Author's Website: https://www.squidge.org/~pumpkin/cara/caraindex.html

Disclaimer: Alliance owns them. All hail mighty Alliance, in deference to whom we make no profit!

Author's Notes: Thanks to BlackRose for the wolfwashing bunny and Basingstoke for the most helpful beta. :-) Thanks to FZU for insisting on the beefed-up smooch.

Story Notes: No wolves were injured during the writing of this story, but one got mighty pissed off nonetheless.

Ray parked on Racine and looked both ways before he got out of the car. He jumped out, waving to Jesse and Jerome, and trotted up the stairs to 3J just as fast as he could; he was set to go but he didn't have to advertise, now did he? Maybe this was a slum, but he had an image to think of. Appearing out in town wearing ratty Dockers, a dingy white T-shirt and his oldest sneakers? Not too classy, but a smart idea, today.

It never paid to underestimate the destructive potential of a wet wolf.

Relieved to be out of the general public eye, Ray pulled the door open. "Hey, Benny! I'm--"

"Stop him, Ray!" A flash of white lightning bowled roughly past him and he nearly fell over, scrabbling at the doorjamb to right himself.

"What the fuck?!" Fraser looked at him with contrite exasperation.

"That was Diefenbaker, Ray." Fraser abruptly threw up the window to the fire escape. "Jesse, Jerome, would one of you kindly secure the front door? Quickly?" After a moment he shut the window again and passed Ray at high speed in spite of his patient voice. "You let him out."

"Oh. Oh, shit. Well, I bet it was you who let him know he was gettin' the bath in the first place!" Ray trotted after Fraser, feeling a little embarrassed but reaching for a righteous excuse.

"I could hardly borrow Mrs. Gamez's washtub without bringing it into the apartment, Ray!"

"Yeah, but did you have to tell him what it was for?"

"It's not my fault that he investigated the sack we purchased at the veterinarian's yesterday afternoon and discovered the bottle of anti-parasitic pet shampoo."

"So now you're telling me he can read?" Ray protested.

They made it to the lobby, where Dief was already scratching wildly at the door to be let out. After a few minutes of scuttling crabwise around the cramped area, Fraser and Ray managed to pen Dief up tight enough for Fraser to clip a leash to his collar. Fraser pushed the door open again for ventilation in the summer heat. "Thank you kindly," he managed breathlessly, bobbing a nod to Jesse and Jerome where they sat on either side of the stoop.

"Think nothin' of it." They nodded sagely, amused.

"Now stop resisting and come along at once. The less you fight it the sooner it will be over. This is for your own good!" Fraser hauled Dief up the stairs in a violent clatter of skritching nails and howling whimpers that had every damned one of the neighbors poking their heads out the door to see what the fuck was going on. For once Fraser looked sweaty and embarrassed, Ray noted as he brought up the rear, not caring too much about the state of his clothes anymore, just grinning and blocking the wolf's best escape route.

Dief managed to twist his head around and give Ray a reproachful stare. "Don't give me that look. This is revenge for all the Armani you've shed wolf hair on!" The wolf just growled and tried to twist out of his collar, but it was too tight for him. "And watch your language!" Ray warned. Sheesh, he was getting as bad as Benny.

When they were in the apartment with the door safely closed and latched via the expedient of shoving a low-backed chair under the knob, Fraser let Dief go and he scuttled under the cot, looking out from behind a fold of unmade blanket with a baleful yellow stare.

"We'll ready the tub. Then we'll catch him and put him in it."

"Shouldn't we do this outside? What if the floor leaks?"

"Do you honestly believe we could contain him outside?" Fraser held up a plastic ground cloth. "Try to fold up the edges to contain any spills."

"You got a point, Benny." Ray took the package and tore it open, then shook out a huge square of plastic. "I thought it was cats that hated water."

"Diefenbaker doesn't hate water, Ray. He just hates having a bath."

