The rest of the afternoon was spent generally lazing about in between posing for photos with the kids and greeting curious and awe-struck fans.

Peter singing karaoke was certainly a highlight for Ray, it turned out he had a pretty good memory for rock music. He tried to coax Ray into joining him, but Ray just shook his head and insisted he was too tone deaf whilst turning bright red. The townfolks fussed over him, drawn by his shyer nature.

As the days events finally began to wind down, Ray's stomach let out a loud and audible gurgle that made Peter snort with laughter.

"I'm starving." he sighed.

"Even after all those sweets?" Peter scratched his head, wondering just how fast Ray's body absorbed all that sugary confection?

"I mean proper food, Peter. Sweets are nice, but hot food is nicest."

"Ok, the plans pretty clear then!" Peter pointed across the way to where a newly redecorated diner stood in the distance "food, ho!"

"Yeah- wait, what'd you call me?!"

They burst into more giddy laughter as they escaped the crowds together and made a beeline for the diner.


Inside, it was blissfully cool and relatively empty. They found a booth away from the main doors, settling by a window that looked out onto a quiet garden area.

"What've we got- ooh, pancakes!" Ray's eyes gleamed, his big smile making him look like a delighted child.

Peter had always noticed this side of Ray, even sometimes griped at him on busts for being overly happy about whatever insanity was about to throw an ectoplasmic pie at their faces. But somehow, he hadn't quite seen it the same way he did now and Ray's constant faith in the world was a pleasant change from his own patented cynicism.

"You boys want some drinks?" The waitress appeared by their table and Peter reflexively gave her his flirtatious smile. Then he recalled just who he was sitting with and quickly tamped it down a bit, but Ray seemingly hadn't noticed, his eyes still glued to the menu.

They ordered some coffee and Peter picked up his menu as the waitress sauntered away, figuring some pancakes would be nice, since Ray seemed so enraptured by them. He had vague memories of his mom making him pancakes and felt that same minute jab of sadness he always felt when he wondered whether she would be proud of him if she could see him now?

Looking up from the menu, Peter took in the Ghostbuster sat opposite him. The sunlight caught Ray's red hair, making reddish-gold highlights stand out in the strands as the man read the menu, eyes shining in delight. The way it curled and brushed his forehead-

Peter swallowed nervously, suddenly acutely aware of how he viewed Ray now, since admitting last night that he had waited awhile to kiss him. It was true, after all.

It'd started with a simple hug. After thinking Peter had been severely hurt by a concussive blast, his reveal to be alright (if a bit bruised and dazed) had been such a relief to Ray that he'd all but body-tacked him in a hug, saying how glad he was.

This wasn't the first time he'd done this to any of them, Ray was a naturally affectionate guy, but it was the first hug since Peter had started REALLY coming to terms with his sexuality. And the feel of Ray's warm, strong embrace, coupled with the way his hair brushed Peter's cheek- it'd been a lot to deal with. As a result, he'd tensed up a little as he fought to keep from showing it, whereupon Ray had let him go and sheepishly apologised for knocking any bruises he may have. Peter had just chuckled, patting Ray on the head and assuring him it'd take a lot more to bump HIM off and so on.

Catching up to the duo through the fading smoke, Egon had merely remarked that landing on his butt was an assurance Peter would be just fine, which was followed by Peter sticking his tongue out at the blonde. They'd all started laughing then, it was their usual routine after a rough day.

"Peter?"

Venkman snapped out of his daydream to see Ray peering at him, brow furrowed a little "you were kinda spacing out there, everything alright?"

"Huh? Oh, sure Ray. I'm fine." Peter smiled, making Ray relax.

They ordered their food, with the waitress raising an eyebrow as she walked away. Goodness, that red-headed fella had a big appetite!

Ray seen this and felt his stomach sour a little. Memories of attempted diets and exercise came back to haunt him now and he uttered a soft sigh. Maybe he WAS too in love with his food-

"You don't seriously believe that, do you?"

Ray looked up sharply, seeing Peter leaning forward now, with his elbows resting on the table. Under the pretence of snagging a sugar packet, he let his fingertips brush against Ray's wrist as he sat back.

"What do you mean?" Ray said, although it was obvious and he knew it. This was reflected in the look Peter gave him as he tore open and emptied the sugar packet into his coffee.

"You're thinking that you're somehow less valuable of a person because of your appetite. Because of how she perceived the order."

Ray fidgeted awkwardly in his seat, staring down at the pristine tabletop. Peter was right, he'd been worrying about it since his outburst to Peter and it could probably be traced back to Favish's strange flirting, the way he'd looked at him. But how did Peter see through him so easily?

"I studied psychology, remember?" Peter teased kindly, tapping the table to make Ray pay attention "I know what's making you pull that face and I refer you to my statement this morning."

Ray fought to keep from blushing as the words came back to him now 'I like you the way you are, you silly man.'. This, coupled with Peter's infectious smile, did make Ray feel significantly better, so much so that by the time the plates arrived he was back to his usual high spirits.

Seeing Ray's enthusiasm for his food back in action made Peter reflect on the Ghostbuster's on-again-off-again doubt over his body image. Why did he always second-guess himself?

-I swear, if that creep Favish tried to make him feel bad about that, I'm going to knock his block off.- he vowed silently, chin resting on one hand as he he toyed with the pile of pancakes on his plate.

-Heck, if anyone insults Ray- They're getting getting a dose of Peter Venkman's ass-whooping- -

"Food goes in you, Peter." Peter blinked, again broken out of his fog by Ray's voice. At some point, he had picked the fork from Peter's hand and was holding it level with his face "In you."

The way his eyes sparkled, together with the cheeky grin on his face, made Peter grin back and in a swift move he scarfed the bite of pancake from the fork, licking his lips.

"Indeed it does, oh food guru." he teased, reclaiming the utensil and launching into the remaining pancakes with gusto. "These are good!"

"Yeah," Ray sat back in his seat, looking out the window with an air of quiet contemplation "I grew up on this same recipe. Brings back good memories of visits with my aunt Lois."

"How's she doin' anyway?" Peter asked curiously, as he started on the next pancake.

"Oh, she's fine. The house has been peaceful since we removed the domovoi. I'm glad she didn't have to move out, that house has a lot of history for our family."

