If a tree grows in this post, how many hearts will be carved in its bark?

[slidellra.livejournal.com]

The prompts will be available on Monday, so we have a nice little handful of days left to play around and get ourselves in fighting/loving trim. How's about we start off with one of those drabble trees, eh?

1. I'll kick it off with a little bit o' writing.
2. You guys can reply to that with your own little bit o' writing that plays with something from the first (a line, a phrase, a scene, mood).
3. The next drabblers can reply to any of the above comments, and so on. Until we have a lovely, sturdy, romantic tree, with many ficcish branches all growing out of the first comment.

Have fun! Despite the name, for this drabble tree any length goes. Comment two, four, as many times as you like. Feel the romance, baby.

Comments

[dessert-first.livejournal.com]

Ray has quite mastered the knack of speaking with his body. Fraser's own body, he knows, speaks as well, and often, but never what Fraser wants to say. It betrays him, gives him away, despite all his best efforts to the contrary. When Frannie leans in for a kiss, Fraser's body tenses, freezing up in fight or flight instinct, or he pulls away in a sharp, sudden gesture. Fraser's body is not kind to Frannie, does not spare her feelings. Still, that hardly seems to matter. Fraser is not certain if she is oblivious to his body's cues or simply somehow determined to move past them.

With Ray, Fraser's body does the very opposite. He finds himself leaning in for no discernible reason, hovering too close, being too quick to welcome a helping hand on his elbow, an encouraging pat on his shoulder, an emphatic poke to his chest. He leans into each of Ray's gestures, as much a punch as a pat, as if all his fight-or-flight were used up by Frannie, leaving him stripped and defenseless and far, far too obvious. Ray is an observant man, is a detective, for God's sake. He is certain to notice eventually the clear and constant signal Fraser is broadcasting his way, and when he does...

"Frase?" Ray is looking at him oddly, his wide blue eyes concerned.

Fraser's body betrays him yet again with a blush. He looks down, away from Ray's too-observant eyes, but he finds his gaze suddenly caught by the hollow of Ray's throat peeking out from his shirt, the skin delicate and golden. Fraser swallows, an entirely unvoluntary gesture.

But Ray just tilts his head to favor Fraser with a long, reading look, then leans into Fraser with that gracefully expressive body.

And starts talking.

[brynnmck.livejournal.com]

And starts talking.

Eeeee! I love that. :)

[dessert-first.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I really enjoyed what you wrote, too. Team Angst is going down!!

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

*happyflail*

[dessert-first.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Gotta warm up to get all romantical-like. ::does push-ups::