Ray felt sick. This whole drawing thing was a load of bullshit; Ray couldn't draw Fraser anymore than he could win a gold medal in the pool, he was way too nervous to concentrate on what he was doing.

Feverishly, Ray hoped that something would come to him—anything, that he could tell Fraser. How did you tell your best friend something like that? Despite Ray's best efforts to buy some time, the drawing progressed continuously. At some point, even Ray had to concede that there wasn't much he could add.

Ray swallowed. His hands were all clammy. Ray rubbed them against his jeans as surreptitiously as he could. He needed more time.

"Uh, I'll just—I'll work some more on the shadows. You could, uh, you want a tea or anything?" Lame, God, he was so lame.

"Thank you kindly, Ray. I'm fine. You said I could take a look at your work once it's finished," Fraser gestured towards the folder filled with Ray's drawings that was lying on the coffee table.

He had said that Fraser could look once he was finished. Fraser probably wouldn't be angry if the drawings weren't up to his standards. At the very least it would give Ray a bit more time to come up with a master plan. Any kind of plan, really.

"Sure, knock yourself out." It didn't matter anymore what Fraser might be able to learn from the drawings. Ray would put it all on the line. Because Fraser needed honesty like other people needed air.

Ray smudged a little over the lines in his drawing, not really seeing what he was doing. He needed something to tell Fraser. He couldn't just say 'you know how I'm just a little in love with you? Yeah? Don't worry about it'. Ray felt hysterical laughter bubble up inside of him.

Fraser's startled gasp pulled him out of his musings.

"These are very good, Ray," Fraser murmured, staring transfixed at the drawing in his hands.

"You think so?" Ray asked distracted, feeling all kinds of sick, nervous, scared, and about to throw up.

"Yes, although…" Fraser's lips stretched into a crooked smile, "you might have been a bit generous with certain… proportions."

There was something odd in Fraser's voice, like a catch or something. Confused, Ray held out his hand and wiggled his fingers. "Which have ya got?"

Fraser looked straight at Ray before he handed him the picture.

The drawing showed… Fraser… naked… on Ray's very own kitchen chair… fingers curled around an erection…

All color drained from Ray's face.

"Shit!" Ray looked wildly around the room. "Fraser, this isn't what you think—" Ray's bloodless lips intoned but he couldn't hear the words coming out. All he could hear was a panicked chant of ohpleasenonononono. "It's just— I got these— these thoughts… about you," Ray stuttered, watching helplessly as his friendship with Fraser went down the drain.

"And I—it's more than—" Ray sighed and ran a hand through his hair in a distressed gesture. "We're friends, right? And I—kind of think more of you than just a friend," Ray took a nervous breath, "I mean not that 'just friends' is anything to sneeze at—'just friends' is greatness and I—"

"RAY!" Fraser must have been saying it for a while now. He looked exasperated but there was still a smile on his face and in none of Ray's scenarios had Fraser ever smiled when he had told him. Well, not in the realistic ones anyway.

"I know. And I understand."

Ray wanted to cry.

"No, Fraser, you don't. This is not standard procedure, okay? This is not normal, buddy-like at all, okay? What I—" Ray faltered nervously for a second before he found enough steam to keep going, "What I feel for you is—hell, I wanna do all kinds of things to you that ain't polite, Fraser. You hear me? I—that's not buddies."

"I assure you, Ray, I do understand." Fraser's smile was gentle. "I think I've known from the second session I've sat for your class."

"The—the second session?" Ray stuttered confused, feeling as if his whole world had tilted on its axis, tumbling him into some kind of parallel universe.

Fraser relaxed a little more into the couch and Ray wanted to laugh because Ray had never been less relaxed and how could Fraser just sit there on his couch after he had seen what kind of pictures Ray had drawn of him.

"I felt that you had been distancing yourself for a while and I had come to the conclusion that this was your way of letting me know that my affections were unwanted—"

"You—you're affections?" Ray stumbled over the words. Could he sound any more like a brain-damaged person? Fraser had affections? For him?

