky was turning in her seat to tell them how much she’d loved it.
So Ray kept tabs on Fraser, and found himself captivated by the way Fraser looked flushed and grinning getting off of the ride, how he held Becky’s hand on Thunder Mountain when she looked nervous, and how he offered Frannie his shirt when she got soaked on Splash Mountain. Ray was dripping, too, and told himself that it was childish to be jealous of who got to wear Fraser’s shirt, like it was his letterman’s jacket or something.
He didn’t have to stand so close to Frannie, though.
Ray spent the rest of the cold evening cursing the people who told him that Southern California was always warm and wishing they could go back to the hotel so he could change and, if he was being honest with himself, sulk a little. He only got his wish after Alice was fast asleep in her father’s arms and the other kids were dragging their feet, and even talk of meeting Snow White tomorrow wasn't doing anything for them. Ray tried not to hurry them too much, but he beat everyone to their rental van by almost a minute.
“So what are we going to do next?” Frannie asked from the backseat, where she’d somehow ended up nestled next to Fraser.
“We’re sleeping,” Ray snapped.
“I’m not tired.”
“Too bad.”
Frannie glared at him and then turned to Fraser. “What about you, Benton? Are you going to bed already?” Ray ran a red light watching them in the mirror, waiting for Fraser’s answer.
Fraser glanced up, met Ray’s gaze briefly. “I’m afraid so, Francesca. It has been a busy day, and we have much more to do tomorrow.”
Frannie’s face told Ray that a polite Mountie goodbye wasn’t gonna cut it, but Maria and Tony cut in with an argument before he could say anything. By the time they’d parked and gotten everyone back out of the rental car, Ray was mostly just grateful to get some time alone in a room with only one Vecchio. He muttered a quick good night, dragged Fraser off in the midst of his extended goodbyes with a “We’ll see them again tomorrow Benny, geeze,” and practically threw them both into the safety - and quiet - of their hotel room.
Ray exhaled, loudly. “Alone at last.”
“You’re not entirely alone, Ray. I’m here. “ Fraser adjusted his Mickey Mouse ears so they were level on his head again and his reflection in the mirror smiled at Ray.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, Benny, but in this case, you don’t count. It would take twelve of you to match the sound one member of my family makes.”
“Understood.” Fraser finally gave up and set the mouse ears on the dresser. “Did you have a nice day?”
“No.” Fraser’s eyes went wide with disapproval. “Don’t start with me, Fraser.”
“You seemed to enjoy yourself when talking to Rebecca earlier.”
Ray shrugged and peeled off his still-damp shirt. “There were good moments,” he said as he walked into the bathroom with his pajamas. “But Chicago seems like it was a week ago, not this morning. What about you?”
“I had a pleasant time. I must admit that I was unprepared for the sheer volume of the park, but the craftsmanship and forethought of it is fascinating, and the roller coasters were enjoyable.”
“How’d you manage my family?” Ray asked around his tooth brush.
“Your family has never been anything but welcoming to me, Ray. I appreciate that.” There was a pause, and Ray took the lull to rinse out his mouth. “Family is important. You’re very lucky to have yours.”
“It doesn’t always feel like it.” Ray tugged his pajamas on. “But you’re right.” He stepped out of the bathroom, “Even though I can’t remember the last time I-“ Ray nearly swallowed his tongue. Fraser was in his bright white boxers - even now creased to within an inch of their lives - and a white undershirt. He was holding the mouse ears again and staring at them with a wistful smile on his face. Ray’s heart suddenly felt like it was on Splash Mountain as it sped up and dropped down into his feet. God. If he was wrong about Fraser, he’d have to leave Chicago forever. He couldn’t go to work and see that face every day and know it couldn’t be his.
Fraser was looking at Ray now, the wistful look gone and replaced with the meaningful grin Fraser had been shooting his way all day. “Yes, Ray?”
“Uh,” Ray eloquently responded. “What was I saying?”
Fraser set the mouse ears down with a slight, plastic clack. “You were talking about your family.”
Neither one of them had moved, but somehow, without the mouse ears to distract from Fraser’s body, Ray felt like suddenly they were way too close for comfort. He’d been wrong about wanting to get Fraser alone. Fraser alone, when Ray had only dirty intentions, was devastating. Maria had been wrong, too - Fraser wasn’t pretty, he was gorgeous, and there was no way in hell Ray could approach him like this, half-exhausted from a day fighting with his family across Disneyland. And who knew what Fraser was thinking, with his Mona Lisa smile. Ray couldn’t afford to take the chance, not here, not when there was nowhere to go if it all went bad. He forced himself to look away, found the strength to bark an unconcerned laugh.
“Right, family. They’re good and bad,” he added, feeling ridiculous. “We should get to sleep. We’re stuck with them even longer tomorrow and I’m exhausted.”
“Indeed.” Fraser pursed his lips, looking oddly annoyed, but the look was gone so quickly Ray might’ve imagined it. “Sleep well, Ray.”
“You too, Benny.”
They settled into their separate twin beds, the clock a dull red glow between them. The air was on low, cooling Ray’s flushed skin. Over it, like a patient reminder, he could hear Fraser breathing. Ray imagined him in his stark white boxers, imagined pulling them off. He shook his head and turned his back to Fraser’s bed, tugging the scratchy comforter with him. Thank God they’d been able to get a room with two beds. Still, with Fraser’s slow, deep breathing and Ray’s out-of-control thoughts, Ray hardly slept at all.
Adventureland
Ray woke from the light sleep he’d finally fallen into by Fraser calling his name repeatedly.
“What?” Ray snapped, pulling the covers tighter.
“It’s nearly seven. We’re supposed to meet up at seven-thirty, and I thought you might like to take a shower.”
“Yeah, well,” Ray shifted, sighed. “You’re right.”
“Are you all right, Ray? You look tired. Is your bed not comfortable?”
“It’s fine. I’m fine. I just, I don’t sleep well in hotels.” Ray avoided looking at Fraser as he rolled out of bed. He waited until Fraser had stepped back enough that Ray could stand without having to touch him, and then Ray bolted for, and locked himself, in the bathroom. It was cowardly, he knew that, but he could barely put words together right now, let alone worry about controlling himself around Fraser.
They reunited with Ray’s family - Fraser sans Mickey ears - after quickly, and silently, getting ready. The day pretty much followed the same progression the previous had: food, shouting, a ridiculous amount of money being spent, herding the kids, Ray glaring at Frannie whenever she sat next to Fraser on a ride, and more shouting. Ray collapsed on a concrete bench as the evening crept up, exhausted from all of it and the lack of quality sleep.
They decided to hit one more attraction as a group before settling somewhere for dinner. Alice chose the Enchanted Tiki Room over everyone else’s groans. Ray considered begging off, but the wind was starting to pick up again and he figured at least he’d be warm and able to rest a little. Fraser led them in and asked Frannie to sit with him at the far end of the room, and Ray fought down hot, sharp pangs of ugly worry.
The real difference between yesterday at Disneyland and today had been Fraser. He had spent most of the day avoiding Ray, moving amongst Ray’s family like he had a list he was checking off. Charm Ma? Check. Tickle Alice? Check. Woo Frannie? Check!
Ray ended up on a little bench a short distance from Fraser and Frannie, sandwiched between Tony and some woman he didn’t know. Maybe Ray had misinterpreted Fraser’s looks. Maybe he’d completely misread the tension between them last night. What if the looks were actually “I’m considering you as brother material”? What if Fraser’s shirt was like his letterman’s jacket? Ray was pretty sure he didn’t want to find that out somewhere he couldn’t take two steps without running into a Vecchio, where there was nowhere to go alone to get good and drunk.
Ray was still stewing when Frannie, looking pale, stood up and hurried his way.
“Ray,” Frannie hissed, yanking at his arm.
“What? What is it; you get your hair stuck on Fraser’s buttons?”
She eyed him and then pulled him over to an empty bench in a corner near one of the tiki statues, away from the family and Fraser. “Are you putting me on?” she demanded.
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” he said. “I don’t want to know, either,” he added, turning from her. He didn’t have the energy to deal with Frannie. Or, apparently, fight her: she grabbed his arm and he had to stop to keep the fabric from ripping. The lights went low and she kept pulling on him until they’d both sat down. A plastic-looking parrot came swinging into view and started talking.
“You don’t…you mean you don’t know what Fraser just asked me? You didn’t make him do that?”
Ray’s heart clenched hard. The tiki bird show was revving up, the birds laughing at something, animatronic beaks clacking. Ray heard children laughing, too, and Alice’s distinctive squeal. He wondered if he’d passed out and was having some weird, exhaustion-induced dream. “What did he ask you?”
