For Fraser

[r_vecchio]

Ray pulled up outside the Consulate, slamming on the brakes. He’d spent most of the morning arguing with Al over the price of the work needed for the Riv and had ended up paying a hundred dollars on top just so he could get his hands on the keys today. It’d been worth it though, she ran like a dream. He didn’t know why, but being behind the wheel made Ray feel great. He was Vecchio again, he was in Chicago and had his Riv. Three things he’d been missing for too long. The fourth was sitting in the Consulate, probably arguing with the Dragon Lady over some weird Canadian thing, like whether the Queen would appreciate a mint on her pillow should she ever decide to visit Chicago. Which was kind of stupid, Ray thought, since he was pretty sure there was a British Embassy in the city somewhere so surely she would stay there.

He was stalling, he knew this. Finally, finally he would be seeing Fraser again. They were going for lunch, like they had done a million times before but this was different. So much had changed for both of them and the last time they were together, Ray was lying in a hospital bed drugged up to his eyeballs. He can’t expect to simply walk in and everything to be the same, to go back to how it used to be, no matter how much Ray wished.

Turning off the engine, he sat in the car for a few minutes and stared at the building. It would be okay, Fraser was his best friend. He could do this. Ray looked at his watch. He was a early and Fraser had said he has lunch at one. Okay, not too early. Grabbing the keys, he shoved open the door and pulled his jacket tighter around him. Only November and already feeling like winter. As he walked up the steps, he couldn’t help grinning at Turnbull, all dressed up in his pristine Mountie costume, standing to attention out in the cold. Nodding at him with a ‘What’s up?’ he reached the door and pushed it open. There’s nothing better than normality. He stuck his head through before his body followed and yelled, “Fraser?!”

Comments

[fraser-rcmp.livejournal.com]

Fraser would have disagreed with Ray's opinion of his behavior if it hadn't been for the fact that he completely agreed. Disagreeing would have been a lie, agreeing probably wouldn't help the situation any, so, he decides silence is the best solution. At the very least, it's the one that results in the least amount of arguing.

So, Ray was angry with him. That wasn't really anything all that new to him, but at least all those other times had been...somewhat justified. Usually it had something to do with Fraser being annoying or risking their lives in insane ways or being annoying while risking their lives in insane ways. But this wasn't anything like that. This was Ray making himself feel as though he'd been replaced or bumped down a spot or whatever the case was because, honestly, Fraser still didn't understand it entirely.

Ray had always been his best friend and that wasn't going to change in Fraser's mind. It was that simple. At least, it was to him. But apparently Ray was less than confident of the fact.

Rubbing the back of his neck again, Fraser pushed away from the wall and signed. "You're my friend, Ray, my best friend. That's what you were before you went undercover and that's what you are now. Ray...the other Ray, hasn't seized ownership of that title in your absence. It's not a winner-by-default type of thing."

[r-vecchio.livejournal.com]

Ray blinked dumbly at Fraser. Had he just said all that stuff out loud? Everything about feeling shafted and stupid and calling Kowalski a Polack? …Fraser didn’t look annoyed though…he kind of looked tired, but sincere. And he’d just answered one of Ray’s vital questions without him even having to ask it. Maybe knowing that Fraser still thought of him as his best friend meant he didn’t really need to ask anything else.

“Really?” His grin was somewhat childish. Hearing him say it reminded Ray of the first time Fraser had told him that. It had surprised him then and to be honest, it surprised him now. Not because he thought Fraser was lying or anything, but purely because of the way Ray has been acting. That was not how best friends were supposed to act. At all. So if Fraser had turned around and told him the complete opposite, he figured he wouldn’t be able to blame the guy.

“I mean, yeah,” he cleared his throat, “okay.” He waited a moment before swinging his shoulder towards Fraser, feeling a little embarrassed. “You’re my best friend too, Benny.”

Fraser had been Ray’s best friend way before he’d gone undercover. In fact, pretty much as soon as they’d starting working together and hanging out, when he’d first arrived in Chicago. And he was sure as hell still Ray’s best friend now so when he thought about it that way, nothing between them had actually changed. Which was probably what Fraser had been trying to say.

Ray had the strangest urge to bang his head repeatedly against the washroom wall.

“Uh, so…” He grimaced. Great, everyone had heard him shouting so there was no way they could eat there now. He slung an arm around Fraser’s shoulder. “You wanna find someplace else to grab lunch?”