Title: Something like a gentle beginning
Pairing: Ray/Travis
Rating: PG (gasp)
Notes: Saw 'The Boxer' and I couldn't resist
Something like a gentle beggining
"Smooth Strong," Ray says as he exits the class, books in one hand, the other extended to give Travis a high five.
"A high five-worthy endeavor?" Travis asks, eyebrow arching, "wait till I tell my mother, it's definitely a day for the scrapbook."
Ray laughs as they walk down the corridor towards their lockers. Travis unlocks his and begins to dig through it as Ray begins the long process of book switch-over.
"It's an art form," he'd told Travis once, when he'd been watching him carefully exchange books and book covers, "you don't want to take to many books home, due to both the weight and parental issues-"
"Parental issues?" Travis had interrupted to ask.
"Yeah, if the parental units see you carrying to many books they assume either you're cracking down or you're in scholastic trouble and are struggling madly to catch back up. Also, if they see you taking the same books home every night, they assume it's either a subject you're interested in or a subject that's challenging you. Either example is disastrous, the first will get you long discussions on the career possibilities in that field and the second leads to unsolicited 'help' from everyone and more long discussions, only in this case it's about the importance of said subject. So, I have a system, a semi-random switching of book covers and occasionally books to make my homework and studying schedule look challenging, but not distressingly so."
"The things some people will do to avoid conversations with their parents is never more awe-inspiring as when I'm talking to you," Travis had said, eyes twinkling and smiling with his whole face.
"Well, not all of us are lucky enough to have such neglectful parents," Ray had replied with nothing but humor in his voice.
"I prefer the term laissez-faire," Travis had replied and Ray had slung an arm over his shoulder and walked down the hall with him.
"Hey, do you know where my clothes are?" Travis asks him suddenly.
"You mean you aren't wearing them under the karate thing?" Ray answers.
"It's a gi Ray and no, I was trying for realism. I was also planning on changing into my street clothes before we had to be at the station."
"Well, if it helps, you don't look too stupid in that outfit."
"That's comforting Ray, really. Do you know if anyone else was in my locker?"
"Well Robbie was asking Lily if she knew the combination earlier. He said he needed to borrow your physics textbook."
"We didn't have homework for physics; we didn't even have classwork for physics today."
Ray just grins and slams his locker shut. Travis looks up at the barely suppressed laughter in Ray's voice and scowls slightly.
"Never knew Robbie had it in him," Ray says, letting the smothered laughter color every word, "and don't scowl Strong, your face will get stuck like that and ruin those boyish good looks. Then what would you get by on?" Then he lets the laugh loose and Travis joins him.
Ray throws an arm over Travis' shoulder and they walk down the hall and out into the oppressive sunlight. Travis squints his eyes to block out the light and Ray starts laughing again.
"What is it now?" Travis asks, a bemused note to his voice.
"It's the eyes man; you totally looked like Bruce Lee for a second there"
"That's a joke right?" Ray had asked. "I mean, you're not going to tell me 'Return of the Dragon' was better than 'Enter the Dragon', I mean you can't. 'Return of the Dragon' was terrible, the shoddy dubbing, the terrible editing, how can you defend it against 'Enter' the two aren't even in the same class." He leaned forward in his seat, emphasizing his point by invading Travis' personal space.
"Exactly, 'Return' was filmed before 'Enter' and is truer to both Bruce Lee as an actor/fighter and to the Martial Arts film genre. They can't be compared because all 'Enter' has is slicker editing, and editing isn't what makes a movie. "
"Jesus, next you'll be telling me that you liked the original 'Die Hard' better than 'Die Hard 3', you're positively Un-American. You know that right?"
"Of course I liked the original 'Die Hard better', the ingenuity involved in using an entire building as a weapon is much more impressive than a few extra car chases. What did 'Die Hard 3' have that was so wonderful?"
"3 words Strong: Samuel L. Jackson. I mean c'mon, how can you not love Mace Windu?"
"Even Samuel L. Jackson's performance wasn't enough to make the 3rd movie better than the 1st. Sorry Ray, that's just how it is."
"This is because you're not as cool as 'Shaft' isn't it? It's like women who wish they were men becoming lesbians"
"That's right Ray," Travis had said, hand resting lightly on Ray's knee, "You figured me out, I'm a lesbian and by the way," Travis lands a strong, solid punch to Ray's shoulder, "That was on behalf of Lily because if she were here she'd definitely do it after such a sexist/homophobic comment."
"C'mon Strong,' Ray had said moving to sit next to Travis, "I like lesbians, I like them a lot and I like women," Ray puts his head on Travis' shoulder and makes a vague curvy outline with his hands. "I especially like lesbian women."
"There's another kind of lesbian?" Ray jerks his head up and whips around to face Travis.
"Well obviously," he announces, gesturing at Travis. Travis just grins.
"So how are we going to get him back?" Travis asks him and Ray outlines a long and complex plan involving water balloons, duct tape and some fake hair.
"Dirty fake hair," Travis says, cheeks coloring slightly as they pass a group of kids. They don't see anymore and they're almost to the station, Ray talking non-stop about how they're going to pull off this payback before an attack of conscience.
"Is this really fair Travis? I mean, the awesome retaliatory power of our combined brains is a bit scary. Are you sure he deserves it?"
"Is there anything about your brain that isn't scary Ray? And of course he deserves it, I mean look at me." Travis gestures vaguely to his gi-clad body and Ray grins at him.
"Well if it's any consolation, you look hot in it, you know what they say about a man in uniform," Ray squeezes his shoulder and winks at him and they pause there for a few moments.
It feels natural for Ray to press his lips to Travis', just an extenuation of this easy rapport they've established. The kiss isn't incendiary but it isn't dull. It feels like connection, like months of tentative friendship and awkward relationship building had led to this. The feel of Travis' lips on his and the warmth of his hands on his forearms. It feels like the beginning and when Ray breaks away he wants to tell that to Travis. But the look in his eyes says he already knows, so Ray just kisses him again.