Prosfic - Perfect Alignment

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

At 0.22 GMT (the lads' time!) the northern hemisphere was tilted as far from the sun as it could be, and so the sun has now set in my tiny part of the Subarctic for 20 hours and 19 minutes straight. Also - it's snowing outside! So for this long, dark, cold night - Prosfic.

Perfect Alignment



Title: Perfect Alignment
Author: Slantedlight
Slash or Gen: Slash
Archive at ProsLib/Circuit/Hatstand: Certainly, if wanted!
Disclaimer: Bodie, Doyle and the CI5 universe do not belong to me, and I certainly don't make any money out of them. I'm just borrowing them to play. Good games.
Notes: Gorgeous graphic by empty_mirrors, and many thanks also to her for betaing and general hand-holding!

Comments

[bistokidsfan77.livejournal.com]

Gritty, interesting, poignant, encompassing, with a hint of sweetness that plays about the edges, like the aftertaste of chocolate.

Long nights agree with your fic writing ability, my child. Thank you for a wonderful story.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Well, shucks, thank you! I have to say, I quite like the idea of being chocolatey! (and also of being "my child", since there's one of those "big" birthday things coming up next year!)

[crimson-37.livejournal.com]

I realy enjoyed this. What a wondeful insight into their ealier days. I have to say my favourite part was them both hovering close over the radio, all excited at a job well done, waiting for the pat on the head and some long awaited praise from the Cow. I could so feel their almost 'smug' anticipation of their reward and picture the wide eyed expressions on their young faces held close saying 'here it comes, we're clever little boys' lol. Funny how life doesn't always go the way you forsee it...lol
I loved the moment they shared as the sun set too, so serene.

The ending was full of action of every sort, ;) and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful story. :)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I'm sure I've seen them do that hovering-waiting-for-praise thing in the eps too, and of course Cowley's such a moody bugger when he's busy... *g* I am glad you liked it, thank you for saying so!

[eveningblue.livejournal.com]

Cowley is like a distant father, doling out praise sparingly. I thought you captured that quite nicely.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Poor lads... *g*

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Really wonderful story. I enjoyed it a lot. Just the right amount of action and plenty of wonderful moments between the lads, too. I like the idea of them getting together so soon, too.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I've got to admit I can never quite decide from the eps when I think they get together, but the fun thing about that is that I can play with all kinds of scenarios! I'm very glad you liked it - thank you!

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

I don't know, maybe panic is a good thing--this certainly worked for me! *g* I liked the mix of action/case and emotional/relationship. I liked that it focused on the younger lads, and connected every aspect of their relationship with their partnership. It's intriguing to think that their physical relationship would be so closely tied to their partnership--like the sex was an almost inevitable byproduct of the intensity between them. And then, when the sexual/emotional led to a disconnect, that affected their ability to do the job together. They're still learning what it is between them in this story, and that's fun to read.

I loved the scene at sunset and how they somehow ended up nearly melded together. *g* There was a stillness about them as they stood joined, a quiet, and a *rightness*. Yeah! Thank you!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I've got to admit, I think it'd be quite hard for them to keep the relationship and the job separate, if you write them as really passionate blokes. And considering how often they're off with this or that girl in the show, you've got to think that they're quite fond of sex... But that's the question I guess, too - what makes a good partnership, personal or business, friend or other? How close can you be to someone... Anyway, thank you, I'm glad it worked for you!

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Really enjoyed this story for so many reasons and I'll list them, if that's OK:

As in all your stories, I love the clever way you use and manipulate words and phrases often taking them out of their usual context, like so:

In a whisper of footsteps and,

He frowned, and picked up the handset to call Cowley – instant cold water – and was patched through almost immediately

Other great lines:

"Scouser with the fascist hairdo?

"'Help, help, I'm being oppressed!'" Bodie responded instantly, and then he looked up sharply and grinned suddenly, all the way to his eyes. They'd seen that movie together.