Fraser looked up at Ray again and smiled a tiny, glowing smile. "Yes, Ray. My affections for you. And I tried to accommodate your discomfort by keeping our relationship as professional as I could."

So that was why— Ray felt a landslide of realizations coming his way.

"However, after your – very wordy and repetitive, I might add – protests that my having sat as a model for your class did not make you uncomfortable, I suspected that your distance to me had a different cause." Fraser's smile deepened a little. "You were really very expressive in your attempt to assuage my fear that my nakedness had embarrassed your masculinity."

Ray was gaping wordlessly at Fraser. The second session? That had been almost two months ago!

"After I allowed myself to watch you, I found reason after reason to believe that you were indeed similarly inclined and indeed trying to hold yourself back. Very much like I had been trying to do."

Fraser had seen right through him. Fraser had known. "Fraser—" Ray's voice broke at the end. Two syllables but a world of emotion behind them, too much to put into real words.

The smile on Fraser's lips turned wistful. "I had tried to let you know, but when you," Fraser looked at his hands folded in his lap and sighed – a small, unhappy sound, carefully disguised, "when you told me that you didn't want to risk our friendship, that our working relationship was too important to risk for something as fleeting as romance—"

Ray felt light-headed from all the different emotions waging war inside of him. Fraser had said 'romance' – had even been the first to put it into words – and yet, Fraser seemed to be saying no and when had Ray ever said anything like that to Fraser?

"Fraser, I—"

"No, it's alright Ray. I understand completely. I even admire your steadfastness in this point," Fraser smiled a little self-deprecatingly. "I don't think I could have reached that decision on my own volition. I have always been hopelessly hot-blooded when it came to matters of the heart," Fraser said very softly and Ray saw that shimmer of a dark shadow around Fraser's eyes again.

"I—Jesus, Fraser, I never—" Why did Fraser think he put work first? Why did he even think Ray could?

"I have to admit that it took me a while to see the wisdom behind that decision. As I said, I think it's a very sensible solution. Very admirable."

"Fraser, listen!" Ray almost shouted. It didn't come out as loud as he had intended, though. His voice sounded hoarse, scratchy with unexpressed emotions and Ray had to clear his throat twice before he could even produce another word. "I never said—"

Rrrrrrrrring – rrrrrrrrrrrrring – rrrrrrrrrrrring

The monotonous sound of Ray's mobile cut him off. Frustrated, Ray snarled and stalked with more force than necessary over to the kitchen table where he had discarded his jacket.

Ray pulled out his mobile and snapped "What?" at the unsuspecting caller.

Ray's face was the picture of frustration. "We'll be there in fifteen."

He turned around and looked at Fraser. There were a million things he wanted to say and not one involved the word 'Chinatown' but that was life for you, you never got to choose.

"Mrs. Wong's son has been seen approaching the alley. Huey and Dewey are covering the front. We're supposed to cover the back. He's not going to get away this time."

Fraser nodded and stood. Dief sprang to attention from underneath the kitchen table and Ray shrugged into his jacket.

At the door, Ray turned to Fraser. "We still need to talk. Let's get this job over and done with and then I gotta say my piece."

"Ray, you don't have to say anything—" Fraser started to say, but Ray cut him off.

"You bet I have. Later," Ray did a whole body gesture towards the door and they headed out. Ray flattened the accelerator and the GTO roared to life.

They arrived in the street running along the back of the shop, almost to the second, 15 minutes later. Ray called Huey to get an update on the situation.

Half a minute later, Ray snapped his mobile shut again. "We're in deep trouble. The guy isn't stupid. Huey and Dewey went in but before they could even identify themselves the guy had thrown something and caught Dewey right in the chest. Huey said it was some kinda stink that caused nasty blisters, must be itching like hell. But he's otherwise unharmed. And it bought the Chinese guy enough time to get away." Ray sighed. Nothing in his life could ever be simple.

"The guy bolted the door to his little sanctuary and Huey has no idea if he's still in there. If he isn't, he hasn't left it through the front door 'cause Huey's still stationed in front of it. He called someone to take care of the lock, but they're not here yet. Any ideas?"

