various psl shenanigans

[understood]

[Westward from the Davis Strait...]

Comments

[understood]

... you did, for all intents and purposes, follow me to the ends of the earth.

[Fraser looks over at Ray with some amount of wonder in his eyes, then looks back down at his hands.]

And I am... honoured. That you want to see my home. That you want to explore it with me. And that you feel that this will help you figure out who you want to be.

[shakebadguysshake]

You're my partner, Frase. I showed you all around Chicago and you followed me even though you'd been living there for a while and you let me show you all those places you'd probably already been. But you followed me cuz you knew they meant a lot to me.

And that was part of me. Still an important part of me. I just gotta find the rest, now.

[understood]

Well, of course I followed you, Ray, you were kindly introducing me to your community.

[He smiles briefly, a little bit shy.]

I suppose I just wanted to be sure you weren't careening around the Arctic wilderness with me because you felt obligated to uphold a promise you made while we were stuck in a crevasse waiting for death. That you weren't already regretting it.

[shakebadguysshake]

I'll tell you in the morning if I regret it, how about that? When I get my I slept in the snow and my back still hurts badge.

[Ray smiles at him across the fire and he's pretty sure that if Fraser looks at him like that, he could never regret anything he does with Fraser.]

Nah, I meant what I said. Before this, the biggest adventure I had was quitting college to go to the police academy.

[understood]

Alright, Ray.

[Now Fraser can't stop smiling.]

I still think your definition of adventure may be overly selective. But I'm glad you're here.

[shakebadguysshake]

Yeah well when your partner talks about wrestling bears or whatever, you start to feel a little uh. A little unadventurous.

And if we don't find the hand of Franklin, at least we had some bonding time in the snow and the trees and stuff.

[understood]

You know, I'm flattered that you feel I've had such an influence on you.

[shakebadguysshake]

I mean, you just -- [He's trying to find the right words for the influence Fraser has had on him.]

You got dealt a bum handing, coming back from your vacation and finding me and not your friend. But you rolled with it, and accepted me as your new partner right away. And you're so goddamned polite, and so freakin' nice and it's hard to not wanna like. Live up to that.

[understood]

I did not accept it right away. I took a dental cast from you, using a sandwich as a ruse while you were distracted driving, among other things.

[He knows that's beside the point, but he feels Ray is giving him perhaps too much credit.]

[shakebadguysshake]

Well yeah, you suspicious but you still went with me. You could have refused to work with me until you knew where your partner had gone. But we had work to do and you just did it. It's admirable.

[understood]

I didn't want Ray Vecchio's house to burn down.

... but, thank you, Ray. I'm glad you think so. And you were a pleasure to work with from the start.

[shakebadguysshake]

Oh no, I was an asshole. I fully admit that. But I'd like to think I'm less of an asshole, after two years of working with you. Or at least a slightly more mellow asshole.

[understood]

I didn't say you weren't obstreperous. I said it was a pleasure to work with you.

[Is he smirking? He's smirking. The Mountie is smirking.]

[shakebadguysshake]

Buddy, we talked about that. About the using the big words. But I'm using my context clues and guessing that "obstreperous" means "actin' like a jerk".

[The smirk is a good look on him, though. So he's gonna let that one pass.]

[understood]

Unruly. Difficult. Like a jerk, yes.

But I don't think— that is, you put up a certain amount of bluster, of course, but...

[He spreads his hands.]

I did mean it, the first time I said that I'd be proud to call you my partner, and my friend. And that has only become more true over time.

[shakebadguysshake]

[... aww. That's buddies. He can't help the grin that spreads across his face. Ray reaches around the fire with his foot to nudge his toes against Fraser's foot. Needing to just. Touch him, somehow.]

Me too, Frase. Me too. Best partner I ever coulda wanted.

[understood]

Thank you kindly, Ray.

[He's warm from more than the fire.]

[shakebadguysshake]

I think that's another thing, like. Stanley Kowalski definitely was a lone wolf. Never wanted a partner, always worked alone. But Ray -- me, I. I can't imagine not havin' you with me.

[understood]

[Somehow that's the thing that surprises him. That takes him aback. The other night, when Inspector Thatcher interrupted them, Fraser had been telling Ray that no matter if his father and Buck Frobisher didn't see each other for months, they always knew they were partners. Of course, he said it to apply the same thing to himself and to Ray— to let Ray know that they would still be partners, even if Fraser stayed up north and Ray went back to Chicago.

This, though... this sounds like Ray might not want to hear it.]

You can't?

[shakebadguysshake]

I don't mean it as some weird codependent thing. Like I could survive on my own without you. Maybe not out here, I kinda need your help for that, but I mean like.

[He sighs and munches on his -- meat bar thing while he thinks] Like if you went on vacation, that'd be fine. I can handle cases on my own no problem. But I work better with you, and I'd be relieved when you got back.

[understood]

I see.

[He smiles, but he feels unaccountably disappointed, which makes absolutely no sense.]

[shakebadguysshake]

... right. [Something feels incomplete. Or unsaid. But he's not entirely sure what, or how. It just feels like something's... missing, somehow.]

So we should probably think about gettin' ready to bed down and whatnot. Any special Mountie tricks you wanna share there?

[understood]

Get in the shelter and get into your sleeping bag?

[shakebadguysshake]

Hardy ha ha. [He rolls his eyes and snags another handful of trail mix before he tucks it away, then goes to start setting up his sleeping bag.] I just meant, smartypants, you got any Mountie secrets to not turning into a popsicle overnight.

[understood]

Well, there is the common sense solution of sharing body heat.