Peter knew what he meant, they'd gotten an interesting glimpse into Ray's background during that case, learning his ancestors had come over from Russia! His own family wasn't nearly as fascinating, unfortunately.

"The only history my old house shares is with a bunch of 'roaches. I had 'em trained to the point where if I took a flashlight within two feet of them and stood on them, they'd all shoot under the fridge so fast they'd slam me into it." Peter rolled his eyes at the memory. He swallowed the last bite of pancake and slumped back in his seat, uttering a low burp.

"That, was great." he said, patting his stomach with a sigh. Opposite him, Ray was doing the same stuffed-as-a-potato act. He raised his eyebrows at Peter, who raised them back, only even more ridiculously and they shared a chuckle. They sat in a comfy silence for a few minutes as they worked on digesting the sheer volume of food they'd just eaten.

Once it was safe to move, Peter said he'd handle the bill and Ray said he needed to go to the bathroom, he'd meet him by the register in a few.

Peter was busy talking to the waitress as he paid the bill to see or even recognise the next person who walked in the door and the waitress was too absorbed in finding a way to give this hottie her number to pay attention, either...


Ray hummed softly to himself as he exited the bathroom a minute later, heading for the door that led back out to the diner. But he stopped in his tracks when he looked up and seen someone standing in his way.

"Hello, Ray."

Ray gulped nervously, it was Favish.

"C-can I help you?" he tried to sound stern, but the apprehension was obvious in his voice. There was something off about Favish' body language, the way he looked so….certain.

"Well, seeing as you've finally escaped your leash, the answers yes."

"What do you mean?" Ray began to feel more than just a little uncomfortable, but he squared off with Favish nonetheless, he couldn't abide a coward.

"I thought it was a little convenient that your friend showed up to drag you away from the bar last night. He knew I could see right through his little act, couldn't he? What was he afraid of, that you'd spill about his using you for his own ends?"

"What on earth are you talking about-" Ray said with a note of panic in his voice, trailing off into a squeak as Favish took a step towards him, fists clenched.

"I seen you two in the alley, seen him pushing you against the wall-"

'You were spying on me?!" Ray snapped out of his funk at this revelation. Anger coursed through him and he stepped up to Favish now, eyes narrowing.

"I may have been drunk, but even I eventually realised what you were up to!" Ray snapped "This whole thing has just been about getting one up on me, hasn't it? That whole pretence by the fountain, all those drinks- Peter was right, you were just trying to get in my-"

"Oh don't flatter yourself, butterball." Favish sneered, whilst inwardly he panicked at this sudden burst of perceptiveness from the usually naive Raymond.

His words dug deep and Ray faltered as if he'd been physically struck, those creeping doubts Peter had been musing about doubling in capacity now.

He paused, feeling his anger sputtering and shifting to hurt. Seeing the wind being taken out of his sails only served to make the vengeful Favish smirk.

"You know.." Ray said after a moment, "I may not be much of a looker, but at least I have a sense of decency. You want to know why Peter dragged me away from you? Because he knew damn well I deserved better than some one-night fling just to satisfy your petty jealousy!"

With that said, he tried to storm past the stunned Favish. But Favish recovered, grabbing Ray's wrist as he stalked past, yanking him back and making him stumble.

"Hey- Let go of me!" Ray cried, voice rising in alarm as he glared at Favish.

"You always have to be better than me, don't you Stantz?" Favish hissed as he pulled Ray closer to him. This close, Ray sniffed and wrinkled his nose. He'd done well to mask it, but with so little room to breathe between them, Ray realised with a sinking stomach that Favish may be very drunk.

"Teachers pet, you were a space case with his nose in a comic book all the time! I was smarter, I was more grown up- how did I get stuck in this pokey little town while you get to be a national hero?!"

"Oh I don't know-" A silky voice interrupted Favish's rant "because you're a scumbag that can't admit his problems are his own damn fault?"

Favish turned in time to be wrenched away from Ray and this was followed up by a solid punch to his face that knocked him on his ass and made him blink dizzily. Looking up, he seen- who else? Peter Venkman.

"Peter..." Ray said faintly, never happier to see his co-worker. He'd started to get scared when he realised Favish was too drunk to think reasonably.

"I've been tolerant with you, scum bag." Peter snarled "but if you EVER lay a hand on Ray again, I will END you. Clear?"

Favish stared vacantly, snapped out of his drunken daze by the shock of Peter's intervention. He seen Ray standing behind Peter, gripping the sleeve of Venkman's jumpsuit and looking a mixture of hurt and legitimately frightened that made him realise just what a mistake he'd made.

"Get lost, dirtbag, before I call the Cops-" Peter was still glaring daggers at him, cracking his knuckles as he spoke.

No longer as full of himself as he'd been before, Favish nodded, afraid of what Peter would do to him if he hung around. For a skinny guy, he packed quite a punch and his promise to kick Favish's ass if he so much as glanced at Ray again, it felt very real.

So he cut his losses and ran past the two, back out into the diner. Alone in the quiet hall, a still fuming Peter turned to check on Ray and all that anger was snuffed out when he seen Ray was shaking, a look of utter depression on his face.

"C'mon, we're getting out of here." he said gently, setting a gentle hand on Ray's shoulder. Ray nodded mutely, following after Peter as they left the hallway. To Peter's relief, Favish was long gone as they exited, but even so he insisted on getting them both a cab back to the hotel.

The whole time, Ray remained silent, outwardly giving no sign that he was in shock. But inside, he'd turned a kind of numb from adrenaline and panic. He kept replaying Favish's words; "don't flatter yourself, butterball." The vehemence in his tone had been clear and alcohol-infused or not, it'd hit home.


He didn't really respond when Peter ushered him into the hotel room, just sat on the couch staring into space. Peter seen this and resolved to mend whatever damage Favish had done in those few minutes he'd cornered his sweet-natured Ray. He sat down on the couch, waiting for Ray to pay attention, but he just kept plucking listlessly at the fabric of his jumpsuit.

"Ray." Peter's stern voice pierced the haze and Ray slowly lifted his gaze to focus on Peter. Seeing the worry on Venkman's features made him feel even worse, so he tried to glance away but Peter's hand grasped his chin gently and refused to let him flee.

"What did he do, Ray?" he asked. Ray sniffled, sighed and wished that he didn't have to talk about it. But this was Peter, he'd saved him..