Fraser had listened carefully and was looking around the almost deserted street with an assessing eye. "I don't think our suspect left himself without any chance of escape. This means there must either be another door, leading into another part of the house, or the room must be equipped with an exit that leads out to the street."

"Fraser, I don't remember seeing anymore doors in that room. Sure it was cluttered, but a door? Kinda hard to miss."

Fraser's gaze locked itself to the metal lid leading down to the sewers.

"Oh, you got to be kidding me!" Ray groaned revolted.

"No, I am not proposing that he left through the sewers," Fraser said with a small smile and Ray breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was merely thinking there might have been a door leading to a cellar."

"Like a trapdoor?"

"Possibly. Old houses, especially in an area like Chinatown, often possessed a maze-like tunnel system."

"You think there might be a second exit."

"Yes," Fraser admitted. "It's a shot in the dark but at the moment I think it's our best bet."

Ray nodded. "Okay, so how do we know where the other exit might be? Could be anywhere."

"Not at all, you see, the sewers run parallel to Wentworth Avenue, enclosing this alley to the east which only leaves—"

"Do I wanna know why you have the frikkin' map of the Chicago sewers memorized?" Ray asked incredulous.

"Ah," Fraser flicked a thumb over his eyebrow. "You'd probably prefer not to."

"Okay, alright. So where do we look for this rabbit hole?"

Fraser studied the area for a moment before he set off to the north of the building. "I read an interesting article about the Chicago Tunnel Company a while ago. They built a narrow railway system underneath the city of Chicago in 1899. And even though the tunnels suffered some serious flooding over the years, they are still in use."

Ray was jogging along, trying to keep up with Fraser. He shrugged. "Uh, thanks for the history lesson Frase. And I wanna know this why?"

Fraser looked back at Ray with a teasing smile on his lips. "A lot of shops were connected to that tunnel system. Quite a number didn't even know it until the water seeped in when the tunnel was flooded. And if I remember the map correctly, the nearest entrance around here should be just around the corner underneath the building from that telecommunication company."

"Fraser, you're brilliant."

"Thank you, Ray."

Ray was still cackling gleefully every time he thought of the moment their suspect crashed out of the building only to run smack into them less than five minutes after Ray and Fraser had taken up position.

While Ray Mirandized the guy, Fraser picked up the small metal box the guy had dropped in his haste to get away from Dief. Inside was a honey-blond lock. Exactly the same color as Grace Lawe's hair.

Ray called Huey to let them know that they got their man and then got a blue-and-white to pick up the young Mr. Wong.

"Let's get outta here," Ray offered and Fraser nodded.

Back in the car, the memory of what had happened between Fraser and him finally crashed into Ray. He sneaked a glance over while driving. Fraser had affections for him. That meant he wanted to kiss Ray, right? Or even more than kiss.

"Ray! It's red."

Ray stepped onto the brakes a little harder than necessary. "I know, I know," Ray said but he didn't sound as casual as he would have liked.

Why did Fraser think that Ray wanted to remain just friends and partners? When the fuck did they have this particular conversation? Ray hadn't been drunk lately – and even if he had, chances were good that he would have molested Fraser rather than proposed staying professional.

The driveway in front of Ray's apartment came into view faster than Ray had expected. He pulled into his parking space and killed the engine. It had been presumptuous to take Fraser back with him without asking, but he couldn't have asked, so here they were.

Ray turned around in his seat, about to ask "come up and talk" when he saw Fraser's face. Inviting lips, petal soft, the dark brows pulled down in confusion above deep blue eyes. Ray opened his mouth to say his line but instead of asking, Ray closed the distance and pressed his mouth to Fraser's. Ray slipped his tongue inside, slick, wet— oh God. Hot. Hot. Hot. Ray feasted on Fraser's lips. More— he needed more.

Fraser broke away, gasping for breath. "Ray, you wanted to keep this professional," Fraser panted, confused and aroused at the same time. Ray shivered.

"No," Ray closed the distance again and pulled Fraser's mouth close again. "Hell, no," Ray murmured before he claimed Fraser's lips. "I'm going crazy here," Ray mumbled.

