Holiday

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

It’s August, it’s the silly season, and I should be packing to go away on holiday, but I couldn’t resist the challenge. Being a novice, I was caught LBW and out for a duck by more seasoned players at the close of yesterday's play, but thanks to a generous umpire's decision, here it is anyway, my errant ficlet starting with ‘thought’. 

Holiday

 

“Thought about where you’re going on your holidays, Ray?” The hairdresser was doing her best, but she had her work cut out with a tired Ray Doyle and his uncooperative curls. He made himself reply kindly enough so as not to be too difficult. Michelle was a sweet young thing, if not too bright.

 

“Nah, luv. You?”

 

She was off then, about how she’d booked a trip to Torremolinos with Neville but they’d broken up and he’d started going out with Cheryl so now she was going with her mates instead, friends from school they were, and she’d got a new red bikini and beach bag and…

 

Summer holidays, now that was a thought… No CI5 agent had ever actually taken a holiday, that he could think of.  Cooky had a few days off for his honeymoon, and there was leave for family weddings and funerals… But were they actually due any annual leave? Cowley had never mentioned it, now he came to think about it.  Sometimes he gave them 48 hours off duty to recover from the deadening fatigue and minor injuries that came with the job, but they were mainly spent sleeping, working out, and down the pub.

 

But if the heavens parted and Cowley gave them a fortnight’s holiday, what would they do? Definitely not Torremolinos. Travelling to foreign countries had never appealed to him, and certainly not the Costa del Sol. Too many Nevilles and Cheryls, and you couldn’t get a decent cup of tea. And there were so many criminals there nowadays it would probably end up as a busman’s holiday. He and Bodie would be back at Gatwick having to declare some leather-tanned, gin-soaked East End gangster as excess baggage.  

 

A sun lounger by the pool wouldn’t be Bodie’s thing either, not enough action. Where would Bodie go on his holidays? He pictured Bodie, game fishing from the deck of a gleaming white launch in the Caribbean under a brilliant blue sky, or scuba diving in the clear water of the Red Sea, or winching a battered 4X4 over a sanddune in the Paris-Dakar rally... Excitement, adventure, and the chance to push himself mentally and physically, that was what got Bodie going. Well, him too, but Doyle liked his excitement and adventure closer to home, where you could be sure of a decent pint or several after a day in the mountains or out on the water. And good food, and a soft, clean bed… and Bodie. Doyle’s mind wandered lasciviously for a while before he reined it in. Shouldn’t be too difficult to agree on what they’d do together – potholing and climbing in the Dales, or waterskiing, fishing, and sunning themselves on a sandy beach somewhere on the south coast, eating fish and chips by the harbour. Or sailing a yacht around the Greek islands, that would be the life, with a supply of PG Tips in the galley. Doyle caught a glance in the mirror and found he was smiling quietly.

 

It was a nice thought, a pleasant daydream. Pointless, though. If he so much as suggested they go away on holiday, Bodie would immediately round up a couple of birds and make it a foursome. He always did, whenever they had time off to go out together. Sometimes it seemed like he did it just to show how many birds he had at his beck and call. It would be too difficult to tell Bodie that he wanted to spend their time on holiday with him alone, just like when they were on duty.

 

The tinkling of a bell brought him back to the chi-chi surroundings of the hair salon, as the door from the street opened behind him. Reflected in the mirror was the tall, elegant figure of his partner.

 

“Well, hello there,” came the familiar, warm voice. It was addressed to Michelle, who instantly blushed and giggled. It was second nature, the man just couldn’t help himself. “When you’ve finished doing what you can with the golly, how’d you like to run your fingers through my hair, sweetheart?”

 

Doyle guffawed. “Don’t listen to him, darlin’, no hairdressing scissors ever touched that barnet. He’s a barber’s shop man for life.”

 

“Ray,” Bodie scolded, more in sorrow than anger, “I am hurt that you have so little appreciation of sophisticated grooming.”  He lent in close for a moment, sharing the mirror, to ostentatiously adjust his tie.

 

“If you call short-back-and-sides a hairstyle,” Ray retorted, catching the reflection of the briefest wink from his partner, and breathing in aftershave and wool flannel, and the faintest scent of Bodie, over the atmospheric peroxide and hairspray.

 

Bodie straightened. “When you’ve finished belittling my appearance in front of this charming young lady, we’re due in the office at 2. Car’s outside.”

 

“Ooh, d’you work in an office, Ray?” Michelle bravely tried to join in the conversation, which had started off being about her, after all. Bodie of course got in first.

 

“He’s just a pen pusher and paper shuffler. I’m his boss, out meeting clients most of the time, you know, restaurants, foreign travel…”

 

“Bodie!” Doyle squawked, getting up from the chair and untangling himself from the pinny-thing draped over his front.

 

Bodie smoothly turned on his heel and exited briskly, setting the bell tinkling again. Doyle stopped only to pay Michelle, with a broad wink and a tip, before racing out after him, shouting with laughter. He crashed full on into Bodie, who had stopped dead and was doing his impression of a council bollard in the middle of the pavement. Doyle yelped as he stubbed his toe on the immovable object.

 

Bodie took his shoulders and inspected him briefly, laughter dancing in his blue eyes and playing on his lips. He ruffled Doyle’s newly clipped and burnished curls, before turning to stroll away, an arm slung jovially around Doyle’s shoulders, pulling him along.

 

“C’mon, sunshine, still time for a quick one.”

 

Doyle raised eyebrows, feigning shock.

 

“A pint! What’d you think I meant?” Bodie laughed.

 

And Doyle knew that everyday life with Bodie was what kept him going, more than any holiday he could imagine.

