Marked for Life
by Innusiq

"Are you ready?" The man asked his customer as he pulled on a pair of latex gloves. His nervous customer nodded his head with wide eyes. "Did you pick out a design?" He didn’t look like the type of person he saw on a regular basis, day in and day out. There wasn’t a mark on his body that he could see and he was quite certain his latest customer didn't have a clue as to what he was getting himself into.

"Yes, sir," the younger may replied as he handed a paper to the artist. "I drew it myself."

The burly man took hold of the paper and looked at the drawing. "Cute," he commented as he set the paper down. "Now, take down your pants and lay down." He smiled as he watched his customer go ridged at first but then relax as he followed his orders. The procedure took and hour and he was quite surprised by the tolerance of the virgin.

How he got himself involved in this case was a mystery to Ray but he was here and now the case had taken on an interesting twist. The tattoo artist handed Ray a pin and after reading it, Ray declared, "Johnstone, Senator Johnstone. Come on, let's go."

Never in his life had Fraser been so grateful to the Chicago detective. "Ah well, perhaps next time," Fraser commented as he pulled his arm out of needles reach and began rolling down his sleeve. He didn’t know what kind of excuse he would have had if he showed up one day at the Canadian Consulate with a tattoo of what should have been the Canadian flag but was more a sorry excuse with an oak leaf instead.

As they left the tattoo parlor Ray shook his head and said, "I can’t believe anyone would do that to their body. It’s unnatural."

Surprised, Fraser stopped in following Ray and asked, "You are against the art of tattooing?"

After noticing his partner was no longer in step with him, Ray stopped, turned around and replied, "I’m not so much against it as I don’t understand it. I mean, most people use it to ‘declare’ their love for someone and by the time they’re thirty, they’ve go about fifty names tattooed all over their body." Ray didn’t understand the sudden defense of the body graffiti by this person who was his best friend and partner and about sweating it over the possibility of having the Canadian Flag tattooed on his arm. "What, you approve of such a thing?"

"Approve isn’t the word I would use Ray . . . Understand is more like it."

Ray’s eyes widened. "You understand? Mr. Prim and Proper understands? That is hard to believe."

Fraser became defensive. "Ray, I’m not ‘Prim and Proper’ as you frequently like to describe me."

"Benny, take a look at yourself."

Fraser turned to look at himself in the window of the store they had stopped in front of. He didn’t know what he was supposed to see. He looked as he did everyday, wearing his brown uniform, hat on head at the proper non-angle, perfect. "Yes, Ray?"

"That uniform of yours screams ‘Prim and Proper,’ whether your in the brown one or red one and whether you like it or not."

"Ray . . ."

"Benny, you can’t say you don’t agree with me on this one. There is no argument here. You’re in one of your uniforms more than in clothes of your own. Not only do you wear them, you like them . . . "

"Ray . . ."

"You like wearing them," Ray said finishing his thought.

Fraser cleared his throat. "I wouldn’t say I like wearing them, Ray. They are part of my obligation to my country and my queen."

Ray rolled his eyes. "Obligation is one thing Benny but you never complain about it which tells me you like wearing the uniform." Fraser’s silence confirmed Ray’s belief and he laughed. "Hey, come on Benny, there’s still a bad guy out there to be caught," Ray said has he wrapped an arm around Fraser’s shoulder, leading him to the car. He leaned closer to Fraser’s ear and whispered the rest of his statement, "Anyway, I like you in the uniform, especially the brown one. Especially when I get to take that uniform off of you, layer by layer. Heightens the anticipation, if you know what I mean?" Ray grinned at the blush that spread across his lover’s face and he could only assume the rest of his body. "Come on," Ray motioned towards his car as he parted from Fraser to the driver’s side of the Riv. Fraser obediently followed suit and climbed in after Ray.

The two lovers entered the spartan apartment and breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a long day and a tiring case to boot. The case was solved the night before and the paperwork took up most of today’s working schedule for both Ray and Fraser. It was a case that began with the search for a lost broach of the Dragon Lady’s and ended with them solving a case of which they were to have had nothing to do with in the first place. Seemed their luck always panned out like that. Ray wondered how that always happened but thought best not to ask. It was good luck for a change and he welcomed it with open arms.

Ray watched his partner, best friend and lover begin the process of removing the most uncomfortable portions of his brown uniform but walked over to him and placed his hands over Fraser’s mobile ones. Ray leaned in and placed a gentle, un-probing kiss on his lover’s lips and stated, "Let me." Fraser’s hands became lax in Ray’s grasps and they were dropped to his sides. Ray smiled at the submission allotted by his lover. "I do love you, ya know?"