“He asked me how our mother felt about homosexual relations. If she would disown a hypothetical someone who might engage in them.” Ray could hear the words in Fraser’s voice, and he couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh or throw up. The room felt like it was shifting, like they were on the benches of a storm-tossed boat surrounded by huge, talking birds. Ray figured this was what a really intense acid trip must feel like. Except underneath all that terror and surprise was a gleeful little voice whispering, Fraser wants you. Ray grabbed the bench with his hands to steady himself, the smooth wood warm against his sweaty palms.
Frannie was glaring daggers at Ray, like Ray had turned Fraser gay just to spite her, until her mouth went slack. “Oh my God,” she squeaked, loud enough that a nearby family glowered at them both. “It’s you.” She clapped both her hands to her face until all he could see were her wide, shocked eyes peering out over the top of her bright-pink fingernails.
Ray shushed her frantically. “This is really not the place, Frannie.”
“It is!” she protested, but in a fierce whisper. The tiki birds were singing, the “tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki room” refrain playing under their conversation like suddenly the whole world had gone as crazy as Ray felt. “You’re having homosexual relations with Fraser!”
“I’m not,” Ray hissed. And then, because she deserved the truth he added, “But I was hoping to.” Saying it out loud made the seasickness disappear, and he was able to release the bench, reach towards his sister who looked like she was going on the acid trip now.
Frannie wrenched away from Ray and hurried outside. Ray cast a glance back at his family and saw a flash of some emotion on Fraser’s face; some mixture of caution and hope that made Ray hesitate before he ran after his sister.
New Orleans Square
Ray burst out of the raucous Tiki Room into the noise of the busy Disneyland crowd. He scanned the nearest figures, and saw Frannie heading off at a fast walk. Ray navigated through the strollers and tired families, jogging after Frannie and spinning her around. And because he knew his sister, he grabbed her other arm before she had a chance to hit him or push him away. He’d learned early in life that she had surprising strength.
“Leave me alone!”
“No.”
She struggled, trying to get out of his grip, but it was half-hearted at best. Ray looked her over, tried to catch her eyes, but she kept her head turned away from him. He hated seeing the defeated slump of her shoulders.
“Hey,” he said, pulling her over to as secluded a corner as they’d get here, tucked into the concave dip of one of the hip-high fake rock walls, half-hidden in large palm fronds and several steps distance from a slushee cart operated by a bored-looking teen. “Look at me.”
Frannie sighed, but raised her head enough to look at him. She wasn’t crying - he thanked God for that - but her disappointment still hurt. They stared at each other a moment in silence. Ray didn’t know what else to say, so he opened with, “I’m sorry.”
Frannie grimaced. “No, you’re not.”
“Not about Fraser, no, but about you.” Ray let her go, and sat down on the wall. “I thought you’d gotten over Fraser months ago.”
“Oh, please. Nobody gets over Fraser. Would you have?” Ray shook his head, and Frannie sat down next to him. “I just thought, I mean he’d been with that woman, you know? I wanted to give him time to get over her. And him coming on the vacation seemed like a sign, especially since he was being so nice to me. Guess I screwed that one up, again. My ability to pick ‘em is still terrible.”
“Aw, come on, Frannie, it’s not your fault that he-” Ray gestured vaguely. “You know.”
“You can’t even say it and you’re thinking about it?”
“I can say it! Just not to my sister,” Ray said. His ears were burning. They watched a small family wander past, the children shouting at each other, the parents shouting at the kids. The slushee kid was wiping down the counter with a dirty towel. Ray took a breath and then said, “You know, I wasn’t even totally sure he was gay. The thing with Victoria threw me, too, but I figured if I’d loved Ange, it could be the same for him.” Ray refrained from adding how Fraser was crazy where women were concerned.
Frannie looked over at him. “So he’s your type, huh?”
Ray blinked. “Yes, Frannie, he’s my type.”
“I didn’t realize your type included a penis,” she said, matter-of-factly.
Ray made a strangled noise and looked around, but the slushee kid didn’t seem to have noticed them. “Yeah, well. I don’t have to tell you everything.” This was not a conversation Ray had ever wanted to have with Frannie - let alone in public surrounded by tired families and disgruntled service industry workers. But he was going to have to at least start it here, in case she decided to share this with the rest of their family. “Look, Frannie, you’re not gonna tell-“
“Francesca!”
Their mother’s shrill cry cut through Ray’s embarrassed plea, and brought both he and Frannie to their feet. Ray wasn’t surprised to see the entire family following her, even though the Tiki Room show wouldn’t be done for another five minutes at least: Vecchios never did anything alone.
“Francesca, is everything all right?” Their mother patted her face, while shooting glares at Ray. “What did you do to her?”
“What? Me? Nothing!”
Maria was moving in, too, also glaring at Ray. “What did he say to you, Frannie?”
“It’s all right. I’m fine.” Frannie waved the attention away with a quick, irritated flip of her hand. Ray held his breath. “Ma, quit it. We just had a misunderstanding is all.” She glanced at Ray, and he wanted to kiss her for being discreet for once in her life.
Ma turned her most terrifying stare on them both, making Ray instinctively duck his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Frannie following suit. “Then why did you cause such a commotion? Honestly! You’re adults! You’ve pulled the whole family out of their good time for your misunderstanding.”
“Sorry, Ma,” they said together. They shared a small grin when Ma just shook her head and turned her back on them, grabbing Alice’s hand. Ray was grateful she apparently didn’t feel like running down the extensive list of all of their faults and how disappointed she was in them. In Italian.
“We’re going to go get food and then find seats in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle for the fireworks show. You can join us when you’re ready to act like adults.”
Maria, still glaring -she’d taken Ma’s side against them, just like when they were kids - bundled off the other two children and Tony, leaving Ray, Frannie, and Fraser standing there in silence. Fraser looked as uncomfortable as Ray felt.
“Francesca-“
“Benny-“
“Ray-“
They stopped and stared at each other. Fraser leapt into the gap. “Francesca, I apologize for any discomfort I might have caused you.”
“Discomfort?”
“Yes. Clearly my question made you, ah,” he was studiously avoiding looking at Ray, “uncomfortable. I didn’t intend to put you in that position.”
“Is that what you think I was mad about?”
“Well,” he looked to Ray, that polite Canadian confusion all over his face, “yes.”
Frannie put her hands on her hips, and Ray decided it was better to intervene now, rather than after she let loose on Fraser and possibly got them all thrown out of the park. “Frannie, maybe you should let me talk to Fraser. About…everything.”
He wasn’t sure she was gonna go for it at first, but after a second she made a noise that sounded like assent, and stalked off in the direction the rest of his family had gone. Ray met Fraser’s confused gaze.
“Sometimes I don’t know what to think about you, Benny.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.”
“I mean you. The way you notice everything and nothing all at the same time.” Fraser still had that crease between his eyes. Ray sighed. “Frannie has a thing for you. She’s attracted to you. Still.”
“Oh.”
“And then you ask her, you know. About relations and everything,” Ray could feel himself blushing again. A little kid with a huge stuffed Goofy in his arms started wailing as his mother pulled him away from the nearby slushee stand. She gave them an apologetic smile. This was definitely not where he wanted to be having this conversation with Fraser. “She thought she still had a chance with you. You upset her.”
“I’m truly sorry about that. Hurting Francesca was the furthest thing from my mind.” Fraser looked pained, and his voice was threaded with regret.
“Yeah, Benny, I know.” And Ray did know, could somehow buy that the Mountie who could track an ant ten miles through a snowstorm could still miss the biggest emotions of the people standing right next to him. Ray figured Fraser’d never been taught to track emotions, let alone give away his own. Fortunately, Vecchio’s were experts at that, and Fraser was signaling bright as a beacon right now with his earnest stare, the way his hands didn’t seem to know where to rest. “You had other things you were thinking about,” Ray said. He took one of Fraser’s hands, warm and strong and a little sweaty, in his own. And though it was about as far from his imagined seduction plan as humanly possible, the moment felt perfect anyway.
“Yes,” Fraser breathed.
“Figures that this is how it would go,” Ray murmured. “That’s just like you, Benny.”
“I pride myself on dependability,” Fraser said, his voice low.
Ray licked his lips, wondered if this would get them thrown out of Disneyland, and shifted closer to Fraser to kiss him, when Becky’s bright, giggling voice cut in.
“Ray and Mr. Fraser sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!”
