Prompt: Four Elements. Fandom: due South. Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio

[bghost.livejournal.com]

Title: Death Shall Have No Dominion
Author: bghost
Rating: Gen
Characters: Benton Fraser, Ray Vecchio.
Pairing: Benton Fraser, Ray Vecchio.
Word count: 300 words
Prompt #349: The 4 Elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water)
Author's Notes: treble drabble. UST, pining, loss, repressed memories, hope.



The first thing Benton remembers is snow. The snow was red. A splash of strange paint, freezing across the white.

Now, his uniform is red, his most hated colour. It smothers him, drowns him. He prefers the earthy brown. Red speaks of his inadequacies. Of his first snow, and that where Ray’s emotions are fluid, deep like water, his are wine dark and hidden, frozen in ice.

Heat would melt that ice, burn away the snow. Benton knows that fire is as dangerous as winter. He lit a fire when he was a boy, against the long dark; then candles, as a man. They did nothing to warm him, even though they burned.

Ray’s lips would burn, if he kissed them.

He needs to breathe. There is not enough air in Chicago. He knows it is a claustrophobic nightmare, but the sky is cut off by light pollution; he cannot see the stars. Buildings crowd around him; there is no horizon here. No way that air can get into this place. Not into his box of an apartment. He used to have a whole world.

In spring, back in the territories, the snow would be melting now, and there would be mud everywhere. Fraser loves the mud, loves the way the black earth oozed up between his toes when he was a boy, before his grandmother taught him to be tidy. Loves the way flowers poke up, irrepressible, year after year, after year, after year. The flowers will return long after he is gone. He thinks of Dylan Thomas:

“Heads of the characters hammer through daisies
And Death shall have no dominion.”

Perhaps he should have more hope, if death can die, if snow can thaw. Perhaps it would be alright to kiss Ray.

Perhaps Ray would kiss him back.