Work Text:
Ray waits until him and Allison are alone before finally talking. They have the two bodies rolled up into carpets and disposed of with the help of Klaus-who somehow was one of Allison's brothers. Ray had waited for the punchline to the joke but it never came. Both Allison and Klaus treated each other with such familiarity it would be hard to deny that they had a bond.
But, Ray had concerns. Several concerns that he could not push down any longer. But, how to say it in the right way?
Allison saw the concentrated look on his face and nudged him. "Everything okay?" she asked quietly. "I know this stuff isn't easy-"
Ray just shook his head even as it felt like someone had stuck a hand in his head and jumbled up everything. "I'm okay. I actually wanted to talk about Klaus."
Allison blinked at him. "Uh, sure. Is it 'cause you don't believe he's my brother or...?" She trailed off, leaving the sentence open.
But, Ray shook his head. "Your brother-Well, he-" God, why was it so hard to speak about it now? Its not like anyone couldn't see it!
A look of concern was growing on his wife's face. "Ray, what is it?"
Ray inhaled before finally going in to rip off the band-aid. "Allie, can't you see how he's a queer." The words came out a bit rushed, clumsy people running for the exit. Ray braced himself, ready for the extreme reactions many people had after hearing the word "queer."
Except, as always, his wife surprised him. She just titled her head at him. "And?"
Ray gaped at her, flummoxed by her casual demeanor. Did she not understand the gravity of the situation? What he had just said? "W-What do you mean by that? That doesn't bother you?"
Something seemed to click because Allison's eyes darkened in such a way that startled the man. Her jaw set in a determined way as she looked at him. "Raymond, I love you," Allison began saying quietly. "You have been by my side since I came here confused, and never tried to do me wrong at all. But, if this is you telling me you have a problem with Klaus, I will leave you. I refuse to tolerate this behavior." By the end of her sentence, she was practically hissing out her words. On a normal day, Ray would try to find some way to placate his irritated wife.
Not today though. "Allison, I can't help if if I act uncomfortable with him acting like a fairy-"
It was as if he had stepped on a cat's tail. Allison bristled and held up a finger in an aggressive action. "Do NOT call him that!" she nearly shouted. "My brother has been through enough shit to have to put up with your homophobia. What is wrong with you? You're fighting hate, and yet you're doing the same thing those white folks do to us. You're passing judgment and arrogance!"
Ray ran a hand over his hair, already feeling exasperated. Could she not see how weird this whole thing was? How wrong it was too? Did it not occur to Allison that Ray had his reasons to be uncomfortable around a gay man? "How are you even okay with this-How is a white boy your brother even?!"
"Well, Ray, there's something called adoption."
Raymond stilled and spun around. Somehow, Klaus had finished using the bathroom and wandered in, giving the couple an unimpressed look. He, for some reason, didn't look to outraged at the words Raymond had been saying. But, any man could mask how he really felt.
But, now Ray can't help but notice the differences between him and Klaus. If it wasn't just the hippie clothes that showed too much chest, it was the delinquent tattoos that covered the man's body. As if that wasn't enough, Klaus had long hair like a woman and spoke in a tone similar to a prima donna. Ray can't help but worry if Klaus had been staring at him for too long for all the wrong reasons. Isn't that what those people do?
Allison immediately rushed over to the other man. "Klaus, Ray was just about to apologize." Her voice was hard along with her eyes, which had looked so warm only a moment ago.
Once again, the rug had been pulled under Ray. Indignation filled him to the brim as he stared hard at the duo. He would not be treated like this in his own house. "Wha-I don't got anything to apologize for," he said, crossing his arms. "Listen, Klaus, I don't really care what you do so long as you just-I don't know, keep it down in public." There, that should be a polite thing to say.
Except, Allison did not agree. "Raymond!" she shrieked out, outraged. Her arm extended out in front of Klaus, as if to shield him from the words.
Now, this was getting too much. Ray had good reasons for what he said and his concerns. Allison knew how he was, why wasn't she understanding him? "How do you think us running around with someone like him will affect the movement, Allison?!" he almost yelled, gesturing around.
"You-"
Klaus jumped in before Allison could truly erupt. He clapped his hands together once, creating a loud sound that bounced off the walls of the living room. "Okay, kiddies, okay!" he began saying, sounding like a school teacher amongst misbehaving children. "Allie, I'm gonna' take my leave. There is a lovely bed calling my name and I am tired. Ray, we're gonna give it a day before we become friends. Before long, you and I are gonna' be sipping a beer and talking about the neighbors and everything."
Ray didn't say anything. He stepped back and watched as the gangly man made his way to the door. Allison followed after, speaking frantically. "Klaus, you don't have to-"
"I wouldn't want to ruin your guys's reputation-"
The pleasant tone Klaus had before shifted. Now, it sounded almost mocking, like the curl of a cat's tail after knocking over some water. Almost like he found the whole thing amusing for his own sake. At this, Ray found his voice.
