At Last
by The Cloudwalker

Tony gave the red and yellow Frisbee a mighty heave, confident that Benton would have a hard time catching this one. His smirk turned to chagrin as the disk hooked right just before reaching the taller man and went straight to Ray, who was standing at the third corner of their triangle.

“Great fake, Tony,” Ray yelled, laughing, as he deftly caught the Frisbee and fired it off to his friend. Benton caught it this time, and lobbed it back to Tony.

Tony’s sons, Ray’s nephews, ran in and out among the three men, very intent on their game of tag. Ray grabbed the elder boy, who was in the lead and pulling away from his brother. Ray swung Tony Jr in a circle, tickling him as he set him free again.

Young David yelled triumphantly “Tag, you’re it!” as he slapped his big brother’s shoulder and darted away. He wasn’t looking where he was going, however, and he ran headlong into Benton. Benton was off balance, stretching out to catch the Frisbee that Tony had just thrown back to him. He and David went down in a laughing heap, the agile Mountie landing on the bottom.

From his position draped across Benton’s chest, David said “I got you, Uncle Benny.” Apparently he had forgotten all about having just tagged his brother.

“It would seem that you do, yes,” Benton replied, then “Oooph!” he grunted, as Tony Jr’s weight hit him.

“Jam pile on Uncle Benny!” Tony Jr yelled as he landed on his adopted uncle.

No ya don’t----whoops!” Ray scowled as he tumbled into the heap, caught off guard by the wildly kicking legs oh his nephews. Once over the surprise of the fall, however, Ray got into the spirit of the game and began tickling everyone he could reach, laughing merrily.

“Gotcha, Uncle Ray,” David giggled, tickling his uncle. The lad looked around and spotted his father smiling indulgently at the pile of his relatives and their friend on the ground. “Daddy, daddy,” David called, “Come on, help me.” The boy started screaming in delight as Ray and Benton tickled him from opposite sides.

Never one to be left out of the fun, Tony knelt down beside the writhing pile and, on his knees, waded into the fray.

Little Theresa watched the boys and men wrestling wide-eyed for a moment, letting her attention wander from the white wolf that she had been busily dressing in her doll’s clothes. Dief seized the moment to make good his escape, and bounded over to where the boys seemed to be getting the better of the men. He capered around the pile, yipping and darting in to lick the boys or play-bite his pack mate, Benton. After a moment, Theresa followed, giggling happily as she jumped into the middle of the fun.

One by one, the children tired of the game and dropped out. Tony, Ray and Benton continued to wrestle, uncaring that their clothing was getting grass stained and torn. The original tickling game turned into serious wrestling competition among the men, now that they no longer had to beware of hurting the children. Soon Tony could not keep up with the two cops. After being pinned for the third time, he too dropped out. He sat on a park bench to watch and catch his breath.

After Tony dropped out, Ray and Benton began wrestling in earnest. Their friendship had always included a competitive aspect, which was usually indulged on the basketball court. They had never wrestled together before. They were pretty evenly matched, despite Benton outweighing Ray as well as being a few years younger.

The match went on for several minutes. At first they chattered as they wrestled, taunting each other to greater efforts, but soon all that could be heard were grunts of exertion and heavy breathing. Even though this was a friendly match, neither man was taking it easy on his friend. The honesty inherent in their relationship wouldn’t allow it. Each wrestled to win.

The balance of power shifted constantly, first Ray seeming to have the upper hand, then Benton. They weren’t exactly following Olympic rules, each having learned wrestling in a rough-and-tumble fashion.

Ray got Benton down on his knees and draped himself over his back, nearly pinning Benton’s left shoulder. Suddenly Benton heaved and got Ray trapped on his back below him, wrists trapped in his fists and pinned to the ground over Ray’s head. One of Benton’s knees lodged between Ray’s thighs. His eyes locked with those of his best friend, and he gasped, wrestling forgotten in that moment. Ray, too, froze, his gaze locked to that of his best friend.

They barely noticed Ray’s mother calling the family to dinner. Each could sense that something huge was passing between them, something strange and wonderful that was likely to change their lives forever. Then the moment passed, and Ray found his voice. He took refuge, as usual, in sarcasm.

“So, you gonna let me up, or what?” Ray croaked.

“No, Ray.” Ray’s eyebrows rose at Benton’s uncharacteristic refusal. “Not until you say ‘uncle’.”

“I’m not saying ‘uncle’, Benny.”

“Well, of course you are.”

“No, I’m not.” Ray’s voice was stronger now.

“I have you pinned, Ray.” A glimmer of a smile played about Benton’s mouth.

“I could throw you off, easy,” Ray boasted.

“No. You can’t. Ever.” Something in Benton’s tone led Ray to believe that they were not now talking about wrestling. “Then say I’m your best friend, Ray. Only me, forever.”

“Jeez, Benny, you already know that.”

“Say it.” Benton gave Rays’ wrists a little shake for emphasis.

“Ah, jeez. You’ll always be my best friend, Benny,” Ray said, rolling his eyes. “Only you.”

Benton nodded once in the decisive way Ray knew so well, and leapt lightly to his feet. He offered a hand to Ray, helping him to his feet as well. He ignored Ray’s muttering about crazy Canadians as they walked side by side to the picnic table Rosa had loaded with her Italian specialties.

