due South Recs

Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski (These recs come directly from the fic rec community I run with Mare called Polyfannish Rec Whores)

*new!* By Any Other Name by china_shop--Fraser/Kowalski--Ray and Fraser go on a date.  Ray mouthed the word as though he'd never heard it before. Date. Then he dropped his spoon with a clatter and leaned back in the booth, his eyes once more fixed on his plate. "You think so, too, huh?" he asked in a low voice.

*new!* The Frozen Heart by shayheyred--Fraser/Kowalski--It's Due South told in fairy tale form, and it's so lovely.  "Heed me," the wolf said: "You must seek to the East, you must seek to the West, then seek to the South upon your quest."

*new!* You Might Think by aukestrel--Fraser/Kowalski--I really like Ray in this, and the way that he just goes for it.  And I must be dreaming, fallen asleep at my post following the ghost-visit of my father, because the hand on my shoulder is sliding up past my uniform collar and winding into my hair; and his lips are on my cheek, now, warm and soft and moist, a flick of his tongue between: tasting me.

*new!* Learn to Speak Canine in Seven Easy Steps by etcetera_cat--Fraser/Kowalski--This is told from Diefenbaker's perspective as he tries to convince Fraser to sleep Kowalski. His interaction with Ray's turtle is the best thing EVER.  The thing about Ben, Diefenbaker reflects, is that whilst he seems to have an almost unnatural aptitude for human languages, when it comes to speaking Canine (whether the sparse elegance of the tundra language used by the wolves; the conversational equivalent of gargling raw sewage that passes for communication in certain districts of Chicago; or, indeed, any of the hundred dialects in between) the poor man is only just above the level of the average unilingual tourist.

Ray Is Not Actually Graphing The History Of His Relationship With Fraser--That Would Be Pathetic, And Ray Is Not Pathetic--But If He Was Graphing It, Even Just In His Own Stressed-Out, Messed-Up Brain, It Might Look Something Like This by sprat--There's awkwardness and miscommunication, and while Ray gets understandably frustrated with the whole thing, his affection for Fraser shines through. Just look down at the whole title of this fic. If that isn't RayK, then I don't know what is. And then, a second later, Fraser had his mouth pressed against Ray's. Only Ray's last mouthful of beer was still only half-way swallowed. And Fraser's hands were a little shaky, and his aim was a little off, so basically: disaster. There was choking and then eye-poking and a teeth-lip collision, and that is just about all you need to know about that. Ray had to yank his head out of Fraser's grip so he could keep from spitting beer into Fraser's mouth, and then of course Fraser started in with the oh god, Ray, I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me--I'll file my transfer papers with the head office tomorrow.

that's where all of the gangsters live by minervacat--Ray's voice is perfect, as is his love affair with Chicago and his wistful, painless memories of Stella and his interactions with Fraser. Read it and enjoy. Fraser complains about the hotdogs -- "Are you sure there is actually a meat product underneath all these toppings, Ray, or is this some kind of joke?" "Shut up and eat your hot dog, Fraser" -- and complains about Ray smoking, but the Cubs are winning on the TV, out in Arizona, and Ray shuffles on his stool a little, not quite ready to leave, when he finishes his beer. "Ray," Fraser says, and Ray jerks away from Chip and Steve on the TV. He'd almost forgotten that Fraser was there. "Why don't you have another beer?"

Untitled: Welcome To My World by doll_revolution--Ray and Fraser's relationship told through post-its passed between two women working at a bookstore. Adorable. ***April Eleventh*** (Post-It attached to Helen’s computer) BF picked up ghost book. OH MY GOD!!! -J (Post-It attached to Jennifer’s computer) told you! :::fans self::: I’m in loooo-ooove!

The Course by Bone and Aristide--Post-COTW. Hot, delicious. Featuring Ray undercover as an English professor. Mmm... Like Fraser hadn't already frayed every nerve Ray had with the kissing, rubbing, groping thing they'd been doing, nonstop, for hours, for days now. And man, he hated being the prom date, the 'that's far enough' one, especially when Fraser didn't want to stop. Fraser wasn't at all interested in stopping. Fraser had his light stuck on green, and it was up to Ray to put his hand up (take it away from whatever hot smooth spot it had found itself in and put it up) and be the stop-right-there-paradise-by-the-dashboard-light guy for once.

Academic Punk by the Hoyden--Oh man...just...AU featuring Ray and Fraser as English professors. If her Ray doesn't drive you wild, I'll eat my hat. "Hey, department policy, people. Copies of the syllabus are going around," the professor was saying, looking down and shuffling things around on his podium. Fraser could see neatly spiked blond hair and the rims of thick-framed black glasses. "So, hi everybody, welcome back to a few people – Sarah, Trevor, and – oh god, Greg, are you back for more?" "We're committing academic stalking," a girl said, presumably the aforementioned Sarah. "Academic stalking," Kowalski said, snorting. "That's cute, in a vaguely creepy way. Does that mean I can get a restraining order?"