Ray looked over and saw Becky standing there, while Tony rounded the corner after her. He and Fraser shared a quick, frustrated glance and Fraser squeezed Ray’s hand before letting go. Yep. Perfect.
Fantasyland
Becky and Tony had come to tell them where everyone was sitting, but only Becky had noticed their near-kiss. After hastily extracting a promise to keep this whole encounter a secret between the three of them and a bowl of ice cream when they got home, Ray gestured for Becky to lead them back.
He fell into step with Fraser behind her and Tony, and they exchanged rueful smiles. “I hope we can pick this up later, Benny.”
“You have my word,” Fraser murmured. Ray warmed all over and shoved his hands in his pockets.
They followed Becky back to where the family was gathered along the sidewalk, a tiny storm within the larger sea of people. While Becky, Tony, and Fraser continued on to the group discussing the rules of fairy godmothering, Ray paused a moment and let it all wash over him.
Sleeping Beauty’s castle speared into the air behind his family, sharp and brightly lit against the clear night sky. Watching Alice chasing Mikey around their returned father’s legs, Maria and Frannie whispering over something together, and Ma trying to hand out jackets to everyone for the oncoming night, Ray felt like the warm glow of the sunset had burrowed beneath his skin, down into his heart. He admired the easy way his loud, nosy, aggravating family enveloped the partner he hoped to get to know better that evening, and the way Fraser never seemed to shy away from it, even when he should. Instead, Fraser helped Ray’s mother with the jackets and cast occasional concerned glances at Frannie. Frannie - and Ray had to admire her for this, because he wasn’t sure he could do it if their positions were reversed - made a point of patting Fraser on the arm and making some comment that made him blush and smile. Maria laughed loudly, like they were all friends and nothing weird had just happened like the guy Frannie liked asking her about her brother.
And, yeah, that was pretty weird, even for what Ray’s life had become. But at least it was weird in a really great, non-life-threatening way.
“What are you doing, painting a picture?” Frannie yelled at Ray. “Come here so I can tell Fraser that story about you and the bathtub when you were twelve.”
Ray’s face went hot. “Don’t you dare!” he said, hurrying towards them, desperate to keep Frannie from shredding his dignity before he even had a chance to kiss Fraser once.
Weird in a great, non-life-threatening, but probably terrible-for-his-ego way, he amended.
Tomorrowland
Ray managed to stop Frannie before the worst part of the story had been divulged, and he thought that was mostly due to her goodwill and not any skill on his part. Still, he dragged Fraser away from her with a mostly-fake glare, and she weakly smiled at him, a little sad and a lot hopeful, and he winked back and mouthed, “thank you.” When she nodded and looked away, he knew she got what he meant.
The family was positioned to watch the fireworks over the castle, so Ray tugged Fraser behind them into a little pocket of privacy. There were families all around them, but they all had their eyes turned to the castle and Ray felt comfortably ignored. Alice was snuggled in Tony’s arms now, Ma was sitting on Fraser’s jacket on the curb, with Mikey next to her explaining something in serious tones. And Becky was standing in-between her aunt and her mother, looking so much like his sisters when they were young that Ray really did wish he had a painting of this moment. Or at least a camera.
“You have a wonderful family, Ray.”
“You may be right about that.”
Fraser cleared his throat, and his next words were quiet. “Do you think, ah, the question I asked Francesca earlier - do you think it will be a problem for them?”
“I don’t know. Ma, you know, she’s from the old country, the old-time religion. They don’t,” Ray shifted, “she’s not a believer in that.”
“But she loves her family.”
“Yeah.” Ray didn’t want to get into that discussion now, the debate of whether love was stronger than fear. He thought maybe it was, but it would be difficult to find out, no matter what the answer ended up being. At least his father wasn’t still around. “Pop never would’ve gone for it.”
Fraser made a noncommittal noise. “My father seems to be entirely for it,” he said, glancing sideways. Ray looked, too, but saw only crowds walking by.
“Seems?”
Fraser cleared his throat. “He had a homosexual partner at one point; he speaks highly of him in his journals.”
“Mounties are pretty accepting, huh?”
“It would seem so.” Fraser glanced sideways again, and looked relieved. “And are you?”
“What, accepting?”
Fraser nodded, but he was interrupted by a voice blaring over the nearby loudspeakers, announcing the start of the show. Cheesy, bell-filled music started up. The first barrage of fireworks lit the sky and the crowd in a shower of color. Ray’s family all clapped and cheered.
Fraser moved a step closer and dipped his head towards Ray. “I must confess, while I have enjoyed this experience - and I specifically came on this trip to get to know your family and let them get to know me, so they might accept this change in our relationship if it happened - I couldn’t completely predict whether you would accept it.”
“You came on vacation to get permission from my family without knowing if I would be okay with it first? Isn’t that a little backwards, Benny?”
“Perhaps a little.” Fraser shrugged, looking apologetic. A huge golden firework went off over the castle to a chorus of “ooh”s. “But I feel qualified to say that I know you well enough, Ray, to know that your family is important to who you are. If I had approached you first, I was afraid you would immediately say no because of them.”
“That’s-” Ray paused, considered a scenario where Fraser had made the first move if Ray wasn’t ready. “That’s probably right,” he had to admit. “But your Mountie super-senses missed one thing.”
“Oh?”
“I was planning to ‘approach’ you this weekend with them gone.”
Finally - finally! - it was Fraser’s turn to look shocked. “Really?”
Ray nodded. “I had it all planned out, although I wasn’t sure I could go through with it. I mean, I missed a chance to go to senior prom with Elizabeth Darnell because I couldn’t make myself ask her, and this was much more important. But I’d planned for it.”
“Well.” Fraser blinked. “Well. You’re right, I hadn’t considered that at all.”
Ray couldn’t help feeling a little smug. “Sometimes the world comes to you,” he said, and was rewarded with a warm, glowing smile.
The fireworks show was building up momentum now, a steady stream of rockets making glittering lines in the air. The hazy smoke was being blown away by the cool wind; once the ruckus died down, it was going to be a beautiful night.
Suddenly, Ray couldn’t stand it. They were here, the most magical place on earth if you believed the talking mouse, and Fraser was grinning and hatless - and mouse-earless, thank God - slouching the tiniest bit without the constraints of the red suit and looking so open and hopeful it was enough to make Ray’s heart stutter in his chest. There was never going to be a better opportunity than this - and God knew Ray should’ve learned by now to take his opportunities where Fraser was concerned - so he leaned forward and kissed Fraser, there in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle, while the fireworks show burst to its conclusion.
Ray had given a lot of thought to how he was going to seduce Fraser this weekend. He’d planned a nice romantic dinner, candles, fresh flowers, a meaty bone for Dief to occupy himself with. Ray had imagined sitting on the couch in the living room with Fraser, in front of a crackling fire. Once they were both mellow and Dief was asleep in the other room, Ray would reach over, put his hand on Fraser’s leg, maybe. Lean in and see what Fraser would do. It would be quiet and warm, and exactly what Benny deserved.
Kissing Fraser here, barely able to hear himself think over the explosions and the cheering, the first thing Ray noticed was how cold Fraser’s lips were, and then the shocking heat of the inside of his mouth, the intoxicating taste of his tongue. Fraser’s hands gripped Ray at the elbows, holding him tight, making Ray wish they were back at the hotel room. Ray pulled back quickly, afraid to let himself linger too long when his blood was already pounding in his ears, drowning out the crowd to a dull roar. Fraser’s chilled lips glistened, and when he licked his bottom lip, Ray had to resist the urge to pull him into the nearest bathroom.
“It appears both of our plans went awry,” Fraser murmured. Ray liked how breathless he sounded. That was going to require further investigation.
“We’re just working off a new one now.”
The fireworks had ended and the crowd was starting to shift around, turning towards the exits. At the edge of his vision, Ray saw his family gathering up kids and jackets.
“I do have one last suggestion,” Fraser said.
“Does it involve talking mice in any way?”
The light in Fraser’s eyes felt like Ray’s own personal fireworks show. “Not in the slightest. And we are the only two participants.” He brushed his hand down Ray’s arm, a promise.
Ray grinned. “Then I’m your man.” He led Fraser back to his family, where Frannie gave them a brave, trembling smile before directing everyone out of the park. Becky grabbed Ray’s hand, smiling up at him.
“You can be my walking buddy,” she said, with no hint of malice or disgust. Ray knew relying on a seven-year old to be on his side was kind of pathetic, but it made him feel better anyway.
