DOOC: Touchstone by PFL
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corvidology . She very kindly told me that she wouldn't poke me, given the current state of my life. Thank you! Um...but see, this quotation demanded attention:
I first felt a fist, and then a kick
I could now smell their breath
They smelt of pubs and wormwood scrubs
And too many right wing meetings. Down in the Tube Station at Midnight – The Jam
Touchstone
Doyle felt Bodie's fingers gliding over his implant, and he knew all was well. After the fireworks, after sex, Bodie always seemed to be drawn to his face, and the cheekbone. He would stroke it--sometimes just once, sometimes over and over again. Doyle never stopped him, never turned away or rolled over. Everyone needed a touchstone.
"I thought I was going to die." His voice was little more than a whisper. Bodie's fingers stilled. "There were three of them, and they'd cornered me. I don't know why. They'd been drinking."
"You were alone." Bodie's voice was low, and hoarse.
"Yeah. Always was in those days." He tried to shift, but found he couldn't. Bodie's fingers were warm, and that was enough. "Reckoned I'd at least go down fighting."
"I've been there."
Doyle smiled, and wondered if Bodie felt it. "Know you have."
"You remember it, then?"
"Impressions. I remember being hit, and kicked. Remember being called a sodding poofter."
"How original."
"Accurate, though. As it turned out."
"Best revenge--be what they fear."
"All I could do. They were never caught--there was no evidence." He stilled as Bodie coughed, and waited it out. Bodie's hand stayed on his face.
"But you...saw them. Remembered them."
"I'd applied to Hendon."
"Ah."
"Anyway, I survived."
"Never say die, eh?"
"Better than till death do us join."
Bodie's fingers slipped from his face.
"Don't." If Doyle could have moved to stop him, he would have.
"Ray." Bodie sighed, but his hand returned to Doyle's face.
Doyle breathed in, tasting dust and dirt in his throat. There were sirens in the distance--evidence of the world outside. But all that mattered was here, between the two of them. "I don't want your sacrifice."
"It's not always up to you."
Doyle was quiet. Bodie had pushed him first out the door, but they'd both been caught in the blast.
"What is it, Ray?"
"Tell me the truth." His own touchstone, never dared before.
Bodie was the silent one now.
Doyle closed his eyes, and gave him cover. "Hear the sirens? They're coming." They'd be back to normal, back to their lives. They'd heal.
A finger caressed his cheek. "You're not alone." Another brush against his skin. "Never." The last word was a whisper.
Doyle swallowed. "Never say die?"
"As long as you live."
A tightness that had always seemed to be with him, eased. "I'm not dying here."
"I know."
"I'll hold you to it."
He heard the laugh in Bodie's voice. "Till death, then."
Doyle nodded. The sirens had stopped, but he heard voices calling, and giving orders. Bodie shouted back to them. His fingers stayed on Doyle's face. Touchstone.
END
June 2008
Author: PFL
Title: Touchstone
Genre: Slash
Archive Proslib/Circuit: Yes, please.
Notes: I was supposed to be writing something else today. But I've enjoyed the other challenge entries so much...and I wanted to play! Thank you toelizabethoshea and Anonymous One for telling me not to just delete it.
corvidology . She very kindly told me that she wouldn't poke me, given the current state of my life. Thank you! Um...but see, this quotation demanded attention:I first felt a fist, and then a kick
I could now smell their breath
They smelt of pubs and wormwood scrubs
And too many right wing meetings. Down in the Tube Station at Midnight – The Jam
Touchstone
Doyle felt Bodie's fingers gliding over his implant, and he knew all was well. After the fireworks, after sex, Bodie always seemed to be drawn to his face, and the cheekbone. He would stroke it--sometimes just once, sometimes over and over again. Doyle never stopped him, never turned away or rolled over. Everyone needed a touchstone.
"I thought I was going to die." His voice was little more than a whisper. Bodie's fingers stilled. "There were three of them, and they'd cornered me. I don't know why. They'd been drinking."
"You were alone." Bodie's voice was low, and hoarse.
"Yeah. Always was in those days." He tried to shift, but found he couldn't. Bodie's fingers were warm, and that was enough. "Reckoned I'd at least go down fighting."
"I've been there."
Doyle smiled, and wondered if Bodie felt it. "Know you have."
"You remember it, then?"
"Impressions. I remember being hit, and kicked. Remember being called a sodding poofter."
"How original."
"Accurate, though. As it turned out."
"Best revenge--be what they fear."
"All I could do. They were never caught--there was no evidence." He stilled as Bodie coughed, and waited it out. Bodie's hand stayed on his face.
"But you...saw them. Remembered them."
"I'd applied to Hendon."
"Ah."
"Anyway, I survived."
"Never say die, eh?"
"Better than till death do us join."
Bodie's fingers slipped from his face.
"Don't." If Doyle could have moved to stop him, he would have.
"Ray." Bodie sighed, but his hand returned to Doyle's face.
Doyle breathed in, tasting dust and dirt in his throat. There were sirens in the distance--evidence of the world outside. But all that mattered was here, between the two of them. "I don't want your sacrifice."
"It's not always up to you."
Doyle was quiet. Bodie had pushed him first out the door, but they'd both been caught in the blast.
"What is it, Ray?"
"Tell me the truth." His own touchstone, never dared before.
Bodie was the silent one now.
Doyle closed his eyes, and gave him cover. "Hear the sirens? They're coming." They'd be back to normal, back to their lives. They'd heal.
A finger caressed his cheek. "You're not alone." Another brush against his skin. "Never." The last word was a whisper.
Doyle swallowed. "Never say die?"
"As long as you live."
A tightness that had always seemed to be with him, eased. "I'm not dying here."
"I know."
"I'll hold you to it."
He heard the laugh in Bodie's voice. "Till death, then."
Doyle nodded. The sirens had stopped, but he heard voices calling, and giving orders. Bodie shouted back to them. His fingers stayed on Doyle's face. Touchstone.
END
June 2008
Author: PFL
Title: Touchstone
Genre: Slash
Archive Proslib/Circuit: Yes, please.
Notes: I was supposed to be writing something else today. But I've enjoyed the other challenge entries so much...and I wanted to play! Thank you to
elizabethoshea and Anonymous One for telling me not to just delete it.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-18 02:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-18 03:28 pm (UTC)I'm glad you enjoyed it!
no subject
Date: 2008-06-18 03:36 pm (UTC)