 

 

Title: Holiday
Author: jaycat
Slash: nothing explicit
Archive at ProsLib/Circuit: eventually
Disclaimer: Bodie and Doyle do not belong to me, I just like to borrow them for a while, look after them properly, then give them back.
Notes:

For the purposes of the DiaLJ Test Match 2009 challenge, the first word had to be ‘thought’, and thinking about ‘thought’ strongly influenced this ficlet.  It’s silly, it’s uninspired, but it’s a fic of sorts.

Unbeta’d, unchecked, and infelicities are entirely my responsibility.

Comments

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh lovely - Bodie is Doyle's holiday! Well, and so he is. *g* Love Doyle in the hairdresser's too, and Bodie finding him there, and... oh, the idea that He and Bodie would be back at Gatwick having to declare some leather-tanned, gin-soaked East End gangster as excess baggage. - they so would! Another happy-fic!

LBW, maybe, but a very stylish one - thank you! *g*

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

Thank *you*, ma'am.

With the sun shining some of the time, and the rain being warmer than it is the rest of the year (as someone said on the radio yesterday), 'tis the season for happy fic.

I do have some serious WIP. You know, with gravitas and angst, but it's a struggle, to be resumed when the days are cold and dark again.

[kiwisue.livejournal.com]

I'm very glad the umpire ruled in your favour! Loved many things about this story: the "leather-tanned, gin-soaked East End gangster ", Bodie's "I’m his boss...", or simply "his impression of a council bollard in the middle of the pavement". Lovely fun, thank you!

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

[I was sure I'd replied - oops, tries again]

Thank you. I couldn't possibly follow the cricket theme, with such expert commentators watching. :)

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

I do like nice little light-hearted scenes like this. It's not all drama and danger and angst in their lives, after all. This makes them seem more real, somehow. Funny, gentle, and with that overall sense of warmth between them--yeah, definitely a nice way to start the day. Thank you!

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

Thank you for such a kind comment. I'm glad that got your Sunday morning off to a pleasant start.

[greengerbil.livejournal.com]

Ah, I love the picture of Bodie automatically flirting with Michelle, without thinking about it - and Doyle not minding - and then Bodie adjusting his tie...

Lovely and vivid and sort of every-day ordinary, just like the lads' lives must be at times! Gave me something to smile about while I'm sat at work missing out on a sunny Sunday morning - and cricket... thank you!

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Would have loved to keep up the cricket theme, but too higgerant of the niceties of the game, and it wasn't easy to think of anything at all to write when this challenge started.

You know what it's like when you're going away on holidays, everything needs to be finished and organised and there's this deadline, so there seemed to be too much else to think about. Funny how I can find time for Pros even when I shouldn't, though.

[miwahni.livejournal.com]

I love the thought of Ray at a hairdressers' salon, but Bodie being a barber shop man. I do hope they end up on holiday together somewhere, some time.
Loved your last line too, which says so much about their relationship.

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

"I love the thought of Ray at a hairdressers' salon, but Bodie being a barber shop man." That how I see them, anyway. Glad that amused you.

By this stage, I have no idea what is actually happening in the Ashes series. As a Pom who grew up in Australia, my loyalties are divided anyway.

[miwahni.livejournal.com]

Last I heard we're being thrashed. Best we can do now is pray for rain I think!

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

This was fun. I loved all of Doyle's thoughts about what sort of holiday would be best. Then Bodie shows up and Doyle's world is all right. You're spot on with the lads here. Just a treat to read.

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you,you say the nicest things.

[biani.livejournal.com]

What a nice read! Now that we've seen them talking about holidays what about a sequel what they did on holiday (well, I can imagine that somehow...) and - where did they actually go? *begs shamelessly*

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

eep, I have no idea. And, as in the fic, where is it in canon that they ever get annual leave to go on holiday?

I'm going on holiday on our canal boat tomorrow, and I'm taking with me O. Yardley's novels about the lads on canal boats to read. But a canal boat holiday seemed too tame after I'd gone a bit mad on describing Bodie's action holidays.

[probodie.livejournal.com]

Hee I loved this, it encompassed all that is right about their relationship! And,er, is it here that one is supposed to claim the next innings? If so, I do!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

It is here - yeay for claiming (and yeay for posting too, cos I see that you've done that as well! *g* *runs off to read*

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

Sorry it wasn't more overtly slashy for you. *g* But well done for taking on 'imagine'!

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

Lovely. For some reason the moment when Bodie leans in too close to ostentatiously adjust his tie - flirting with both Ray and Michelle at the same time, the smooth bastard, though all his attention is clearly really for Ray *g* - is incredibly vivid. Thank you for this - and I'll join those who'd love to know if they ever did get a bit of a holiday, and what they did!

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

Funny how little bits like that you add as an afterthought can become the most effective - Bodie was just going to pop in and stand around briefly, his movement there was just a sudden late idea.

aargh,just noticed the typo there too (extra 'the')- this is why we need betas, It doesn't matter how often I read something, I still miss things. As if the split infinitive wasn't bad enough, believe me I tried to avoid it.

Glad you liked it anyway.

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

Smashing little scene this! I enjoyed the light hearted summer tone to it.. and Doyle pondering life and love in a hairdresser's was a lovely touch.

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

I love the way you took us into the atmosphere of a hairdressing salon without any actual description - brilliant! And I wonder if Cowley ever gave them any time, and where they finally decided to go!

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Well I am rather late in catching up with these stories but I just had to leave a comment saying how much I enjoyed this. Love the setting here and the way Ray thinks about holidays and Bodie. And the end sequence with the lads bantering feels very real and is great fun.

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

That's really good of you to comment. I'm so glad you liked it. Summer holidays seem like a distant memory now, sadly.