They trekked out of the gates with the river of other tired but satisfied visitors, and the kids begged to get one last, excited look back down Main Street. Ray saw Frannie standing by one of the last gift shop doors, holding a small stuffed Pluto and staring towards the exit. He guided Becky over to her. “I didn’t think you’d want a reminder of this,” he said, keeping his voice low.
“Some guy gave it to me. He said he thought a pretty girl like me should have good memories.” She was still searching the crowds. “Then he just walked off and disappeared.” Frannie looked down at the doll, smiling, and then shoved Ray playfully. “You should’ve brought Fraser something. You’re a terrible boyfriend.” With the doll settled in the crook of her arm, she walked off to join the rest of the family, who were finally ready to head through the gates.
“Did you know Disneyland is the happiest place on earth, Uncle Ray?”
Ray looked over her head at Fraser, who had taken Alice from Tony’s arms and was talking to Maria about who knew what. “I had my suspicions.”
That was when Alice threw up all over Fraser’s chest. Ray thought that might be it, the last straw for Fraser, who had been right about Ray and Ray’s ties to his family, and who must have been pushed to the edge of his Canadian politeness despite his protestations by a day and a half of solid noise. But as Ray watched the resulting commotion, all he saw was Fraser staring back at him, a serene smile on his face while the three Vecchio women tried to pat him dry.
All Ray could do was laugh and mouth, “Welcome to the family.” And plan to make it up to Benny tonight, and however often after, the best way he knew how.
Author: sdwolfpup
Recipient: snoopypez
Pairing & Rating: Fraser/Vecchio, PG (I KNOW)
Word count: 8100
Summary: “The point is that friends don’t let friends vacation with the Vecchios.”
Disclaimer: Not mine, not even a little.
Author's Notes: Huge, huge thanks to china_shop for her amazing beta work. I am eternally grateful. Title from “Beauty and the Beast.” Oh yeah, I went there.
**********
Main Street
“I can’t let you do this.”
“Ray. It’s just-“
“No, Fraser, you don’t understand. You’ve never done this before. You think it’s all going to go perfectly fine and we’re all going to get out of it alive. I’m telling you that I’m going to kill someone and then you’ll have to testify at my trial.”
“Ray.”
Ray glanced over to see Fraser silently regretting Ray’s complete lack of good manners. “I grew up with them, Fraser.”
“And you’ve managed to avoid harming anyone so far.” Fraser tipped his head and smiled at Maria, who was handing her bags over to them both. Ray slung one over his shoulder and nearly threw out his back.
“What do you got in here, hammers?” he shouted after her as she headed for one of the taxis. “Do you know the last time I took a vacation with my family, Benny? Nineteen eighty-four. Do you know why? Because Frannie, in a fit of madness, threw all of my clothes into the ocean. On the first day! I wore the same thing the rest of the trip.”
“Why didn’t you just-“
“Because it was Florida and I wasn’t going to chance swimming out there and getting eaten by sharks. What, you couldn’t carry this yourself?” Ray added when Tony dropped another piece of luggage at his feet.
“That’s Frannie’s. I’m not carrying that.”
“You’re a pal, Tony.”
Tony just smirked and continued out the door with his single rolling suitcase.
“You’ve could’ve bought new clothes, Ray.”
“That’s not the point! The point is that we didn’t even last a day. The point is that friends don’t let friends vacation with the Vecchios.”
Fraser just shook his head, and then bent to help Maria’s youngest, Alice, with her overflowing Little Mermaid suitcase as she teetered onto the porch.
“You can sit next to me on the plane, Benton,” Francesca said, sidling up to them.
“Back off, Frannie, everybody’s already got their seats.” She put one hand on her hip, ready to fight, and Ray raised his eyes heavenward in despair. “Do we have to do this now? We’re already late and you know Ma is going to make the taxi take the long way to O’Hare.”
Frannie glanced at the cars. “We can settle this later.”
“You see?” Ray said as Frannie hurried off to the taxis idling out front, shouting at the driver to take the fast route. “You see what I’m saying? Just say you’re sick, Benny. Say you got a call from the Consulate. Here!” Ray grabbed his cell phone. “They always call me when they want you anyway.”
Fraser smiled a little, in a disturbingly enigmatic way. Ray had learned to be wary of those smiles on Fraser’s face. “I think it will be a wonderful opportunity, Ray. Besides, I made plans for Diefenbaker to stay with Maggie and Sunshine this weekend, and he’d hate to have his vacation cut short.” Fraser bent down and managed to round up the luggage left standing on the porch before striding off to the taxis, a noticeable bounce in his step. Ray gave him half an hour, and started planning ways to rescue him once he’d realized what a mistake this had been. And then, maybe - if he was brave enough, and he could be as brave as Dief, right? - Ray could make the move on Fraser he’d been planning with his family out of town and the two of them safely alone in Chicago.
Frontierland
Frannie won the battle of the airline seats only because Ray couldn’t figure out a way to demand that he get to sit next to Fraser without coming across as any more of a schoolgirl - which he hadn’t even noticed until Frannie called him one. She may have won the battle but he figured he won the war: he and Benny were sharing a hotel room the two nights they were there. Though that was turning out to be a complicated victory; now that they’d stowed their luggage and shooed Frannie out of the room, it wasn’t doing much to help dampen Ray’s libido. Mostly it was earning Ray a gold medal in the Stare Anywhere But At Your Partner Changing Olympics.
“So, uh, you got anything you want to see while we’re here, Benny? We don’t have to hang with the family the whole time if you don’t want to. The kids are going to probably dictate most of what they do anyway.”
“I don’t mind spending time with your family, Ray. And I’ve never been to Disneyland; I look forward to experiencing it through the joy of a child.”
Ray, his back safely to Fraser, shook his head. Only Fraser could be sincere about something that belonged in a Hallmark card. “There’re other things to do around here,” he tried again. “Nice restaurants and things.” Ray fidgeted with the hotel-provided shampoo bottle, opening and closing the cap. Why it was out here with the coffee maker he couldn’t say.
“I suppose we’ll have to see how the weekend goes,” Fraser said. The way he said it, like there was something more underneath it, finally pulled Ray around. But when he saw what Fraser was wearing, he gaped.
"Benny. What is that?"
Fraser put on an innocent expression. "What is what, Ray?"
"On your head. What is that on your head? Are you wearing Mickey Mouse ears?"
Fraser was blushing under the black plastic ears. “Yes, Ray.” He tugged at the felt cap, pulling it down tighter on his head. He was also wearing jeans and a white t-shirt underneath a long-sleeved red shirt that was making Ray’s mouth water. Fraser looked ridiculous - and as stupidly attractive as always. “Is it all right?”
Ray swallowed and then grinned, and catching his own reflection in the mirror he could tell how weak it was. “Yeah. You look…you look fine.”
Tony banged loudly on their door, shouting at them to “get your butts in gear.”
“Last chance to escape, Benny. We could use the windows - we’re only two stories up.”
Fraser smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Ray.” He strode forward, squeezing Ray’s arm as he passed. “I’m ready to go.”
Critter Country
They greeted Disneyland the standard Vecchio way: with a lot of hollering. Alice spent the walk through the parking lot squealing over every new Disney character she saw; they were parked in Pumbaa lot - Ray had secretly hoped they’d get a dwarf, like Grumpy - and she had a lot of time to squeal. Mike and Becky, Maria’s two oldest kids, were planning out every single ride they wanted to go on, and were arguing about how many times they should hit Space Mountain when the sight of the giant Disneyland sign made them stop arguing and start cheering.
Maria and Tony shepherded the kids towards the noisy crowds, and Ray was helping Ma along, which left Frannie to coo over Fraser’s mouse ears. “I really respect a man who isn’t afraid to embrace his inner child,” she was saying, draped over Fraser’s arm. She was wearing too-short shorts and a bright pink t-shirt. She looked pretty - and happy - and while Ray would normally have approved of that for his sister, he felt sick at the thought that it was for Fraser, and that Fraser might notice.
“Come on, Benny, help me get tickets,” Ray interrupted, dragging him to one of the lines and leaving Frannie glaring after them. It was mid-day, long after the morning rush would’ve crashed through the turnstiles, but they still had to wait. Ray glanced at Fraser, who didn’t seem to be cracking yet under the crush of the crowd and the noise. “You like roller coasters, Benny?”
“I’m not really sure, to be honest.”
“What, you’ve never been on one? Ever?”
“Well, I’ve done some white-water rafting, which is extremely invigorating. But, no,” he amended on Ray’s baleful look, “no roller coasters.”
“This oughta be good.”
“I have high hopes.” Fraser was staring intently at Ray, his eyes calm and watchful.
