LOMFic - On This Day
Apr. 1st, 2009 09:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dorsetgirlTitle: On This Day
Author: DorsetGirl
Fandom: Life on Mars
Disclaimer: I don’t own these characters or their universe. BBC/Kudos do. I’m not making any money out of this.
Rating: Green Cortina for a little sexy action
Word Count: 2,700 approx
Summary: The best place to hide the truth is in plain view.
A/N: This story was inspired by![[info]](https://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
hambelandjemima’s fic Cool, Calm and Rational in the Lost and Found and is posted with her permission. After I’d read her fic I couldn’t stop picking at why Ray would have tied Gene up and sent Sam in to find him. Please note that this story is not a prequel, sequel, or anything else to Hambel’s fic; it is completely unrelated apart from the fact that I have blatantly nicked her central premise of Ray sending Sam into Lost & Found where Gene is waiting for him. With especial thanks to Hambel for agreeing to my using her idea! Also posted at ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif){kind=small}
lifein1973
On This Day
“Boss? Can I have a word? Quiet, like?”
Sam put the kettle down and glanced around the silent office.
“No-one else here, Carling. Have your say.” He turned towards his desk, hoping whatever it was wouldn’t take long.
“Well, it’s just - and don’t take this the wrong way, like - but I just thought, with you being a poof and all...”
Sam snapped to attention so fast his drink slopped over the edge of the cup. He put it down and mopped his sleeve, fixing Ray with his hardest “senior officer” glare.
“Carling, for the last time, I am not a “poof”. Just because my coffee cup has more sensitivity than you do, doesn’t automatically mean I’m...”
“Bi-curious,” a dark corner of his mind suggested, softly. He ignored it.
“Don’t give me that, Boss. I’ve been around; think I don’t know one when I see one? It’s all right,” he added hastily as Sam’s face darkened. “Not going to tell anyone else. I just wondered if you fancied...”
“No, no, NO!” Sam held up his hands in horror and backed away until he was standing behind his desk.
Ray laughed and followed him. “Not me, you twonk. The Guv.”
For ever afterwards, Sam would swear that his heart actually stopped at that point. He sat down abruptly, trying to concentrate over the sound of the room spinning and the checklists running amok in his head.
Gorgeous blond hair, amazing eyes. Nice arse. Nice big healthy cock. Probably. Sex on legs. Sex on long, sexy legs.
He stared speechlessly at Ray, finally stammering out some kind of response several moments too late. Ray smirked knowingly.
“ ’Cos I happen to know he fancies you.”
The room span even faster as Sam tried to get his slack jaw under control.
“Not that he’d ever tell you himself, like.” Ray leaned over the desk and spoke confidentially. “I know for a fact he’d never touch one of his own officers...”
Always standing that inch or two closer to Sam than he should. Always in his personal space. Never quite...
“...unless they wanted him to.”
Sam swallowed hard and struggled for control of his voice. He even managed a little sneer, the rapidly-shrinking professional part of his brain nodding in surprised approval.
“So, what, you’re telling me the Guv is gay? Gene ‘I’m not a fairy’ Hunt? Pull the other one, Carling, it’s got bells on.” He reached for the report he’d been working on, trying to ignore the fact that his hands were shaking.
Ray looked at him pityingly. “Told me himself, Boss.”
Sam snorted in disbelief, more confident now. “Like he would do that.”
“Well, that’s where you’re wrong, Boss. See, we was shipmates one time in the Gulf, and there was this middy he quite liked. Well, he was young himself in those days. Don’t think anything ever came of it, but he told me one night when he’d had a few.”
Gene was gay. He’d admitted it to Ray. Gene was gay.
“Anyway, just thought I’d mention it, like. Not that I give a toss whether you’re happy, but the Guv... Well, he’s been a good mate to me and I hate to see him like this, all lonely and wanting what he can’t have.”
There was a charged silence as Sam looked down at his desk, trying desperately not to imagine exactly what it was that Gene wanted. Ray watched his flickering expression with a knowing smirk.
“Anyway, he’s in Lost & Found right now, Boss. Reckon he’d be made up if you went and had a chat with him about it.”
“Don’t be daft, Carling. Got better things to do with my time than fall for your stupid jokes.” He got himself under some sort of control, and looked up. “Since you obviously have nothing better to do, you can go and interview Mrs Cattermole again, and this time write it down properly.”
Sam waited, pretending to read through his report, while Ray sauntered cockily out of the office. Then he leapt to his feet, running his hands quickly through his hair and huffing into his cupped hands to check his breath. He walked slowly down the corridor, heart pounding.
Pausing to listen outside Lost & Found, he glanced up and down the corridor before moistening his lips with the tip of his tongue. Thinking hard - how should he approach this? coy? confident? - he undid two more buttons of his shirt and ran his hands teasingly over his nipples, enjoying the sensation. Gene’s seemed to be standing out like tiny buttons half the time, and if Sam’s doing the same had anything like the effect on Gene that Gene’s did on him, well...