"Oh, well when you put it that way, it makes perfect sense," Ray sniped, and Fraser ignored him, digging for the shampoo. 'Promotes glossy coat and healthy skin!' the label read. There was actually a picture of a Lassie-style collie on it, silky hair all afloat. *Probably that's what tipped Dief off*, Ray reflected, reassured once again about the potential sentience of superwolf.

Ray turned up the edges of the ground cloth and propped them against a wall or the few pieces of furniture Benny had. Pretty half-assed effort, but in the absence of anything better it'd have to do. He set the washtub in the center of the square of plastic and surveyed it thoughtfully. There was a second piece of plastic in the package, so he spread it over Benny's bed to protect it too. There. As ready as they were gonna get.

Fraser carried water till the oblong washtub stood about 1/3 full, and then they stood to survey the bed. Dief glared out from behind the plastic drape, then retreated further, growling.

Fraser gave Ray a hopeful look.

"He's your wolf," Ray backed up, both hands in the air. "I brought a doughnut to give him a treat after it was done, but I don't think he'll come out for it." He retrieved the sack he'd left on Benny's counter and opened it, tilting the top toward Dief. "Hey Dief, your favorite. Chocolate covered creme-filled. And if you're really good, I'll get you a pizza when it's over, okay?"

A skritching of claws indicated Dief's further retreat under the bed.

"Don't be such a baby," Fraser snapped, exasperated. "You dove into freezing water to save me. By comparison, this will be quite pleasant."

He and Ray traded glances as there was no result, then Fraser got on his knees to improve the negotiations with eye contact. "Diefenbaker, come out this instant. If you don't, I'll be forced to tell Maggie how you've behaved through this entire shameful affair. You wouldn't want her to think you were afraid of a nice bath in a little warm water and shampoo, would you?"

Dief yapped with irritation and Fraser backed up as the wolf slunk out on his belly. Ray covered a grin. Damn, Benny looked good in those soft, tight jeans. On his hands and knees, perfectly oblivious to the picture he presented.

He'd look even better if he were good and wet.

Ray shoved aside the stray thought sternly and decided that if coming here to gawk at Fraser being all wet and flustered and edible was the main reason he'd let himself in for this little activity... then he damn well deserved to spend the afternoon wrestling a miserable wet wolf.

Benny rolled up his sleeves and grabbed the stiffly resistant Dief, who submitted awkwardly and permitted himself to be picked up. He was quickly lowered, grumbling, into the washtub, where he stood miserably with the water lapping around his legs.

"Well, go ahead. Sit down," Benny commanded, and Dief lifted his upper lip in a silent snarl. "Fine. We'll do this standing up," Benny amended quickly. "Ray, would you hand me that bucket?"

Ray helped Fraser wet down the surprisingly water-resistant fur and scrub the green smelly shampoo into its length. It wasn't going to be much fun rinsing Dief without a drain and a detachable shower massage on a hose. His hair was thick and longer than it looked.

At least this shampoo smelled better than whatever Dief had been outdoors rolling in. Ugh.

Dief squirmed and Ray tried to brace his head with one hand. "Sit still and point your nose up so none of this will go in your eyes." He soaped Dief's head vigorously, trying to ignore the wolf-scented water soaking his t-shirt. Dief squinted his eyes shut, muttering low in his throat, but didn't offer to bite. Ray grinned abruptly, watching Fraser scrub the wolf's hindquarters, his dark hair touching the lather on Dief's neck as he bent to his task.

"Hey, Benny?"

Fraser had just started down Dief's legs and Dief promptly sat down to keep him from reaching them. "What, Ray?" There was a note of strain in Fraser's voice as he hoisted Dief up again. He lifted his head a little crossly when Ray didn't reply immediately, so Ray flicked a handful of soapsuds at him. They spattered on his cheek and shoulder. Benny blinked.

"Ray..."

"Yeah, Benny?" Ray smiled broadly and went back to scrubbing under Dief's chin.

"I believe you are treading on very dangerous ground." Benny's voice wavered somewhere between laughter and threat.