"That's— hardly sensible," Fraser groaned against Ray's lips.

"Fuck sensible," Ray snarled and threaded his fingers in Fraser's hair.

Fraser moaned, like he was breaking apart, and Ray felt hot and cold all over.

"Come home with me, come upstairs?" Ray gasped, brushing his lips against Fraser's.

"Yes, I— yes," Fraser murmured, blindly following Ray's lips until he could taste them again.

Ray pulled Fraser even closer, hands scrabbling on the wool of his serge. "Let's— let's get out of here," Ray panted breathlessly.

Fraser nodded mutely.

The way up to Ray's apartment took ages but Ray couldn't stop touching Fraser and Fraser seemed to have a similar problem. Dief produced a sound that was half snort and half whine and Ray jerked and shook himself a little, a shrug like a fighter getting ready for the next round.

"Jesus, yeah, sorry mutt." Ray's fingers left Fraser's hand for a moment to search for his keys. Shaking, and Fraser must have noticed it too, that Ray's hands weren't steady when he pushed the key into the lock to open the door. But Fraser didn't say anything, just continued to look dazed.

With a definite whine this time, Dief pushed past Ray to hide in the kitchen. Ray grinned. "Smart wolf, I owe ya a doughnut. Promise."

Ray turned around and found Fraser looking at him as if he had never seen him before, a look of such profound longing on his face that it halted Ray's initial urge to just pounce on the guy.

Deliberately, Ray stepped closer until they were almost touching. He reached out and traced a warm line over the back of Fraser's hand. Fraser took in a startled breath and Ray smiled; a short, fierce flash on his handsome face.

Ray's hand trailed up Fraser's arm, as if he was following a line no one but him could see. His fingertip skimmed softly over the tender skin right above the collar of Fraser's serge. His hand came to rest on the first button of the tunic.

Ray looked up from the resting place of his fingers and met Fraser's gaze. Fraser looked terrified. Ray smiled gently.

"Is that alright?" Ray asked quietly.

Fraser nodded jerkily. "Yes, oh God, yes."

Ray grinned cheekily. Carefully, Ray unbuckled the Sam Browne. He had dreamt of undressing Fraser, had spent nights doing it. He pulled at the velcro straps keeping the serge together. Ray watched the folds of fabric gaping open, revealing the henley beneath it.

Ray's fingers sneaked inside and Fraser shivered ever so slightly. Reverently, Ray pushed the tunic off Fraser's shoulders. He turned around and hung it carefully on the back of the door. When he was facing Fraser again, he saw Fraser swallowing hard.

Ray's fingers stretched the suspenders taut over Fraser's shirt.

"Mmh," the sound never left Fraser's lips. Ray smirked and pulled the suspenders down. Warm hands found their way underneath the henley, discovering equally warm skin.

"Ray," Fraser breathed his name.

"I know," Ray murmured, fingers memorizing every inch. Testing the texture, smoothing over Fraser's back, lightly skimming down his front until the waistband of the jodhpurs stopped him.

He pulled on the shirt, pulling it over Fraser's head and Ray couldn't stop staring. Weeks, he'd spent weeks watching this body, the rise and fall of Fraser's chest, imagining how his skin would feel. Carefully, Ray placed his hand on Fraser's chest, splaying his fingers wide. Fraser's heart was racing. His skin was warm.

"Frase," Ray whispered against Fraser's skin, bent down to press his lips to Fraser's chest.

A moan was torn from Fraser's throat and suddenly warm hands, big hands, were reaching for Ray's sweater, crumpling the soft material between strong fingers before wrestling it over Ray's head. Ray was laughing quietly when he surfaced again underneath the fabric.

Eagerly, almost clumsily, Fraser went for Ray's t-shirt next. And then they were both standing half-naked in front of each other, breathing a little heavily.

"Boots," Ray croaked.

Fraser's scary efficiency came to the front again in the speed with which he got off his boots.

Fraser straightened again, looking flushed and nervous, but for once Ray wasn't nervous. Ray had spent hours imagining this; his body already seemed to know every curve of Fraser's body – his fingers had even followed every line of it, for weeks, in the safe confines of his sketchbook.

