Well almost.

Two hours later and Ray was thrusting his fist into the air wildly, accompanying by a rather loud "YESSSSS!! Told yer Frase, I knew it, winner and defending champion still!" He whooped and grabbed a handful of nibbles from the shared bag between them.

Fraser sighed, loudly. He'd been well and truly 'whipped' for the fourth time in a row. He glanced up at Ray who was bouncing and grinning like a small child. Between them they had demolished a sizeable chunk of the alcohol store and though he wasn't as loud or bouncing the way Ray currently was, he was decidedly light-headed and dangerously close to needing to giggle.

Him, Benton Fraser, Constable, RCMP....*giggling*.

Just the thought made him want to giggle even more.

He sighed.

All because of Ray. Looking at the blond detective sat there cross-legged on the floor grinning insanely at the board in front of them and chuckling to himself, all bright eyed and flushed from the wine and laughing so hard. He looked adorable.

Really, truly, amazingly, hugglebly gorgeous.

He sighed again.

Ray looked up at Fraser through the fuzz his eyes now were, after laughing. He'd hadn't had so much fun for *ages*. He'd won, he'd *actually* beat the Mountie at something! He was proud and a little concerned, when you started finding something that Fraser wasn't very good at it was caused a major blip in the whole natural order and run of things. But then again looking at Fraser's glass it could have something to do with the alcohol he had consumed in the last couple of hours.

He'd never really seen Fraser drink, not more than a small something at functions or when he went undercover at the poker game. But then he had hardly touched it at all. So to see Fraser like this was strange. Strange but nice. He relaxed, loosened up a bit. Didn't talk more, but then that was hardly possible was it. But they were talking about little things, things that they never really talked about before. Childish little things like which game piece was the best and why. Who had the best glass shape, as due to frequent accidents Ray's glassware was made up of several different odds and ends. By that point they had been rather far gone, but it *had* been fun trying to come up with reasons.

Fraser's co-ordination had also got worse, twice he had knocked over his glass, fortunately empty both times, though his carpet wouldn't have really noticed the difference. And every time he reached for the game piece he wobbled slightly more each time, one time lurching rather close to Ray, causing him to hold his breath.

Having Fraser so close was like a dream come true, be able to watch him at such close quarters, especially as happy and relaxed as he was. To watch that face light up with such a honest and true smile, to see and hear that laugh was something out of his dreams. He could be contented to sit hear forever and just watch.......

He started when he noticed Fraser staring at him and suddenly realised he had been.

Fraser held his breath when he met Ray's eyes. The bright blue eyes were fixed on him, as if taking in every move or motion he made. What he saw in them he felt mirrored in his own soul.

But it couldn't be could it?

//Oh god//

Ray turned away sharply and made to get up. Unfortunately because of the wine it became more of a scramble and then a lurch to actually *stay* upright.

As his hand reached wildly out for the rapidly disappearing table edge Ray felt time slow down and the slow realisation that he was travelling - in the wrong direction to which he intended.

Backwards.

He let out a 'umpphh' as he landed on something warm yet firm, something that seemed to hold and then give out, sprawling out underneath him. He opened his eyes to see an off angle view of half of Fraser's face. He stared up at him and then feeling the bubbles well up in him, started to laugh, slowly getting louder. Fraser after one look at Ray sprawled out on top of him, legs stuck out in odd angles, joined him and soon they were both doubled over in fits.

Fraser leant back against the sofa, eyes closed and tears streaming down his face. He tried to get enough air in to ease his complaining lungs and leant forward to lessen the strain on them and was met with wide eyes looking back up at him - and this time there was no mistaking what he saw in them.

"Ray."

The word came out as no more than a whisper and to Ray's ears it was like a caress. He closed his eyes and let it travel over him, feeling every shiver and ripple it caused. Opening his own eyes, he found he was looking into Fraser's very soul. Everything that he was, every question that Ray had ever wanted to ask, the answer was there written across his face, in his clear eyes, eyes that Ray could get lost in.

In answer, he let all his own answers into his expression, cross his own face, letting Fraser see the very depth of emotions he had longed to show him from the very beginning.

Slowly as if in a dream both moved closer. Fraser reached down and ran his fingers across Ray's jaw, feeling the light stubble there. He ran a thumb over his full bottom lip marvelling at its softness. Ray shifted so he could run his own hand up Fraser's shoulder to his neck where he held on and pulled himself gently up. In response Fraser wrapped his other arm around Ray, and then at last their faces were close. Feeling the other's breath on their mouths, feeling the heat.

When their mouths eventually met it was tentative and brief, the merest of touches. But it sent sparks of electricity shooting up and down the bodies of both men. Momentarily startled they drew back but the heat in each other's eyes, the fire, caused their lips to meet again.

And again.

When Ray felt Fraser's tongue request and then gain access to his mouth, felt it sweep in and caress his own tongue, he moaned and pushed himself closer to Fraser, further onto his lap, deeper into the one embrace he had been dreaming and fantasising and hoping for, for what seemed like his entire life.

He couldn't seem to get closer enough. Squirming in Fraser's lap he twisted himself so that he was facing Fraser straight on, wrapping his other momentarily forgotten arm around the other side of that beautiful and sensual neck. A neck he would have to explore soon. But he couldn't seem to find the desire to let go of that heavenly mouth quite yet. Instead he satisfied himself with caressing the back where the hair line met the soft skin of his neck.

Fraser was holding Ray around the back, running his hands up and down, caressing him in all the places he could reach. Running his hands briefly through Rays' hair pausing to tenderly stroke the back of his neck guessing by Ray's own actions that that was a place he liked. It was answered by another deep moan from the back of Ray's throat.

Slowly and reluctantly they parted, both breathing heavily, both flushed and both delightfully mussed. With a couple of parting caresses of lips against lips, they drew back and looked at each other.

"Ben."

It was whispered softly, with so much emotion caught up in the huskiness of it. Fraser thought he had never heard his name so beautifully spoken. It reached into his heart and caused the most beautiful fluttering he could have ever imagined.

"I love you."

It was out before he could stop it and for a second he panicked. It was too soon, *desperately* too soon.

Until he looked at Ray's face and saw the tears in his eyes. With a tremble in the slim body he held, he felt Ray pull him close, felt Ray's face disappear into the crook of his neck, felt the breathy words whispered softly against his skin.

"I could have lost you. I don't want to lose you."

The raw fear in those soft words hit Fraser square, made him feel tears of his own. Giggle fits and tears in the same night? He had always known Ray was the only person who could get under his defences, affect him the way he did.

Holding Ray tighter against him and feeling the resulting sigh he whispered, "You'll never lose me Ray.......never."

Finis.

Elamae 1999.