RATED NC17
Jeannie and I were having a discussion about "Pizza and Promises" a few weeks ago, and from that discussion a plot bunny was born. So thank you Jeannie, for the inspiration.
Alliance legally owns these characters, and no offense or copyright infringement is intended. This story is written for entertainment purposes only, and no profit will be made.
DROWNING
He had to find Ray. He had to get to him and save him. He never should have let him get in the trunk of that car. It had been a stupid, dangerous idea. Why had he agreed to it?
He swam through the dark, murky water, looking frantically for the car. It should be there. It should be there, right in front of him. Why couldn't he find it?
His lungs burning, he was forced to go to the surface, where he gasped in a lungful of air before diving back into the water. Swimming towards the bottom once again, he looked for the car. Why couldn't he find it? Where was it? Where was Ray?
He had to find him. Ray was counting on him. He couldn't let him down. He continued swimming frantically through the water, looking for the car, looking for Ray, ignoring the desperate burning in his own lungs.
Finally he was forced once again to swim for the surface. He didn't quite make it in time, and he inhaled water and broke the surface gasping and coughing and panting.
Why couldn't he find him? Ray was counting on him. Ray needed him, and he was letting him down. He needed to make another dive, but he couldn't catch his breath. He couldn't breathe. Ray. Ray...
"Benny? Benny!"
With a strangled gasp, Ben sat up and looked around him, panicked. He was in bed. He was in his bed, and he was safe and dry and warm. And so was Ray. Ray was there next to him. Safe, alive. He had a firm hold of Ben's shoulders, and he was looking into his face, and he looked scared.
"Benny?"
"Ray?"
He was still gasping for breath, and he was shaking. He was pulled into an embrace, his head resting on Ray's shoulder, Ray's arms wrapped tightly around him as he rocked him gently.
"It's okay, Benny," Ray whispered. "It's all right. You were having a nightmare. It's over now. You're okay, baby. You're safe. I've got you Benny, you're okay."
Gradually his heartbeat and breathing returned to normal and his shaking lessened and stopped; and he slowly let go of his terror as Ray's words and his caresses comforted him.
Ray started to pull away, and Benny made a quiet noise of protest, tightening his arms around him. Ray pulled Benny close again, and ran a soothing hand over his back.
"That sounded like a really bad dream, Benny. What was it?"
Ben drew a shaky breath. "I... you..." He broke off, and started shaking again.
"It's all right Benny. I'm here. I've got you, and you're safe now. It was only a nightmare."
"A horrible nightmare," Ben said, his voice shaking. "I dreamt..."
"What, love?" Ray whispered.
"We were working the stolen car case, and you were in the trunk of that car, in the water. I was trying to find you, to save you, but I couldn't. I couldn't find you, I couldn't find the car. I tried and tried, but-" His voice broke and he couldn't continue.
Ray was rocking him again, and he placed a kiss on the top of Ben's head. "No baby. It was just a dream. I'm here. I'm right here."
Ben pulled away and looked at him, his eyes still huge and scared. "I couldn't save you."
"You did save me, Benny. You did." He brushed a hand through Benny's tousled hair and gave him a kiss. "You saved me from drowning, Benny. Again."
Ben looked at him in confusion. "Again?"
"Yes, Benny. Again."
Ben shook his head. "No, Ray, that was the only time-"
Ray gave Ben a sweet, sad smile. "No, Benny. You saved me before, and that time was probably more important."
Ben was still looking at him in confusion. "I don't understand, Ray."
"It was when you first met me. My life was going straight to hell. I was burned out on my job, my marriage had ended, nothing else was happening on the romance front, my family was bugging me. I felt like I didn't have anything anymore. Nothing that mattered, nothing to hold on to. I was drowning. Then I met you."
Ben gave him a look of wide-eyed surprise.
Ray smiled at him. "Don't give me that look, it's true. I met this idealistic Mountie, who still believed in justice, had faith in people, and saw the good in everyone. You even saw the good in me, for some reason."
"Ray, you are good."
"You see? You didn't see who everybody else saw- who I saw- you saw a man who might actually be worth something. You even saw my worst side, and you kept believing in me anyway.
"And after a while, I actually started to believe in that person, too. I wanted to live up to the image you had of me, Benny."
Ben shook his head. "You always were that person, Ray. You were just afraid to let him show, that's all."
"Oh Benny, that's not-"
Ben cut off his protest with a kiss. "Don't argue with me, Ray. It's the truth. Besides, don't you know? You did the exact same thing for me."
"Benny, you don't have to say that."
Ben looked at him, a mixture of amusement and sadness on his face. "I am not just saying it. It's the truth. When I met you, I was at the lowest point of my life.
"My only remaining family member had been killed, I was trying to find the person responsible, but being thwarted at every turn... and then when I did find out who did it-" Ben broke off and was silent for a minute.
"The sense of betrayal I felt when I found out that Gerard had murdered Dad- I didn't know how to deal with it. He was supposed to be Dad's friend. He was supposed to be my friend.
"And then when I arrested him and attempted to bring him to justice, I was scorned by the rest of the RCMP. They treated me as if I were the criminal. I came back to Chicago, and I had never felt more completely alone in my life."