"Nah, I don't think the wolf's gonna bite. He knows he won't get pizza if he does." Ray ducked his head and scrubbed industriously at Dief's ruff and chest. Dief propped his soapy chin right on top of Ray's head, sighing gustily.

Benny giggled, the sound cut off abruptly as Ray snapped a glare at him. He managed a half-decent deadpan as he kept scratching soap into the coarse hair of the wolf's flank.

"You laughin' at me?" Ray inquired as he lifted Diefenbaker's right forepaw and massaged it between his soapy hands. This junk sure made a helluva lot of lather. "He's laughin' at me." He didn't move out from under Dief's head. "You better not be laughin' at me too, Dief, or you're gonna get the same thing he is."

"And that would be?" Benny inquired coolly, lathering up the wolf's tail.

"Nothin'." Ray finally extricated himself. "No doughnut, no pizza." He reached for the rinse bucket and post-bath dog brush Benny had ready at hand. He dipped the brush slyly behind the cover of his body, watching Benny's face the whole time, still lathering Dief with one hand. He flicked the brush forward with his wrist and a thick spatter of clean rinse water pattered over Benny, spotting his white shirt-- which he'd somehow managed thus far to keep out of contact with the wet wolf.

"Oops." Ray extricated himself from the bath, radiating pure innocence. "Finished with my half."

Dief chose that moment to wriggle free of Fraser and he shook mightily, spattering greenish foam all over both men and half the room.

"Gah!" About a quart landed in Ray's open mouth, and he sputtered and spat. Benny just sat back on his haunches and glared, one hand in the dirty bathwater.

Slosh! A green-gray fountain of dirty wash water arced up and over Ray's already half-soaked shirt.

"An escalation of hostilities!" Ray pronounced, not sorry to see Fraser loosening up, his friend's lips twitching as he desperately tried not to smirk. "This calls for drastic action." He picked up a cup and filled it out of the rinse bucket, sauntering forward casually. Fraser's eyes threatened, but he didn't move, so Ray just beamed at him as he tipped the cup right over Benny's head and then retreated to survey the damage. Oh, yeah. Water all down the front of Benny's shirt. Beautiful. Was that a nipple?

Dief took advantage of the distraction to bound out of the washtub, trailing suds and wet footprints as he raced to hide in the kitchen. Ray ignored him, for the moment-- this was the manly art of war and vengeance. Dog washing could wait.

"That was most imprudent of you, Ray." Fraser got up and wiped his face neatly on a dish towel. Bending, he scooped up a double handful of suds from the abandoned tub, and Ray stood his ground as Fraser carefully wiped them onto his cheeks and over his hair, sculpting Ray with a chemical-scented greenish meringue.

"Benny, Benny, Benny." Ray sighed theatrically, knowing that he was grinning like a monkey and not much caring. "You did not want to do that, my friend." Ray reached down and his fist closed around a wire handle. Benny's eyes went wide with disbelief as Ray lifted the almost-full rinse bucket.

"You wouldn't, Ray. The floor!"

"I wouldn't?" Ray looked innocent, advancing with the full bucket, and Benny backpedaled hastily, both hands raised in defense.

The hell with the floor. Ray gave him a winning smile, tipping the bucket forward, arms swaying in open threat. "What's the matter, Benny, afraid of a nice warm bath?" He was between Benny and the door, and there was nowhere to run, except--

Fraser bolted for the window, and Ray gleefully lobbed the whole bucketful at him just as he flung it open to flee onto the fire escape. Water flew and caught the light in a beautiful crystal spray as it flew through the open window into the alley...

Leaving a soaking-wet, dripping Benny caught half-out the window, his hair plastered forward by the force of the torrent.

"Hey. I'm damn good. Hardly got any on the floor!" Ray gloated.

Fraser blinked away water and his eyes narrowed. Ray suddenly realized his bucket was empty.

"OK, hey, that was fun-- so let's go catch the dog and finish up," Ray realized he was babbling when Benny started to stalk toward him inexorably, and he backpedaled, forgetting the washtub. Oops. It sloshed water onto his calves and ankles, and Benny lunged forward, catching him in a steely grip and forcing him backward, off-balance and down....