“Do I have something on my face?”
“No. It’s just,” Fraser paused, licked his lower lip - a move Ray both enjoyed and cursed - and then gestured. “You’re next.”
“What?”
Fraser pointed past him. “At the ticket window. It’s your turn, Ray.”
Ray blinked and walked to the window, his mind stuck on that look on Fraser’s face. He was pretty sure that hadn’t been a “go to the ticket window, Ray” look. It seemed more like an “I’ve got something important that I want to say” look. Except Fraser could get that look when he was talking about lichen. Ray was so caught up in deciphering it that he missed when the ticket lady told him how much nine tickets to Disneyland was going to set him back.
He couldn’t miss it when he went to sign the receipt. “Are you kidding me? Do we get to ride around in our own carriage while we’re in there?”
“No, sir, but the cost of maintaining Disneyland is extremely high and we value every customer and try to ensure that your experience at the Happiest Place on Earth is worth it,” the lady stated in a well-rehearsed monotone.
“My own funeral wouldn’t be worth this much,” he muttered, signing the bill. She just handed over the tickets and a map without saying anything else.
They fought their way through the turnstiles, and then to the lockers, where Ray paid entirely too much to store their extra jackets and back-up supplies. They spent half an hour getting everyone to the bathroom, before they finally all stopped near a giant statue of Donald Duck and huddled around one of the fold-out maps to make a plan. Ray had wanted to get Fraser alone again to see if whatever he’d been about to say came spilling out, except even Ray had underestimated the pull of Disneyland. The best Ray could do in all of the commotion was to catch Fraser’s attention once in awhile, but Fraser had reverted to the single-minded, almost demented, optimism from Chicago. Maria and Ma volunteered to take Alice on the kiddie rides, while the rest of them conquered the mountains of Disneyland. They all agreed to meet up again for dinner in a few hours, and split up.
Tony and Mike led their little pack, while Frannie glued herself to Fraser’s side. Again. Ray hung back with Becky, who was talking a mile a minute about her favorite Disney characters. It gave him a good opportunity to shoot lots of dirty looks at Frannie and marvel at her speed - he hadn’t even realized she’d left him with Becky until his ears started filling with the girl’s chatter.
“And Janie really likes Ariel but I like Belle better. Do you like Belle?”
Did Frannie have to lean in that near to Fraser? And why was Fraser listening to her so intently? “Sure.”
“What’s your favorite Beauty and the Beast song?”
Ray was pretty sure he’d never actually seen the movie. “I don’t know, what’s yours?”
“I really like ‘Be Our Guest.’ I love when Cogsworth starts sneezing because of the salt.” She burst into giggles, and Ray couldn’t help smiling. He smiled even more when Fraser patted Frannie’s hand and disengaged himself.
“You think they’ll have a - what’d you call it?”
“Cogsworth?”
“Yeah, Cogsworth. Think he’ll be here?”
She pursed her lips thoughtfully, but Ray could see the glee shining in her eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe! Do you think we could see, Uncle Ray?”
“We certainly can.” Ray smiled down at Becky. “Maybe we’ll even see Beast.”
She grabbed his hand with both of hers, beaming at him. “We could have our pictures taken with him.”
Ray gave a mock shudder. “He’s too scary for me.”
“He’s not scary,” she admonished him. “He’s just ugly. Like daddy’s friend, Lou.” Ray had to look away to hide his laughter, and he caught Fraser staring at him. Ray grinned and was met with a bright smile from Fraser that made Ray’s heart stutter. He had to get them away from the family, get Fraser alone and on Ray’s terms, and see if all of that staring meant what he hoped it did.
That staring had been what had given Ray’s lust-hazed brain the courage to even think about approaching Fraser. Sure, Benny looked at everyone with that careful, thoughtful gaze of his, but they’d been working together - hanging out together - for over two years. They’d made it through Victoria and Irene and at least 25 different attempts on their lives. Ray hoped he knew his best friend pretty well by now. Well enough to risk that friendship.
“Mama said you’re like the Beast because you yell a lot but you don’t mean it.”
“She said that, did she?”
Becky nodded, her face solemn. “And she said Mr. Fraser is like Belle because he’s so pretty.” Ray snorted. “Do you think he’s pretty, Uncle Ray?”
He couldn’t help it - he started to blush. “Men aren’t usually called pretty. They’re handsome.”
“Mama says Mr. Fraser is pretty.” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Aunt Frannie thinks so, too. She likes-likes him.”
“Yeah, I know,” Ray muttered.
“Do you like-like Mr. Fraser?”
“What?!”
Becky’s face was innocent and open. “You’re always smiling at him. Mama says that when people like-like each other, it makes them smile a lot.”
“Your mama doesn’t shut up, does she?”
“You shouldn’t say that,” she chided him, before grinning like Ray had told her she was getting a lifetime supply of ice cream. “But she does talk all the time. That’s how I know about Aunt Frannie.”
Ray had heard enough about Frannie and Mr. Fraser. “So, uh, what’re your other favorite Disney movies?” he asked, desperate.
“Oh, I like a bunch!” she said, before rattling onwards.
Ray breathed a sigh of relief. And when he caught Fraser looking back at him again, he tried his best not to smile. Much.
ToonTown
Frannie, Becky, and Mike took turns bending Fraser’s ear and claiming him as their ride partner during the endless day. He seemed unfazed by it all, and even seemed to be enjoying himself, although Ray found that suspicious at best.
Eventually, Ray claimed Fraser as his “ride buddy” for Space Mountain, and as they settled into their seats next to each other and dragged the foam-covered metal bars over their laps, Ray grinned. He glanced over and saw Fraser looking much the same. Becky and Tony were in the seats in front of them, though Becky kept squirming around trying to look back and wave. “This one’s in the dark, Benny,” Ray said. “Think you can handle it?
“I’m sure I’ll be fine, Ray.”
“Well, if you need to, you can just grab onto-” Ray nearly bit his tongue off trying to stop the end of that sentence. Becky’s eye watched them through the space between the seats, and she waved again. They both waved back. “Onto the, uh, bar.”
“Thank you, Ray, that’s good advice.” The car jerked into motion and the other people on their coaster all cheered. They rolled into a black-lighted tunnel, and their shirts started to glow. “How clever,” Fraser said, smiling.
It was hard to appreciate the design of the coaster when Fraser’s leg was pressed against Ray’s. There wasn’t a lot of room in these seats for two adult men, and Fraser’s Fraser-ness - his clean smell, the sturdiness of his body - was impossible to ignore. Ray thought Fraser might’ve said something else, so he nodded his head in a sort of circular motion, trying to encompass both ‘yes’ and ‘no,’ and wondered what Fraser would do if he put his hand on Fraser’s thigh.
They left that area and were taken upwards into the darkness, the ride’s music building steadily through the speakers behind their seats. The inside of the ride was plastered with stars and Ray could see - and hear - the other coasters as they tore around the track. Suddenly, he felt Fraser’s hand press up against his, solid and warm. It felt like an anchor in the surreal darkness, but before Ray could say anything, the track dropped and off they went, and Ray was too busy shouting to ask Fraser anything. By the time the ride rolled to a stop back at the beginning, Fraser’s hands were safely on his side of the car and Becky was turning in her seat to tell them how much she’d loved it.
So Ray kept tabs on Fraser, and found himself captivated by the way Fraser looked flushed and grinning getting off of the ride, how he held Becky’s hand on Thunder Mountain when she looked nervous, and how he offered Frannie his shirt when she got soaked on Splash Mountain. Ray was dripping, too, and told himself that it was childish to be jealous of who got to wear Fraser’s shirt, like it was his letterman’s jacket or something.
He didn’t have to stand so close to Frannie, though.
Ray spent the rest of the cold evening cursing the people who told him that Southern California was always warm and wishing they could go back to the hotel so he could change and, if he was being honest with himself, sulk a little. He only got his wish after Alice was fast asleep in her father’s arms and the other kids were dragging their feet, and even talk of meeting Snow White tomorrow wasn't doing anything for them. Ray tried not to hurry them too much, but he beat everyone to their rental van by almost a minute.
“So what are we going to do next?” Frannie asked from the backseat, where she’d somehow ended up nestled next to Fraser.
“We’re sleeping,” Ray snapped.
“I’m not tired.”
“Too bad.”
Frannie glared at him and then turned to Fraser. “What about you, Benton? Are you going to bed already?” Ray ran a red light watching them in the mirror, waiting for Fraser’s answer.
