*SPARKLING*

*By GILDA LILY*

Pairing: Benny/Ray V.

Category: PWP, Humor.

Rating: NC-17 for graphic sex. (Soapbox time here. Some have wondered why I don't write 'm/m' with the 'graphic sex' any more. Since people don't generally apply 'graphic m/f sex' to movies and such, just the 'graphic sex', I thought adding 'm/m' implied that it was some oddity that deserved an NC-17 rating all its own. The pairings indicate the gender, and if the names didn't, I'd add the information there, not here.

This story is in answer to the Closet's New Year's Challenge #1. I was talking in the chat room last night and said I wasn't sure if I had a plot for the Challenge. JB and I got to talking and my mind started working, and this was the result. I sat down today and wrote it in about an hour. Happy 2000!

Comments on-line and off-line welcome. E-mail: jeanniemarie@sprintmail.com.

Disclaimer: Roses are red, Benny's in bed, Ray's right with him, but bindlestitch, I don't own 'em, Alliance does.

(c) December 26, 1999

*Ray dumped the ice cubes into the bucket, looking with satisfaction at both bottles on the kitchen table. Both looked nearly identical, gold foil festively decorating the green glass of the long-necked bottles. Corks were placed jauntily at their tops, and Ray hummed to himself as he checked on the party food that he had set out in the various bowls and dishes Benny owned.

The bottle on the table was sparkling white grape juice, their beverage of choice because neither man was the drinking type. Aside from an occasional glass of wine or a beer out with the guys, Ray had never indulged after his first drunken incident at the tender age of sixteen. Terrified of being just like his alcoholic father, he had sworn off drinking except for those rare instances. Benny simply did not drink, possibly fearful of inhibitions being loosened by alcohol.

Ray smiled. He wouldn't mind Benny losing some inhibitions.

Sadness suddenly overtook him. If only he had the courage to tell Benny how he really felt! But he was afraid to lose the Mountie's friendship.

Luckily, no one suspected his feelings or thought it odd that he had chosen to spend the Millenial New Year's Eve with Benny in his apartment instead of at a big party or at his home with his family. He had figured that Benny had survived Christmas Eve and Day in a house that made him pink from being too warm, his hearing and sense of smell nearly overwhelmed by the noise and perfumes and a hundred other sundry little things. Benny dearly loved spending time with the Vecchios during the holidays, but Ray guessed that his friend craved some peace and quiet now.

When Ray had suggested that they celebrate the new Millenium together ("It's not really the Millenium, Ray. That will be January 1, 2001."), Benny had eagerly accepted the idea. He had assured Ray that he would participate in any holiday traditions Ray would care to come up with, and had consented to a celebratory glass of real champagne at midnight.

Ray had just deposited that bottle in the ice bucket when the door to 3J opened and Benny walked in, pink-cheeked from the cold and brushing snow off his shoulders while carrying a grocery bag.

"Ray! They had the ripple potato chips."

Ray grinned. "Great, Benny. Did you pick up any other goodies?"

Benny nodded. "Yes, Ray." He proudly dumped the contents of the grocery bag and pointed. "Potato chips, pretzels, marshmallows, Hersey chocolate bars, Milk Duds (He studiously ignored Dief's whimpering) and nuts."

"Great. I got some stuff, too."

Ray disappeared into the bedroom and returned with a shopping bag. He took out a box and said, "Hmm, what have we here?"

"Canadian chocolates!" Benny gasped.

"Yep." Ray laughed at Benny's shining eyes. He held out the box to his partner. "I know you were missing some home-style treats."

"Thank you kindly, Ray!"

Ray liked the taste of Canadian chocolates. Most American chocolates tasted like wax. Hersey was an exception, but Ray had wanted to surprise Benny with something special.

They were soon arranged comfortably on Benny's old sofa in front of a rented TV. Ray surfed with the remote, sampling each network's Millenium specials, and they snacked on the party food and drank the sparkling juice.

"Mmm, Ray, this juice tastes different. What kind is it?"

"White grape." Benny's face held an expression of concentration, his head cocking to one side. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing. It tastes fine, Ray."

"Good. We don't want you getting drunk, now do we?" Ray teased, winking as Benny laughed.

"No, Ray."

"I got the good stuff in the ice bucket. We'll toast the new Millenium in style at midnight."

"That's good, Ray." Neither man spoke while they watched the celebration in Times Square, then Benny said, "Ray, your family was not too disappointed that you were not going to spend tonight with them?"

"Oh, they squawked some, Benny, but hey, they had me Christmas Eve and the next day. It could have been one wild time at my house, but I liked the idea of some quiet. Ya know, a lot of people are staying home this year. I guess 2000 might come in with a whisper."

"I don't know about that, Ray, but it's very nice to have you here to myself."

Ray nearly choked on his juice. Had he just heard what he thought he'd heard? Ah, well. If Benny said it, it was sure to be innocent.

Dief was allowed some snacks while the humans nibbled and drank. Ray felt very happy, his smile becoming dreamy. He felt lightheaded as he watched the television. All those people partying. A new millenium about to start. A new century, too. Okay, Benny said no, but everyone else was saying yes. Either way, they got to have two major blow-outs on this Millenium issue. A surge of emotion brought tears to his eyes.