"OK, OK, you win!" But Fraser didn't let up, he kept pushing, and Ray couldn't stop him; he didn't have any leverage and the lip of the washtub made a wet line against his calves and then his feet weren't on the floor and he clung to Benny, swearing. Predictably he wound up on his back in the smelly lukewarm water, yelling bloody murder at Benny, who was laughing openly now, and the sight of his happy face infuriated and pleased Ray at the same time, so he refused to let go.

He tightened his grip. If he was drenched in dirty bathwater, by God, he'd do his damnedest to soak Fraser, too!

Warm, wet Benny. Laughing against him. Suddenly Ray didn't want to let go, never wanted to let go. Didn't care what might happen. Didn't care any more about the water or the dirt or the scent of dirty wet dog. Just Benny's living heat against him.

Fraser was off-balance too, squirming to get away, and Ray struggled with him, twisting like an eel. The washtub overturned but he landed on top as the water gushed around Benny's body, and then they were rolling, scuffling madly-- in and out of the wet, off the edge of the plastic, and the floor better not leak because it was a goddamned lake in here!

Benny's weight on top of him, then a heave and roll and he was on top. Benny squirming and thrashing against him, gasping and laughing, splashing and struggling in his arms--

Soaking wet and laughing on the edge of hysteria, they fetched up against the counter at last, stopping the battle, and Benny lay under Ray, his white shirt plastered to his chest and fully transparent, his dark hair soaked and clinging to his skull in artless waves. Suds on his cheek. Still laughing and struggling, body arching up against Ray's....

Ray swallowed suddenly. Things were getting out of hand here; if he didn't watch out they'd be completely out of control. He couldn't read Fraser's eyes; they were dark and Fraser went perfectly still beneath him, not resisting but not releasing Ray either, just sober all of a sudden, looking up earnestly and probably trying to figure out exactly what the hell was happening. And he was no slowpoke in the smarts department, either.

"OK, OK, we both win," Ray decreed and rolled off hastily, thumping into the water with a dull slosh. He was already more than half-hard. Shit.

"I believe Diefenbaker has won," Fraser corrected him wryly, and Ray realized he could hear a crinkle of plastic and paper from the vicinity of the bed, where Dief had retreated to eat his stolen post-bath doughnut.

"Yeah, I guess so!" Ray averted his eyes and braced on the counter to stand, then offered a hand for Fraser to pull himself up. Fraser took it, his grip sturdy and solid, if a bit soapy.

Ray kept facing half-away from him, trying to hide his arousal. "OK, you get the wolf and I get the rinse bucket," Ray decreed. "Jesus, what a mess!"

Dief didn't look any better than the apartment, soap-slicked hair askew in every possible direction, mouth stained with chocolate glaze. They wrestled the wet wolf back into the tub and poured clear water over him, Fraser working out the soap patiently. Ray tried not to watch him too closely as he picked his way back and forth, careful not to slip and fall on the wet floor and maybe break a hip. Benny looked good, better than good-- his wet jeans had shrunk and molded to him, almost transparent in spots where they'd worn thin. Especially the seat. His feet were clean and pink and wet. His hair was starting to dry a little, looking nearly as bad as Dief's fur had-- sticking up every which way.

And Ray's pants-- they hadn't been such a good choice after all, because soaking wet, they wouldn't hide a hell of a lot if he kept looking at Benny. He retreated behind the counter.

"You got any dry towels?"

"One." Benny nodded toward the closet, sluicing clean water out of Dief's fur with the edges of his palms. "We'll use it on him first."

Ray nodded and got it out; they fluffed Dief with the towel until he growled. Benny shook water out of the brush and started working out the tangles methodically. Dief kept lifting his paws and flicking the water off them with distaste; it was still maybe a couple of centimeters deep on the floor in places even though a lot of it had soaked away somewhere; part of it into Benny's ratty old braided rug and Ray didn't want to know where the rest had gone.

