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Title:Great for Picking Up Guys
Fandom: due South
Pairing: permutations of Ray/Stella/Ray
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 4785
Summary: Ray leaned down, his stiff gelled hair brushing her cheek, and whispered in her ear, "Him. The rainbow tie."
Notes: For mrs_laugh_track on her birthday, because she thinks rainbow tie!Vecchio is awesome and I think she is awesome and we are both right. Beta'd by snoopypez.
Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine and I am making no money off this.

###

March 1998

Stella smoothed her hair before opening the interrogation room door. Miss Vecchio had said her brother was in here, the guy Ray had been pretending to be all year. The guy who, it turned out, had spent the entire year undercover with the mafia. The guy all the lawyers in Stella's office were suddenly dying to meet, even though Stella's boss had actually dated him a couple years ago and had always been extremely dismissive about him before. But Stella wasn't immune either; she'd gone with the department to see "Donnie Brasco" when it came out, and gone again with Ray, and Ray had driven her crazy with snide, jealous comments about Johnny Depp for weeks afterwards. And this guy was better than Donnie Brasco, because he hadn't just pretended to be a mafioso. He'd pretended to be a specific one, and he'd fooled the guy's mother. That was sexy.

Stella went in. Detective Vecchio was off to the side holding the door open, so she didn't get a good look at him until after she'd handed Welsh the release order and the shouting started. Then--

Oh God. Suddenly the pastrami sandwich she'd eaten for lunch wasn't sitting too well in her stomach. It couldn't be--but shit, it clearly was. It was him.

###

Summer 1984

Stella hopped down off Ray's bike and adjusted her skirt so the cut-off denim stretched tight and straight across her thighs. Shit, her new fishnets already had a run. Whatever, it looked punk. She pulled off her black leather gloves and stuffed them into her jacket pocket.

Ray had already slung his biking jacket over his shoulder, so she could see his faded black t-shirt hugging his strong, scrawny chest. The t-shirt wasn't tucked in except for right behind his belt buckle. She grinned. Ray was such a show-off, and it wasn't any less funny just because he had something to show. He was watching her, not smiling exactly, but with that warm glint in his eye that always made her crazy. "Ready?" he asked.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Are you? I'm not the one who's going to be sucking off a stranger in a few minutes."

He shrugged, giving her that bad-boy grin she used to see him practicing in her bedroom mirror when they were kids. It didn't look practiced now. "I'm used to it."

She smiled, small and happy, too revved up to bother with cool. "Yeah you are."

"You love it."

"Wouldn't let you if I didn't." She bumped his shoulder with her own and started off for the door to the bar, her Converse high-tops feeling authoritative and steady on the sidewalk. "God, it feels great to be out of those heels. I'm never going to get used to them, not if I'm a lawyer for a million years." She held her breath as soon as the words were out, waiting for Ray to say something about how she didn't have to be a lawyer, he could support a family with what he made on the force.

All he said, though, was, "Yeah, they look hot, but you can't ride a bike in stilettos." She pushed the door of the Pig in a Poke open with the heel of her hand, and Ray slipped his hand under her jacket and t-shirt and left it there. She could feel his wedding ring pressing against the small of her back. They stood in the doorway for a minute, scoping out the possibilities. It wasn't a busy night, and most of the people there were girls. Their options seemed to be a few punks smoking in the shadows (one or two looked cute, but nothing special, and none of them looked like they bathed much), plus some frat guy types and an Italian kid in a hideous brown linen suit and bright rainbow tie watching the game at the bar. They might have to get drinks and wait around a bit, see who showed up.

Ray leaned down, his stiff gelled hair brushing her cheek, and whispered in her ear, "Him."

She followed his gaze. Ugh. Hadn't he gotten the college football player thing out of his system while they were in college? "Not one of the jocks," she whispered back with a grimace.

His mouth curved against her ear. "Nah, not them, the rainbow tie."

Just at that moment, the rainbow tie rapped on the bar and said loudly, "Another cranberry club soda over here, please!" She couldn't help it, she laughed. He must have heard her, because his head snapped around and he glared at her. "You got a problem with that?"

Ray snickered as she shook her head at the guy and nestled closer against Ray. Ray was right, the guy had something. A good glare, for one thing. Stella could appreciate that. His haircut was embarrassing but his hair was dark and soft and silky, and his nose--well, her mom would have said it had "character." Stella just said it was sexy. But come on, a rainbow tie? Really?

"Well?" Ray asked. "You gonna veto?"

"Mm-mm." She shook her head. "Let's go." There were jocks on both sides of the guy so they sat around the end of the bar where they had a good view. Ray asked Joan for a couple of rums-and-coke and added, "Hey, find out if that guy'll let us pay for his club soda."