He cut that thought off sharply. Nipples were one thing, but a full stiffy was probably a little too bold a statement of interest at this stage. He still wasn’t convinced Ray wasn’t playing some devious game for his own amusement.
* * *
Sam stepped quietly into Lost & Found and turned to close the door behind him. He still hadn’t worked out how to play this, but if he didn’t stop thinking about it soon Gene was going to get the idea anyway from the way his tongue was hanging out.
He locked the door and turned to see Gene down by the far wall, reaching up to something on the top shelf. Despite the dim light, Sam could see from here that as usual he was half hard.
Oh, God.
Sam swallowed with difficulty, unable to stop himself letting out a tiny sound of longing.
Gene looked round; he seemed about to speak, then he stopped, and looked again. Kicking aside a pile of papers, he walked slowly, deliberately, towards Sam, moving inexorably closer until his feet were between Sam’s and his groin - his groin - so close that Sam could almost feel the heat coming off it.
Sam stared up, eyes wide, feeling like an antelope before the lion. His throat was dry, his heart was hammering. He could hear nothing but Gene’s breathing, see nothing but Gene’s eyes fixed on his. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t look away.
His lips parted involuntarily.
* * *
The next five minutes were a blur of desperate exploration with tongue and teeth, Sam thrusting frenziedly against Gene’s trouser-clad erection, his hands sliding over Gene’s back as Gene’s hands cupped his buttocks possessively. He couldn’t stop himself moaning at the warmth and strength and rightness of Gene hard against him.
Finally Gene groaned and withdrew his tongue from Sam’s mouth.
“Sam. Sam. Going to come right here if we don’t stop this now.”
He pulled back, one hand still pressed against Sam’s straining zip and the other holding Sam steady as he swayed against Gene. His breathing was ragged as he looked down at Sam with a bemused smile.
“My God, Sam, you have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that.” He leaned against the wall and pulled Sam close as he got his breath back, murmuring in Sam’s ear, “Not that I’m complaining, far from it, but - what brought that on? You walked in here like you knew.”
“I did know. Carling just told me. He said he’d known you long enough to know when you fancied someone.”
Gene tensed and moved away slightly, looking worried. “Shit. I must be slipping. I had no idea he knew. Nobody does.”
“It’s all right,” Sam reassured him. “I sent him off with a flea in his ear. He’s gone to interview Mrs Cattermole again.”
“He’ll be back any minute then, she’s in hospital, no visitors.” Gene lit a cigarette then winced and reached inside his trousers to rearrange himself. Sam looked away, still too close to the edge himself to cope with any further stimulation. “I don’t believe he just told you straight out that I fancy you. He doesn’t even know I’m that way inclined.”
“Yes he does,” Sam said, surprised. “He said you’d told him yourself, years back when you were on a ship together.”
“What? We were never on a ship together, Sam. I was Merchant Navy, not Royal. None of that on a proper working boat, I can tell you.” He laughed suddenly. “Oh, I get it. Don’t you know what day it is, Sam? He’s having you on. I’ll have his guts for this.” He looked at Sam speculatively. “Are we on, then? ’Cos if we are I might just have to promote him.”
“Yes, I think so. Well, if you want to, that is. But Guv, I don’t want him to know that we...”
“Course not, you silly sod. And yes, I want to, have done for a long time.” He kissed Sam briefly, holding him tight. ”Right, enough of that or we’ll never get out of here. Here’s what we do...”
* * *
Five minutes later they let themselves silently out into the corridor. They locked eyes briefly and Gene nodded.
“Ready?”
“Ready.”
Eyes coyly downcast, soppy grins firmly in place, they walked into CID hand in hand. The team were back from lunch and Ray was at the centre of a large group roaring with laughter. They all looked round, and into an astonished silence Sam said tentatively,
“Um, hi. We have something to tell you all.” In the face of Ray’s astonished stare he turned towards Gene, and Gene leaned in to deliver a chaste peck to Sam’s lips. Sam put his arms up and pulled him closer, going for nothing less than a full-on soppy hug. He cracked one eye open and watched over Gene’s shoulder as Ray’s eyes opened so wide he thought they might fall out.
After a minute Sam tapped Gene’s shoulder in the pre-arranged signal; looking round at Ray, Gene laughed out loud at the expression on his face.
“April Fool yourself, Carling!”
Sam stood enjoying the warmth of full body contact for a few more seconds until Gene shoved him off roughly.
“OK, Tyler, that’s enough. I think he’s learned his lesson. Don’t want to give him a heart attack.”
He looked at Ray who was still staring, speechless.
“Your face, Carling!” He laughed. “Still, enjoy your little joke, ‘cos you won’t get another one. Remember just who’s the Guv round here, OK?” He clapped his hands together sharply, changing the mood in a second. “Right, you lot, you’ve had your fun, now get back to work. I’ve got a department to run here. And Tyler, don’t take that as encouragement, all right? Keep your nancy hands to yourself.” As he turned towards his office he gave Sam a quick smile and the barest wink.
Sam couldn’t stop himself giving Ray a broad, smug grin.
