Ghostbusters In Love

11. It's Always The Quiet Ones

*Author's Note: this work is a 13 chapter novella, best read from the beginning. CW: Mature.

CHAPTER CW: Explicit

The next morning, they have to get up and go pee first thing of course, as they're both in their 30s. But then, they sneak back down the hall to the bedroom, bare feet quietly tip toeing over the old wooden floors. They can hear the phone ringing again, so Janine must be down there at the desk. Soon, Winston and Venkman will be back, may already be on the way. There will be questions to answer and meetings with lawyers, the mayor's office, and probably the board of Dana's apartment building, too. There will be data to collect, equipment to repair, and testing to be done.

But for now, just for a few stolen moments, before the world knows they're awake and wants them, they are free to want each other.

Egon is on top of him, and for what must be the one thousandth time in the last few extraordinary days, Ray thinks, "I can't believe this is happening to me."

But it is. Egon is happening to him.

Egon loves him back.

Ray feels like he could bust with happiness. He squirms under Egon, who takes it as encouragement and intensifies his kisses along Ray's scratchy jaw.

There are freshly brushed minty kisses and Egon's elegant, professorial hands on Ray's body under the covers.

"You still smell like burnt marshmallows," Egon says, nose buried in Ray's hair, one hand exploring Ray's nipple.

"Mmmmm. I'll never smell a marshmallow again without getting a hard on," Ray responds, stroking Egon's smooth back, running his hands down to squeeze his ass, tangling their legs together, moving against him, not quite believing he's finally allowed to do so.

Egon loves Ray's broad, hairy chest and runs his hand over it. So solid and alive. He might cry again if he thinks about how they could have died last night, never getting to kiss, never spending last night or this morning together. So he doesn't think about it, for now. Instead, he licks his way down Ray's warm belly and takes him into his mouth.
.
.
.
*40 minutes later*

"Yowee Zowee!" Peter shouts, mounting the top of the stairs, grinning. "Who fucked in here?"

Winston is reading the paper, seated at the lounge card table.

Egon and Ray are sitting side by side on the small lounge sofa, eating Chinese food that Janine had delivered and trying not to touch each other. Egon has a huge hickey on the side of his neck. Ray has significant stubble burn on one cheek.

"Just kidding," Venkman snarks, "I know it was you two nerds."

He claps them both on the back, a few degrees harder than is strictly necessary.

"About time, too," Winston says calmly, not even putting down the paper. They're on the front page. He'll send copies of the paper to his mama. Tiyah is probably going to want to frame it.

"I'd ask how it was, but I already know," a silly Venkman launches himself over the sofa, landing in both Ray and Egon's laps, barely missing their take out cartons, clearly delighted on their behalf.

Egon pushes him off and Venkman dramatically thumps to the floor. He lays there groaning.

"Have you slept, Venkman?" Egon wants to know. Peter is beyond loopy.

"How is Dana?" Ray asks at the same time.

"She's fine," Venkman answers from the floor, which actually feels quite good under his aching back. He might sleep right there. "She still smells a bit like burnt dog hair. And I'm pretty sure she did it with Louis Tully while she was possessed, but she's gonna be okay. Louis is probably never gonna get over it. Heh heh."

"EKG came back normal?" Egon asks.

"Normal as can be expected for someone who has a crush on yours truly," Venkman giggles. "She still likes me."

"Okay, Dr. Love," Ray says and he helps Peter get off the floor and down the hall to the bedroom. "You need to sleep."

Of course, once they cross the threshold into their shared sleeping quarters, Venkman gets a case of the "Ooooo weee"s from the psychic aftermath of the orgasms and love confessions that have recently gone down in this room.

"Ghost of blow jobs past," he says, falling face first, fully dressed, into bed, still giggling, eyes already shutting.

"Put your wards up," Ray tells him, primly. "What Egon and I do is none of your concern."

"Can't shield anymore. Too tired," Venkman mumbles into his pillow. "Hospital. Police. Sick people. Gozer."

He's just come from all night in a hospital. Ray just now realizes how difficult that must have been for Peter to block out the pain and distress of the patients for twelve hours. No wonder he can't shield anymore. Venkman is far more sensitive and far stronger than anyone gives him credit for.

"Oh, Peter," Ray covers him with a quilt, forgiving him his loss of control, knowing he'll be back to minding his business when he's rested. "I'm sorry. That must have been hard."

"Not as hard as you and Egon were in here this morning," Venkman says, with an eyebrow waggle. Never too tired for a dirty joke. Ray lightly punches him on the arm before tucking him in.

"I'm jealous," Venkman says, not opening his eyes, not making light of it either.

With a sharp intake of breath at Venkman's honesty, Ray sits down on the bed next to him, on top of the blanket.

"Nobody's ever loved me like that," Venkman's voice is small. "Egon loves you so much."

"And I love him so much," Ray says, gratitude making his chest hurt. He rubs Venkman's back like his mom used to do for him.

"I know," Venkman says, smiling into his pillow. He does know. He's known for years how these two feel about each other. Despite his envy, he's quite happy for them to have finally worked it out. Plus, Dana still likes him. And they saved the world once. It was awesome. They'll probably get to do it again.

Ray stays with him until Venkman is fully asleep. It only takes a moment.