The guy looked over at them when Joan pointed, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Stella gave him her most mysterious smile, and she didn't even have to look to know that Ray was winking. The guy's eyes popped, wide enough Stella could see how green they were from all the way over where she was sitting. Then he grinned at them, wide and incredulous and somehow a little predatory at the same time, and nodded at Joan.

"Can I pick 'em or what?" Ray asked in her ear.

He could, but she rolled her eyes anyway. "You're a miracle." She swallowed down the rest of her rum and coke as quickly as she could, because delayed gratification wasn't exactly Ray's long suit. Sure enough, by the time she set the glass on the counter, Ray was hopping off his stool and jerking his head at the guy, who gulped down the last of his club soda so fast he started coughing. Stella ducked her head to hide her smile and headed for the back exit with Ray.

The cool evening air hit her bare arms and neck, and she shrugged back into her jacket. She'd been on edge ever since Ray'd said, "The Pig tonight?" and the alley just made things worse. The bricks were familiar by now. So was the scrawled Kilroy was blown here and the big dent in the dumpster, and they brought up a dozen images of Ray's hands undoing another guy's belt, Ray on his knees, Ray pushing himself to his feet and kissing her, tasting like rum-and-coke and come.

Ray leaned against the bricks and spread his arms. She leaned against him and set to work sucking on his collarbone.

"Stella, that can't show above my shirt, you know th--that," he said, but she was low enough that it probably wouldn't, and when she whispered "Mine" and went back to sucking, he moaned and tilted his head back. He was so easy. When the door behind them opened, she was almost startled.

She made herself step aside slowly and calmly, turn around and lean against the wall too like she was in control, like she couldn't already feel her underwear clinging wetly to her cunt. Rainbow tie guy stood watching them with a self-satisfied little smirk that kind of pissed her off. He slipped off his jacket. "Here, hold this," he said to Ray. "And don't get anything on it." Ray took it with an expression that Stella recognized with amusement as you're gonna be real sorry. The guy's shoulders were slimmer than she expected, and his shirt looked insanely crisp and white against his dark skin. Stella swallowed.

"Great, something to kneel on--" Ray said, and then Tie Guy just stepped in and started kissing Stella. Her mouth opened in surprise, but he didn't try to stick his tongue in, just nibbled at her lower lip and shit, the shock of it was going straight to her cunt. Ray was going to kill her if she did what she wanted, though, which was to pull him closer by his stupid tie and push her crotch into his.

"I'm not part of the deal," she said, sidestepping.

Tie Guy actually kind of lost his balance. He ended up with one slender hand on the brick, looking at her wide-eyed from about a foot away. In the dim light of the alley his eyebrows curved over his shadowed eyes like startled Gothic arches. "What?"

"You get him," she said. "He has a very talented mouth."

Tie Guy blinked and looked at Ray. "No offense, I'm sure you're a great cocksucker, but you go cruising with her and she's off-limits? You get satisfied customers this way?"

Stella shot Ray an amused glance and waited for him to field that one.

"Yeah, she's a babe." Ray pointed two fingers at Tie Guy. "She is also my wife and I respect her."

Stella frowned. What did that have to do with anything?

Tie Guy pushed himself off the wall. "I respect all women. Except my sister Frannie, but if you knew her you'd understand. Listen, either I fuck her, or we call it off. No hard feelings."

Ray looked at Stella. "Your call," she said. "You picked him."

Tie Guy gave Ray a flattered little smile. "You did? Well, if it'll sweeten the pot, I'll blow you after."

Stella desperately willed Ray to say yes. She'd never really thought about this before, but now it was right here, she wanted it. Ray hunched his shoulders and stuck his hands in his pockets, Tie Guy's jacket hanging off his arm. "Stella," he said, "you do not ever gotta do anything you don't like for me. I don't--I do not expect that."

"Oh, she'll like it," Tie Guy said.

"Shut up." Stella couldn't decide if she was more startled or relieved or in love. Sometimes Ray got jealous if she smiled at other guys. "I know you don't," she told him. "I'd like it, but only if you would too. Because I like you the most, right?" Tie Guy rolled his eyes, but what did he know? He was out alone picking up strangers, and Stella was with Ray.

Ray nodded abruptly. "You change your mind, you say so. Doesn't matter when." He turned to Tie Guy. "You got a condom?"

"I come prepared," the guy said. He turned to face her, casual and easy, but he must have been moving faster than it looked because her heart didn't even have time to start pounding before he was kissing her again.