"It...he tried to make you out to be that bad guy. I told him he was a jealous maniac who couldn't care beyond just talking me into bed and he said "don't-" He broke off, feeling unexpectedly like crying.

"Tell me, Ray. Please." Peter's voice was soft, but he was genuinely pleading with him. His hands clasped Ray's as he spoke, stopping them from their ceaseless movement and squeezing them reassuringly.

"He said-" Ray took a deep breath "he said "don't flatter yourself, butterball."

He uttered a broken laugh, his vision blurred and he edged away from Peter now, wrapping his arms around his middle, his big FAT middle- he thought bitterly "maybe he's right Peter, maybe I am way too overweight. I eat junk, sweets-"

"Bullshit." Peter said, making Ray flinch in surprise and trail off into silence. He blinked at Peter, lost for words.

"That guy was a drunk, brainless goon. You know why he said those things? Because you refused his advances, because you chose to trust me over him." Peter said sternly "he was no doubt hoping it'd be easy to manipulate you by getting you tipsy last night. That's the worst kind of scumbag, no doubt he was making you feel bad just so he could make like he was swooping in to comfort you. It's what's known as passive-aggressive behaviour. By not outright insulting you, he was subtly planting those doubts so he could be the one to root them out later, no doubt relying on the fact P/A behaviours can be harder to spot than outright aggression like at the diner."

Ray thought about it and nodded slowly. He sighed softly as he felt Peter's warm, gentle fingers brush away the tears threatening to fall.

"Ray, look at me." he found he couldn't turn Peter down and hesitantly met his eyes, shame and confusion battling deep inside.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Ray. I don't know how long it'll take to convince you just what you're worth, but you bet your ass I'm going to try." He nuzzled Ray's nose, sighing worriedly "even if it takes all day, I'm not letting you get away until you admit just how amazing you are."

Peter's brand of fierce comfort made Ray feel a little better and Peter uttered a shaken sigh of relief when he seen the faintest of sparks lighting behind Ray's tired eyes. He caressed the back of Ray's neck as he kissed him gently, more relief flooding his veins when his friend tentatively kissed him back. He kissed Ray several times, a series of short and sweet kisses that gradually seemed to help him relax.

"Better?" he asked, brushing Ray's hair away from his eyes.

Ray tried to talk, but his throat was so dry all he managed was a faint noise and a nod.

Peter fetched a glass of water and this did help, although Ray still seemed like a washed out version of his usual self. His boyish enthusiasm had been dampened by the shock of the day and Favish's deliberately hateful jabs were undoubtedly still weighing on his mind.

Peter was raging inside, he wanted to do much more than just punch Favish in the face NOW. He felt like dragging him down the main parade route shouting about what the prat had tried to do to his friend. Favish had been quite gleeful back when Ray had first visited the town, when he'd heard the news that Ray was quitting being a Ghostbuster. He'd coerced Ray into working for him, humiliating him by making him wear a mascot costume and talking down to him.

The other Ghostbusters hadn't taken kindly to this and had eventually helped Ray get his enthusiasm back, resulting in him re-taking his beloved job.

Ray felt the tension pervading Peter's body as he leant against him, shivers of barely repressed anger coursing through Venkman's chest. He looked up now, studying the other man's face anxiously.

"What's the matter?" he asked, making Peter jump a little. His expression softened and he smiled gently at Ray, ruffling his hair.

"Nothing to worry about, champ." he assured him, but Ray shook his head, his eyes never leaving Peter's.

"You're still angry, I can feel it."

Peter sighed, running a hand through his hair, making it stick up. Ray bit his lip, sitting on the urge for about half a second before reaching up to affectionately smooth it back into its usual style. This made Peter smile a little as he began;

"I just can't believe the nerve of that guy, doing all this to hurt you. Even if he did have any true feelings for you, he showed no decency in going after you the way he did. Plying you with all that alcohol, knowing you were just too damn gentle to hold a grudge-"

"He kept saying I was too nice, but maybe I'm just naive." Ray said softly, moving on to plucking at a loose thread on the cuff of Peter's sleeve "but I always thought I should believe in the better side of someone."

Peter's hand curled around his, squeezing it gently to get his attention.

"And you shouldn't stop doing that Ray, it's what makes you so well loved. But you need to think about yourself too, don't put yourself through hell just for the sake of not hurting someone's feelings, sometimes you have be tough. You bust your butt trying to please everybody, you'll only end up depriving yourself instead and that's not good for ya."

Again, Ray was surprised by Peter's astute observations and his amazement must have shown on his face, because Peter grinned his trademark grin.

"Like I said to Egon, just because I don't act serious doesn't mean I don't pay attention sometimes. Ive seen you go to all lengths to appease everybody around you, and you end up tired and depressed. I won't lie, I worry about ya, Ray."

"You do-?" Ray felt a stab of guilt "Oh geez, I really didn't mean to-"

"Hush up." Peter said stoutly, tapping Ray on the nose so he went cross-eyed "i told you, stop beating yourself up. You're not responsible for everyone else's feelings, that's their beef. Ya gotta let 'em deal with it themselves at certain points and that brings me to one other thing; learn to tell people to shut up."

Ray blinked at him, totally confused.

"I'm serious," Peter said, unfazed "I know I've annoyed YOU countless times, for instance; me and my big mouth did a good job of being crass back when you attended the first visit here."

Ray thought back, recalling Peter rather bluntly saying something along the lines of "so what, you embarrassed the heck outta yourself? Big whoop.".

"That WAS pretty annoying.." he said, then realised what he'd just said, glancing worriedly up at Peter "Oh geez, I-"

But to his surprise, Peter was smiling smugly and set his hands on Ray's shoulders, pulling him in for a kiss before the red-head could apologise again.

"Good boy." he teased as he released a stupefied Raymond. "See? You can do it. If it's hurtin' ya Ray, say so. People are crap psychics, so you gotta tell 'em flat out, ya get me?"

Ray nodded mutely, he did understand what Peter was getting at.

"That's my Ray." Peter said proudly, kissing his forehead. Ray flushed, but looked a lot happier then when he'd first sat down. "You'll be fine, I know you. Unlike me, you are perfectly capable of being tactful."

"You're not that bad, Peter." Ray squeaked and trailed off as Peter gave him a stern look, one eyebrow raised as if awaiting something. "Uhh...you have all the tact of a nuclear bomb?"