Fraser glanced up, met Ray’s gaze briefly. “I’m afraid so, Francesca. It has been a busy day, and we have much more to do tomorrow.”
Frannie’s face told Ray that a polite Mountie goodbye wasn’t gonna cut it, but Maria and Tony cut in with an argument before he could say anything. By the time they’d parked and gotten everyone back out of the rental car, Ray was mostly just grateful to get some time alone in a room with only one Vecchio. He muttered a quick good night, dragged Fraser off in the midst of his extended goodbyes with a “We’ll see them again tomorrow Benny, geeze,” and practically threw them both into the safety - and quiet - of their hotel room.
Ray exhaled, loudly. “Alone at last.”
“You’re not entirely alone, Ray. I’m here. “ Fraser adjusted his Mickey Mouse ears so they were level on his head again and his reflection in the mirror smiled at Ray.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, Benny, but in this case, you don’t count. It would take twelve of you to match the sound one member of my family makes.”
“Understood.” Fraser finally gave up and set the mouse ears on the dresser. “Did you have a nice day?”
“No.” Fraser’s eyes went wide with disapproval. “Don’t start with me, Fraser.”
“You seemed to enjoy yourself when talking to Rebecca earlier.”
Ray shrugged and peeled off his still-damp shirt. “There were good moments,” he said as he walked into the bathroom with his pajamas. “But Chicago seems like it was a week ago, not this morning. What about you?”
“I had a pleasant time. I must admit that I was unprepared for the sheer volume of the park, but the craftsmanship and forethought of it is fascinating, and the roller coasters were enjoyable.”
“How’d you manage my family?” Ray asked around his tooth brush.
“Your family has never been anything but welcoming to me, Ray. I appreciate that.” There was a pause, and Ray took the lull to rinse out his mouth. “Family is important. You’re very lucky to have yours.”
“It doesn’t always feel like it.” Ray tugged his pajamas on. “But you’re right.” He stepped out of the bathroom, “Even though I can’t remember the last time I-“ Ray nearly swallowed his tongue. Fraser was in his bright white boxers - even now creased to within an inch of their lives - and a white undershirt. He was holding the mouse ears again and staring at them with a wistful smile on his face. Ray’s heart suddenly felt like it was on Splash Mountain as it sped up and dropped down into his feet. God. If he was wrong about Fraser, he’d have to leave Chicago forever. He couldn’t go to work and see that face every day and know it couldn’t be his.
Fraser was looking at Ray now, the wistful look gone and replaced with the meaningful grin Fraser had been shooting his way all day. “Yes, Ray?”
“Uh,” Ray eloquently responded. “What was I saying?”
Fraser set the mouse ears down with a slight, plastic clack. “You were talking about your family.”
Neither one of them had moved, but somehow, without the mouse ears to distract from Fraser’s body, Ray felt like suddenly they were way too close for comfort. He’d been wrong about wanting to get Fraser alone. Fraser alone, when Ray had only dirty intentions, was devastating. Maria had been wrong, too - Fraser wasn’t pretty, he was gorgeous, and there was no way in hell Ray could approach him like this, half-exhausted from a day fighting with his family across Disneyland. And who knew what Fraser was thinking, with his Mona Lisa smile. Ray couldn’t afford to take the chance, not here, not when there was nowhere to go if it all went bad. He forced himself to look away, found the strength to bark an unconcerned laugh.
“Right, family. They’re good and bad,” he added, feeling ridiculous. “We should get to sleep. We’re stuck with them even longer tomorrow and I’m exhausted.”
“Indeed.” Fraser pursed his lips, looking oddly annoyed, but the look was gone so quickly Ray might’ve imagined it. “Sleep well, Ray.”
“You too, Benny.”
They settled into their separate twin beds, the clock a dull red glow between them. The air was on low, cooling Ray’s flushed skin. Over it, like a patient reminder, he could hear Fraser breathing. Ray imagined him in his stark white boxers, imagined pulling them off. He shook his head and turned his back to Fraser’s bed, tugging the scratchy comforter with him. Thank God they’d been able to get a room with two beds. Still, with Fraser’s slow, deep breathing and Ray’s out-of-control thoughts, Ray hardly slept at all.
Adventureland
Ray woke from the light sleep he’d finally fallen into by Fraser calling his name repeatedly.
“What?” Ray snapped, pulling the covers tighter.
“It’s nearly seven. We’re supposed to meet up at seven-thirty, and I thought you might like to take a shower.”
“Yeah, well,” Ray shifted, sighed. “You’re right.”
“Are you all right, Ray? You look tired. Is your bed not comfortable?”
“It’s fine. I’m fine. I just, I don’t sleep well in hotels.” Ray avoided looking at Fraser as he rolled out of bed. He waited until Fraser had stepped back enough that Ray could stand without having to touch him, and then Ray bolted for, and locked himself, in the bathroom. It was cowardly, he knew that, but he could barely put words together right now, let alone worry about controlling himself around Fraser.
They reunited with Ray’s family - Fraser sans Mickey ears - after quickly, and silently, getting ready. The day pretty much followed the same progression the previous had: food, shouting, a ridiculous amount of money being spent, herding the kids, Ray glaring at Frannie whenever she sat next to Fraser on a ride, and more shouting. Ray collapsed on a concrete bench as the evening crept up, exhausted from all of it and the lack of quality sleep.
They decided to hit one more attraction as a group before settling somewhere for dinner. Alice chose the Enchanted Tiki Room over everyone else’s groans. Ray considered begging off, but the wind was starting to pick up again and he figured at least he’d be warm and able to rest a little. Fraser led them in and asked Frannie to sit with him at the far end of the room, and Ray fought down hot, sharp pangs of ugly worry.
The real difference between yesterday at Disneyland and today had been Fraser. He had spent most of the day avoiding Ray, moving amongst Ray’s family like he had a list he was checking off. Charm Ma? Check. Tickle Alice? Check. Woo Frannie? Check!
Ray ended up on a little bench a short distance from Fraser and Frannie, sandwiched between Tony and some woman he didn’t know. Maybe Ray had misinterpreted Fraser’s looks. Maybe he’d completely misread the tension between them last night. What if the looks were actually “I’m considering you as brother material”? What if Fraser’s shirt was like his letterman’s jacket? Ray was pretty sure he didn’t want to find that out somewhere he couldn’t take two steps without running into a Vecchio, where there was nowhere to go alone to get good and drunk.
Ray was still stewing when Frannie, looking pale, stood up and hurried his way.
“Ray,” Frannie hissed, yanking at his arm.
“What? What is it; you get your hair stuck on Fraser’s buttons?”
She eyed him and then pulled him over to an empty bench in a corner near one of the tiki statues, away from the family and Fraser. “Are you putting me on?” she demanded.
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” he said. “I don’t want to know, either,” he added, turning from her. He didn’t have the energy to deal with Frannie. Or, apparently, fight her: she grabbed his arm and he had to stop to keep the fabric from ripping. The lights went low and she kept pulling on him until they’d both sat down. A plastic-looking parrot came swinging into view and started talking.
“You don’t…you mean you don’t know what Fraser just asked me? You didn’t make him do that?”
Ray’s heart clenched hard. The tiki bird show was revving up, the birds laughing at something, animatronic beaks clacking. Ray heard children laughing, too, and Alice’s distinctive squeal. He wondered if he’d passed out and was having some weird, exhaustion-induced dream. “What did he ask you?”
“He asked me how our mother felt about homosexual relations. If she would disown a hypothetical someone who might engage in them.” Ray could hear the words in Fraser’s voice, and he couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh or throw up. The room felt like it was shifting, like they were on the benches of a storm-tossed boat surrounded by huge, talking birds. Ray figured this was what a really intense acid trip must feel like. Except underneath all that terror and surprise was a gleeful little voice whispering, Fraser wants you. Ray grabbed the bench with his hands to steady himself, the smooth wood warm against his sweaty palms.
Frannie was glaring daggers at Ray, like Ray had turned Fraser gay just to spite her, until her mouth went slack. “Oh my God,” she squeaked, loud enough that a nearby family glowered at them both. “It’s you.” She clapped both her hands to her face until all he could see were her wide, shocked eyes peering out over the top of her bright-pink fingernails.
Ray shushed her frantically. “This is really not the place, Frannie.”
“It is!” she protested, but in a fierce whisper. The tiki birds were singing, the “tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki room” refrain playing under their conversation like suddenly the whole world had gone as crazy as Ray felt. “You’re having homosexual relations with Fraser!”
“I’m not,” Ray hissed. And then, because she deserved the truth he added, “But I was hoping to.” Saying it out loud made the seasickness disappear, and he was able to release the bench, reach towards his sister who looked like she was going on the acid trip now.
