Affirmation Note from Bernice - a netless friend of mine asked me to post this to the net, since this is quite timely. And I agree with the author - compare the Benny- clone from this clip to the Ms. Fraser in Some Like It Red - spooky!. I haven't edited this, just did a bit of proofing. Send any comments to me, and I'll pass them on to Quill Descriptors: mild m/m consensual, PG13 ***************** Note from the Author: There is this film-clip that George Michael has released for his single called FASTLOVE. Now on that clip is a face that looks very, very familiar. Watch it on your music video channel and see what you think.... AFFIRMATION by Quill Ray sat there opened mouthed. That face.... was it Fraser? He looked down at his cousin Delia as she sat watching MTV. "Delia honey, what... ah, what's the name of that film-clip?" asked Ray as he watched the half naked men and women gyrate across the screen. "Ah Ray, you're not going to start now are you?" complained the teenager. "I had to stop watching this at home 'cause Mom saw this clip and told me that I wasn't to watch it any-more." "No, no, I just thought that the music was great," smiled the cop, not having heard a word of the song, all he could remember was that face that looked so much like his friend and partner. "Oh, well it's George Michael's new clip, it's called Fastlove. Isn't it great?" "Yeah great," muttered Ray as he watched the screen and was rewarded with another quick shot of that Fraser clone. "Jeez, that could be Benny," he told himself. He looked down at Delia and saw that she had the remote control of the VCR clutched tightly in her hand. "You taping this Delia?" "Yep. Like I said, Mom won't let me watch MTV until this clip has stopped being played so I figure that if I had a copy for myself I'll tell her that I'll turn the TV off before it comes on." "The girl's got Vecchio blood inside her all right," thought Ray to himself as he saw another close-up of that face, that beautifully made up face. "Number one did you say?" Delia smiled up at her older cousin, "Been number one for ages. I love it and George Michael's so cute." "Some of those others aren't so bad either," mused Ray to himself as he wandered over to pick up the newspaper, seeing when MTV was on again. Then he made his way upstairs and into his bedroom. His TV and VCR, which he usually used to tape the games when he worked, was quickly re- tuned to tape something else. Ray shoved in a new tape and set the machine. Then he wandered back downstairs again. He was going over to pick Fraser up later on, they were going to catch a game at the Sports Centre. It wasn't until later that week, when Ray went back to his VCR to set for the game that he remembered that film-clip. Re-winding the tape, Ray picked up the remote control and sat on the end of his bed. When he found the George Michael clip he watched it through, again just watching, not listening to the song. Each time he saw that face he paused the tape and stared at it. "God, he looks like Fraser," muttered Ray as he re-wound the tape a couple of seconds then put the machine on slow and watched as the camera panned downwards over that male chest. Ray watched the clip over and over again, actually listening to the words of the song a few times. Ejecting the tape, Ray marked it and put it with the other tapes he kept. That was one tape he was not going to tape over! "I wonder if Fraser's seen this?" that thought had Ray grinning, the idea that Fraser would actually watch MTV was ludicrous. "Dinner... yeah dinner," mumbled Ray as he left his room. "Hey ma!" he called as he made his way downstairs. "Can Fraser come over for dinner on Friday?" "Of course he can Riamondo," beamed his mother as she looked up from setting the table. Leaning over, Ray kissed her cheek. "Thanks ma, I'll tell him in the morning." ******* ******** The next day, as Ray drove the Mountie to work, the cop casually invited the Canadian over for dinner on Friday. He made it seem as if Ray's mother had forwarded the invitation. "I would love to come," smiled Fraser. "Thank your mother for me, will you Ray." Ray nodded, his eyes flashing to the side view of the man beside him. He kept seeing that face, that beautifully made-up face, when ever he looked at his friend. It was uncanny how much Benny looked like that guy from the film-clip. ******* ******* On Friday night, after he picked Fraser and the wolf up from the Consulate, Ray headed for home. Taking a deep breath, Ray broke the companionable silence. "Ah, Fraser, after we eat, I want to show you something that I taped by accident this week when I set the VCR." "Of course Ray. What is it?" "Ahhh, I have to show you Fraser, it's to hard to explain." The Mountie nodded and sat back in his seat. He was looking forward to tonight, the Vecchio dinners were always enjoyable. After a wonderful dinner, Fraser climbed the stairs with his friend, leaving Diefenbaker downstairs with the rest of the Vecchio family. Fraser walked into Ray's room and sat on the edge of the bed as Ray waved him to do so. He watched as Ray pulled a video tape from the group that he kept separate from the ones piled around the VCR. Picking up the remote, Ray turned the machine on, then turned to Fraser before putting the clip on. "This film-clip is by a guy called George Michael. It was on a music video show called MTV. Now I want you to watch the faces of the people that are shown on the clip, okay?" "Certainly Ray, but what am I looking for?" asked the puzzled Mountie. "I think you'll notice Fraser." Ray turned the tape on and stood back, watching Fraser watching the TV. The cop saw the man blink a little faster when that face came on the first time, those small TV shots with the blonde. Then when Fraser saw that face clearly the Mountie sat up a little straighter. A little further along in the clip, the face appeared for a longer period, that piece also