Fraser smiled shyly with a slight blush and nodded. "Yes, Ray. I am well aware of your affections towards me, as I only hope you are aware of my own towards you."

Ray laughed at the wordy statement. "Yeah, I know," and he began to undress his lover.

First came the uniform’s belt, which was effortless. One pull of a buckle here and another pull there and Ray was dropping the leather straps onto the floor. Next was the uniform jacket, which only took a few seconds before it joined its accessory on the floor, beginning a pile that was far from being finished. The tie was easy to loosen and pull free of the stiff collar. Moving on, Ray placed his hands flat on Fraser’s chest, sliding them up and under the braces attached to his trousers and pushed them down off his shoulders. ‘It was true what Ray had said about the anticipation being heightened,’ Fraser thought as his breathing began to pick up.

Next, Fraser’s uniform shirt was untucked from the back and slender, nimble fingers began unbuttoning the shirt without effort. Once the shirt was added to the pile of clothes, the fingers danced their way down to the Canadian’s waist and beyond as Ray stooped down to remove Fraser’s shoes. They were much easier than the Red Serge uniform boots and were one of the reasons why Ray preferred the brown uniform. To boot the brown uniform’s color just suited the Canadian’s skin tone better.

Without rising, Ray straightened his back as be brought his hands up to his lover’s waist and began the removal of his trousers. He liked these pants better than the jodhpurs as well. The yellow stripe on the trimmer cut fabric accentuated Fraser slender hips over the bulkiness of the riding pants any day. Once the button and zipper were released, the trousers easily slid to the floor and Fraser stepped out of the fabric, moving closer to Ray.

Kneeling on the floor, in front of his nearly naked lover, Ray was still clothed in his overcoat. Ray wrapped his arms around Fraser’s thighs, resting his head against Fraser's stomach, inches above his arousal that was clearly evident. Taking a deep breath, Ray released it with a happy sigh. "God, you are so beautiful, Benny."

Fraser placed a hand on Ray’s shorn head, gently running it down to the back of his neck. "As are you, Ray."

Ray released a small snort. He still wasn’t sure if Fraser said those words just to please him or if he truly thought that. He couldn’t see how his lover saw him in the same way Ray viewed Fraser but he never questioned it. Whenever these insecure thoughts entered his head, they were quickly vanquished when their bodies melded into one being, one spirit, and one love.

Fraser brought his other hand down, taking hold of Ray’s shoulder and began to pull him to a standing position in front of him. "Ray, I believe I am at a disadvantage here."

Ray’s eyes had a questioning look in them. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the irony here is that I am partially naked where as you are fully clothed . . . still wearing your coat I might add."

Ray smiled slightly and added, "At least I took off my cap."

Fraser laughed and began to return the favor, removing his lover’s clothes. Ray stopped him for the second time with a scolding look but he took hold of Fraser’s hands and led him to the cot of a bed. It was small and it was uncomfortable but once they were engaged in activities other than sleeping, those descriptives didn’t even register in the Italian’s head. Ray pushed Fraser down gently onto the end of the bed and began to take his own clothes off with precision and skill creating his own pile of clothing on the floor, next to the bed.

Once Ray’s dressing matched Fraser’s, Ray returned his attention to his lover and pulled his T-shirt up and over his head revealing the pale skin beneath. It was a sight that took Ray’s breath away every time and he was quite certain always would. It was an understatement just saying that this man was beautiful. He was gorgeous but Ray always kept with beautiful because that word alone caused a blush deeper then Ray had ever seen on another human being.

Ray removed his own T-shirt and he felt the hands of his lover reach for his waist and then Fraser’s arms wrapped around him pulling him closer, holding him near. This Ray allowed. His knees hit the end of the bed, feeling Fraser’s own on either side of him. Fraser’s mouth descended on his lover in an open kiss that let him taste every flavor and feel every texture of Ray’s stomach.

Ray’s hands came up to run over Fraser’s back, their trail ending in the tangle of his hair as Fraser shifted to lay down on the bed, pulling Ray on top of him. Once they adjusted on the bed, toes to toes, knees to knees, groin to groin and so on Ray smiled down at Fraser. "Ya know, this is the perfect ending to the most frustrating case."

