Lonely Nights
by Pita Patter

Man and wolf walked quietly side by side. Amidst all big city noises, they walked in silence. Benny felt empty inside. Dief could sense it, but he was more worried wondering why they had to walk home. Going by car was so much better.

Benny felt lonely and empty. It was ridiculous to feel like that. He was exiled in Chicago, he was supposed to feel like that. Ray had lessened it. Not, that was an understatement - Ray had actually turned exile and all images conjured in that hard word (loneliness, coldness, despair) into a warm friendship Benny never even imagined he deserved.

More ridiculous yet. Ray had been unable to pick them up at the Consulate because he was out. Ray and several detectives were giving backup to a DEA bust in Chicago. It was a big operation, supposed to last all night long.

Benny was so used to Ray's company at nights that he was feeling awkward. And empty. In Chicago, at rush hour, Benny was feeling lonely. Talk about being alone in a crowded city.

The Canadian berated himself mentally once more. It was just for one night. He had no reason for such self-pity. He was a Mountie, for Pete's sake.

Man and wolf finally arrived at the dilapidated apartment. Dief noticed the heavy steps of his human companion, and was intrigued. His human surely missed the company of his slender counterpart.

The moment they stepped into the apartment, the wolf looked at Benny with a different gaze in amber eyes. The Mountie paid very little attention to him, however, turning immediately to the small kitchen and busying himself into getting a quick meal for the wolf. Dief shrugged and waited for dinner.

Benny tried hard to focus on those prosaic activities. He had to Dief, undress, shower - no dinner for himself, though. That should keep his mind off Ray and off the emptiness that threatened to swallow his heart.

He put the bowl on the ground and Dief approached to get his meal, intent on not trying to understand the Mountie. Even after all these years of companionship, sometimes he still had such a hard time figuring out these humans.

Benny watched Dief eating for a while and realised he was in no mood for a meal. He took off the tunic and hung it in the closet. He sighed heavily and looked at his father's watch on his wrist. Seven o'clock. It would be such a long lonely night.

Still in the closet, he took off his boots and jodhpurs, grabbed a robe and padded heavily to the bathroom. Dief raised his head when he passed by, then resumed eating.

Benny opened the bathroom's door and stopped, dead in his tracks. Jaw-gaped, he stood motionless for a few seconds, his heart pounding heavily until his shocked brain could process the scene in front of him.

There were candles all over the bathroom. Some of them were scented, and all of them danced in flickering lights, bringing a kaleidoscope of colours to the white tiles. A rented towel-rack heater was near the toilet, already prepared to full use. Last, but not least, there was a naked Chicago cop leaning against the bath tub with his arms crossed, staring at Benny in a smug way. He had a ghost of a smile in his face and the brightest light of the room in his emerald green eyes.

"Hi, gorgeous." Voice: husky. Benny's knees: wobbling.

"Ray?" He managed to say.

"I was waiting for you."

"But... you were, I mean, weren't you..."

"DEA got smart for a change and caught the guys ahead of the operation. The thing was called off." Ray was still leaning against the tub, his elegant burgundy cock half-hard. "Thought I could surprise you." He smiled in earnest, his eyes twinkled like little stars. "Are you surprised?"

Benny nodded, his eyes fixed on Ray's cock, which was quickly springing to attention, taut and proud. "Yes."

"Good. But you should have remembered what I promised you sometime ago, Benny." Ray rose from the tub and walked slowly towards the Canadian, who was having a hard time getting his blood to flow anywhere but his groin. Ray's cock bobbed as he walked, a mesmerising vision.

"What... what was that, Ray?"

"I promised you no more lonely nights, Benny." Ray wrapped his arms around his lover, revelling in the feeling of his body against his. "No more. Ever."

The End