"There you go," Peter winked, making Ray laugh. "good boy."

Ray gave him a mock glower as Peter ruffled his hair like he was a puppy, but his smile was much more genuine now.


Speaking of dogs, there was a very unusual one hopping off the train as it pulled into Morrisville. The porter seen it hiding in the shadows and ordered it to scram. Instead of barking or whining in fear or defiance, the dog stepped forward slowly with a menacing growl coming from its throat.

"What in blazes?" the porter said nervously, edging back instinctively. This animal wasn't right, was it rabid?

The dog leapt and he dropped to the floor in fear, covering his head. But instead of sinking its teeth into him, it jumped over his prone form and ran away into town. As the silence fell and the petrified porter got to his feet, he wondered what on earth that'd been about? He seen the local Sheriff's car parked nearby and figured the guy could call in animal control or something.


The little boy seen the dog crouching in the alleyway and ran over to say hello. He loved dogs with a passion and often tried to befriend any and all that he met, this one was no different. But as he reached a hand out toward it, its eyes suddenly began to glow a sickly red, its fangs grew bigger and its body began to shift and flow. The boy screamed and ran away, hearing it running after him with a howl.

He reached a nearby fence and scrambled over it, landing with a thump and a whimper in someones garden. He ran to the door, hammering on it with tears streaming down his face. A kindly old lady opened it, asking what was wrong…?

"There's a dog, it's-"

The boy looked back, but the dog was gone. "It was right here..."


Back at the hotel, Ray was dozing lightly, propped up against Peter's side. Peter had a book resting on his lap and was alternating between skimming the pages and gently rubbing Ray's back. He looked so adorably comfy that Peter didn't want to move him, even if sleeping sitting up was bad for his back.

There came an abrupt knock on the door and Ray let out a startled yelp, toppling off the couch as he tried to ascertain the source of the disturbance. Peter bit back a laugh, not helped in the least by Ray's cutely wounded expression as he picked himself up. Peter kissed him on the forehead then strode over to the door, flinging it open;

"Yeess?" he drawled as he looked at...two local law officers.

OH.

He plastered a fake grin on his face whilst silently panicking. Were they here because he punched Favish? If so, he was gonna give them a piece of his mind-

"Sorry to disturb you sir," the first deputy said "but are you one of the Ghostbusters?"

"Yeah, why, you got a possessed squad car?" Peter asked.

"No sir, we have something weirder. Mind if we come in?"

"Who is it, Peter?" Ray asked, peering at his friends back as he stood there.

"Couple of the Sheriff's boys, seems we got a potential fright on our hands." Peter answered, stepping back and opening the door to let them in. Ray greeted them with his usual warmth, offering the two of them the couch while he perched on the bed. Peter leaned against the wall nearby, the picture of casual curiosity.

"We've had two separate reports of what we think to be a ghost or demonic DOG." The first officer said "We're aware it sounds crazy-"

"We specialise in crazy." Peter assured them "as the advert says 'we believe you!'"

The two officers shared looks and nodded before the second one took up the tale.

"It's attacked two people already, one of which is a child. He's currently at a local residents house, a Mrs Lloyd-"

"Oh I remember her!" Ray beamed "she used to babysit me when my parents were out of town, she's lovely."

The second deputy nodded, he was familiar with her too "she said the boy turned up on her doorstep in hysterics, claiming that a big demon dog had attacked him. He begged her to call your hotline, where we spoke to a doctor Spengler. He explained two of you were already in Morrisville and to contact you right away. He also said to handle the expense forms on your own discretion."

"Hey, good old Egon." Peter grinned "he's basically saying we're good to go. Let's go talk with this kid about a big bad dog, shall we Ray?"

Ray nodded eagerly, grabbing the Proton packs and traps and carrying them to the officer's car.


They drove the two Ghostbusters to the house and followed them up the neatly maintained garden path. Ray knocked on the door, beaming happily when it opened to reveal his former babysitter.

"Hello? Oh my, if it isn't Raymond!" Mrs Lloyd greeted her former charge warmly "it always amazes me how much you've grown."

"Hi, Mrs Lloyd." Ray said as she looked up at him "we're here to help with a stray dog problem."

"Oh yes, that poor boy was ever so scared. Wouldnt say anything but "Call the Ghostbusters, please!". Maybe seeing you fellas will put him at ease." she said, looking at Peter, standing by Ray's side "Why don't you boys come in?"

Peter smiled and introduced himself to the elderly lady. She was immediately charmed by his manners and told Ray he had some very nice friends.

Ray was reminded of the Faversham incident, where Peter had offered to help the old lady with a demon trapped in her attic for the price of just a smile. He'd admitted she reminded him of his mother, which Ray had found very touching.


The little boy looked up as the lady came back in, with a pair of Deputy's and two figures he recognised from his magazines.

"Wow," he said, wide-eyed in awe and his panic briefly forgotten "Your Dr Stantz and Dr Venkman, I'd know you guys anywhere!"

"That's right," Ray said, both he and Peter kneeling down in front of the couch to be on the kid's level. "Now, why don't you tell us what happened?"

"Don't leave any detail out," Peter added "the more we know, the better!"

So the kid described the dog, shuddering in memory as he mentioned the big fangs and the way it started to turn to fluid shadow. Ray and Peter looked at each other, sharing glances.

"Do you know what it is?" the boy asked.

"Sounds like what our buddy Egon would call a free-form shapeshifter. Without the PKE meter, we can't measure its strength, but no matter. We'll make our analysis when we catch up to the thing!"

"But how are we gonna catch it?" Ray mused "it doesn't seem to be after anything in particular, yet we can't just wait for it to attack again-"

Right on cue, one of the Deputy's radios crackled and the whole room listened as a report came in of the same "animal" terrorizing the festival grounds. Ray and Peter shared looks of concern, bolting to their feet.

"Thank for your help," Ray smiled at the kid as they turned to leave "we know what we're looking for now!"

"Nice work!" Peter saluted before he, Ray and the cops legged it back to the squad car. The kid grinned, he'd just been praised by his heroes!

"I used to babysit that young man, Raymond Stantz, when he was about your age." Mrs Lloyd came back with a plate of cookies.

"Really, what was he like?" The young boy nibbled on a cookie, eager to hear about one of his idols!


