Ghostbusters In Love

8. They Came, They Saw, They Kicked It's Ass

*Author's Note: this work is a 13 chapter novella, best started at the beginning. Rated Mature for sex, drugs, horror elements, alcohol, curse words, occult elements, general Ghostbusters smut warnings.

* The Night Before Gozer, Ghostbusters Headquarters *

Egon fell asleep at his desk again, trying to finish the ectoplasm analysis. He'd stubbornly ignored his body's demand for sleep, until it took over and shut his eyes for him. Now he's woken up with a terrible crick in his neck. Sleeping sitting up is not for the tall.

Ray woke him up when he came into the lounge for coffee. He is on night watch. Since the NYC ghost activity ramped up, the Ghostbusters have had to work a lot of late nights. After midnight, the paranormal presence that doesn't feel so bad during the day often scares clients into calling for help. Ghosts are scarier after dark, it seems.

"Ouch." Egon says, unable to turn his head to the right.

"Go to bed, Spengler. You were on call this morning," Stanz says.

"I'm close, Raymond," Egon answers with a groan.

"To using the molecular structure of ectoplasm to solve the polarity-" Ray knows what he's working on lately.

"Yes," Egon finishes.

"Can't sleep til you get it?" Ray knows. "Cup of coffee?" he asks while pouring one for both of them.

Instead of drinking his, Egon holds the hot mug to his stiff and angry neck.

Ray steps closer to look over Egon's shoulder at his calculations, saying, "If you want to go lay down, I can read over your notes while I wait for another call to come in. Nothing else going on. I don't have anything to do but play cards with Venkman and you know how he cheats."

Egon reaches to gather the papers and hand them to Ray, but instead he freezes, hissing with pain.

"Your neck?" Ray asks.

"I slept oddly," Egon answers stiffly, "I can not move."

Ray takes another swig of his coffee, then wraps both hands around the mug to warm them. He asks, "May I?"

Egon tries to nod and winces. Ray sets the mug aside and puts his coffee warmed hands on Egon's neck, one sturdy hand on either side. First they just rest there, letting Egon get used to being touched. The heat of his square palms is welcome and relaxing. Ray's hands exert a pressure that is symmetrical and steady. Normally, Egon is not a fan of touch. He finds light feathery touches annoying, but Ray's strong callused hands on his neck feel pretty good. Egon melts slightly. A tendon on the right side of his long neck twangs like a harp string when Ray's thumb finds it. Ray's follows the tendon to an extremely sore spot beneath Egon's ear and then walks his soothing fingers down the connective tissue to Egon's scapula, where he finds a large knot lurking.

After the muscle spasm begins to ease, Ray reminds Egon, "My grandmother was a healer, you know."

"I am skeptical of healers, Raymond, but that does indeed feel better. Thank you. You can stop now."

Ray feels a small disappointment as Egon taps his hand to be released. Ray likes taking care of Egon. Feeling his dearest friend's shoulders relax under his hands, hearing Egon's breath deepen and a little moan escape when Ray found just the right spot. It was making Ray feel an answering response in his own body.

Egon clears his throat.

He's spun around in his office chair and found himself at eye level with Ray's groin. An erection tents the front of Ray's khakis. Egon can not miss it.

"Raymond, we-" Egon starts to say to Ray's ridiculously obvious boner. He's looking right at it and to Ray's chagrin that doesn't make it settle down. It seems to like the attention. Ray is blushing so hard his ears must be on fire.

But Egon doesn't get to say whatever he was going to say, because they hear Venkman singing on the stairs. Ray grabs the stack of paperwork off the desk to cover his arousal, not that Venkman can be fooled. Egon stands quickly and announces he's going to bed after all.

"Goodnight, Raymond," he says, smiling slightly, dark eyes shining.

"OOo, what did I miss?" Venkman asks on entry, remarking on the room's weird vibe.

"Just some interesting data Ray brought to my attention," Egon says over his shoulder, ascending the stairs to the dormitory. He's got something to write in his little notebook.
.
.
*Egon's Notebook:
Subject made contact. Extremely pleasurable. Subject's body showed visible response to contact. Interrupted by Venkman. Must make attempt to discuss feelings with Ray.
.
.
.
The next morning, there are mushrooms on Egon's desk. A bouquet of them, to be precise. Ray has left a lovely cluster of mixed wild mushrooms on Egon's blotter. An offering.

Raymond hadn't slept a wink after the neck massage incident and when no serious calls came in to take advantage of his restless energy, he had gone out to walk and smoke until sunrise. He'd found the farmers market and bought the fungi on impulse. He hoped something for Egon's collection would smooth over any awkwardness after his unprofessional erectile blunder. Ray hopes Egon still likes him.

Egon still very much does, maybe even more so now.

There is a note-
"For a fun guy. -R."

Egon doesn't even grimace at the pun. Why is it cute to him?

Egon has never been wooed before. Not like this. Not by someone who really knows him. He's smitten and blushy for a moment. He will not eat these, mushrooms aren't on his short list of safe foods, but later, he will take spore prints of these and keep them in his journal to remember them by. He'll carry Ray's note in his wallet for the rest of his days.

Egon bravely makes a plan to speak to Raymond that evening, to confess his feelings. Egon is uncomfortable, both with talking and with feelings, but Ray is worth the discomfort. Ray is worth the whole world.

But there's no time. The ambulance drops the possessed Louis Tully on their doorstep. Then, he gets a call from Venkman whose own romantic evening has been spoiled by the Key Master, Zuul. Then, that schmuck from the Environmental Protection Agency, Walter Peck, bursts into the station and releases all the ghosts from the containment unit, blowing a hole in the roof. Egon wants to punch him in the face just for waylaying his romantic plans, much less for disturbing his life's work. They get arrested. They get called to the Mayor's office. The supernatural activity in New York rapidly grows beyond Egon's capacity to record and interpret. Now, they're too busy saving New York to talk about anything as trivial as emotions. Everything that isn't mission critical must be set aside.

Climbing the stairs to meet Gozer, Egon almost confesses, just in case they're heading to their deaths. He doesn't want it going unsaid. But he's too frightened to find the right words. Too embarrassed by the idea of Winston and Venkman overhearing him. It doesn't feel right to dump a bunch of emotions onto Ray in the middle of a life or death situation. He looks at brave, brilliant, sweet Ray and his heart aches. He climbs. He fights. They cross the streams. They save the world.