With a saucy grin, Ray placed his hand on Fraser's chest again and took a determined step forward. Fraser let himself be pushed back. And another step. And one more. Until they were right inside of Ray's bedroom, until Fraser's knees hit the edge of the bed.

The sun was already setting, bathing Fraser's shoulder in a fiery orange glow, Fraser's whole right side was gleaming golden in the evening light and Ray felt his heart jump in his chest.

Suddenly desperate for contact, needing the confirmation that Fraser was touchable, that Ray could feel him right underneath his fingers, Ray lunged forward and slung his arms around Fraser again, pressing him close, going at him with lips and tongue, his chest rubbing against Fraser's.

"Ray, Ray, Ray." Fraser was murmuring between kisses, arms wrapped tightly around Ray— and this was something Ray hadn't been prepared for, to ever be engulfed in a Fraser embrace. Ray inhaled deeply, smelling shampoo and neatsfoot oil and a bit of leather.

Fraser overbalanced, tumbling them both onto the bed. And close wasn't close enough anymore. Ray was covering every inch of Fraser's body he could reach with his own. His hands closed around Fraser's shoulders, delighted by the way his fingers had to stretch around the flesh – real and solid – and with his weight, he pressed Fraser further into the mattress.

"I've thought about touching you," Ray breathed heatedly against Fraser's collarbone. "Every time I did a drawing of you, I imagined I was touching you," Ray murmured, ghosting his fingers over Fraser's naked chest.

And Fraser was moaning, small, little gasps in between Ray's name and Ray had to kiss him again, steal his name right off Fraser's tongue, the friction of skin on skin almost unbearable in its realness.

"Fraser—I need—naked," Ray gasped against Fraser's lips, his hips rubbing against Fraser's groin in an involuntary undulation.

"Yes, oh, please," Fraser murmured, fingers still buried in Ray's hair and Ray groaned. He had wanted this – maybe too much – and if he wasn't careful it would all be over in a matter of seconds.

Ray pulled his mouth away, pressing his face close against Fraser's cheek, panting into his ear and trying to slow the rapid beating of his heart.

"Fraser, Jesus," Ray muttered, trying to catch his breath.

Reluctantly, Ray pulled away. Fraser's face was flushed, the blue eyes dark, his lips the tiniest bit wet. Mesmerized, Ray reached out and trailed a finger along Fraser's bottom lip. Fraser exhaled a shuddering breath, warm moisture condensing on Ray's skin. Before Ray could lift his finger away, Fraser's tongue flicked out, tasting Ray.

Ray moaned brokenly. "You have—you have no idea, Frase…" Ray pressed a sweet, off-kilter kiss to the corner of Fraser's mouth.

Ray finally pulled away and bent down to unfasten Fraser's pants. God, how often had he thought about getting Fraser out of these pants? Ray peeled them off, but before he could set to work on Fraser's boxers, a pair of hands on his own fly stopped him.

Ray followed those hands and looked into Fraser's heated gaze. "Now you." Fraser's voice was so low it sent a shiver down Ray's spine. Ray grinned wickedly and shrugged out of his jeans, pulling his boxer briefs off along with them. Ray didn't even have time to throw his clothes to the floor before Fraser's fingers reached for him again. God, Fraser's body was hot, burning up from the inside, and all that heat was now pressed flush against Ray's naked body.

Fraser's hot tongue in his mouth, hot hands keeping him pinned down, hot legs trapping his own to either side and— oh yeah, hot erection hidden in those boxers. Ray groaned into the kiss, letting Fraser take whatever he wanted from him. His hands scrabbled for purchase, gripping the waistband of Fraser's boxers and pushing, pushing them down as far as his hands could reach.

And then Fraser finally got with the program and helped getting rid of the cursed fabric.

"Oh god," Ray groaned as Fraser's cock brushed against his and Fraser's hip picked up the rhythm easily—and who would've thought that the Mountie could dance after all?

Fraser's tongue painted a hot trail along Ray's throat and Ray heard him whispering, "Ray. Ray. Ray," his name, over and over again like a prayer or a curse and Ray wanted to give him whatever it was he was asking for.