Indelible by C.L. Finn--Tattoo!fic. Oh man. That should be enough to get you to click. "I…" My voice fails me. I don't know how to explain this. But I think… no, I feel that he won't laugh at what I have done. Perhaps he will even be able to understand it. I finish what he has started, unzipping my pants and dropping them, pushing my boxers down enough to reveal the tattoo. "I did something foolish when I was in Yellowknife." And the morning after.

Hate Story by Dira Sudis--I'm sure you'll end up hating this story as much as I do. I hate the way he looked from me to Dief before he left, and told us to look after each other, like I'm going to fall down a well or something if he goes away for three days, like he wouldn't leave at all if he couldn't leave the wolf to babysit me. So I feed Dief takeout every night and donuts every morning, and he tells me he hates Fraser for that too; he's a wolf, for God's sake, why should Fraser think he can't take care of himself?

Damaged Goods by Crys--Post-ep to "Asylum." Hotness. He didn't need this. Didn't need to be lusting after anyone, least of all his partner. Christ, Fraser would be worse than Stella -- talk about someone who had his own ideas about The Way Things Should Be. Fraser had handcuffed him. Arrested him for leaving the scene of the murder, and slapped the cuffs on. Yeah, okay, so Fraser had taken them off again, but he'd made his point. Ray was on his turf. Under his orders. Doing things the Fraser Way, like it or lump it.

Pizza and Beer by Estrella--Jealousy and seduction. Is there anything better? Color flushed Fraser cheeks and he tugged on the collar of his jacket. "Well, no, actually. I mean, that is to say-" "Come over, then," Ray said quietly, leaning just a little bit more into Fraser's space. Fraser took a small step back and Ray thought bingo! "Tonight. Come over around eight?"

Blueprint by Journey--post-COTW. Long, sweet and refreshingly different. “Real date?” Ray filled in the blank. He continued on and yanked the door open, holding it politely for Fraser to walk through. “Who says it isn’t?” he added with a smile and a wink. “Come on in Fraser. I won’t bite you.” Fraser sighed and moved forward, knowing that protesting further would only hurt Ray’s feelings. As he brushed in front of Ray, his partner leaned in, stopped Fraser with a hand on his chest and outrageously whispered into his ear. “Unless you want me to.”

Thermoform by Kellie Matthews--Part of a series, but can be read on its own. A sweet story with a Ray that tries so hard to make Fraser happy. Finally I locate the date. November fifteenth. And today is November sixteenth. Well, that explains why he was watching those kids today. And of course he couldn't just tell me his birthday was yesterday. "Fuck," I breathe softly, banging my forehead against the file cabinet. I missed it. I missed his birthday. Everybody missed his birthday, from what I can tell.

 Un-American by Laura Jacquez Valentine--Quirky, interesting, realistic look at the cop Ray was pre-Vecchio-ization. "You'll never sculpt in this town again," said Fraser, and Ray had to try to handcuff the guys through dying of laughter.

Broadway Hotel by Resonant--Ray back in Chicago after his adventure with Fraser. "Don't care," Ray said. "It's the only --" and Fraser put a hand over Ray's mouth, eyes wide and mouth crumpled, then dropped his head back against the headboard as Ray settled down to take him in again.

How Ray Got His Groove Back by Bone and Aristide--Lots and lots of sex. First time and sex. Mmm... Relaxed, boneless Ray, sprawled out in lazy indolence and taking his pleasure from Fraser, finding warmth and comfort and satisfaction of every hunger from Fraser's mouth, hands, body. Ray's sleepy head on a shared pillow, Ray's fine hands dragging his head forward for a deep kiss, then sleepily tugging him down under a haven of blankets to the dark, to where Ray wanted him.

Mangy Dog by Speranza--It's about Fraser and his best friends: Diefenbaker and Ray. "Diefenbaker," Benton said finally--and the pup barked sharply, making him smile again. "Diefenbaker," Benton repeated more firmly, and again the pup let out an answering bark. "Very good," Benton said, approvingly. "It's a wise wolf who knows his own name."

Turning by Kellie Matthews--Fraser's sleep is interrupted by horrible nightmares, and Ray tries to help. I thought I'd seen all of Ray's smiles. I was wrong. This is a new one. This one almost . . . hurts. . . almost makes me close my eyes against its brilliance. The pain of it transmutes quickly to a warm frisson of desire that makes me clench my fists against it. Thankfully, sadly, it's gone far too quickly, replaced by an almost-shy lowering of startlingly long eyelashes, and a quick look away.