She'd--God, it was embarrassing, but she'd never kissed anyone but Ray before. Ray always kissed her like he was hungry, like he was going to devour her, hard and again and again, turning his head this way and that like he was trying to find the perfect angle that would give him the most of her. Tie Guy picked an angle and stuck to it, one long incredible kiss, and when he did finally slip his tongue into her mouth, she sucked on it hard and spread her legs. He moaned and ground into her, and she almost bit his tongue off.

"A'right, a'right, hold your horses," he said breathlessly, pulling back with a grin.

She glanced at Ray to see how he was doing, make sure he was still okay with this, and--she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him look that turned on. She flung out her hand, helplessly, and he grabbed it--for a second, stupidly, she remembered doing the same thing in the hospital for her appendectomy, when they stuck the needle in the her arm. He'd been more scared than she was, really--Tie Guy's hands slipped up her skirt, and she drew back instinctively.

He frowned and held his hands up like a perp. "You have done this before, right?"

She drew herself up. "I'm twenty-four, I've done this thousands of times," she snapped. "Just..."

"Only with me," Ray supplied smugly.

His eyebrows shot up. "I'm your second? I'm honored."

"Oh, shut up."

He leaned in and kissed her again--it was probably supposed to be reassuring but it just made her feel self-conscious. But when he pulled back he loosened his tie and undid his first button, and she didn't care how awkward it was. "I'm gonna take it slow, okay?" he said.

Stella glared at him. "I don't want you to take it slow. I want you to fuck me."

He shrugged. "Your wish, my command, yadda yadda." But he still slid his hands up her thighs slow, slow, slow, his fingertips catching on her fishnets.

"I would have dressed differently if I'd known."

"Not a problem," he said, hooking his fingers into the top of her tights. Her skirt rode up and Ray moved to the side a little, blocking her from view from anyone walking down the street. Tie Guy pulled her tights and underwear down slow, leaving them bunched mid-thigh. She felt ridiculous, but it looked--dirty and hot, too. "A natural blonde, huh?" He dipped his fingers between her legs, and she wanted to watch but she couldn't help it, she squeezed her eyes shut and her head fell back against the bricks with a thud.

Ray leaned in, kissing under her ear and then sucking her earlobe into his mouth. "You look so hot, baby," he breathed. "Yeah, that's right, spread 'em wider..." She did, she spread them as wide as she could, and Tie Guy pushed two fingers into her.

"Yesss," she hissed, shoving down against him, fucking herself as best she could on his fingers. She was so ready, and when he brushed his thumb over her clit she had to grab his arm with her free hand to keep her knees from giving out. She felt more muscle through the cotton than she'd been expecting. "Hurry up, shit--"

Tie Guy pulled his hand away with a wet sound, and she opened her eyes to see him trying to open the condom packet, which was slipping through his slick fingers. "Aha! Got it," he said triumphantly, holding up the condom and tossing the wrapper on the ground. "Ah, crap, can you get my belt?"

Stella didn't want to let go of Ray's hand. "I'll hold the condom," she said.

When his clothes were out of the way, he took it back from her and rolled it expertly down over his cock. "Here goes," he said, and there was a question in it.

Stella looked at Ray. Was he still okay with this? He squeezed her hand, the corner of his mouth turning up in that secret smile that was just for her. She tilted up her chin. "I haven't got all night."

Tie Guy chuckled, and then he put his hand around his cock and guided it into her in one quick thrust.

She caught her breath, moving her hips experimentally. He was shaped differently than Ray--she wasn't sure how, but he fit differently, he felt unfamiliar and strange inside her. She tightened around him, and was surprised when he groaned helplessly and thrust into her. She hadn't realized, somehow, that he was as into this as she was.

She grinned at him, tightening again, and he laughed raggedly and pushed her shirt up, exposing her breasts. He made a cute goggle-eyed expression at her lack of bra, and she almost giggled, except that Ray whimpered and pressed their hands against the crotch of his jeans. She could feel his erection against the back of her hand, and Tie Guy said, his voice catching on the words, "Hey, save some for me."

"Yeah, yeah, promise I won't come," Ray said, and rubbed her hand up and down. She jerked her hips forward, driving Tie Guy's cock deeper into her. He'd been skimming his hands up her ribs; they shuddered against her, his fingers curling. Then he pushed her breasts up, bent his head, and sucked her left nipple hard into his mouth. She gasped at the change in angle and his tongue flicking against her breast, the cold brick rough against her lower back.

"Fuuuck," Ray said, and then Tie Guy gasped around her breast, her nipple falling out of his mouth for a second before he recovered. She looked down, and Ray had his free hand in Tie Guy's hair, the ugly brown jacket still draped over his arm. He was holding Tie Guy's head firmly against Stella's breast, and then his thumb slid over the curve of his ear, tentatively.

