not_that_ray | (no subject)

He's already moved the stack once. It doesn't stop him from moving it again. From one side of the desk to the other. This time though he takes the time to rifle through the layers, looking not just under but between the loose sheets of paper. The stack hemorrhages paper clips and scraps of small scribblings as he does so. Some land on his lap. Others fall onto the floor or into the trash can.

"Gotta..."

The whole thing teeters. Ray is, of course, oblivious. It's abandoned in favor of the top drawer of his desk. He yanks it open and thrusts his hand in, moving the mess inside around with no rhyme or reason. The contents haven't changed since the last time he looked five minutes ago.

"... be here..."

He slams it home, causing the entire desk to stagger. The vibration in turn causes the precariously perched collection of papers to slide in every direction. His eyes grow to the size of saucers as he dives for the unwieldy monster.

"Shit!"

The paperwork just seems to glide right past his hands, his efforts mocked.

From one small mess to one gigantic mess. Nice, Ray. Nice.

"... somewhere," he breathes out in defeat.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Rough him up first."

Okay, now he's just daydreaming.

Fraser waits for Ray to fall into step with him on the pavement before responding. "Love is a complex animal, Ray. It can make the most rational of us do the most irrational things."

"Then I'm gunna string him up by his toenails."

His gaze wanders off unfocused down the sidewalk.

"And this would be considered an improvement over shooting him?"

"Thumbscrews. Definitely thumbscrews," he mumbles.

Fraser resumes his walking pace. "You know, Ray, the Inuit have a saying ... 'Before you love, learn to run through the snow leaving no footprints.'"

"... snow without-"

That seems to break the train of wishful thinking.

"What's it supposed to mean, Fraser?"

The Mountie meets his friend's puzzled look with a smile. "I have no idea. But it seemed like a good time to use it."

A smirk rises to his face.

"You practice those, Fraser? Have 'um ready on the fly?"

He's nothing if not forthright. The smile doesn't go anywhere just yet. "Yes."

He laughs.

"They come in a special little book? All referenced like?"

Edited 2008-01-16 02:22 (UTC)

"Well yes, Ray. In the Philosophy section of the Inuvik Public Library."

His steps tapper off and he looks up, scrutinizing his partner. Yup. Here is comes.

"Fraser? You're a freak."

Fraser stops a few paces ahead, and looks back at him. "Understood, Ray."