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Kowalski growled at our bedroom mirror. I looked over to see him frantically batting at the shoulders of his--God, his hideous suit.
"Uh, Kowalski, are the invisible monsters attacking again? And can I please take you shopping for a new suit? That one was bad enough in 1998!"
"Fucking glittery rainbows," he muttered. "Who decided that was a good idea?"
I glanced at Fraser, who was also trying not to laugh. "The children who designed the PFLAG float, Ray," he said. "I'm sorry we had to march directly in front of them, but as the two of you naturally couldn't be in RCMP dress uniform, we would have ruined the aesthetic effect of our contingent if we'd been any farther forward."
I coughed. The aesthetic effect of twelve gay Mounties in full dress uniform wasn't something you wanted to mess with, believe me.
"It's been a week!" Kowalski protested, spinning around. The movement struck a couple little sparkles in his hair. "How can I still have glitter in my hair? And how am I supposed to go to court like this?"
"Aren't you proud, Kowalski?" I asked just to piss him off.
It worked. "I am proud of being queer, Vecchio! I am proud of--well, I'm proud of Fraser, anyway. I am not proud of having flown all the way to Vancouver just to get rainbow glitter in my hair!"
"Ray," Fraser said, sounding a little hurt, "the RCMP's presence in the Gay Pride Parade was an historic event that I, at least, was proud to be part of. Our history with respect to homosexual civil rights is a distressing one. In the 1950s the RCMP led homosexual witch hunts similar to your McCarthyism, and until very recently there were cases of officers being asked to resign after coming out of the closet. When I joined the RCMP in 1981, my application would have been rejected if I'd been open about my sexuality. To know that we can help begin to remove those stains from the uniform, and that I, personally, can live without conflict between my duty as an RCMP officer and my affection for--"
"Yeah," Kowalski muttered. "'Cause otherwise you might have to dump us."
"All right, Kowalski, that's enough out of you," I said. "Go to court and tell the judge you were babysitting your nieces."
"That isn't true, Ray," Fraser said stiffly. "When the law itself is perverted into a mechanism of injustice, it is the duty of every citizen to engage in civil disobedience."
Kowalski's jaw dropped. "You would have picked us over the Mounties?"
Fraser lifted his chin. "It would have been my duty, Ray." Jesus, I was glad it had never come to that. It would have killed him. He was looking kind of tragic just thinking about it.
Kowalski, on the other hand, grinned wider than I'd ever seen. "Fuck it," he said. "If the judge wants to know why I'm sparkling, I'll tell her."
I rolled my eyes, but Fraser actually looked touched. "Ray, I--" He coughed. "I've been thinking, and I was wondering if the two of you would do me the honor--that is, while our relationship can't yet receive the same legal recognition as that of a heterosexual couple, perhaps it would behoove us to--"
"Spit it out, Fraser, I'm gonna be late."
I cuffed him lightly on the back of the head and tried not to snicker when a few more specks of glitter floated down to land on his nose. "Zip it, Kowalski, Fraser is proposing."
Kowalski's eyes widened comically. "He is?"
Fraser flushed. "I hadn't had in mind any sort of ceremony," he said quietly. "For me the significance of marriage has always been the acknowledgment of one's status as part of a family unit by the law, and how, as part of such a unit, one is endowed with certain rights and responsibilities." I could see him yearning for rebuttable presumptions of equal contribution and other exciting big words I never cared about until I was getting divorced. "But I've been setting aside money for rings."
"Even though we still won't be able to file joint tax returns?" I teased.
Fraser straightened his shoulders. "Sometimes a symbol of wanting something is as powerful as a symbol of having it."
"I do not believe this!" Kowalski burst out. "I was gonna propose next week! I have reservations!"
Fraser's lips twitched. "I'm sorry, Ray. I certainly didn't mean to steal your thunder."
"I saved up for a whole down payment," he muttered, kicking the edge of our bed.
I didn't say anything, but Kowalski looked right at me anyway. His eyes narrowed. "What about you?" he demanded. "What did you do?"
Damn. "Who says I did anything, Kowalski? Maybe I'm just willing to wait and get asked."
He snorted. "Yeah, 'cause after eight years I can't tell when you're hiding something."
I shrugged. "I put your names on my bank account. The new checks and your debit cards should get here sometime next week."
Kowalski laughed. "Great idea, Vecchio. Now Fraser doesn't even have to ask before he spends your money."
"That's the point," I said, looking at Fraser. "He shouldn't have to. It's our money."
Fraser's eyes shone. "Ray--"
"Did you get us those novelty checks?" Kowalski broke in.
"Yeah. Maple leaves for Fraser and glittery rainbows and unicorns for you."
"Ha ha, very funny. Okay then, next week I'm taking you guys out to Merlo on Vecchio's dime."
"You never answered my question," Fraser said quietly.
"Hell yes," me and Kowalski said at the same time.
Fraser blinked a couple of times, fast. "Thank you," he said, solemn and husky. "You've made me the happiest man in the world."
"What is this?" Kowalski demanded. "A Jane Austen novel?"
Fraser smiled. "Well, Ray, while that is the traditional response to an accepted marriage proposal, I suspect that in this case it is also literally true."
Kowalski ducked his head. "Fuck, I'm gonna be late for court!" He dashed out of the room, rubbing at his face. We could hear him sniffling on the stairs.
"What did you really put on his checks?" Fraser asked, trying to pretend he wasn't tearing up too.
"Batman," I admitted. "I, uh--" I cleared my throat. What, it was an emotional moment. "I believe a kiss is traditional right about now too?"
Fraser's smile widened. "Actually, Ray, that is a surprisingly recent addition to the etiquette surrounding--mmf!"