He sighed and got a broom, thinking about sweeping the water out into the hall, but Benny'd be so embarrassed to set a bad example for the neighbors. As if there wasn't already a lake spreading out from under his door!

Shrugging, Ray started sweeping it in toward the rug, a more or less pointless exercise that had the single virtue of preventing more from escaping into the hall. At least it kept his mind off the curve of Benny's ass and the play of his back under those wet, clinging clothes.

Finally Fraser finished. "There," he announced, and Dief shook himself, glowered once at them both, and vaulted out onto the fire escape through the forgotten window, his tail waving a hasty goodbye.

"Don't get dirty!" Fraser shouted after him. Ray snickered helplessly and shrugged at Benny's annoyed look.

Fraser sighed started sopping up the spill with the towel, wringing it out into his sink. Sop and wring, sop and wring, while Ray swept-- until finally the worst of it was gone. The rug went out the window to hang off the edge of the fire escape and drip-dry, and more mopping was required afterward. Finally they were left standing in the midst of a pretty damp room, dirty and soaked and tired and smelling like wet dog and flea repellent shampoo.

"God, I need a shower." Ray turned away again. Hell, Benny was gorgeous no matter what you did to him, the hair on his arms plastered to his skin, a smudge of dirt on his cheek, his denim pants so wet they squeaked when he walked. "I ain't gonna drive home this way, Fraser. It'd ruin the upholstery."

"We both need a shower and change, Ray."

"There's no towels, Benny," Ray pointed out. "That one is a total loss." Neglecting to bring a spare outfit had been a mistake.

"I have an extra sheet that should serve." Benny retrieved it from the closet.

Ray nodded and took the sheet-- better than nothing, and maybe Benny would loan him something to wear home-- and opened the door to reveal a large puddle winding its way down the hall toward the stairs, just like he'd figured.

"Oh, dear!" Fraser hurried to mop it up and Ray made his getaway, vanishing down into the nasty communal bathroom in his squishing sneakers.

His very hair itched at the thought of getting in the stained tub in his bare feet, but apparently Fraser hadn't contacted terminal rot from that level of intimate contact with the dregs who lived here, so maybe he wouldn't either. He started the water and stoppered the tub, grimacing at the drain with distaste.

At least they'd installed a showerhead and a curtain when they fixed the place up while Taylor was thinking of buying it. He wouldn't have to sit down in the nasty thing. Ugh. Ray stepped in and pulled the curtain and adjusted the showerhead, his toes scrunched up to touch as little of the tub as possible. He was just starting to relax under the warm water when the door opened.

"Benny?"

"Yes, Ray."

Ray relaxed and tipped his head back under the water, sighing. He'd showered while Benny shared the bathroom with him before. There was a shower curtain; it wasn't such a big deal. At least, it didn't used to be. Not before he started noticing Benny's ass. Not before he started planning his weekends around ludicrous ways to see Benny soaking wet in denim and white cotton. God, he was hopeless.

"You forgot soap and shampoo."

"I think I've had enough shampoo today," Ray muttered, listening to the shower curtain rattle as Benny stuck in soap and shampoo for him, probably-- but the gust of cool air was too much for that, and Ray opened one eye only to jerk them both open wide when he saw Fraser, absolutely naked, stepping into the back of the tub with him, soap in one hand and shampoo in the other.

"What the hell are you doin'?" Ray squeaked.

"There's a limited amount of hot water available, Ray. I'm not going to sacrifice my hot shower to the man who turned my apartment into a swimming pool." Fraser sounded serene but amused.

"This ain't bein' a good host, Benny!" Ray turned hastily to face into the shower. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm naked here. Go on, get out, I'll save you some water--"

Fraser's hand suddenly touched his, holding something slick, pressing the slippery rectangle into Ray's palm. "Don't drop it." His voice in Ray's ear made Ray's cock jerk emphatically, and Ray nearly did squirt the bar of soap out of his clenched fist as the content of Fraser's words settled on his overtaxed brain.