"Yeah, Frase, me. You got me," breathless and half crazy with finally getting what he had wanted forever and Fraser was still moving against him and making those needy noises and maybe Ray was about to fall apart into a million pieces – bye bye Kowalski, it's been real – but Ray just couldn't care because this was Fraser and he had never wanted anything as much as he wanted this man, right now, any way he could have him.

And Ray hadn't realized - had been so far gone - that he hadn't heard how he was saying "please" over and over until Fraser whispered hotly in his ear, murmuring "show me how" and it should have been illegal that Fraser embarrassed should be so freaking hot.

Ray looked at Fraser and met those blue eyes, aroused and helpless and all for him, not holding anything back, and Ray swallowed and licked suddenly dry lips before he reached for Fraser's hand and wrapped it around his aching cock. Fraser's grip was tight and Ray bucked into his fist, moaning but still not looking away and Fraser was biting his lip and he moved his hand again, pulling Ray's hip off the bed with another wave of sharp pleasure and Ray just rolled with it.

Gasping Fraser's name, Ray pulled him close, stretching up to meet his lips and Fraser's hand twisted a little and Ray groaned into the kiss, wet, wet everywhere and Fraser's tongue everywhere and Ray had never felt more lost than in this very moment, never more lost and painfully in love and yet never more clear of anything than right now, here with Fraser.

"Fuck," Ray moaned, pushing his hip up, into the circle of Fraser's fist and Ray felt himself shake, completely falling apart and maybe he would shatter beyond the point of no return but Ray would give all of that and more.

"Please, Ray," Fraser was panting hotly against his throat and Ray was amazed that Fraser should ask Ray for something when it was so painfully obvious that Ray was his for the taking, that there was absolutely nothing Ray could deny him. And still, Fraser was murmuring please and yes and so beautiful into Ray's skin and Ray pushed hard into Fraser's hand, teeth gnashing, his hands curling tight around Fraser's upper arms.

"Ah! Fraser!" and Ray came, seeing nothing but white. The pleasure so acute it might have been pain but Ray didn't care, Ray was just along for the ride. Coming his brains out as if this was his last chance in life— and maybe it was, his heart was hammering fast enough to just give up any moment. But there was Fraser, holding him close, murmuring into his hair, arms stroking over his chest, his arms, his stomach.

"Ray," and there was an urgency in Fraser's voice that Ray had never heard before, had maybe dreamt about, maybe a bit too often to be called sane.

Ray opened his eyes again and found Fraser pressed close, erection insistently pushing against Ray's hip, and Fraser's face lost in a sea of want and need.

But Ray was still pinned half-underneath one very solid Mountie and Fraser seemed to have his own program going. Ray had to grin a little at that because Fraser never went for the things he wanted, but using Ray's body seemed fair game and Ray felt as if he should list that as one of his talents in the future: able to make Fraser lose it – and how hot was that?

Ray's hands roamed over Fraser's chest, clever fingers found his nipples and Ray pinched them, glorying in Fraser's startled moan and the way his face went slack. Ray did it again, straining his neck to catch the little nub between his lips. He flicked his tongue out, lazily sucking it into his mouth, only to release it again to the cold air a moment later. Fraser's choked-off sob was probably the hottest thing Ray had ever heard.

The muscles in Fraser's arm were shaking and Ray bit down lightly on the tender flesh again, nudging it with his tongue. "Oh. Oh god," Fraser moaned, arms almost buckling under his own weight and Ray pushed, shoving Fraser onto his back to have more room.

Ray tangled his own legs with Fraser's and lavished some more attention on Fraser's nipples. Maybe all that wool was making them hyper-sensitive, yeah, maybe Fraser was in a slightly aroused state all day. Ray swallowed. He hoped he would have more time than this once to test that theory. The need to make the most of this, of claiming Fraser, of imprinting his touch was almost too much to bear.

Ray took a quick breath in and released it as slowly as he could. His hand crept down, stroking over the length of Fraser's erection before his fingers closed around it.