“Thanks for the laugh, Carling. I’ll treasure the memory.”
* * *
One Year Later
“Here he comes,” murmured Gene. “Ready?”
“Always, love.“ Sam smiled and took up his position. The door crashed open.
“Guv, you wanted - bloody hell!”
Gene stepped backwards quickly and turned round with an expression of shock on his face. Sam, however, still on his knees, fell forwards and curled up on the floor, giggling helplessly. Gene watched him for a moment, smiling, then put out a hand to help him up, and they both stood laughing at Ray.
“Got you! April Fool!”
“You bastards! Are you ever going to let me forget that?”
“No. I aim to dine out on that one for the rest of me days. What say you, Tyler?”
“Definitely, Guv. Going to bring a camera next year, get a picture of his face.”
“Well, thank you very much, Guv. Boss. It was just a joke. Don’t have to keep on.”
“I think we do, Raymondo; it was a very good joke, worth repaying. Close the door on your way out, we hadn’t quite finished.”
They both collapsed laughing again as Ray went out, muttering.
* * *
And Another Thirty Years
“Carling? Gene Hunt. Yeah, got talked into having one of these bloody mobile things at last.”
“--“
“Course I’m still alive, you tosser. Going to live forever, me.”
“--“
“Yeah, he’s still around. Right here, as it happens.”
“--“
Gene laughed out loud; his eyes bright with amusement, he leaned across to Sam and held the phone out.
“He wants to know if you’re still a poof.”
Sam smirked and took the phone. “Yes, thank you, Carling. Nice of you to ask.” He handed it back to Gene, the word “twonk” drifting tinnily out of the handset.
“Anyhow, Carling, if you’re free this afternoon, wondered if you could pop over. Got something I want to show you.”
* * *
Ray sat in the sunshine looking at his watch; any minute now. Nearly twenty years since he’d last seen the Guv, though he’d never forgotten him. Few people ever did.
From across the road, he heard a shout and looked up to see Gene and the twonk walking out of the Council buildings opposite. As they trotted down the steps he found himself wondering how they did that - always in step, always looking as if they belonged together. It had always annoyed Ray, who had been Gene’s right hand man until Sam turned up. Still did, come to that.
Sam was smiling, looking happy and relaxed, and Gene was waving a piece of paper above his head. As they came closer, Ray stood up and moved forward to greet them.
After handshakes, a brief exchange of news and a short argument about the merits of latte (Sam), espresso (Ray) or Nescafé (Gene), they sat down with their assorted cups and Gene smacked his piece of paper onto the table in front of Ray.
“What’s this then, Guv? Got a divorce so you can marry the twonk here? Always thought you’d make a lovely couple.” He laughed.
To his surprise they looked taken aback for a moment, then Gene said “Got divorced years ago, Ray, didn’t Chris tell you?”
He shoved the paper closer. “Go on. Read it.”
Ray picked up the single sheet, unfolding it slowly. They were both grinning fit to split their faces; they looked like a pair of kids on Christmas Day. He looked down at the paper, reading out the words slowly.
“Notice of Intention ... forming a Civil ... WHAT THE...?!?!?!”
He looked up, jaw dropping as he registered what he’d just read. Gene had his arm round Sam’s shoulder and they were both rocking with laughter.
“Oh, God, Carling, your face!” Sam gasped when he got his breath back.
“You ... you ... bastards! All these years and you never...”
Gene wiped his eyes and reached out for the paper, tucking it safely in his pocket.
“Happy April Fool’s Day, Ray!”
“Oh, you...” Ray sighed with relief. “You mean it’s just a ... you’re not ... well, I knew that, obviously.”
“Oh, we are, Carling, believe me. We’ve waited a long time for this,” Sam said. “What Gene means is that it’s all down to you. That’s why we thought you should be the first to know. Ceremony’s on the 16th. We’d like you to be one of the witnesses.”
Ray looked at him blankly; the years hadn’t made Sam any easier to understand.
“April Fool’s Day, 1975? When you sold me that story about Gene fancying me, and sent me into Lost & Found to talk to him about it?”
Ray closed his eyes in disbelief.
“Turns out you were right, Ray. He really did fancy me.” He laughed and turned to Gene. “You’d never have said anything, though, would you love?”
Gene looked sheepish for a moment. “Probably not,” he conceded. “Still, all worked out in the end, didn’t it? All thanks to you, Carling!” He brightened suddenly. “Tell you what, you can be Sam’s maid of honour if you want. He’s got a lovely dress.”
Ray choked on his coffee and they both laughed at him again. He had to admit he’d never seen the pair of them look so happy. He relaxed gradually, enjoying the Spring sunshine, watching them smiling at each other and looking at their little piece of paper every few minutes.
* * *
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-01 01:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-01 03:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-05 12:28 am (UTC)Ooh, that's a nasty twist, that one didn't occur to me, luckily! Yeah, I hate Ray too most of the time, and I hardly ever write him, but sometimes he is the right character to use for something. Thanks for commenting, and I'm glad you enjoyed it.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-05 12:29 am (UTC)