The Ghostbusters piled out of the Car when they reached the festival, seeing people running everywhere. The two Deputys immediately set about herding them to safety while the professional ghost-chasers ran TOWARD the screams.

"Hey, fido!" Peter yelled as they approached and the shadow dog turned from where it was backing a young man and his date into a corner. It sniffed the air, teeth glinting in the light. These humans carried a tasty power source-

It leapt for the closest one, Ray, who ducked and swung round to get out of its reach, pressing the trigger on the proton gun as he did. A white-hot beam of energy lashed out, just clipping the things ear and throwing its momentum off. It howled in fury, hitting the dirt with a thud, before reforming and going after Peter this time.

Peter did the same as Ray, ducking and weaving to keep the thing within his sights. But the thing was faster then they'd expected and now darted up onto a stall table then leapt off and onto Peter's back as he tried to turn. It grabbed a chunk of hair in its fangs, aiming to rip this human apart. Its scrabbling claws fought for purchase on the proton pack and Peter's heart went cold as he heard a click he remembered all too well, from the incident with the Vampires. Egon's pack had been tampered with by the Vampire attacking him and that sound meant only one thing; the self-destruct had been activated.

"Peter!" Ray heard the sound like it was a gunshot and pelted across the dirt, grabbing a fallen banner from the ground and wrapping it around his arm as he did. He approached from in front of Peter, whereupon he slung the arm wrapped in bandages around Peter's neck, drawing the dogs attention.

He bit back a cry as he felt its teeth sink into the fabric, it felt like they were pressing down on his very bones. He moved his other hand to the switch, working blind in such close quarters. He could see how tensed up Peter was, could almost feel his heart pounding he was so close, the others hair brushing his cheek and its scent burned itself into Ray's memory for days after. But for the moment, he was focused on stopping the rogue ghost blowing a crater the size of who knew what in his hometown and best friend, he didn't have time to falter now. He heard a click and felt the rumbling cease from the pack.

With a furious yell, he tensed the muscles in the bound arm, twisting away from Peter and swinging with all his might. This tore the dog's claws from their already precarious hold and sent it flying several feet away. Grabbing his friends arm, Ray swiftly pulled him out of range of the stunned ghost.

"Ray.." Peter looked white as a sheet as he checked the reading on his pack "I owe you-"

"We can worry about that later, we gotta deal with this thing first!" Ray wheezed, heart still going a hundred miles an hour at the thought of Peter being in the radius of such an explosion.

"You aim high, I'll aim low." Peter whispered, "we need to trick it into going for me, let it think the pack isn't working now."

Ray nodded and they split, each going a different way. But the dog didn't act as they expected, instead aiming for RAY, as if sensing he was more of a threat to it after his interference. It seemed to grow in size as it leapt, pinning the human down. Ray fought and pushed at it but its weight was making it hard to breathe-

Peter hesitated, his finger on the trigger, but he couldn't fire so close to Ray, what was he supposed to do?!

A thought occurred as he spotted a giant bouncy ball (actually an exercise thing, as Ray later explained) and ran over, punting it as hard as he could towards the animal.

-Once a dog..- he thought, holding his breath as it seen the ball go by. It's eyes widened and it let go of the strap of Ray's proton pack and dove for the ball with it's tongue lolling wildly from its mouth.

–..always a dog!- Peter thought with a grin. He seen Ray scramble to his feet, they looked across at one another and nodded. The dog got both barrels now, the twin beams shocking the ever-living daylights out of it. Ray grabbed the trap from his belt, drop-kicking it so it soared across the open space, sliding to a stop beneath the dog's thrashing form. He stamped a foot down on the switch and the trap opened with a roar of noise, dragging its prey down into itself before snapping shut. Smoke drifted up from it for a few seconds, then the light began to blink steadily, indicating it was trapped good and proper.

"Alright!" Peter whooped, hooking an arm around Ray's neck and ruffling his hair "nice one, Ray!"

The crowds emerged from hiding, cheering the victory. Peter released Ray, still grinning at his friend as he scooped up the trap, holding it triumphantly in the air..


Ray carefully set the trap on the table by the window, relieved that they'd caught the thing before it caused any damage- then he remembered that the thing had tried to maul Peter and turned to him now.

"Sit down." he said gently, making Peter tilt his head at him curiously, but he did so without a word. He sat there silently as Ray checked for injuries, running gentle fingers over his scalp where the Dog had been trying to scalp him. Peter winced once or twice, but it wasn't that bad, really.

"There's no sign of bleeding," Ray sighed in relief "thank goodness."

"Thank you, Doctor Stantz." Peter smiled and let one hand come to rest on Ray's side, tracing a pattern on him through the fabric. Ray squeaked and turned pink, he was rather ticklish in places.

Peter caught his eye and grinned, before wrapping him in his arms and kissing him firmly. Ray let out a little sigh of comfort and leant into his embrace.

"It scared the heck out of me," He admitted as they parted "hearing the switch click. I couldn't let it detonate-!"

"I know, I thought it was all over, too. Then you come charging over, giving that dumb mutt something to chew on. You saved my ass Ray, I owe you one." Peter said quietly as he took in Ray's near-to-tears-relieved expression. He planted a teasing kiss on Ray's lips, wondering how to thank him, it'd been more of a shock then he was letting on, thinking he was going to die. But Ray's fearlessness had saved both of them from a disastrous fate.

Ray's fingers linked behind Peter's neck as the kiss continued, his heart racing in a good way this time. They indulged in several deep, exploring kisses, hearing only the birds chirping outside in accompaniment to their racing heartbeats.

A wonderful shiver went through Ray as he felt Peter's fingers grasp the zip on his uniform. The muted clicks as the zippers teeth separated sounded loud to Ray's ears, matching the drumming of his heart. He felt unexpectedly nervous now, what if Peter was used to someone more...experienced?

His blood pressure shot up and he squeaked, breaking the kiss and ducking his head as he bit his lip.

"What is it, Ray?" Peter's warm hand traced his jaw and Ray uttered a soft groan of longing, nuzzling against his palm.

"It's...Peter, I-I've never-" he cut off, feeling embarrassed about his naivety once more. But Peter didn't laugh, didn't look disappointed in Ray, only kissed his friends forehead and whispered in his ear as he nuzzled into his neck.

"Then, will you trust me?"

Such a simple question, but it sent a thousand littles darts of electricity up Ray's spine. There was only one answer.