And I loved the way you intrigued the reader with the state of their relationship – at first I wondered *what* it was and then, *where* it was going.... I liked the way you just gave out a few titbits of information at a time - I want to be kept guessing, not to have everything revealed at once. Love the tease of just two words: 'first time' - making me instantly sit up and think 'aha, so it's like that is it?' but still not certain *what* it's actually like - how could I be when Doyle doesn't know either?

His breath was soft too, quiet and even. He'd been like this that first time. No front, just… Bodie

Doyle had felt the electricity between them as soon as they met. It was there in every move they made, every glance they shared. And the way they knew, just knew what the other was thinking. It hadn't taken them two weeks to become the perfect team. Suddenly the world was more real, he was more alive – they were more alive. And as usual, just as he always did – see it, want it, have it. So he had.

Beautiful writing, against the beautiful background of the longest night, Stonehenge, the Solstice - very atmospheric.

And my poor old computer screen almost received yet another spray of projectiled coffee when I read this line:

"Bodie, why are your toenails painted red?"

Really enjoyed this, Slanted, thanks so much for sharing it.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh what fabulous feedback, thank you! And thank you for getting so much out of the fic, just what I was hoping people would! As for the red toenails... well... *g*

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I forgot to say that I *loved* the title and it reminded me slightly of one of my favourite lines from The Ride:

Gentle hands. Raised his arms above them until he collapsed, leaning on him then, length to length.
Lips to lips.
No coming back from this.

Length to length = Perfect Alignment.

Really, really beautiful and subtle writing.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

*g* Thank you!

[ancastar.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love stories of their early days together! I liked the way you developed the supporting characters and established the mood and place. I also really appreciate the way you let me, the reader, discover the main conflict--that B & D have been intimate and that's why Doyle is looking for a reteam--as opposed to telling me so at the onset. I thought this was wonderful, like all your stories. I quite enjoyed my pressie. :-)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Hee - so glad you enjoyed! I've got to admit, I'm not big on the whole "explain-y" sort of scenario, at least as far as what they're thinking and doing is concerned... I like trying to write from slightly further inside the lads, if you know what I mean, so I'm extra glad when it seems to have worked! Thank you!

[probodie.livejournal.com]

Yum! Bloody good read that was. I love the Monty Python reference *giggles*, but my favourite part has to be this:

In the dark of the longest night of the year their bodies slid hard together, breath was gasped, and breath was sighed. There was skin, and sweat, and the heat of Bodie's mouth around him, and the feel of Bodie's cock against his own tongue, between his own lips. There was so much pleasure it was almost painful, but even the twist of teeth on his nipples, of a finger, of two, up his arse, was better than anything he'd ever thought possible.

Just sums it up perfectly.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Yes, I rather liked writing that part too... *g* Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[eveningblue.livejournal.com]

This was a wonderful story! I loved so many things about it. Here are a few of them:

I loved how you started it off like a real episode, in Cowley's office getting the assignment. Actually, the whole thing was like an episode, except with sex. This is one of my favorite kind of stories, one that blends action and a case with their relationship/sex.

I liked how Doyle was jealous of Bodie's easy charm and magnetism--that seemed very true to character.

I LOVED that you gave us this story today, on the solstice. A solstice story for the solstice! Nice!

I liked the way you put us inside Doyle's head throughout, but especially here:

The sky was coming alive with colour now, pale blue fading to peach and pink, the horizon stained purple with the oncoming night. He looked about for the evening star, couldn't see it. Maybe it wasn't even supposed to be there at this time of year. It was all so far away, Doyle thought, so distant and pointless and unhelpful to the people rushing about on their own solid earth. It didn't matter where the sun rose and set every day, not when there were idiots with bombs down here, trying to kill and maim and cause each other endless pain...

I laughed aloud at this:

Bodie just smiled. "Now, now, where's all that Age of Aquarius bollocks you were spouting earlier, eh?"

There was one bit I didn't get, the part where Ray does something to the table in the caravan:

"Sure thing, was she?" Doyle asked, as doubtfully as he could, eying the table. He seemed to remember from somewhere… Refusing to listen to Bodie's mournful description of Rowena's assets, he slid his hands along one side, found the catch and…

"Et voila!" he announced, "La pied-à-terre!"