"Ah—" Fraser's hips snapped up and Ray watched the flush spread over Fraser's chest. Beautiful.

Transfixed, Ray watched his hand moving on Fraser's cock. It didn't take more than a few pulls before Fraser's thigh started to quiver. "Ray— I— please—"

Reluctantly, Ray released his prize, drawing a whimper from Fraser. Ray lifted his hand to his lips and put two fingers into his mouth, wetting them down. Ray pulled them out again, now glistening with moisture. Slowly, Ray reached between Fraser's legs, spreading spit over Fraser's hole.

Fraser gasped, muscles drawing tight, and Ray bent down to taste one of his nipples again. "Shh, I got you," Ray murmured. Ray pushed in. Giving Fraser time to adjust to the unfamiliar intrusion.

Fraser's ragged breathing was loud in the room. Ray continued to draw lazy circles on Fraser's chest with his tongue. When his fingers were all the way inside, Ray stretched them slowly, spreading them. Fraser groaned and pushed back a little.

"Yeah, god, you're so hot Fraser. Wanted to be inside of you... forever..." Ray murmured, a touch of wonder in his voice.

Slowly, Ray withdrew his fingers before pushing them back in. Fraser's hip picked up the movement, rolling up to meet him and Ray pushed in harder than intended— "Yes," Fraser moaned, biting his lip and Ray saw a drop of clear fluid welling up at the tip of Fraser's cock. Carefully, he lowered his head, sneaking his tongue out to lap it up.

"Ray!" Fraser's fingers were gripping him as if he didn't know whether to pull him close or keep him away and Ray gave Fraser's cock another experimental flick of his tongue. "Oh god," Fraser whispered, pushing harder back onto Ray's fingers.

Ray opened his mouth a little wider, letting the head slip in, his tongue brushing against the underside. Fraser was reduced to wordless noises, begging with his body for what his lips had no words.

Daring, Ray pressed a third finger against Fraser's entrance and heard a startled "Oh" before warm fluid flooded his mouth, Fraser's whole body quivering underneath him and gripping his fingers like a vise.

Fraser was panting heavily, limbs still jerking now and again with aftershocks and Ray looked stunned. He had done this. He'd undone Fraser. Tenderly, Ray reached up to smooth his fingers through Fraser's hair, moving closer to him and rubbing his leg lazily up and down against Fraser's. Ray's hand settled over Fraser's heart.

"You okay?" Ray asked quietly, feeling foolish for asking such a dumb question after the guy had just blown a fuse and yet he needed to know.

Fraser chuckled breathlessly. Blue eyes opened slowly and gazed warmly at Ray. "Yes," a simple word but spoken with such reverence that Ray felt a smile tugging at his lips.

Ray settled down beside Fraser again, drawing patterns over Fraser's skin. The room was almost dark now, it was mainly filled with the artificial light coming in from the street.

"What made you change your mind?" Fraser asked quietly after a while. "About us."

Ray was shaking his head. "Didn't change nothing. Why'd you think I didn't want this?"

Fraser rubbed his eyebrow. "I don't understand, Ray. The analogy of your relationship with Ms. Kowalski was quite clear. You learned the hard way that work and love should be kept apart."

"Analo-whatsit?" Ray asked incredulous. "Fraser, I wasn't making a comparison. I was trying to tell you that Stella and me were done. Have been for a while."

"Oh." Fraser sounded crestfallen.

"Yeah, oh." Ray agreed dryly. They were quiet for a moment.

"So... love, huh?" Ray asked, wincing at his bad style. He held his breath. He was sure his heart had stopped beating.

"Yes," Fraser took a deep breath and made himself say the rest of the sentence, "only if you want to, though. We don't have to—"

"I want," Ray cut him off before Fraser had to finish that sentence. "Jesus, Fraser..." Ray ruffled his hair in a nervous gesture. "I— I mean, I've probably been in love with you forever. I— I want, Fraser."

"Mmrph—" Ray protested when Fraser invaded his mouth the quick and dirty way, taking no prisoners. Fraser probably didn't have a permit for that tongue, either.

Ray relaxed against Fraser's body, pulling him even closer. This was greatness.