Frannie wrenched away from Ray and hurried outside. Ray cast a glance back at his family and saw a flash of some emotion on Fraser’s face; some mixture of caution and hope that made Ray hesitate before he ran after his sister.
New Orleans Square
Ray burst out of the raucous Tiki Room into the noise of the busy Disneyland crowd. He scanned the nearest figures, and saw Frannie heading off at a fast walk. Ray navigated through the strollers and tired families, jogging after Frannie and spinning her around. And because he knew his sister, he grabbed her other arm before she had a chance to hit him or push him away. He’d learned early in life that she had surprising strength.
“Leave me alone!”
“No.”
She struggled, trying to get out of his grip, but it was half-hearted at best. Ray looked her over, tried to catch her eyes, but she kept her head turned away from him. He hated seeing the defeated slump of her shoulders.
“Hey,” he said, pulling her over to as secluded a corner as they’d get here, tucked into the concave dip of one of the hip-high fake rock walls, half-hidden in large palm fronds and several steps distance from a slushee cart operated by a bored-looking teen. “Look at me.”
Frannie sighed, but raised her head enough to look at him. She wasn’t crying - he thanked God for that - but her disappointment still hurt. They stared at each other a moment in silence. Ray didn’t know what else to say, so he opened with, “I’m sorry.”
Frannie grimaced. “No, you’re not.”
“Not about Fraser, no, but about you.” Ray let her go, and sat down on the wall. “I thought you’d gotten over Fraser months ago.”
“Oh, please. Nobody gets over Fraser. Would you have?” Ray shook his head, and Frannie sat down next to him. “I just thought, I mean he’d been with that woman, you know? I wanted to give him time to get over her. And him coming on the vacation seemed like a sign, especially since he was being so nice to me. Guess I screwed that one up, again. My ability to pick ‘em is still terrible.”
“Aw, come on, Frannie, it’s not your fault that he-” Ray gestured vaguely. “You know.”
“You can’t even say it and you’re thinking about it?”
“I can say it! Just not to my sister,” Ray said. His ears were burning. They watched a small family wander past, the children shouting at each other, the parents shouting at the kids. The slushee kid was wiping down the counter with a dirty towel. Ray took a breath and then said, “You know, I wasn’t even totally sure he was gay. The thing with Victoria threw me, too, but I figured if I’d loved Ange, it could be the same for him.” Ray refrained from adding how Fraser was crazy where women were concerned.
Frannie looked over at him. “So he’s your type, huh?”
Ray blinked. “Yes, Frannie, he’s my type.”
“I didn’t realize your type included a penis,” she said, matter-of-factly.
Ray made a strangled noise and looked around, but the slushee kid didn’t seem to have noticed them. “Yeah, well. I don’t have to tell you everything.” This was not a conversation Ray had ever wanted to have with Frannie - let alone in public surrounded by tired families and disgruntled service industry workers. But he was going to have to at least start it here, in case she decided to share this with the rest of their family. “Look, Frannie, you’re not gonna tell-“
“Francesca!”
Their mother’s shrill cry cut through Ray’s embarrassed plea, and brought both he and Frannie to their feet. Ray wasn’t surprised to see the entire family following her, even though the Tiki Room show wouldn’t be done for another five minutes at least: Vecchios never did anything alone.
“Francesca, is everything all right?” Their mother patted her face, while shooting glares at Ray. “What did you do to her?”
“What? Me? Nothing!”
Maria was moving in, too, also glaring at Ray. “What did he say to you, Frannie?”
“It’s all right. I’m fine.” Frannie waved the attention away with a quick, irritated flip of her hand. Ray held his breath. “Ma, quit it. We just had a misunderstanding is all.” She glanced at Ray, and he wanted to kiss her for being discreet for once in her life.
Ma turned her most terrifying stare on them both, making Ray instinctively duck his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Frannie following suit. “Then why did you cause such a commotion? Honestly! You’re adults! You’ve pulled the whole family out of their good time for your misunderstanding.”
“Sorry, Ma,” they said together. They shared a small grin when Ma just shook her head and turned her back on them, grabbing Alice’s hand. Ray was grateful she apparently didn’t feel like running down the extensive list of all of their faults and how disappointed she was in them. In Italian.
“We’re going to go get food and then find seats in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle for the fireworks show. You can join us when you’re ready to act like adults.”
Maria, still glaring -she’d taken Ma’s side against them, just like when they were kids - bundled off the other two children and Tony, leaving Ray, Frannie, and Fraser standing there in silence. Fraser looked as uncomfortable as Ray felt.
“Francesca-“
“Benny-“
“Ray-“
They stopped and stared at each other. Fraser leapt into the gap. “Francesca, I apologize for any discomfort I might have caused you.”
“Discomfort?”
“Yes. Clearly my question made you, ah,” he was studiously avoiding looking at Ray, “uncomfortable. I didn’t intend to put you in that position.”
“Is that what you think I was mad about?”
“Well,” he looked to Ray, that polite Canadian confusion all over his face, “yes.”
Frannie put her hands on her hips, and Ray decided it was better to intervene now, rather than after she let loose on Fraser and possibly got them all thrown out of the park. “Frannie, maybe you should let me talk to Fraser. About…everything.”
He wasn’t sure she was gonna go for it at first, but after a second she made a noise that sounded like assent, and stalked off in the direction the rest of his family had gone. Ray met Fraser’s confused gaze.
“Sometimes I don’t know what to think about you, Benny.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.”
“I mean you. The way you notice everything and nothing all at the same time.” Fraser still had that crease between his eyes. Ray sighed. “Frannie has a thing for you. She’s attracted to you. Still.”
“Oh.”
“And then you ask her, you know. About relations and everything,” Ray could feel himself blushing again. A little kid with a huge stuffed Goofy in his arms started wailing as his mother pulled him away from the nearby slushee stand. She gave them an apologetic smile. This was definitely not where he wanted to be having this conversation with Fraser. “She thought she still had a chance with you. You upset her.”
“I’m truly sorry about that. Hurting Francesca was the furthest thing from my mind.” Fraser looked pained, and his voice was threaded with regret.
“Yeah, Benny, I know.” And Ray did know, could somehow buy that the Mountie who could track an ant ten miles through a snowstorm could still miss the biggest emotions of the people standing right next to him. Ray figured Fraser’d never been taught to track emotions, let alone give away his own. Fortunately, Vecchio’s were experts at that, and Fraser was signaling bright as a beacon right now with his earnest stare, the way his hands didn’t seem to know where to rest. “You had other things you were thinking about,” Ray said. He took one of Fraser’s hands, warm and strong and a little sweaty, in his own. And though it was about as far from his imagined seduction plan as humanly possible, the moment felt perfect anyway.
“Yes,” Fraser breathed.
“Figures that this is how it would go,” Ray murmured. “That’s just like you, Benny.”
“I pride myself on dependability,” Fraser said, his voice low.
Ray licked his lips, wondered if this would get them thrown out of Disneyland, and shifted closer to Fraser to kiss him, when Becky’s bright, giggling voice cut in.
“Ray and Mr. Fraser sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!”
Ray looked over and saw Becky standing there, while Tony rounded the corner after her. He and Fraser shared a quick, frustrated glance and Fraser squeezed Ray’s hand before letting go. Yep. Perfect.
Fantasyland
Becky and Tony had come to tell them where everyone was sitting, but only Becky had noticed their near-kiss. After hastily extracting a promise to keep this whole encounter a secret between the three of them and a bowl of ice cream when they got home, Ray gestured for Becky to lead them back.
He fell into step with Fraser behind her and Tony, and they exchanged rueful smiles. “I hope we can pick this up later, Benny.”
“You have my word,” Fraser murmured. Ray warmed all over and shoved his hands in his pockets.
They followed Becky back to where the family was gathered along the sidewalk, a tiny storm within the larger sea of people. While Becky, Tony, and Fraser continued on to the group discussing the rules of fairy godmothering, Ray paused a moment and let it all wash over him.
Sleeping Beauty’s castle speared into the air behind his family, sharp and brightly lit against the clear night sky. Watching Alice chasing Mikey around their returned father’s legs, Maria and Frannie whispering over something together, and Ma trying to hand out jackets to everyone for the oncoming night, Ray felt like the warm glow of the sunset had burrowed beneath his skin, down into his heart. He admired the easy way his loud, nosy, aggravating family enveloped the partner he hoped to get to know better that evening, and the way Fraser never seemed to shy away from it, even when he should. Instead, Fraser helped Ray’s mother with the jackets and cast occasional concerned glances at Frannie. Frannie - and Ray had to admire her for this, because he wasn’t sure he could do it if their positions were reversed - made a point of patting Fraser on the arm and making some comment that made him blush and smile. Maria laughed loudly, like they were all friends and nothing weird had just happened like the guy Frannie liked asking her about her brother.