Thirty minutes later, after everyone had eaten his or her fill, Benton offered to help with the clean up.

“Oh, no, caro,” Rosa Vecchio demurred. “You’re the guest of honor, since you just got your memory back. You can’t do any of the work today, I won’t hear of it.”

Thank you kindly, Mrs....” Benton noticed the disapproving look Rosa was giving him, and amended “Thank you kindly, Ma.”

“Oh, I’m stuffed,” Tony announced to the family at large. “I gotta go lie down.” with that, he stretched himself out in the grass, his children joining him. To Benton’s disgust, his wolf joined them, and they were soon sounding asleep.

Rosa, Maria, and Francesca busied themselves with clearing away the remains of the picnic. Ray sidled up beside Benton, who was gazing at Tony, Dief and the children.

“Hey Benny, you gonna take a nap, too?”

“No, Ray. I wouldn’t sleep tonight if I did.”

“Come on, then. Let’s go for a walk.”

“Okay.”

Ray told his mother that they’d be back soon, and he and Benton started off along the nearest path.

As soon as they were out of hearing of the family, Ray turned to Benton.

“What was that back there?” he asked.

Benton turned around to look back the way they had come. “What was what, Ray?”

“Come on, you know what I man, Benny.” Ray’s hands, seldom still when he talked, were fluttering like confused birds as he gestured back toward where they left the rest of the Vecchios. “Back there, when we were....wrestling.”

“Oh.” Benton fell silent.

“That’s all you’ve got to say? Oh? Well, that’s not good enough. Something happened there, and I wanna know what it was,” Ray demanded.

“I certainly don’t know what you think may have happened, Ray, but for me.... Are you sure we should be talking about this?”

“Why?”

“Because it involves, well...feelings.”

“Feelings?” Ray squawked, stopping walking suddenly. “You have...feelings? For me?” Ray got red in the face, then rapidly calmed. “Oh. Friends, right? Of course, that’s what you said, am I right?”

Benton had walked on a step before stopping, for once not perfectly in sync with Ray. He turned back and said, “well, yes, Ray. Friends. But... Oh, never mind.” He started to turn down the path again, but Ray reached out to stop him.

“Don’t do that to me, Fraser. I hate it when you do that. You start to say something, then say oh never mind, it’s nothing. Well, this isn’t nothing, Benny.” Ray’s eyes searched Benton’s face for clues to what his friend was thinking. They met the Big Eyed Mountie Look, and he learned nothing.

After a moment, Ray dropped his eyes. He swallowed audibly, then looked up again. “All right, Benny. I’ll tell you what it was for me. It was...well, it was like I....like I suddenly knew....” Ray spluttered to a stop, unable after all to say what he was afraid that he felt for his best friend.

Benton finally broke his silence. “I suddenly knew that at last, at long last, my love has come along. What I had thought was love before was nothing, Ray. What I have with you...well, I just know I’ll never be lonely anymore, Ray.”

Ray closed his eyes, looking near despair. “Don’t say that, Benny,” he whispered.

“I’m sorry, Ray. I take it that isn’t what you felt, too?”

“I didn’t say that.” Ray opened his eyes to look sadly at his friend.

“Then you felt the same?”

“Yeah, but don’t say it.” Ray’s eyes closed again.

“Why not, Ray?” There was no answer. Benton took Ray gently by the shoulders and shook him. “Look at me. Why not say it, if it’s true?”

Ray looked into Benton’s eyes. “I never thought I was gay. We’re not gay, are we, Benny?”

“I don’t know, Ray. I’ve never thought about it. Would it be a problem?”

“Would it be a problem? Do you ever listen to yourself?” Benton just stared at Ray, waiting for Ray to give over resisting their truth. Ray finally relented. “But you love me?”

“Yes.” Without hesitation, Benton told the simple truth.

A slow smile wreathed Ray’s features. “Yeah, I love you too, Benny.” Benton pulled him into a bear hug, smiling broadly himself. “All right, don’t get all mushy on me,” Ray grumbled, hugging back with all his might.

The hug broke up with pats and arm punches, twin grins splitting the men’s faces. Without another word, they started off along the path again, shoulder to shoulder.

After several minutes of companionable silence, Ray said “We’re gonna have to talk more about this, you know, Benny. But not in front of the folks, right?”

“As you wish, Ray.”

“Okay, fine.”

Silence reigned again for a few minutes, and then Ray noticed that Benton had begun to hum softly. As soon as he recognized the tune he started to sing along, prompting Benton to sing as well.

“All the leaves are brown....”

“The leaves are brown....”

“And the skies are gray....”

“The skies are gray....”

The end.

Lyrics

At last my love has come along
my lonely days over and life is like a song At last the skies above are blue
well my heart was wrapped up in clover
the night I looked at you
I found a dream that I could speak to
a dream that I could call my own
I found a thrill to press my cheek to
a thrill that I have never known well
You smile you smile oh and then the spell was cast and here we are in heaven for you are mine at last I found a dream that I could speak to
a dream that I could call my own
I found a thrill to press my cheek to
a thrill that I have never known
well You smile you smile oh and then the spell was cast
and here we are in heaven for you are mine at last ooo yea you are mine you are mine at last at last at last at last