"Oh fuck," she cursed, shoving forward, shoving down, again and again until Tie Guy's hips jerked too, until he started fucking her for real, kissing sloppy and noisy up her breast and mouthing at her neck. Ray yanked their fists up suddenly, biting the back of her hand hard enough to hurt and moaning quietly around it, and Stella wanted to see them both but she was tilting back her head so Tie Guy could lick the hollow of her throat, pressing forward so her nipples dragged over his crisp cotton shirt, and when he shoved into her again she felt the beginning of her orgasm. "Come on!" she said through gritted teeth, grabbing his hip for leverage and grinding against him. Oh, God, it felt incredible, better and better and impossibly better, and then she was convulsing around him, her hand shuddering so Ray had to stop biting her before she smacked him in the face.

"Yeah, that's right, baby," Tie Guy murmured, his hands running shaking over her sides, "yeah--" His voice broke, and he drove into her again.

"Come on," she said. She'd never done this with anyone she didn't love before. She was startled to realize that the overwhelming tenderness afterwards wasn't all affection, some of it was just sex. But it felt real, and she smoothed her hand over Tie Guy's shoulder, ducked her head and licked his neck like she'd been wanting to do, mouthed his Adam's apple, his moan vibrating against her lips. "Come on, fuck me," she whispered against his skin, because I want to feel you come was way too embarrassing to say out loud.

He did, he thrust into her hard enough her back slammed against the rough brick, once, twice--and then he stiffened, hips pumping helplessly, and turned his face away from both of them. Stella felt obscurely disappointed as he subsided against her, burying his face in her neck. He trembled under her hand, and Ray reached out and ran a reassuring hand down his back. She smiled and leaned against the wall, filled with love and afterglow.

Tie Guy gulped in some air and straightened, giving her an easy smile. "Well? Did I measure up?"

Stella felt suddenly awkward. "I guess you were okay," she said with a smile.

"Come on, come on," Ray said impatiently. "I'm gonna burst here."

"Oh, sorry!" Stella said, pulling away from Tie Guy and tugging her hand out of Ray's to pull her shirt back down over her breasts. Tie Guy made a little regretful noise and pulled out of her, reaching down to fumble with the condom. Oh, God. She felt wet and messy, yanking her tights and underwear back up as quickly as she could and straightening her skirt.

Tie Guy tossed the used condom into the dumpster and did up his own pants. He reached for the dangling ends of his belt.

Ray coughed meaningfully.

"Waiting won't kill you," Tie Guy said. "Come on, find me something to kneel on."

Ray held out the jacket. Tie Guy rolled his eyes and handed it to Stella. She hid a smile and took it, folding it neatly over her arm. "There's a newspaper over there," she pointed out. "The A section, anyway."

Tie Guy went over and picked it up with two fingers. "'MOUNTIE FINDS ALASKAN GETAWAY DRIVER,'" he read. "Is that really the snappiest they could make that?"

"Hurry up," Ray snapped.

Tie Guy smirked. "I don't know if I want newsprint on my knees."

Ray's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, okay. You don't gotta make up excuses if you changed your mind." Shit. He sounded annoyed, and kind of hurt, and if Tie Guy didn't follow through was Ray going to be pissed at Stella?

"And here I thought guilt was an Italian thing." Tie Guy crouched down in front of Ray and spread out the newspaper. "Let's see what you got, tough guy." He reached for Ray's belt, and Ray relaxed and leaned against the wall.

His shoulders in their black leather curved against the brick and his peroxided hair glowed in the dim alley, and Stella could clearly see his erection through his faded jeans. She wished she had the nerve to tell him how hot he looked, like he'd done to her, but when he glanced over and saw the look on her face he smiled anyway. Relaxed and open and confident, and he never looked that way at anyone but her. She watched Tie Guy's long hands on Ray's zipper, watched his jeans slide down his thighs. Ah, shit, there was a hole in his boxers. She was a terrible wife. Tie Guy snickered and stuck his finger through, feeling around.

"Aah-aah-aah-aah..." Ray sounded totally on edge.

"Just blow him already," Stella said. "I'm losing interest here."

"You people are bossy." He pushed Ray's boxers down and leaned in to give his cock a lick. Shit, that was hot. "You're not a natural blond." Then he took Ray in all the way to the root in one move. Stella frowned. Show-off. But Ray stared down at him with this wide-eyed, dazed expression like he never wanted to blink again, and besides, Stella'd never been able to see Ray's face when she did this, not for more than a second or two at a time. She'd kiss him but that would block both their views. And she didn't want to miss a second of this, Ray struggling for breath and hanging onto Tie Guy's shoulders and about to lose it, about to come in another man's mouth.