Fraser brought his hands up to cup his lover’s face. He leaned up and began kissing the lips that had him mesmerized since the day he had realized his feelings for his best friend and partner. The kiss began gently but when Fraser parted his mouth and his probing tongue caressed against his lover’s mouth and gained entrance, it intensified. Their bodies wriggled together, their groins rubbing against one another. Fraser parted from the kiss first. "Ray . . . " Fraser said breathlessly, nearly reaching the edge of completion in those simple movements.

It was amazing to both lovers how intense their foreplay could be. Ray was certain given the right moment in time he could come by the scent of his lover alone. "I know Benny," Ray soothed as he began to move his attention away from Fraser’s mouth and on down to other parts of his body before it was too late.

Fraser sighed as the gentle sucking began on his right nipple and Ray’s hand blindly fondled the left at the same time. When Ray was certain a mark was sure to be left, he switched to the other nipple reiterating his devotion to the man he loved. Fraser was fully content with these gestures of love Ray bestowed upon him but was grateful in the same breath that this wasn’t where it was going to end.

When he felt those lips began their decent lower, Fraser moaned with the pleasure of knowing what was about to happen. Ray’s hands were on Fraser’s hips as he completed his own investigation of his lover’s navel. Ray's own breathing had picked up in anticipation of the final step to their lovemaking. Moving off his lover, Ray removed Fraser’s boxer shorts lovingly, pitching them onto the floor then removed his own briefs.

Their pre-copulation had both men fully aroused and ready. Fraser watched as the gap was closed between Ray’s mouth and his own cock and he closed his eyes, foreseeing what was about to happen. When a minute had passed with no touch from his lover, Fraser opened his eyes in a panic. "Ray?"

Ray squinted in the darkening room staring at what, he knew not. "Benny, turn on the light." There was alarm in his voice.

"Ray, what’s wrong?" Fraser asked as he began shifting on the bed.

Ray put his hands on Fraser and ordered, "Don’t move . . . just turn on the light."

Fraser stretched his upper torso to turn the lamp Ray had insisted on purchasing for the bedroom area of the small apartment. He hated fooling with the lantern Fraser readily had the knowledge and habit of using. Ray preferred the lazy man’s way of flicking a switch and having presto lighting.

Once the light was on, it took Ray’s eyes a few minutes to adjust to the brightness and while he let them do just that, he stared at the marking on his lover’s hip. "I thought I saw a mark or a rash or something . . . "

In the excitement of his own Consular duties and the cases they had worked on, Fraser had forgotten about "that." "Ah Ray . . . "

Ray’s eyes had adjusted to their perfect 20/20 vision and he gaped at what he saw. "Benny?"

"Ray, I can explain . . . "

"Benny, what have you done?"

Fraser was becoming uncomfortable lying there and sat up, bringing his legs up against his chest; his arousal now subsided by his lover’s panicked reaction. "Ray . . . I think you can plainly see what it is."

Ray scooted around to face his lover. "Yeah I can but I can’t believe it."

"I wanted to do something to show you how much I love you."

"And this is what you chose to do?" Ray was quite surprised by Fraser choice to demonstrate his love.

"You don’t like it." Fraser assumed by his lover’s not so happy reaction, which was causing him to feel abashed by his decision.

"I didn’t say that." Ray was still shocked by what he saw. "Can I see it again?"

Fraser hesitantly extended his legs to give Ray a better view of his tattoo. "I’m sorry, Ray," Fraser apologized.

Ray reached out and fingered around the area that looked to be still tender. The tattoo was of a sun, about an inch in diameter, with beams streaking out from it. In its center was the name, "Ray." A smiled donned Ray’s face now that the initial shock had worn off. "Don’t be sorry Benny, I was just surprised, that's all. Wow." The more Ray looked at it, the more it seemed . . . provocative and now he couldn’t understand why he was so against the idea of a tattoo in the first place.

"You’re not upset with me?" Fraser asked shyly.

Ray brought his eyes up to meet Fraser’s and smiled. "No, I’m not mad . . . I think it’s kind of sexy." Ray’s eyes returned to the sunny tattoo and he smiled even bigger. "You’re marked for life Benny."

Fraser smiled at that statement and said, "Ray, my body may be marked for life now but my heart has been marked for quite a while."

"Ah, Benny," this time it was Ray’s turn to blush. "You always know how to get this reaction out of me." Ray climbed up the bed and began kissing his lover, all over again; picking up where he had left off and it was perfect. They were perfect. They were always perfect.

End