"This is more about reputation," he began to say, the adrenaline from today pushing him to voice his thoughts. "It's about rights, equality. It's about being allowed in any store, any theater, any restaurant we want to visit. It's about us being allowed into good schools for our kids. It's about us getting justice and answers anytime they murder a black person, and get away with it just 'cause they're white."
Ray thinks of being a boy, and how the neighbor's daughter had been lynched. Her name was Sasha, and she was known as the resident babysitter for everyone. Ray and his friends had Sasha looking after them, giving them the occasional candy, and playing fun games. Sasha was a God-fearing person so everyone knew that when a storeowner accused of her of stealing, it was a lie. Just anger and racism mixed in, and taken out on a lovely young girl. After a week, someone found Sasha swinging from one of the trees on the outskirts of town, her clothes torn and some fingers cut off.
Ray would never forget the nausea he felt hearing about Sasha. He would always remember attending the funeral at twelve, hearing the awful wailing from Sasha's parents and his own tears. How when he walked into town, he saw the same storeowner just living life as a normal person; as if she hadn't said the word and pulled the trigger to take away another innocent life.
Ray thinks about Sasha, and so many young boys who disappear, and the disrespect given to them. He channels it all into his words, hoping they leave a mark."You ever experienced that?" he asked Klaus, chest breaking over and over. "Having to live with your identity-your race-being used against you to deny you're human? Those white people still want to put us back in the fields!"
Now, Ray was ready for many things. He was ready for anger or shock.
What he was not ready was for Klaus to regard him with soft eyes and speak calmly. "I don't," said the other man, voice low. "I don't know what it's like, and I'm not gonna' try to. You guys are black, and will always have to work ten times more to get respect. You always will. You don't know this, Allie, but for almost a year I pretended I was straight."
"What the fuck?" whispered Allison in disbelief.
"I know, right? Diego dared me." Klaus suddenly flapped a hand as if batting away a persistent fly. "But, anyway, I did the whole thing. Changed my hair and how I talked, and somehow became friends with a bunch of other poor people who let me sleep on their couches. It was good. But, I did it just to see if they noticed and it-it was so easy doing that. Pretending I wasn't queer, that I didn't do drag or had other gay friends. I never had to do that in my life. When they found out 'cause I did bring a hook-up over-my mistake-they were pissed. Gave me a black eye that lasted for weeks! I mean, this is the money maker!" He gestured to his face in a rather dramatic fashion.
Allison stared at Klaus with sadness in her eyes. Raymond was struck with how he had never seen such a look on his wife's face. He wondered if she felt despondent, listening to how her brother talked about what seemed to be hard times.
Somehow, Klaus did not dawdle on the past. He gestured towards Ray again and continued. "But, my point is that I can still hide who I was. I still got to live on the high life. You guys are fighting to get on the normal life where you don't have to face racism. Our experiences are different, and putting them next to each other would just-it wouldn't work. And if I could somehow help you guys since I'm a cracker, then do it! Have me go suck on their dicks to give you guys some power!"
Allison gagged, screwing her face up in that adorable way of hers. "Ew, no. We are not pimping you out!"
"You did it last time, you know," muttered Klaus, folding his arms.
"For the last time, Klaus, we suggested someone flirt with the guy. Suggested. No one asked you to go make out with him!"
"I beg to differ-"
"You have such a disgusting-"
As the two bickered, it was as if someone was wiping a fogged up window clean. Ray had been so prepared for Klaus to push back at his words, to try and argue about the awful experiences he had said. Instead, the man met him halfway and understood him. Klaus, a white man who could have chosen to live a life of privilege, chose to let himself be who he was. And he treated Ray with more respect any other person had.
It was an effort for Ray to finally open his mouth and speak. "Klaus, I'm sorry." And he meant it. Guilt as already swelling up in his chest. "Allison was right. I'm just doing the same shit people do to us black people. I don't know why."
Klaus titled his head and glanced up at the ceiling, pondering. "Well, you could make it up to me. I saw you had some pie in the fridge, and if you could get me that with a glass of warm milk-"
"Klaus-" Allison's voice took on a warning tone.
"Ray couldn't help the sudden chuckle that burst out of him. They really were brother and sister. "No, no. Least I could do if I'm forgiven."
Klaus beamed at Ray as he sauntered over and tossed an arm over the other man's shoulder. "Ray, trust me. No one really apologizes to me often," he said. "You are now one of my favorite in-laws."
Allison frowned in confusion. "We have more?"
At this, Klaus clapped his hands together in delight. "Oh, you haven't heard what lil' Seven is doing! They grow up so fast. So, there's this farm-"
As he talked and pie was served, Ray found himself trying to embrace this new strangeness in his life rather than reject it. It became more bearable after finding himself laughing at some of Klaus's quips.