"Oh, Benny," Ray whispered, running a hand over Ben's face.
"But I wasn't, Ray. You took me in, became my friend, shared your family with me, accepted me. You thought I was crazy sometimes, and I know I drove you up the wall, but you never tried to change me, never treated me with contempt; as others did.
"And even after I had betrayed you, after I treated you more horribly than I had ever treated anyone in my life, you still were my friend. You forgave me and stood by me. And somehow you even trusted me again."
"Benny, no, don't..."
"So as much as you think I may have saved you, Ray, you saved me even more. You saved me from loneliness, and you saved me from myself. And there is no way I can ever repay you for that."
"Benny," Ray said, suddenly having a hard time with his voice, "you don't need to repay me. I'm not keeping score."
Benny looked at him wordlessly, then leaned in for a kiss.
Ray closed his eyes and placed a hand on the back of Benny's head, pulling him even closer. Benny responded eagerly, slipping his tongue between Ray's lips and thoroughly exploring his lover's mouth.
Ray gently pushed Benny back onto the bed and laid down on top of him. After thoroughly kissing Benny, Ray pulled away slightly and smiled down into his face.
Benny smiled up at him and ran a finger slowly down Ray's face; and Ray bent down over Ben's chest and covered it with a series of light kisses.
As Ray continued his attentions to Benny's chest, Ben slid his hands over Ray's back and inside the elastic waistband of his sweatpants. He pushed the sweatpants down as far as he could, and Ray helped him out by kicking them the rest of the way off.
Ray then lay gently down on top of Benny, covering his lips with a kiss. Benny eagerly returned the kiss, moving his hands down to Ray's buttocks, pulling him as close as possible.
Ray slid his hands down Ben's sides to his waist, and he clumsily pushed the boxer shorts over Benny's hips and down his legs.
Ben kicked the boxers off as best he could; a task made more difficult by the fact that Ray was still lying on top of him. The boxer shorts wound up tangled around Ben's left ankle, but he barely even noticed.
He lifted his hips and gasped as his cock came into contact with Ray's. His hands tightened on Ray's buttocks, grabbing them, and he moaned softly as Ray began thrusting against him, rubbing their cocks together.
Ben lifted his hips to meet each of Ray's thrusts, and he moaned more loudly as Ray began sliding up and down Ben's body, creating a delicious friction between them. Above him, Ray was also gasping and moaning quietly, and this added to Benny's pleasure.
Ben slowly ran his hands from Ray's ass up his back then back down, and wrapped his arms around Ray's waist, clinging to him as wave after wave of pleasure and emotion washed over him.
Ray cried out sharply, and Benny felt the hotness of his lover's seed spatter across his chest and stomach. He gasped loudly and continued thrusting against Ray.
Above him, Ray was still gasping. "Come, Benny. Come for me."
Ben wanted to, he needed to, but he couldn't. He started moving more urgently against his lover. "Ray... sorry..."
Suddenly, Ray's hand had his cock in a firm grip, and was pumping it fiercely. With a loud cry, Benny came, then collapsed against the pillows. He was shaking almost as badly as he had been right after his nightmare.
Ray was draped limply over him, still breathing unsteadily, and Ben wrapped his arms around him, holding him close. He lay with his eyes closed, drifting for a while, then he felt a series of kisses play lightly over his face.
He opened his eyes and smiled into those beautiful green eyes so close to his, and placed a gentle kiss against Ray's lips. "Ray," he whispered.
Ray settled back against him, his head nestled on Ben's shoulder, and they lay quietly for a few minutes. Eventually, Ray stirred and started to get out of the bed.
"Where are you going?" Benny asked, suddenly fully alert.
"I'm going to get us a washcloth."
"No, don't." Ben grabbed Ray and pulled, and Ray collapsed against the mattress again.
"Benny, I'm just going to the bathroom. I'll be right back."
"I don't want you to go anywhere." He tightened his arms around Ray's waist, and threw his leg over Ray's for good measure.
Ben was laughing, but at the same time, he meant what he said. His nightmare was still too close for comfort, and he didn't want Ray to go even as far as the bathroom. He wanted him here, in the bed next to him, where he could feel him and know he was all right.
"Benny," Ray sighed, "we need to get cleaned up."
"We can take a shower in the morning."
There was a pause, then Ray sighed again, and relaxed against Benny; and was rewarded with a kiss on the back of his neck. "Can we shower together?" Ray asked, a teasing tone in his voice.
"Of course."
"Will you make me breakfast afterward?"
"If you want me to."
"Scrambled eggs?"
"As you wish." Benny ran his tongue over the outline of Ray's ear.
"And bacon?"
"Yes, love."
"Nice and crispy, the way I like it?"
"It will be just this side of burnt."
"Hmmm. What about coffee?"
"I'll brew a fresh pot for you first thing after we wake up."
Ray rolled over so he was lying face to face with Benny. "You're going to say yes to anything I ask right now, aren't you?" He was grinning.
"Probably." Ben felt an answering grin on his own face.
Ray looked at him for a few seconds. "Benny, would you kiss me?"
"Absolutely," Ben answered.
And he did.
THE END
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