I didn't get what happened there, but maybe I'm just not familiar enough with these kind of vehicles.

Overall, a wonderful read. Thanks so much for it!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome - thank you for commenting! *g*

Some caravans (not that I've ever had one meself, actually!) have a table that converts into a bed by sort of opening a catch and folding the whole thing out. Sounds like one of the most uncomfortable things in the world to me, so Doyle was teasing Bodie when he did it, and then presenting it to him in a sort of faux-pretentious way as his "home from home". I like imagining the look on Bodie's face when he realised he'd not only have to sleep in a caravan, but on a table... although of course being Bodie he got the bed in the end... and the bloke... *g*

[(Anonymous)]

Wow Slanted Light! This is a great read, you so know the power of words and have a great feeling and sensitivity for natural forces, as your user names suggests! I can feel the wind, shiver at the cold and feel the rain in your words. I also love what shooting2kill said above – using words out of the usual context – makes them gosh, so much more powerful! But on with the story! Loved it from the very first scene, all their words are so them, you have them all spot on!

"Sorry sir, was…" Bodie paused, raised his hands to straighten his tie, "… well, delayed."

I can see this so clearly!

"Ach Doyle, if I knew I would have said so!" Doyle could hear the frustration in Cowley's voice, could imagine his fist clenched white around the receiver.

I can hear this so clearly!

And I could go on but I would end up quoting the entire story here so I’d best stop!

Love B smacking D’s bottom, and the intrigue behind their relationship, felt very natural. I really like that it wasn’t spelt out for us but builds up a slowly evolving picture. It’s a keeper, this! *G*

Oh and can I just say I have high hopes that you will write a hugely long story next! Please say you have one on the cards for next year and I walk away an even happier lass…

MB x

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Gosh, thank you very much! It's so nice to find out that people actually read what you were hoping they would! It makes me happy that it made you happy! As for a longer fic... well... actually... There might be a slightly (twice as...) longer one popping up in ditm at a later date... *g* (D'you know I used to be pleased to get a couple of thousand words, so I was kind of chuffed that this fic wouldn't even fit in an lj entry. I'm getting there!)

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I'm eavesdropping here, but for a long time I've wished you'd write a longer fic, too. Please? Thank you.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Hee - well, if I stop writing for challenges it's more likely to happen..! We'll see! Course it depends what you're calling long too... novel-length might take me quite some time, I'm so sloooow!

[blackmushroom.livejournal.com]

Wonderful story for a wonderful night. Winter solstice, cold, melancholic, lethargic, poetic... and so intense and full of life at the same time. Superb scenario. I love Ray’s thoughts and reactions and the way you let us discover the moment in their relationship. I’ve always imagined them getting together very soon: explosive sexual chemistry from the beginning. (I must confess feeling a bit upset at the beginning of your story: De Longford, the bad girl, member of the Animal Freedom Organization. But pleeeease we are good people! ;)
And yes! Bodie’s red toenails. Liked sex too, on such a cold night...
Thank you. Big warm hugs ;D

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Well De Longford wasn't really a bad girl, she didn't know what she was getting mixed up in - she was just silly enough that it looked bad for her! But ack! I forgot to google AFO! I've changed it to "Animal Equality Organisation" cos that one doesn't come up on google. Although that doesn't mean there isn't one, but I've done the best I can! It was so hard to come up with a name for Mullan's group that hadn't already actually been used as well... Mullan's group was the only one that was supposed to be bad, the others were just De Longford being rebellious, cos her father was a Minister in the government... *g*

I'm glad you liked it though, and thanks for the lovely feedback *g* *hugs* back to you!