"He likes it when you make noise," she said, her voice sounding strangled.

Tie Guy made an interrogative "mm-mm?" noise that Stella was pretty sure was meant to be oh yeah? and Ray thrashed. "Nnnnnh," Tie Guy said, sounding enlightened, and hummed a couple bars of something. It took Stella a few seconds to recognize it as "How Deep Is Your Love?" from Saturday Night Fever. He was a wise-ass and a show-off and could probably pat his head and rub his stomach at the same time too, which Stella had never been able to manage, and even though she'd just come she started thinking about sticking her hand down her skirt.

Too late, though, because Ray groaned and shook and Stella knew he was about to come even before he gasped out a warning. Tie Guy pulled back slightly, throat working. Stella let out a startled little sound without expecting it, and Ray yanked her to him and kissed her. Tie Guy made an indignant noise and grabbed her thigh for balance, and Stella ended up laughing and sucking on Ray's tongue and kind of wanting Tie Guy to fuck her again right now all at the same time.

When he stood up, though (the newsprint on his knees was hardly noticeable) and said, his rainbow tie askew and his lips shiny, "Maybe I'll see you guys around?"--Stella handed him back his jacket and looked at Ray.

"I don't think so," Ray said. "But thanks."

###

March 1998

She tried to rush out the door after Lieutenant Welsh, but he swung it shut just ahead of her and kept his hand on the knob. "I'm sorry," he said with a little smirk, "I don't think I've had the pleasure."

Very funny, she thought sourly. So much for him not recognizing her. She gave him a gracious smile anyway. "Stella. Stella Kowalski." She held out her hand, because then he'd have to take his off the doorknob, but when he took it--shit, she was really smiling at him, because okay, it was funny and she was weak, she'd always been weak.

"Ray Vecchio. The real Ray Vecchio."

She remembered this smug bullshit from fifteen years ago, remembered it like it was yesterday. It had grated on her then and it grated on her now, but--she'd changed since then. She could see that it was fake now.

"You haven't changed a bit," he said.

She laughed. "I was just thinking the opposite."

He flinched back, ran a hand over his bald head.

"Oh, shit. I meant about me. You look--" She hesitated. He'd aged, sure, and he looked tense and tired, but he'd just been shot. And she liked his new haircut. It made him look dangerous, but--also somehow vulnerable. "You look great," she said, hoping he could hear the sincerity in her voice.

He relaxed a little. "You and Kowalski split up, huh?"

She stiffened. It was strange and wrong, hearing Ray's name on his lips, and he would say something obnoxious, and--

"I'm sorry," he said, sounding like he meant it.

She looked away. "Thanks. Listen--" She remembered how Ray had been after every undercover assignment, how he would come home and want her to hold him, how he wouldn't sleep at all the first night, just talk and talk and kiss her till she begged him never to leave her again. Detective Vecchio looked like he could use some friendliness. Constable Fraser wasn't exactly the type for effusive welcomes.

Stella was lonely and miserable and scared for Ray and she deserved this. "Do you have a place to stay tonight?"

He cocked his head. "Why, you offering?" he asked sharply. Then he sighed. "Sorry. It's tough admitting you're almost forty and the only place you have to go to is your ma's house."

"It's a good thing you don't have to admit it, then," she said. "I'll make you dinner. You can have the couch or the bed, whichever you want." She raised her chin and waited.

"The bed...with you in it?" He still sounded suspicious, like there had to be a catch somewhere.

"I'm not going to sleep on the couch."

There was a long, nerve-racking moment that she tried to pretend wasn't nerve-racking. Then he pulled her up against him and kissed her, hard. For a second she wanted--it was dumb, she knew Ray wasn't there, but she put her hand out for him anyway.

Detective Vecchio caught it, lacing his fingers with hers and holding tight enough that this time, when he pulled back with an easy smile, Stella didn't feel awkward at all. "I have changed," she told him. "I'm wearing a bra this time."

His mouth fell open. "I, uh--I think I'm okay with that," he said. "Listen, we should get back to the case."

She nodded. He was right, but she didn't want to. She didn't want to wait desperately for a phone call from Canada while Miss Vecchio and Lieutenant Welsh stood around trying to figure out exactly how much she cared. "Listen," she said, swinging their hands a little, "I don't--I don't want to explain how we met, and I don't want anyone thinking I was running around on Ray. So--do me a favor."

"Don't worry. I'll keep my distance out there."

"You don't have to," she told him firmly. "Just--pretend we've never met, all right?"