Title: Old Notes
Author: Elandae
Pairing: Ben/RayK
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, or more sadly, the actors who play them. The characters belong to Alliance and Paul Haggis and many people who are clearly not me.
Author's Notes: This is one of the really early things that I did... it really is lacking polish so for that I apologize.
Ray twined a single piece of paper through his fingers. Simply an ordinary piece of paper, though one creased and well worn. The only light in the room came from the streetlight streaming in through the open window that let in the balmy summer air. He leaned back, sliding one hand farther behind him on the rumpled blanket on the bed thrown back towards the foot, until his hand encountered a leg. He shifted enough so that he could see Ben, his face peaceful as he slept, the sheets tangled around him. Ray slowly traced his fingers up the gentle curve of Ben’s calf, the heat of his body softened by the thin layer of material between them.
Ray turned away, looking out the window once more. He sighed deeply, slowly, once more worrying the worn sheet of paper between his fingers. The surface bore evidence of its regular handling, surface smoothed so that the writing on it, four simple words, were faded. The blue ink was washed out, the words almost obliterated.
He had found it his first day that he had become Ray Vecchio. The first time he has seated himself at the desk, rifling through the drawers for anything that might tell him something more about Vecchio, something beyond the facts that he knew, any little habits he may have had. In the top drawer had been the usual: pens, papers clips, notebooks, all scattered together and nothing of much interest. Save for one pen, one ordinary Bic pen, wound carefully around it at the top was a small scrap of paper, the cap fitting neatly over it so that it stayed in place. Ray had glanced around before sliding it carefully down the shaft of the pen and unrolling it.
In what he had recognized as Vecchio’s hand, the sheet had simply said ‘Look out for him.’ Nothing more, nothing less. No explanation, no clue as to who ‘him’ was. He had kept the piece of paper, slipping it into his pocket at first. He had kept it, meaning to throw it away once he figured it out. Yet, here he was, and here it still was. Ray traced one finger slowly over the letters, brow furrowed.
Behind him, Ben stirred. He didn’t wake, just shifted. Ray watched him for a few moments, his chest rising and falling slowly as he breathed, his arm flung out into the space Ray normally occupied.
Ray leaned forward slowly, carefully pulling open the drawer of his bedside table, neatly dropping the paper into the dark recess before pushing it closed again, movements slow. He crawled carefully over Ben, sliding his arm over so his space was clear once more before curling around the sleeping form. Ray let his eyes fall shut, letting the soothing warmth wash over him in lazy waves. Ben woke, barely conscious, only enough to slipped his arm across Ray, head resting in the curve of Ray’s neck, falling asleep again in moments. Ray smiled.