And, yeah, that was pretty weird, even for what Ray’s life had become. But at least it was weird in a really great, non-life-threatening way.
“What are you doing, painting a picture?” Frannie yelled at Ray. “Come here so I can tell Fraser that story about you and the bathtub when you were twelve.”
Ray’s face went hot. “Don’t you dare!” he said, hurrying towards them, desperate to keep Frannie from shredding his dignity before he even had a chance to kiss Fraser once.
Weird in a great, non-life-threatening, but probably terrible-for-his-ego way, he amended.
Tomorrowland
Ray managed to stop Frannie before the worst part of the story had been divulged, and he thought that was mostly due to her goodwill and not any skill on his part. Still, he dragged Fraser away from her with a mostly-fake glare, and she weakly smiled at him, a little sad and a lot hopeful, and he winked back and mouthed, “thank you.” When she nodded and looked away, he knew she got what he meant.
The family was positioned to watch the fireworks over the castle, so Ray tugged Fraser behind them into a little pocket of privacy. There were families all around them, but they all had their eyes turned to the castle and Ray felt comfortably ignored. Alice was snuggled in Tony’s arms now, Ma was sitting on Fraser’s jacket on the curb, with Mikey next to her explaining something in serious tones. And Becky was standing in-between her aunt and her mother, looking so much like his sisters when they were young that Ray really did wish he had a painting of this moment. Or at least a camera.
“You have a wonderful family, Ray.”
“You may be right about that.”
Fraser cleared his throat, and his next words were quiet. “Do you think, ah, the question I asked Francesca earlier - do you think it will be a problem for them?”
“I don’t know. Ma, you know, she’s from the old country, the old-time religion. They don’t,” Ray shifted, “she’s not a believer in that.”
“But she loves her family.”
“Yeah.” Ray didn’t want to get into that discussion now, the debate of whether love was stronger than fear. He thought maybe it was, but it would be difficult to find out, no matter what the answer ended up being. At least his father wasn’t still around. “Pop never would’ve gone for it.”
Fraser made a noncommittal noise. “My father seems to be entirely for it,” he said, glancing sideways. Ray looked, too, but saw only crowds walking by.
“Seems?”
Fraser cleared his throat. “He had a homosexual partner at one point; he speaks highly of him in his journals.”
“Mounties are pretty accepting, huh?”
“It would seem so.” Fraser glanced sideways again, and looked relieved. “And are you?”
“What, accepting?”
Fraser nodded, but he was interrupted by a voice blaring over the nearby loudspeakers, announcing the start of the show. Cheesy, bell-filled music started up. The first barrage of fireworks lit the sky and the crowd in a shower of color. Ray’s family all clapped and cheered.
Fraser moved a step closer and dipped his head towards Ray. “I must confess, while I have enjoyed this experience - and I specifically came on this trip to get to know your family and let them get to know me, so they might accept this change in our relationship if it happened - I couldn’t completely predict whether you would accept it.”
“You came on vacation to get permission from my family without knowing if I would be okay with it first? Isn’t that a little backwards, Benny?”
“Perhaps a little.” Fraser shrugged, looking apologetic. A huge golden firework went off over the castle to a chorus of “ooh”s. “But I feel qualified to say that I know you well enough, Ray, to know that your family is important to who you are. If I had approached you first, I was afraid you would immediately say no because of them.”
“That’s-” Ray paused, considered a scenario where Fraser had made the first move if Ray wasn’t ready. “That’s probably right,” he had to admit. “But your Mountie super-senses missed one thing.”
“Oh?”
“I was planning to ‘approach’ you this weekend with them gone.”
Finally - finally! - it was Fraser’s turn to look shocked. “Really?”
Ray nodded. “I had it all planned out, although I wasn’t sure I could go through with it. I mean, I missed a chance to go to senior prom with Elizabeth Darnell because I couldn’t make myself ask her, and this was much more important. But I’d planned for it.”
“Well.” Fraser blinked. “Well. You’re right, I hadn’t considered that at all.”
Ray couldn’t help feeling a little smug. “Sometimes the world comes to you,” he said, and was rewarded with a warm, glowing smile.
The fireworks show was building up momentum now, a steady stream of rockets making glittering lines in the air. The hazy smoke was being blown away by the cool wind; once the ruckus died down, it was going to be a beautiful night.
Suddenly, Ray couldn’t stand it. They were here, the most magical place on earth if you believed the talking mouse, and Fraser was grinning and hatless - and mouse-earless, thank God - slouching the tiniest bit without the constraints of the red suit and looking so open and hopeful it was enough to make Ray’s heart stutter in his chest. There was never going to be a better opportunity than this - and God knew Ray should’ve learned by now to take his opportunities where Fraser was concerned - so he leaned forward and kissed Fraser, there in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle, while the fireworks show burst to its conclusion.
Ray had given a lot of thought to how he was going to seduce Fraser this weekend. He’d planned a nice romantic dinner, candles, fresh flowers, a meaty bone for Dief to occupy himself with. Ray had imagined sitting on the couch in the living room with Fraser, in front of a crackling fire. Once they were both mellow and Dief was asleep in the other room, Ray would reach over, put his hand on Fraser’s leg, maybe. Lean in and see what Fraser would do. It would be quiet and warm, and exactly what Benny deserved.
Kissing Fraser here, barely able to hear himself think over the explosions and the cheering, the first thing Ray noticed was how cold Fraser’s lips were, and then the shocking heat of the inside of his mouth, the intoxicating taste of his tongue. Fraser’s hands gripped Ray at the elbows, holding him tight, making Ray wish they were back at the hotel room. Ray pulled back quickly, afraid to let himself linger too long when his blood was already pounding in his ears, drowning out the crowd to a dull roar. Fraser’s chilled lips glistened, and when he licked his bottom lip, Ray had to resist the urge to pull him into the nearest bathroom.
“It appears both of our plans went awry,” Fraser murmured. Ray liked how breathless he sounded. That was going to require further investigation.
“We’re just working off a new one now.”
The fireworks had ended and the crowd was starting to shift around, turning towards the exits. At the edge of his vision, Ray saw his family gathering up kids and jackets.
“I do have one last suggestion,” Fraser said.
“Does it involve talking mice in any way?”
The light in Fraser’s eyes felt like Ray’s own personal fireworks show. “Not in the slightest. And we are the only two participants.” He brushed his hand down Ray’s arm, a promise.
Ray grinned. “Then I’m your man.” He led Fraser back to his family, where Frannie gave them a brave, trembling smile before directing everyone out of the park. Becky grabbed Ray’s hand, smiling up at him.
“You can be my walking buddy,” she said, with no hint of malice or disgust. Ray knew relying on a seven-year old to be on his side was kind of pathetic, but it made him feel better anyway.
They trekked out of the gates with the river of other tired but satisfied visitors, and the kids begged to get one last, excited look back down Main Street. Ray saw Frannie standing by one of the last gift shop doors, holding a small stuffed Pluto and staring towards the exit. He guided Becky over to her. “I didn’t think you’d want a reminder of this,” he said, keeping his voice low.
“Some guy gave it to me. He said he thought a pretty girl like me should have good memories.” She was still searching the crowds. “Then he just walked off and disappeared.” Frannie looked down at the doll, smiling, and then shoved Ray playfully. “You should’ve brought Fraser something. You’re a terrible boyfriend.” With the doll settled in the crook of her arm, she walked off to join the rest of the family, who were finally ready to head through the gates.
“Did you know Disneyland is the happiest place on earth, Uncle Ray?”
Ray looked over her head at Fraser, who had taken Alice from Tony’s arms and was talking to Maria about who knew what. “I had my suspicions.”
That was when Alice threw up all over Fraser’s chest. Ray thought that might be it, the last straw for Fraser, who had been right about Ray and Ray’s ties to his family, and who must have been pushed to the edge of his Canadian politeness despite his protestations by a day and a half of solid noise. But as Ray watched the resulting commotion, all he saw was Fraser staring back at him, a serene smile on his face while the three Vecchio women tried to pat him dry.
All Ray could do was laugh and mouth, “Welcome to the family.” And plan to make it up to Benny tonight, and however often after, the best way he knew how.