Rated: NC-17 for m/m loving. Disclaimer: No one here belongs to me, more's the pity. In the Woods by Sylvie Grenon Benton Fraser slowly zipped open the tent flap and warily looked outside. It had been another sleepless night filled with strange noises and rustling outside the tent. Several times during the night he and Diefenbaker had wandered around the perimeter of their campsite, trying to locate the source of the disturbances, which seemed to be coming from several directions, and once he could have sworn he'd heard Ray's voice, faint and pleading, though he chalked that up to an overactive imagination. Ray had been missing since the previous morning, incredibly enough leaving no trail that Fraser or his wolf could find; he had simply vanished. Of course, that might have something to do with the fight the two had had that morning; Ray was not an 'outdoors' person at the best of times, and the fact that they had somehow gotten hopelessly lost in the woods had made the street- tough Chicago cop almost panic. Fraser himself was filled with remorse; he was supposed to be the expert on wilderness survival, and yet he seemed to be making a habit of leading his inexperienced partners astray in the woods. Of course, having come across that clearing with the odd stick-men formations had been enough to spook even the unflappable Mountie. So now he was faced with two possibilities, each one less appealing than the other: either Ray had left him in a fit of pique, refusing to trust his lover any further, or he had fallen prey to whatever had been following them for the last few days. Now, gazing into the bright morning sunlight and the now innocent-looking clearing, he felt a sigh of relief begin deep within him, only to be cut off in a sharp gasp as he glanced down at the ground directly before him. Specifically, at the neatly-wrapped bundle of sticks that had been placed there sometime during the night. A sudden movement at his side made his heart stop for a second, then Dief whimpered in concern, nosing the package nervously. Steeling himself, Fraser willed his trembling fingers to move, and he untied the twine binding the sticks together, parting them to reveal a small leather pouch concealed inside. With some trepidation, he opened the pouch, turning it upside down and dumping its contents onto the ground. His lover's silver bracelet glimmered in the sunlight. ************************* Ray Kowalski was awakened abruptly by a loud, panicked scream. His eyes flew open in time to see Fraser bolt upright, crying out "Ray!" in an agonized voice, as horrified shudders wracked his body. Concerned, Ray sat up, placing an arm around Fraser's bare shoulders, whispering as gently as he could, "Fraser? Ben?", rubbing the man's back with what he hoped were comforting strokes. Fraser turned to stare at him with wide eyes, then a shuddering sob escaped him and he buried his face in the crook of Ray's shoulder. "Ray! Oh, Ray," he whispered, his arms encircling the slender cop's body and holding on tightly. "It was horrible. We were lost in the woods, and you disappeared, and there were noises, and your bracelet..." Ray listened to his lover's narration with growing understanding. "Geez, Ben, that movie must've really scared you. And I thought *I* was the one who was gonna freak out again." Fraser took a few calming breaths. "Yes, well Ray, I believe I have a theory about that." Ray hid a grin. Fraser must be feeling better if he was going into lecture mode. "What would that be, Professor Fraser?" Fraser ignored the teasing sarcasm. "Well, seeing as we were brought up in very different environments, we each have very different places which we consider 'safe'. For you, your bedroom; for me, the woods." Ray nodded in comprehension. "So when we watched the Exorcist, I freaked 'cause all the bad stuff happened in the kid's room." Fraser seemed pleased with his lover's intuitiveness. "That's right, Ray. And since the horror of the Blair Witch Project was set in the woods, it... well, it 'freaked me out', as you would say." He lay back on the bed, breathing evenly now, though still shivering a bit. Ray smiled as a sudden thought hit him. "Gee, Ben, I seem to remember what we did to cure this kind of fear last time." He winked suggestively at his lover, gratified to see the man's cheeks turn that delightful shade of red. Ray was glad they had fallen asleep naked; that was quite the time saver. Before Fraser could respond to his suggestive comment, Ray pounced. Fraser jumped slightly as his rapidly wakening erection was unexpectedly engulfed in a deliciously warm, wet heat. He moaned as Ray's magical tongue worked its way around his shaft and up to the moistened tip, all the while applying a gentle suction that drove the Mountie almost out of his mind. He suddenly noticed that Ray's hands were not exactly idle, either: one was toying with Fraser's nipples, gently rubbing and tweaking the hardened buds; the other massaged and caressed his things, moving upwards towards his tightening balls, deft fingers fondling the flesh as the hot mouth sucked, and sucked, and Fraser arched his back, crying out, spilling his seed in wild spurts into his lover's waiting mouth. Fraser's head swam in a haze of pleasure and contentment until he became aware of the light rasp of Ray's stubbled cheek on his, as his lover wrapped his arms comfortingly around him. "All better now, Ben?" Ray all but purred. He smiled fondly at the man. "Oh, yes, Ray, much. Thank you kindly." Ray shrugged. "Well, now we're even." "You know, Ray, as much as I enjoy these... recuperative sessions, I think that for the sake of our cardiac systems, we should probably refrain from renting any more horror movies." "Yeah," Ray had to admit, "you're probably right Benton-buddy." When they were satisfactorily snuggled under the covers once again, Ray spoke up. "Hey, whadya think about renting Dudley Doright?" "I think it's time to go back to sleep Ray." "Yeah, yeah, understood." And the two slipped back into sweet, dreamless sleep. The end. Feedback and cuddly otters at :