"Of course." he whispered, imagining Peter's lips curving into a smile as he kissed Ray's neck once more before moving back to meet his eyes. He wrapped the shy red-head in his arms and kissed him deeply before moving quickly to scoop Ray into his arms and lovingly carry him to the bed.

Ray clung tightly to Peter, feeling a little dizzy with anticipation. He nuzzled Peter's hair to calm himself as he set him atop the mattress. Part of him was still apprehensive about Peter seeing him without his uniform- Why did he have to be wearing a jumpsuit, an article of clothing famed for the fact it was an all-in-one thing? His hand halted for just a moment, the age-old doubt warring with Peter's assertions of Ray's real value.

Feeling Ray's wandering hand falter, Peter pulled back just enough to see his face. He seen a familiar worry in Ray's eyes and regarded him sternly but kindly, making Ray bite his lip.

"Ray," Peter murmured as he nuzzled him "don't let what that creep said bother you. You want my opinion? You're freakin' gorgeous, man."

Ray blushed profusely at this, but the open honesty on Peter's face made him believe it. Peter had a certain intensity when he was being this serious.

"I said it once and I'll say it again;" Peter said gently as he traced Rays lower lip with his thumb "I like you the way you are, that's the Ray I know and love."

He leaned in and very gently nibbled at Ray's lower lip, sending delicious tremors up Ray's spine "and that's the Ray I want to ravish."

Ray wrapped his arms around Peter's shoulders and kissed the brunette with an intensity that made Venkman want him even more. As the kisses become ever more in-depth, lips parting to allow deeper exploration, Peter's hand moved to the zipper of Ray's jumpsuit once again. He slowly, teasingly lowered the zip, feeling Ray's chest rising and falling rapidly beneath his hand, hearing him moan sweetly into the kiss.

At last, Ray felt Peter's hands pushing the fabric aside and brushing against the t-shirt he wore underneath. Slender fingers brushed his shoulders as Peter nudged the jumpsuit down and they parted for a moment. Both of them were flushed, realising the boundary that lay before them...

Ray answered the unspoken question that hung between them by kissing Peter fiercely and feeling him return it with a barely constrained fervour. As he did, he wriggled his upper body free of the jumpsuit, a thrill running through him with wilful abandon.

"Stop being so damn cute, Raymond." Peter scolded as he slipped his hands under Ray's shirt, tracing fingers over bare skin. When he removed the shirt, Ray took the article from Peter's hands and tossed it off the side of the bed, making himself very clear indeed.

He uttered a low groan as Peter nuzzled his neck, then left a trail of kisses down his chest, hands brushing his sides. But he didn't stop there, no. Ray squirmed atop the bedsheets as Peter made good his promise and lavished attention on him.

Peter only ceased heaping attention on the shy Ghostbuster to start on removing his own clothes, throwing his navy shirt aside with a carefree motion. He smiled as Ray reached up a hand and traced a faint scar on his shoulder.

"What did that?" Ray asked, unashamedly thinking how good he looked. Peter had wandered around the firehouse shirtless plenty of times, usually after just having had a shower. But it was only now that Ray took a proper look at him.

"Fell down the stairs at my college frat house," Peter chuckled as he kissed Ray "I was three sheets to the wind, totally blitzed. The doctor said I was lucky I hadn't gotten any worse injuries. He also said I was an idiot."

Ray giggled and Peter smiled, snaring his lips in a heated kiss as his hands moved to Ray's waist…

"You, you're cute when you're a little drunk." Peter teased, nipping at Ray's neck as he moved the jumpsuit and undergarments down over Ray's hips.


Every preparatory touch by Peter's expert hands felt unbelievably good to Ray, who'd never even dreamt of doing something like this before.

"Ready?" Peter's seductive voice whispered in Ray's ear as the preparations ceased and he positioned himself over his partner. Ray nodded, wrapping his arms around Peter's shoulders.

"This might hurt a little, Ray..." He murmured as his lips brushed Ray's ear "hold on tight," he pressed closer "if you need to, just call my name..."


Ray pressed his face into Peter's neck as they moved, soft little gasps escaping him as the initial pain shifted to pleasure. Thier rhythm became faster as Ray adjusted to the sensation, thier voices mingling together...

The birdsong from outside was soon lost in the sounds of the two lovers as they left that boundary far behind them.

Ray called Peter's name as they finished, holding tightly to him as the euphoria of the climax ran through him. The heat and feel of Peter's body was like an anchor, assuring him this wasn't simply a wondrous dream. Movement ceased and thier heavy breathing filled the space left by their sound.

"Mmm….you're amazing Ray.." Peter said breathily as he kissed him and moved back, hearing a faint gasp from Ray. He pulled the red-head into his arms as he lay back on the bed, the both of them breathing heavily.

"How're you feeling, Ray?" Peter asked softly, stroking a hand through Ray's hair. Ray smiled and lifted himself on one elbow to kiss Peter gently, cheeks flushed and eyes bright.

"Wonderful..." he whispered sleepily and it was Peter's turn to blush. Ray was so damn cute…

They indulged in several slow, leisurely kisses as Peter pulled the blankets over them and they basked in the afterglow. Peter traced patterns up and down Ray's bare back, making him smile sleepily. Soon, Ray drifted asleep in Peters arms, looking content and worn out. Peter stroked Ray's hair softly, trailing a hand down to his neck before coming to rest between his shoulder blades. He soon fell asleep himself, the rhythm of Ray's breathing the last thing he heard.


The two slept for about an hour or so, waking in the late evening. Ray woke first, instantly remembering what had transpired as he felt the warmth of the body he shared a bed with. He felt a surge of excitement, he'd just slept with one of his best friends. The sensation had been…."oh, wow" was the best he could think of right that second.

Peter looked adorable, fast asleep. A smile was curving his lips, his hair mussed up and all over the place. He stirred a little but didn't wake when Ray ran a hand through his floppy fringe, watching the way it fell back into place over his forehead. Ray settled his chin on one hand, glancing across the room at the window, where he could see night sky through the slats in the blind, hear crickets chirping.

Peter drifted awake and the first thing he seen when he opened his eyes was Ray, staring over at the window. The other man had a cute smile on his face, lost in a daydream.

He reached up and lovingly pressed the palm of his hand to Ray's face. Ray jumped slightly, swiftly turning back to face Peter.