Like A House On Fire by Kellie Matthews and Beth H.--After COTW Ray goes back to Canada to see Fraser again. It's interesting to see the change in Fraser both physically and emotionally after his time away from Ray. Long and plotty and wonderful. Opening the door, he took one look at the person on his stoop and dropped the remote again. It bounced off the mat and out the door. Dief tried to shove past him, barking insanely, but Fraser was frozen in place.

Parental Guidance by Starfish, Kass and Alanna--Ray's parents figure things out before they do. "For you and Benton," she said firmly. "I'll pick up the Tupperware when I come over next week to do your shirts. Unless -- Stanley, honey, should I call first? Make sure you're not ... busy?" And she blushed.

Bad Behavior by Brooklinegirl--Despite his better judgment, Fraser goes for bad boys. Features Smoking!Ray. Mmm... He nods slowly, but doesn't say anything. He's moved down the steps to lean against the wall near me. He's got his arms crossed and he's, like, watching me. His eyes - man, they're intense. Still radiating that Fraser-calm, but I know him real well and to me - to me, he looks turned-on. I blink, and then bring the cigarette slowly back up to my mouth for another drag. His eyes follow the movement of my hand the whole way. Huh. Interesting.

The Telephone by The Hoyden-- Fraser misinterprets a conversation he overhears. The last time I had been offered a transfer, it was to Ottawa, but I saw no need to quibble. Not when there was something larger at stake. "A bit different from last time. They've offered me a promotion, a position in the CFSEU."

Figure of Speech by Estrella--I like her knowing Fraser and confused Ray. "Holy shit," Ray gasped. Fraser looked at him and Ray wondered if he'd ever seen this guy before in his life. "What are you - "

Neighborhood Watch by Kellie Matthews and Ardent--Lonely housewives enjoy the view. "Well, I couldn't see everything, the bed's in the wrong place, but I saw enough. And I have to tell you, Georgia, if I wasn't already having hot flashes before, I would be now. Those two are. . . well, let's just say I think we ought to hold this week's bridge game in our bedroom."

Inertia by lamardeuse--Ray and Fraser make some discoveries. Lovely. "Fraser--" "You see, I took this bus. Then I took a plane. Then I--"

Flying Blind by speranza--The evolution of Ray's perception of Fraser. and the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Fraser bending down over him, face contorted, crossed hands pumping his chest, two, three, four, five... and then Ray was vomiting water, and Fraser was roughly turning him over and holding him tightly while he convulsed and spewed chlorinated water all over the side of the pool--and suddenly Ray was overcome with some combination of gratitude at being alive and post-traumatic shock and burst into tears. Fraser pulled him hard against his chest, and Ray grabbed a handful of wet serge. "Fraser, thank you, thank you, oh God," and then he dissolved into horrible, braying sobs.

Wayward by Viridian5--Fraser tries to resist temptation. "You have to admit that it’s an uncharacteristic look for you," I said, somehow maintaining control over my fingertips. They wanted to go wayward in the worst way. "Yet very flattering."

Slice by Brighid--There's sex and, oddly, pie. It's yummy. And I'm shaking my head and my throat, oh God, but my throat is thick and I'm shaking and his arms are around me and all I can say is" "I can't make it fit together," and he says, "Don't need to, shh, don't need to." After a time, he wipes my face, licks his fingers, smiles sweetly at me.

Impounded by A. Kite--The GTO gets towed. Ray Vecchio, formerly known as Ray Kowalski, and his partner, Constable Benton Fraser, and Fraser's half wolf, Diefenbaker, exited the restaurant where they had been having breakfast just in time to see the tow truck with Ray's car attached pull away.

Southbound by Dira Sudis--Ray tries to get away from Fraser. "There are people who just do heroin on the weekends, you know that? The trick is you never let it under your skin, but--I've had the shakes for you since I got here. I started smoking again just to make it go away, but now here you are and--I may be a junkie, but even junkies have their moments of clarity and I knew, back in Chicago, I just fucking knew I couldn't do it your way, not and still be me at the end of it."

Tilt by Resonant--Ray teaches Fraser how to play pinball. Eat cold steel, goblin warriors! "Very pleased to make your acquaintance," Fraser told the machine gravely. He was indulging in a favorite fantasy: that Ray's flirtatiousness wasn't half habit and half game, but the real thing. Aimed at him in particular. With intent.