"What, are you hoping I will?" Holy shit, did he just say that? With Benny not eight inches behind him, naked and wet?!

"Would you like to?" Benny sounded shy, and his fingertips brushed lightly along Ray's waist for a brief moment.

Ray cursed softly and kept his back turned. His cock hadn't ever fully lost interest after their wet wrestling match on the floor, and this wasn't doing it any damned good at all. "Benny, I'm gonna give you two seconds to get the hell out of this tub or I'm not gonna be responsible for what happens, you hear me?"

"Yes, Ray." Insanely, Benny's customary serenity was back, and Ray relaxed, waiting for the shower curtain to move-- but instead of cool air, he felt warm flesh settle on his waist, fingers and a solid palm. He shied like a skittish colt from the touch of that sure hand, but there was nowhere to go.

"You're hard, Ray. You were hard in the apartment, when we were wrestling on the floor." Benny sounded breathless and inexorable. "It isn't just adrenaline. I saw you watching me. I could see your nipples through your shirt. They were hard too, Ray. They're hard now. Is that why you wore such a thin white shirt? For me to see through?"

"Damn it, Benny!" Ray muttered, hoarse with desperation. Benny's hand was still slick with soap, and it slid around to Ray's chest, exploration proving Fraser's words true. Fraser's smooth warm chest and stomach settled against Ray's back, and they were under the spray together, warm water trickling over them in a steady torrent, Benny's cheek against Ray's throat.

Yeah he was hard, and getting harder as Fraser's thumb skimmed his nipple. No way to hide, not from Benny's gentle hands and gentle eyes, not from Benny looking over his shoulder and down to his erection, not from the slow swell of Benny's penis against Ray's buttocks. Not from the red-hot glow growing heavy between his legs or from the hammering beat of his heart.

Ray submitted to the inevitable, his breath hissing between his teeth as he leaned back against Fraser's hard, wet body.

Fraser took the soap from his nerveless grip and gently stroked it across his chest, lathering him softly, so much more sensually than he'd done the same thing to Diefenbaker, and Ray moaned low in his throat, a slow shiver running through him.

"So, did you ask me over here just to see me get all soapy and wet?" His mouth was out of control, running on autopilot, saying stupid things, but Fraser smiled against his throat.

"Did you accept in order to do the same with me?" Fraser lipped gently at the tendon in Ray's neck, clean water washing over their faces as he tilted Ray's head gently to one side. "I suspected you had when you agreed so readily."

"Oh?" Ray blinked away water, savoring the feel of Fraser's soapy hands sliding down his ribs to his waist and flanks.

"To bathe Diefenbaker? Do you seriously expect me to believe you would agree to that without complaining if you lacked an ulterior motive?" Fraser's amusement deepened into warmth. "I've suspected what that motive might be for a long time, Ray."

"Oh..." Fraser's hand finally moved almost where he wanted it, soaping the thick curls at the base of his cock. Ray pushed forward, asking mutely for more, but Benny only touched him lightly, washing and rinsing him. "Jesus, Benny! Why didn't you say something?" Now Fraser's hands moved behind Ray, soaping his back at the same time they cleaned Benny's front, the sensation of their bodies sliding sleekly together unbearably erotic.

"I wasn't sure until today." Fraser was very hard now, hard and touching himself, sliding the tip of his cock up and down along the cleft of Ray's buttocks, not pressing, just touching lightly as he made the slow journey again and again. Soap in his hand, on his cock, on both of them. Water pouring down, just starting to cool.

"Hell of a way to bring it up!" Ray gasped as Benny pushed at last, soap-slick cock parting Ray's cheeks and stroking luxuriantly between them, nowhere near entering him, just loving the friction of sliding inside the soapy cleft. He pressed the soap into Ray's hand again and brought both of his hands to bear, stroking Ray's cock slowly.