"Hey, you." Peter greeted him.

"Hey." Ray blushed innocently, it was very endearing.

"Feel alright?" Peter ran a fingertip down Ray's neck to his chest, then back up to caress the back of his neck.

"Mm-hm." another cute smile from Ray, making Peter kiss and nibble his lower lip again. Ray blushed even more as Peter released his lip, but he looked happy.

"I do hate to disturb you when you look so adorable, but we should probably at least try to get dressed for bed-" Peter said, indicating the pair of them.

"Nah." Ray said, lying next to Peter once more with a comfortable sigh "I'm plenty warm like this."

Peter's eyebrows rose and HE was the one to blush this time as he silently nodded to Ray's decision. He wrapped an arm around him and Ray beamed at him, making Peter love him a little bit more.

So he fell asleep a second time, with Ray cosied up to him and only the covers, well, covering them.


When morning dawned, Peter stirred first this time. He felt a body close to his own and grinned like an excited kid in a candy shop as he sat up. It hadn't been a dream, Ray really was curled up next to him, looking adorably content. Yesterday had been the day Peter had finally found someone worth perusing, not just another fling born out of boredom.

Unable to resist, he leant towards the sleeping Ray and blew on the back of his neck. This made Ray bolt awake with a squeak and Peter had to duck to avoid a flailing arm.

"Huh, what's-?" Ray blinked sleepily, then heard a familiar giggle. "not funny, Peter."

But even as he scolded him, he found he didn't really mind. He sat up, the covers puddling around his waist. This initial movement sent little reminders running up his back and he uttered an intrigued moan before he could stop himself. Peter's arms curled around his middle, pulling him against his chest.

"You may uh, feel a little stiff, for a day. That's not an innuendo, you goof." Peter joked, feeling Ray's barely suppressed giggles as he held him.

Ray sat back as his amusement died down, meetings Peter's eyes and seeing how happy he looked.

"I don't know if I've ever seen you smile that way." he blurted out innocently, blinking as Peter ducked his head, his fringe hiding his eyes.

"Well, I guess I just didn't have a reason to smile this much." Peter admitted at last, grinning at Ray. Ray's eyes drifted to marks on Peter's shoulders, faint bruises left by fingers and nails. He squeaked apologetically, drawings Peter's attention to them with his fingers.

Peter seen what he was squeaking at and kissed Ray on the forehead, saying he "didn't mind it one bit." with a reassuring wink thrown in.

He swung his legs down to the floor, standing up in one fluid movement. He sauntered over to the bathroom door, pausing and looking back at Ray.

"Wanna shower?" he asked, a sly smile on his face "see where else you've left an imprint on me?"

Ray blushed bright red, but nodded. He wrapped the sheet around himself and followed after Peter. No sooner had he shut the door behind him and turned round, then he came face to face with his friend-turned-lover. In a move echoing their first kiss, Peter set a hand on the door, just beside Ray's head.

"P-peter?" Ray asked, turning pink, what was going to happen?

Peter didn't say anything, merely leaned in and nibbled at Ray's neck. Ray squeaked and instinctively moved his hands to grasp Peter's shoulders. This meant the sheet didn't have anything to hold it up and he felt it brush against his legs as it fell to a heap at his feet.

"Stop hiding.." Peter purred victoriously "okay?"

A silent nod from the surprised, but happy Ray and the shower progressed as normal.


Peter went to bring the Car around once they'd dressed and Ray brought the cases round to the parking lot.

Once he'd parked the car and popped the trunk, Peter said he'd go settle the bill and Ray nodded, starting on packing the cases away. Since their uniforms had gotten slightly rumpled after last nights fun, the duo had reverted to wearing their civilian clothing.

Ray hummed to himself as he put the last of the bags holding the souvenirs into the trunk. He was about to shut it when he seen movement out of the corner of his eye, off to his right. He jolted, swinging round to see-

Favish.

Ray's blood went cold and he backed away, voice frozen. What was he going to do?

But to his surprise, Favish held his hands up in surrender.

"I'm not here to hurt you, Ray." He said weakly and on closer inspection, Ray noticed he looked like he hadn't slept a wink.

"After I left, I got completely drunk and wound up getting arrested. Spent a night in the cells, it was pretty embarrassing."

Ray stayed tense, hands clenched at his sides and his expression as unemotional as he could make it.

"My point is," Favish continued, "what I did was dangerous. I was angry at you all this time, but I also had a thing for you. Have done since we were in school."

This caught Ray off guard and he blinked, eyes wide. "What?"

"Stupidly, I thought if I made sure I hung around enough, you'd get the hint. But I pretty much acted like a jackass, I never got anywhere. Then you left town to go to college and became a big celebrity. I felt like a fool when I seen how much you'd accomplished."

"That's why you unleashed that magic?" Ray said shakily "you were angry I didn't notice you?"

"No, well- it was mostly jealousy over how successful you'd become. I'd spent so many years boasting that I'd made it, only to find out that you'd surpassed me long ago, I let it get the best of me."

"So you figured if I was drunk, you'd have a better chance this time?" Ray said, ashamed to feel furious and betrayed tears pricking his eyes. He clenched his fists even tighter to try and make them stop, until his nails were cutting into the skin on his palms.

"Why would a guy like you ever notice me?" Favish shrugged, feeling like shit.

"You could've tried just being yourself. When we were talking on the bench, that was when things felt safe. Then, I'm suddenly downing a lot of beer and you were hitting on me!" Ray fumed "you want someone to like you, TRUST you? Don't ever do THAT!"

He thought about Peter, how he'd just straight up admitted he liked Ray and hadn't tried to take Ray up on his drunken seduction attempt. He'd waited until Ray was sober enough to consent, that was what Ray liked about him. He felt exhausted tears, held in check since the day before, spill down his face and splash to the ground beneath him. He made a noise that Favish would later compare to the sound a heart can make when it shatters.

"I know I don't have the right, but I came here in the off chance I'd be able to catch you. I'm sorry. It doesn't undo what I've done, but it wont happen again, not with you or with anybody."

Ray blinked at him through tear-filled eyes, conflicted. But the way Favish was talking so openly, the actual look and sound of regret….

"YOU!" Both men jumped as a loud yell echoed across the parking lot, which was mercifully deserted. It was Peter, glaring daggers at Favish.

