Title: Swimming with Shark
Author: nos4a2no9
Fandom: due South
Pairing(s): Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Episodic violence, past sexual assault of a minor original character
Genres: Angst, First Time, Hurt/Comfort
Word Count: 38,251
Summary: Ray runs into Fraser at the wrong kind of club, and the two men make an unusual arrangement with one another.
Why You Should Read This: Wow… This fic is one of those that grabs you by the throat from almost the beginning, and doesn’t let you go until the end. The premise is that Ray is somewhat undercover at a gay bar with Dewey and Huey, trying to catch a bad guy, and comes across Fraser handing out condoms to the patrons. Ray, realizing his best friend may not be straight, starts to learn more about Fraser – and in turn, more about himself.
nos4a2no9’s characterizations here are so completely spot on that it’s eerie; it’s like this could have been a script for a long-lost due South episode. The reader is in for an emotional rollercoaster of half-truths, secrets, and revelations that really shows you the depth of character development that the fic accomplishes. Fraser is so stoic and just – with everyone except Ray, who can build him up or tear him down with just a look.
This is, by far, one of the best due South fics I’ve had the pleasure of reading.