[blackmushroom.livejournal.com]

Please don't worry. Of course you did the best. I love the story.
And it's true: De Longford isn't "good enough" to be the bad girl *g*. I understand what you mean.
Hugs received and sent back to you again!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

*g*

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

Oh, this was lovely. The story was such fun! I loved the hippy vibe to it, or rather, "the Age of Aquarius bollocks" as Bodie so aptly calls it. *g* It made me very nostalgic for that part of my sevenites life in England.
I liked the way you played around with the early days of their partnership - Will they? Won't they? Have they? So many scenarios, so little time!
Like others, the still moment together at sunset is a standout. And I *love* the way you write a sex-scene. Dreamy, not so graphic, yet HOT, and totally convincing. That "together" moment, when they pause and Doyle realises what he feels? Wow. Just perfect.

Long may you stay in the dark if this is what it does to you..*g*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'm not sure about that staying in the dark thing. Can we negotiate about that? How about I write the lads on holiday in France, lying about in the sun with wine and cheese? Oh no, bugger, I already did that, didn't I... um... Greece! Olives! The Acropolis! Wine! And clearly extensive research would be needed... *g*

I'm glad you thought the sex was okay (hee) - I worry that I'm getting a bit too dreamy with it... Thanks so much, I'm glad you liked it!

[izzie7.livejournal.com]

Beautiful writing - very vivid, easy to see as an episode, and great atmosphere. Like callistosh65, it takes me back to the days when you could still walk among the stones, instead of viewing them from behind the wire.

I loved the tantalising hints you dropped about the start of their relationship, both professional and personal, and the action was great too.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I actually managed to get on one of those little tour-things, a few years ago now, where it's just you and about a dozen other people allowed by special permission into the stones at sunrise before all the tourist stuff opens, and it really does make a difference, doesn't it? It's so... Colditzed-up otherwise... Then the archaeologist-bit of me jumps in and thinks "just as well", then the two bits get into a punch up and I fall over... :s

[elizabethoshea.livejournal.com]

Well, this was worth rushing back to my computer for *g*. Lovely story (and I'm both awestruck and horribly jealous that you can write something so good so quickly - how?!). As others have said, I love the way you've mixed the romance in with a proper episode-like plot (not to mention some really fun incidental characters). And the way you keep us guessing about the fact that they've already had sex until well into the story. And the prickly, early-partnership relationship where it's still obvious to us (and occasionally to Doyle *g*) that they really can't help being in sync with each other even when they fight it. Well and - obviously *g* - the ending. Perfect alignment. Absolutely. Thank you!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Whee! Thank you very much, I'm so chuffed that you like it! Mind you, the time-thing probably wasn't quite as clear-cut. The writing-bit was "relatively" quick I guess, but I was trying to figure out what was going on in my head for weeks before that - and it only came together in that last week... and then there was the huge flatness panic, and I was re-writing etc right up to the last minute... But it did come together, so yeay!

[myrebelcat.livejournal.com]

Very good games indeed! Just a lovely story. A good mix of case and character stuff.

I really liked the subtlety of the scene in the caravan where Ray is leaning against the wall, licking his lips and completely oblivious about all the signals he's sending to Bodie. There was a nice tension there between them, and a gradual revelation of what it was all about.

I don't think you really resolved things in the end with regards to their relationship, but considering this seems to be early in their partnership, I think that's just right.

And your writing was wonderfully evocative, as well. Thank you!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

No, they really didn't resolve anything at the end, did they, except for admitting that they do well together... And fancy the skin off each other *g* I'd watched Old Dog around the time that I was figuring all this out, and they still seemed so prickly and one-upman-y and so on, so somewhere in my head I didn't think they'd really settled down to anything by then - although there just seemed to be something between them... So I had fun playing with the something!

And thank you!

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

Wonderful! I shall keep that one to re-read. The perfect solstice fic. I am so jealous - I write, but I never write Pros because I can't think of an episode. You do it so well, and I absolutely love fics that are like new episodes. Well, in my head they are new episodes. Thank you! :)
(especially for the toe nails!!! )

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Thank you! So happy you liked it! I suppose I tend to think of the lads mostly from a relationship-y angle, but I quite like having some sort of "mission" as the background, just to give it all something to hang on... Gld it works for you! I've been bad this year about reading anything non-Pros at all, but one day I am going to go through your lj and read your stories, I promise... I just have to get my head out of the Pros-verse for a bit!

