Quick addition of the disclaimer I forgot last time.
Not mine, don't get any money for this.
And a big thanks to General Kunama for the beta.
"Ok, that's it Frase. Quit screwin' around and just tell me. Why the hell are you still here?"
It had been almost four months since they came back from the great frozen North and Ray'd had enough of Fraser and his dead eyes, following him round Chicago trying to make out like everything was normal.
"Excuse me?"
Oh, that was just stupid. No way was he getting away with the innocent Mountie act this time, no way. After four months of dead eyes and depressing country music, he was going to try and act as if nothing was wrong? Again. Not happening. This time Ray was going to get a straight answer.
"You heard me! Why'd you come back to Chicago? You coulda gone anywhere, had your pick of hundreds of miles of snow. You picked a big, smelly city? I don't think so. Spill, why you still here?"
He's got that look again, that I'm-not-telling-so-don't-even-try look. Ray has seen that look far too often recently and he is so not in the mood for it now. Not ever again, if he's completely honest with himself, and he's always been that, well except for those last few months with Stella... No, it's about time he got Fraser to spit it out.
"Don't look at me like that Fraser. That just ain't buddies, ya hear me? Come on, talk to me here. Gimme some kinda clue."
He's doing the Eyebrow Rub now, so not a good sign. Any minute now he's gonna... Yup, there it is the tongue flick. He's seriously rattled. About damn time too! Maybe I might get some details finally.
"Really Ray, I have no idea what you're talking about. I came back to Chicago because I have friends here."
Huh, yeah right. That's it. Like Ray's gonna believe that. Time to jump back in and take this conversation back where it should be.
"Nuh uh. Don't even try that one. You got friends up in the big Freezerland too."
He's doing the Eyebrow Rub again, he's cracking. Just gotta wait it out now. Fraser's not the only one that can do silence after all. I'll just sit here on my nice comfy couch and wait for him to spill. Shouldn't take too long. Yup, there's the tongue and he's got his hat in his hands now. Just a little longer. Oh come on, the hat's not that interesting! Get on with it already. Jeeze! How hard can it be?
"Alright fine! You want the truth!"
See, Ray knew it'd just be a matter of time till Fraser cracked. Didn't realize how much time, but that's neither here nor there. Wow, he's pacing and everything. That's normally Ray's thing. Fraser's supposed to be the strong silent one. Although given that's what the problem is, maybe the pacing's a good sign?
"Yeah, the truth would be nice round about now."
Fraser looked kinda angry now, which wasn't something that sat well on him. Again, that was more Ray than Fraser. In fact, his whole attitude tonight was completely off.
"Fine! Truth is I don't know where the hell I want to be!"
Well that was a bit of a shock. Ray didn't think he'd ever really heard Fraser that angry, or swear for that matter. Even as he thought it though, Ray could see Fraser's anger collapsing under the weight of something else.
"I'm just so tired. Tired of not fitting in, of being the outsider. I had this picture in my head, of home. At least, what I wanted home to be. Our adventure just reminded me that it was nothing like what I'd pictured. I just don't fit."
Oh. Oh hell. Ray hadn't even seen that one coming. What could he say to that?
"Hey, Frase, buddy. You fit here. Really. I mean ok, the licking things, the sniffing, and the long words can get slightly weird, but I wouldn't change it for anything. No, seriously! Oh, don't look at me like that! You know what I mean."
And that was it. That was the truth of it. Fraser always seemed to know what Ray meant, even if he wasn't so good at all that wordy stuff. Fraser just seemed to get him. Nothing more needed saying 'cause they had this partners thing going and it didn't need words. It just was.