included a sliding torso shot. The mattress shot was a surprise. The last time, near the end of the clip, Ray pressed the pause button and froze the frame. "Oh my..." came the quiet murmur from the Canadian. "Have you been moonlighting, Benny?" asked Ray, half jokingly. Fraser stood up and moved closer to the TV, bending over to get a closer look. "He looks like me," murmured Fraser, as he straightened up and turned to Ray. "Doesn't he?" "He's the spitting image, Benny. If I didn't know better I'd swear that person there was you." "But.... but he's wearing make-up, Ray!" "And doesn't it look good on him, Benny?" "Well... Yes Ray, I suppose so. I mean, I'm no judge on that kind of thing," muttered Fraser as he looked at the stilled face again, "But I must say those eyes do look quite well done." "My sentiments exactly!" "Ah Ray... why did you want me to see this?" Ray didn't answer the Mountie's question, but he did move a little closer to the man and the beautiful face stilled on the TV screen. "Do you know, Benny, I've watched this clip a hundred times. I've watched it with the sound, and without... I've watched it... well bits of it actually, on slow motion and I've sat and looked at that face... And do you know what I see?" "No, Ray," asked Fraser breathlessly, staring in fascination at the light in his friends eyes. "I see you, Benny," murmured Ray as he got closer and closer. "Me?" came Fraser's soft voice. Ray stood in front of the Mountie, his hand coming up to cup Fraser's cheek, his fingers caressing. With a gentle thumb, he touched, rubbed, Benny's lips, watching as those perfect lips opened and a tongue flick out. Fraser tasted the salt on Ray's skin and closed his eyes, sucking in a deep breath. A strange feeling started to churn in his chest. The pause on the VCR ran out and suddenly the clip started to play again, the music causing the two men to jump. Blinking and breathing deeply, Fraser took a shaky step away from the cop. Ray felt the man pull away, but all he did was smile. Benny had taken a step back, but he hadn't left the room. The Canadian just stood there looking at everything in the room but Ray. "I should be going, Ray," mumbled the Mountie, "It's getting late." "Yeah late," smiled the cop as he muted the TV and started to close in on the man again. "It's all of eight o'clock, Benny, that's definitely late." "Late," echoed the Canadian, mesmerised as he watched the cop close in on him again. "No really, Ray," Fraser cleared his throat a little, "It is late.... I should really... that is...." Silence filled the room as Fraser just stared into those bright hazel eyes. "What was that, Benny?" "Hhmmm, I beg your pardon, Ray? I'm sorry, I seem to have forgotten what I was going to say." Fraser suddenly reached out with hungry arms and pulled his partner into a tight embrace. The clip on the TV came to an end, but neither man noticed. Ray had copied the clip over and over so that he could just sit back and watch it without mucking around. So it started again, it's muted sound filling the room with it's song, but neither man noticed, they were too busy, much to busy.... Fraser felt Ray run a string of kisses across his forehead and Fraser buried his face in Ray's shoulder, hugging the man closer, breathing in the scent of the man, the essence of his friend. The he kissed those lips, first softly, then harder until he was holding Ray's head still as he plundered the taste from his friend's mouth. Not that Ray was fighting him off. The cop also had his arms wrapped about his partner's body, shoulders held with bruising intensity, fingers squeezing muscles. Sliding down onto the carpet in front of the TV hot hands explored and wet mouths tasted, all while George Michael sang. ".....and I see loving in his eyes...." Ray watched as Benny's inner walls came tumbling down and read the emotion in those glowing blue eyes and returned the gaze hungrily. And still the clip played quietly in the background while the two men played quietly on the carpet. "....baby can't you read the signs...." With his head resting on Ray's chest, Fraser let his fingers glide across the muscles they found. "Benny...." mumbled the cop, "that tickles." "Hmm, does it, Ray? Do you want me to stop?" "You do and I'll...." "....taste it now baby...." "Is it warm in here, Benny, or is it just me?" Fraser licked at the sweat slicked skin on Ray's chest, his tongue flicking out at the fine hair there. "It's you, Ray. I'm quite fine." Ray laughed softly, his fingers pushing through the tightly curled hair on Benny's nape. "That you are, Benny," whispered Ray, "that you are...." "...made my way into the sun..." "Turn a bit, will you, Ray," murmured the Mountie. Ray, still half asleep, moved the way Benny's hands directed, then he sighed and snuggled into the warmth of the hard body beside him. "This is nice, Benny...." "Hhhmmm," replied the Canadian intelligently. "....I'm gonna get there in your own sweet time...." Fraser lay on the carpet, his mind full of exhilaration but his body filled with exhaustion. Looking over Ray's shoulder, he watched that film-clip yet again, watched as that clone of his stared out at him and his lover... Then the taped stopped as it reached the end of it's loop. The soft sound of the TV hissing had, Ray moving in his arms, so Fraser gathered the sleeping man closer, murmuring, "...shh, baby shh, go back to sleep, shh..." and Ray did so. Fraser smiled and closed his own eyes, the soft hiss of the TV interference filling the room. The film-clip was finished, and until it was turned on again, that was it... that look-alike was gone, but Fraser was still here with Ray, still here and holding tight to what he had now. The Mountie knew in his heart that he and Ray had more then the superficial fastlove that the singer had sung about... much, much more.... "....searching for some peace of mind hey I'll help you find it...."