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

I love the 'mission' based stories. I love PWP too, but I feel as if I'd need to be able to write one to write the other, if that makes sense?

The only fic of mine with any hint of 'episode' is the one I did for a Spooks ficathon. But I'm busy doing an edit on a novel length detective story ...Thing is, it's original fic so I don't have to worry about canon!

BTW, daughter wants to know if you by any chance did your first degree at Sussex as she thinks there can't be too many people studying ice ...so I said I'd ask!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Ack! I can't believe I forgot to answer you, I'm so sorry! Sorry to Daughter too, I wasn't ignoring her, just... a bit useless...

No, I did my first degree at Manchester Uni, then a PGCE in Leeds, then my MA here in Fairbanks! But I wasn't studying ice back then at all... *g* And actually there are more people studying ice these days than you might think - someone said it was melting, and now everyone and their dog wants to check. (Though the dogs mostly just get in the way...) Actually I'm going to do research this summer at the Scott Polar Research Centre in Cambridge - and that place is all about the ice!

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

Thanks for getting back to me! fledge (daughter) was at Sussex with someone from Manchester who went on to study ice, so she thought she'd ask! She was interested in the articles about North Pole, which is how the conversation started ...She's a slasher too, but in Star Wars and SGA.
Manchester was my uni, but a looooong time ago!

Cambridge sounds a lovely place to spend the summer!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not really the ice itself that I'm studying, so I'm a bit of a fraud really. I mean, it is, but not in a way that means I'll ever need to go out in it (although I wish I could just for the experience...) There's lots of people here who do that though.

I'm always dead pleased when I hear about mum-daughter slashers - yeay for sharing (even if it's not Pros *g*)! (I think I'm reacting to the fact that I have a very very very old fashioned mum - definitely not on the cards to talk about anything like slash!)

Well it was a pretty long time ago that I was at Man Uni too - waaaay back in the 80s at least...

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

Definitely a mum/daughter team. In fact, she introduced me to slash but she knew in advance I wouldn't be shocked. Our taste in programmes/fics only overlaps occasionally. Sometimes I recommend Pros fic and sometimes she recs SGA (and I even wrote one, but it was part of the penguin fic silliness so I'm not sure if it counts). We go to slash conventions (Connotations; Tynemouth; October) together, and we're booked to go to a slash study day at De Montfort Uni in Leicester, at the end of February - Sheenagh Pugh's the keynote speaker (The Democratic Genre - fan fiction in a literary context).

I was at Man Uni in the 60s so I win.

I wouldn't go out in the ice for anything!!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

There are slash study days?!

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

See:
http://cfp.english.upenn.edu/archive/Computing-Internet/0324.html

Some of my flist went to the first one last year. I heard about it at Connotations (a slash fanfic writers' convention held in Tynemouth each October - and yes, there are Pros fans there, and even old Pros zines to browse through ...).
See what you're missing in all that ice? :)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Ah... I've heard of Connotations... and ooh, I should be in the UK in October this year... *g*

I'm missing many things up here in this ice - I actually think it's time to come home... I'm hoping to base myself back home to finish my PhD actually, I've just gotta persuade my advisor that I won't give up on it if I do that... :s

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

2007's Connotations is 12/13/14 October. Join connotations for all info. Hope you can come! If hotel costs are a problem I know some con-goers who rent apartments cheaply - Fledge and I did that last year but although we enjoyed the walk along the seafront to and fro we missed the cameraderie at breakfast etc! We did it because the hotel was dire the previous year but apparently it has taken everyone's comments on board and improved!

I shall listen very carefully in Leicester on your behalf and post a review of the day! Have you read The Democratic Genre? If not, you should.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Thank you for saying so! (And I just loved the idea of Bodie having painted toenails under all that tough-guy exterior, and that while Doyle thought he was having it off in the caravans he was being teenage-girled to death... *g*)