He stormed over, grabbing Favish by the collar as the man tried to ward him off.

"To heck with the cops, I'm going to make you regret ever coming near-"

"Peter, wait!" Ray tugged at Peter's sleeve, not wanting him to get into trouble.

But Peter refused to meet his eyes, shaking his head "no Ray, I know you don't like to think the worst of people, but this- it's gotta be done-"

"Let me go, I'm not trying to hurt hm!" Favish bleated and Peter growled at him, eyes full of fury.

"Peter..." Ray put a hand on Peter's arm now, tilting his head so he could look Venkman in the eye "trust me, please?"

Peter did meet his eyes then, seen Ray's expression, seen the tears that'd already been shed and those threatening to fall. Fury bubbled up, how dare this guy make Ray cry like this?

"What did he do, Ray?" he said softly, looking at Ray's tired eyes "tell me."

"He hasn't done anything, I just-" Ray offered a smile that seemed to say 'it's just ME.', it was the best explanation he could do right now. He brushed his thumb along Peter's wrist, hoping Venkman would trust him the same way he'd done himself, last night, when he'd entrusted himself to Peter.

Reluctantly, Peter let go of Favish, dropping the guy on his ass. But he still stood protectively between Ray and Favish and took a deep breath as he faced his friend.

"OK Ray, explain why this guy deserves a stay of execution." he said as he used his sleeve to dry the dampness on his friend's face. A swift gesture, there and gone, but Favish seen the obvious care contained within it, seen the way Ray blushed gently…

As if sensing him watching them, Peter turned back to face him again, all gentleness vanishing from his face to be replaced by a steely and unforgiving front.

Ray sighed shakily, setting his hand on Peter's back, out of sight of Favish. He focused on the way the hair at the nape of Peters neck curled softly against his skin as he spoke.

"He came here to apologise, Peter."

"Oh, really?" Peter said tersely, although the warmth of Ray's hand could be felt through his shirt.

Favish nodded, he was legitimately nervous that Venkman was going to go crazy on him.

"I was jealous, Ray had everything I'd always thought I deserved. I realised the depth of the mistake I'd made after running out of the diner. My jealously wasn't worth seeing Ray so miserable-"

"It doesn't make up for what you tried to do!" Peter couldn't forgive the man as easily as Ray might. Not when someone he cared about was at the heart of it...

"No." Ray said shakily, gripping a handful of Peter's shirt to keep him from launching at Favish "you're right, it doesn't."

This assertiveness startled the other two, who both turned their gazes to him. Ray met Peter's eyes, seen the sheer strength of Venkman's belief in him and felt a little braver. He recalled what Peter had said about standing up for himself instead of enduring pain for the sake of another.

"The fact you can at least apologise, Alan, means you're not beyond forgiveness. But I don't know if I will ever fully trust you again, not for a long while. Maybe by the time I return here again, we can talk as friends, like we used to be."

Peter could feel the tremors in Ray's grip, this entire weekend had been hard on him and he just hoped that the time Ray had spent in his arms and his bed had been happy respites for the man. But he still was immensely proud of him, hearing those words that must've taken a lot to say.

Favish scrambled to his feet, tired and hungover but relieved. He'd at least said his piece to Stantz, now all he could do was try improve his life.

"Things'll be better when you come back Ray." he said, making Ray blink at him "I know I cant compete with Peter here, but I'll try to be the kind of guy you could've liked in another universe, perhaps."

Ray flushed slightly, genuinely surprised that he'd sparked this kind of determination. He met Favish's eyes and seen the man manage a much lighter smile. It seemed making such a decision was a load off for him too, so he offered a small smile in return.

"I look forward to it, Alan." he said kindly.

Peter stood stock still and watched as Favish headed off down the driveway, looking a little happier then before Peter had dropped him on his rear. Then he felt Ray's hand brush his arm again and snapped out of his daze, turning to see Stantz standing beside him now.

"You amaze me, Raymond." he murmured, shaking his head as he took in Ray's handsome features, "that heart of yours, it's too good for a rogue like me-"

But Ray stepped forward, placed himself before Peter and proceeded to shut him up with a peck on the lips, making Peter blush lightly at being caught off guard.

"Don't say that Peter," Ray said gently, rocking back on his heels and angling his head to meet Peter's gaze "you have a loyal heart, even if you do hide it from the world. I'm honoured I get to see it at its best."

"Ray.." Peter said huskily, floored by his words. He felt his cheeks burning and angled his head away, but it was impossible to stop.

Ray felt his heart ache as he seen Peter falter and blush profusely. It made him look absolutely gorgeous, this was the real Peter Venkman, with his barriers lowered.

Peter looked back at Ray as he felt warm fingertips graze his cheek, coming to rest under his chin. His breath caught in his throat as Ray met his eyes, the sweetest smile in the world gracing the red-head's lips.

Ray made a contented little noise as Peter kissed him fiercely, there was so much unspoken in those few seconds. For a moment the world shrank to just them, sharing a kiss beside the hire car, the warm sunshine filtering through the trees to decorate the tarmac at their feet. He felt his lips tingle from the passion behind the kiss, heart thudding giddily as Peter released him. It brought back flashbacks of last night, feeling those lips roaming over his body, blazing a trail of attention from his neck to the inside of his thighs…

The way Peter looked at him as they finally parted, the way his hands rested at Ray's waist, tangling his fingers in the loops of Ray's belt, it said many things without a single word being spoken between them.

"Let's go home." Peter murmured, breathing in the scent of Ray's hair. If a person could be an addiction, Ray was it.


They got into the car and set off for home. As they left the town, Ray craned round in his seat and watched his old hometown vanish into the distance.

He sighed heavily, wondering if he'd ever go back?

"Don't fret about it." Peter said, reading his mind as he drove. Ray flushed, fingers tangling together in his lap as he glanced at Peter, nodding once.

Despite all that'd gone on, it was still the best visit ever. The evidence was sitting in the seat next to him, flashing him a roguish grin and tracing a finger up Ray's leg as the car idled at a light.

He said as such to Peter, who smiled, promising Ray he'd make many more memories soon. The seductive implications in Peter's voice made Rays heart pick up speed, the excitement and thrill of their relationship a thing worth working for…


Authors note: That's the end of THIS story, but i will be adding more for these two. I'm already in the process of correcting the next one. Thank you for reading!