Five Things To Say by purna--Fraser has an epiphany.  He blinked rapidly, feeling his throat tighten inexplicably. Good Lord, man, get hold of yourself, he told himself furiously. He contemplated Ray's possible reaction to his partner's obviously impending mental breakdown in an effort to distract himself. He suspected that his sudden instability was not so much in response to Ray's small act of generosity as it was to the reminder that yes, this man certainly cared for him, in some way at least. Of course, that point had been illustrated numerous times already, every time Ray came to his rescue while endangering life and limb.

The Best Parts of Lonely by sprat--Fraser's out of town and Ray can't seem to shake the feeling of something being missing.  On Saturday, it was Saturday, which automatically added a hundred goodness points. Ray got up late and drank a couple (or six) cups of coffee. Then he had the car to wax and the gym to get beat up at, and then he met Albert for a game of chess. But all that time the twitchiness stuck around, until Ray felt like he might go mental.

(Insert Your Own Title Here) by Lyra Sena--This is the greatest thing ever. Seriously. It's a teenage AU told through a series of passed notes. Creative and so fun.

Beyond Embarrassment by speranza--Ray gets woken up in the middle of the night by some very bizarre news. It's sad and funny and everything works out in the end.  Bright red blood was wet upon his split lips and smeared up one cheek where the bruises--Christ, bruises!--started. One of his eyes was near-black, puffed with yellow and purple. He had an oozing cut near his temple, and his uniform was ripped, and his lanyard was missing, and his hat--

Hallow by Resonant--Ray buys some Halloween candy and Fraser humors him.  "Your food preferences are evidently frozen at twelve, so on the average you're quite youthful." I maneuvered us until he was on his back and I was half on top of him, then leaned down to kiss his still-greenish mouth. He tasted like sugar and citric acid and me.

Watershed by Nifra Idril--Ray has another near-death experience and Fraser's a little too happy that he's alive.  To him was just an every day thing, no big deal, just the cost of doing business and yeah, okay, maybe not the best thing ever, but fine - bleeding. It happened. Fraser though - Fraser freaked *out*, and when Ray opened his eyes, Fraser looked like *he* was going to faint.

Raid by Tara Keezer--Dief goes undercover with Ray. DIEF. Oh my gosh, so much love.  Dief whuffed once before turning into a pretty credible junkyard dog. Even Sharon backed up a little, and she was the one who’d done his make-up. Ray smiled. “Okay, enough. Ready to put these guys in jail?”

Wet Heat by tx_tart--There's a great jealous Fraser here, and a feeling of having experienced the whole day with Ray and Fraser even though we see them at the tail-end of it.  Ray smiled, but then opened his eyes and looked at him, confused. “Well, that’s it. That’s everything that happened. You were fine all day, a credit to the nation of Canada, until just before we came up. And the only thing…just before we…” Understanding made Ray’s expression open like a flower. “The blonde. You’re pissed off because of the blonde!”

Verse, Chorus, Verse by Punk--A great Ray voice here that makes me giggle. Plus there's huddling together for warmth and explication of Hopkins. Sometimes I really love Canada.  "Any requests? I'll admit a certain fondness for the Romantics, but I also have a passing familiarity with the poets of the Renaissance and eighteenth century." Fraser starts in on that library he calls a head, naming poets like Ray's going to go, "Hey, Wordsworth, yeah, went to school with him. Kid sucked at dodgeball, but boy could he rhyme."

Four Ways Benton Fraser and Ray Kowalski Never Met, and One Way They Did by Lyra Sena--I love the AUs in this one, and the way that each story is utterly true to character.  “Don’t shoot, don’t shoot,” Ray cries out, throwing his arms over his head. The gun guy says nothing, just stares at the red uniform guy, who looks calm as can be, standing up now straight and perfectly in place. Jesus, he could be a drill instructor, a Sergeant or something, and Ray figures he’s the good guy, so Ray just hunches further against the cool metal of the machine behind him, and hopes the other workers have the sense to stay back.

Enduring Distance by Speranza--Along with Kellie Matthews, Speranza is the only author that I trust to write Fraser crying. It's about the fall out that occurs right after CotW.  Once spoken, finally spoken, the words seemed to have power, like a spell or an incantation. Like a magnetic force, they swirled around me, beneath me, lifting me out of my chair. I rose, floating in the air like an apparition, propelled up and up by their compelling power and my own urge to testify.

The Bed Tonight by Brookline Girl--From the Whumping Fraser Challenge at ds_flashfiction. I love seeing Ray as the strong one and taking care of things. Plus his obvious affection for Fraser makes me happy inside.  Like I said: this stuff isn't usual for him. Me, shit like this happens all the time, and half the time it's me who started the fight. Him, it's a little different. Besides, it's not like I mind having him around and this way, I can take care of him a little. It's weird - the guy is very reasonable and capable of taking care of other people, but not so good at taking care of himself.

Back Home