"I thought it seemed appropriate." Then Benny ducked forward, hard cock still tucked gently between Ray's hips, and let the water stream over his hair, rinsing himself clean. "We're running out of hot water," he murmured in Ray's ear, then his hands turned Ray, and Benny kissed him wetly.

The kiss went long and then turned hot and dirty, Benny's tongue sneaking between Ray's lips to taste his mouth. Ray held Benny tightly, feeling a shudder of ecstasy as their cocks nudged one another. He dropped the soap after all, forgetting it in his urgent need to snatch Benny's hips and drag him closer. Pure sex in the kiss, a promise of fire.

The cool water came between them as Ray finally stepped back, shivering delightfully chill on the hot skin where they'd pressed together, rinsing away the last traces of soap.

"Are you going to bend over and pick it up, Ray?" Benny touched Ray's mouth again with his, mischief flickering in his eyes and tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah, for you I think I might." Ray answered him huskily, then quickly dipped to his knees, letting his cheek brush Benny's hard cock, and retrieved the soap, giving Benny a sneaky smile on the way up. "Somewhere more private."

Demurely Benny nodded and stepped out of the shower, leaving Ray to twist the knobs and pull back the shower curtain. Their eyes met through the dispersing steam; Benny had wrapped half the sheet around himself, holding out the corner for Ray.

"You expect us to go down the hall both wrapped up in that one bed sheet?" Ray stared into Benny's hot, calm eyes, shocked. "What if Mrs. Gamez comes out to do her shopping? Huh?"

"You can go naked, if you like. I'll follow." Benny's mouth curved very slightly and he flicked his eyes downward with obvious appreciation. "I don't believe Mrs. Gamez would object to the view."

Ray blushed from the top of his bald spot to the tips of his toes. "Give me that!" He snatched his corner of the sheet and tangled himself in it, ending up in very satisfactory proximity to Benny. "This is ridiculous. You better hope nobody comes out while we go down the hall!"

Benny laughed softly, kissed him for just long enough to shut him up, then pushed him out the door.

Bound together in an awkward tangle of sheet and legs, they stumbled down the hall and into Benny's apartment. The door was hard and cold against Ray's shoulder blades as he leaned against it, breathless.

"Soon as we go out, I'm buyin' you some more towels," he announced, but Benny just grabbed the sheet between them and started pulling, unrolling Ray inexorably from his wrap-and-a-half of concealing cloth. Ray went willingly, his heart starting to race at the intent look in Fraser's eyes.

When he stood naked, Benny let his own covering drop to the floor and stepped out of it, reaching for Ray and pulling them together again, oblivious to the open window at the fire escape. "We're not gonna do this with the window open!" Ray complained, but Fraser just nodded hotly and pushed him down onto the plastic-covered bed.

Well, OK. Maybe they were.

Ray slid his arm around Benny's shoulders, holding him close sleepily as his breathing slowed. Now that he could think coherently he saw the plastic from the bed crumpled on at the foot of the bed, and his own and Fraser's wet, dirty clothes scattered haphazardly on the floor near the unlocked door. It made him smile to see such ordinary things, to see the small evidence that they were still the men they'd been twenty minutes ago. Only better, now.

The window still stood wide open, and just as he began to wonder if they'd been making too much noise, Diefenbaker's head popped up on the fire escape and he eyed them with a baleful yellow gaze, then hopped lightly into the room.

Ray's eyes went wide and he struggled up onto one elbow. Benny raised his head and they shared the sight of an extremely sheepish wolf flopping to lie down irritably on the damp floorboards-- with every possible substance that the finest alley on Racine had to offer quite firmly caked into his still-damp fur.

"We're gonna have to do it all over again!!" Ray groaned, then dissolved into helpless laughter, loving the way it felt when Benny joined in to chuckle against his chest.

"Yes," Benny agreed, nuzzling Ray's nipple lazily with his lower lip. "All of it, all over again. As soon as possible."

"Yeah." Ray felt a lazy blush heat his cheeks.

"Perhaps in reverse order this time?" Fraser suggested.

"You read my mind."

They turned toward one another for a kiss, still smiling.