crack_van | Believe You Me by Speranza (R)

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Author on LJ:

cesperanza
Author Website: Speranza’s Fiction
Why this must be read:

This is my last rec (*sniff*), so I decided to pick one of my old favorites, one that I’ve returned to many times.

Narrowing it down to 12 recs has been…a bitch, to put it plainly. There are so many wonderful authors and stories in this fandom, and for every fic I’ve recced there’s been another one I really really really wanted to do but couldn’t fit in. My list has undergone sooo many changes over the course of this month.

This story has been on there- and stayed there- since day one.

I know, by now it’s pretty redundant to rec Speranza (blah blah blah amazing, blah blah blah brilliant, blah blah blah so talented it makes it makes the rest of us lesser mortals weep…), but Believe You Me is one of her shorter flashfiction stories, so it doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. The set up: Ray and Fraser are out at a bar with most of the ensemble cast of the show. At first, it seems like it's going to be just another of Speranza’s lighter pieces. (Of course, it’s Speranza, so by “just another” I mean deft and hilarious.)

"Hey, would I lie to you? Is this the face of a liar?" Dewey split his face into a gigantic, mug-ugly smile. "Believe me, guys--I'm speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the--"

There was more laughter, and Ray looked from one face to another, trying to figure out the joke. He shot another glance at Fraser, but Fraser was just sitting there, watching them.

Then Frannie turned to Elaine. "Elaine," she said, looking really, really serious now, "I just love it when Lieutenant Welsh chews me out. It's an honor. It's a privilege. It's a growth experience ," and while Elaine was keeping a straight face and nodding, Diane from Records was giggling behind her hands like a schoolgirl. "It makes me feel respected ," Frannie added, slamming her palm against her chest for emphasis. "It makes me feel like part of the team --you know, being patronized and humiliated."

"Oh, believe me, I know ." Elaine set her beer bottle down hard on the table. "Like, don't you love how Haroldson always stares at your chest? It makes me feel so appreciated . Like I'm not just a police officer. I keep meaning to thank him."

"Haroldson looks at my chest, too," Huey said with a shrug. "He's just strange like that."

"Man, I love stakeouts," Dewey said, grinning madly. "And the coffee we got in the station. And how Tony Ryan smells--he smells like roses, that man, doesn't he?"

"Your stories are hilarious," Huey told Dewey. "I never get tired of hearing them. Particularly the one about the time you won that bet with Antonelli over the Brauer case. That story never ever gets old, man. Please, keep on telling it."

Ray lifted his head. "My name is Detective Raymond Vecchio," he said, and the entire table burst out laughing.

But then- hold on to your hats- Speranza takes this simple comedic device and runs with it in an unexpected, moving, absolutely brilliant direction. And yeah, it’s all backwards, but it just proves the words of Paul Gross’ character in Wilby Wonderful (which I feel justified in referencing as it is due South’s shiny new Canadian baby sister fandom): sometimes the backwards way is better.

I don’t know how often I’ve re-read this one, but it’s still funny and powerful and hot every time. Stories like this...well, it's all the reasons why I love this fandom.

Believe You Me

That’s it for me! I’ve had such a great time doing all the reading, agonizing, and writing for this rec set. Hope you’ve enjoyed it as well. *waves*

Believe You Me by Speranza (R)

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