The facts were these:

Fraser wasn’t currently in need of the uniform.

It was Asher’s birthday.

Ray wanted brownie points. And sex.

The solution had been simple really. Ray tried not to think of it as taking advantage of his best friend’s situation. In fact, he could even argue that it was Fraser who had suggested the idea in the first place. When Ray had come across mini-Benny, he’d never intended to steal borrow his Mountie uniform but after their encounter, Ray just couldn’t shake the memory of those immortal words:

”I look like a Mountie to you?”

Well, now it seemed like Ray did. Taking one final glance in the mirror before leaving, he adjusted the Stetson, so that it sat straight, and smoothed down the lanyard. It wasn’t the first time he’d worn the outfit but he still wasn’t exactly comfortable in it. If all went well though, he wouldn’t have to stay in it very long.

Asher was a pretty simple guy, really. Not in the slow-minded way but in the easy-to-please way. Sometimes Ray forgot that. He could definitely have been accused of trying too hard in the past. Unless he was pissed off or disappointed, Asher didn’t really show any feelings, so Ray often found himself over-compensating just to get a reaction from him. Usually, it ended up being the wrong one…

Today, though, Ray was all about simplicity and – forgive the sap – making Asher happy. If he couldn’t do it on his birthday, when could he?

So there Ray was outside, dressed head-to-toe in Canada, with a bucket of ice on the kitchen counter, drinks cooling inside it. There was a chocolate cupcake baked by his own fair hand, unlit candle sticking out the top, and a Zippo resting beside it.

No fuss. No drama. Definitely no old man jokes. What more could Asher want?