"Oh, what is it, Ray?"

"I love you, Benny."

"I love you, too, Ray."

Benny rested his head on Ray's shoulder. "You smell good."

"Yeah? So do you."

Benny giggled. "I wonder how you taste?"

"Ha! Probably like tomato sauce!" Ray giggled, too. Part of him wondered at this silliness while another part of him was enjoying himself immensely. "Wanna try?"

"Oh, yes, Ray."

They faced each other and Benny studied his friend's face seriously, then he leaned forward and pushed his tongue into Ray's mouth.

Cool! Ray welcomed the tongue, curious about Benny's taste, and they explored each other's mouths with joyous abandon. Breaking apart, they breathed heavily, eyes wide and hands shaking.

"You taste like chocolate and potato chips, Ray," Benny said solemnly.

That news was regarded just as solemnly by Ray, then both burst into a fit of snorting laughter. Ray fell backwards onto the floor and Benny followed on top of him. They found that funny, too, and then Benny began licking Ray's neck.

"Hey!"

"I'm tasting you, Ray."

Ray closed his eyes and felt every sensation as Benny's tongue slid up and down smooth flesh, lingering over the pulse in Ray's neck. A light nip, then the tongue continued down to the hollow of Ray's throat and lapped up to caress Ray's jaw. Hands busily pushed Ray's turtleneck sweater up, and warm breath teased his nipples. Ray groaned as Benny's mouth sucked on one, wild sensations running through him, and he yelped as Benny's teeth bit lightly.

"Mmm, Ray, you taste wonderful."

"Thanks, Benny," Ray gasped, his groin on fire. He laced his fingers through his partner's hair and moved his head from side-to-side.

Benny sucked and tasted and nipped, and Ray groaned and gasped and moaned. And when Benny unzipped his pants and blew on his cock, Ray saw a haze filter across his vision. His ears buzzed and his mouth went dry as his cock quivered.

"Aah!"

It was enveloped by a hot, greedy mouth, and Ray saw pinwheels as his blood sang. His hips thrust up, his penis filling Benny's mouth, his legs shaking as he whimpered deep in his throat.

He was Fire. He was Light. He was a Quivering Mass of Lust.

Sweaty and hungry and wild and needy. Oh, so needy. And Ray felt his blood rushing to his cock, swelling in his Benny's mouth, and his seed burst into that warm wetness. He continued to thrust even after he'd finished spurting, and then Benny's body was on top of him and Ray began removing the ski sweater and jeans and he turned a naked Benny onto his back and licked and tasted and blew butterfly kisses onto bare skin. Benny groaned and moved and was pinned by Ray's thighs, then Ray touched his cock to Benny's lips and the Mountie opened his mouth and took him in. Ray bounced and keened and laughed, then took his cock out and traced Benny's cheeks and jaw with the tip, a sudden frenzy of licking and pinching sweating them both as Ray's mouth descended on Benny's cock this time. And Benny groaned and moaned and cried Ray's name, fountaining into Ray's mouth. And the crowd cheered.

The TV crowd, that is, and the two of them began a wild, passionate rutting, their bodies rolling across the living room and their sweat and semen sealing them, their tongues invading each other's mouths and their hands molding to each other's buttocks. As the citizens of Earth partied, Benny and Ray sucked and fucked and devoured heated skin while their heads buzzed and their hearts beat. They screamed and cried and bit and when midnight chimed, the world exploded with them as Ray drove deeply into Benny.

Then, the silence.

* * * * * *

Ray awoke groggily, squinting at his radial watch. 4:45. Ouch. His head was a balloon, his mouth a cotton field. How the hell could he get a hangover from sparkling fruit juice, for cryin' out loud?!

Benny! Benny was *sleeping* beside him! And covered in cum and sweat! Omigod!

*And Ray remembered every fevered moment!*

His heart nearly sank to his toes when he realized what had happened. He'd taken advantage of...!

"Ray."

The croak sounded like Benny.

"Yeah, Benny?" Ray asked anxiously.

"Did we...?"

"Yeah." Ray's hand shook as he gripped Benny's shoulder.

"Oh, thank god. I thought I'd only dreamed it."

"You don't regret it?"

Benny started to shake his head, then stopped and moaned. "No, Ray." Blue eyes opened. Bloodshot, but looking right at him. "I'm glad it happened."

"So am I, Benny."

They kissed, then Benny burrowed back under the blankets, softly moaning. Ray slipped out of bed and walked carefully out into the living room. He picked up the bottle that lay discarded by the coffee table. While the news announcers on television chirpily spoke of the new Millenium, Ray registered the label with shock.

He put the bottle back onto the table and shut the television off. Walking with eggshell care back to the bedroom, he got under the covers and snuggled up to Benny.

*How the hell did I get those bottles mixed up? I was damned careful!*

Suddenly a movement caught his eye and he stared at Dief lying in the corner. The wolf stared back placidly, then yawned and settled his head on his paws. Ray shook his head.

*Nah! Couldn't be!*

He burrowed closer to Benny and fell asleep, moonlight shining on Dief's wolfie smile.*