[identity profile] callistosh65.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] discoveredinalj
My prompt was 'a sheep'.

Ahem.


It Is No More


“Doyle?”

Nothing.

Bodie sighed, kicked a foot under the small caravan table.

“Ow! What?”

“Mate. It’s a sheep. A dead sheep.”

“I know that! I know the bloody thing’s dead, Bodie!”

“Well, you should. You stepped on it.”

“You’re not helping.”

“Could I? Even if I wanted to?” He grinned when Doyle glared at him. “Far better to mock and enjoy from downwind, sunshine.”

Doyle bit his thumb some more and looked morosely out the window again. It was getting dark, and the Scottish islands were about to do their usual and dump a bucketload of rain after giving everyone a glorious and blustery sunny day first. Studying Doyle’s gloomy profile, Bodie realised with a pang he was not going to get the frolics he felt he richly deserved until Doyle got this dead sheep out of his brain.

Not Bodie’s fault that he’d been the one shoving and pushing at Doyle as they’d wound their way back across the darkened dunes from the one and only pub. It had been Doyle’s, for being so good at taking off the barman’s accent and sour demeanour. So naturally, it had been Doyle who had then stumbled onto the body of a sheep, which seemed to have slid down a sandbank and broken its neck some time that afternoon.

“Look. We’ll walk over and tell the farmer in the morning, and he can come and bury it, or collect it, or do whatever it is they do with dead sheep around here." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, but Doyle was having none of it.

“It’ll smell,” said Doyle fiercely. As if that were Bodie’s fault too.

Bodie thought about hitting him. “By morning? In this climate? Don’t think so.”

“There are kids in the next caravan over, Bodie. What if they find it?”

Tempted to point out that for a couple of loud-mouthed teenagers in Sex Pistols T-shirts, it was probably not going to be the most traumatic event of their lives, Bodie closed his mouth and gave up. He really was just prolonging the inevitable.

So he slapped Doyle’s knee and started easing himself out of the small bench seat.

“Come on, you delightful sheep-shagger. Up.”

“Eh?”

Bodie rolled his eyes. “Up. You are clearly not going to let this go, and I want my leg over before sunrise—

“Charming.”

—so I reckon you, me, a shovel and a torch should get us in bed before dawn. Get moving.”

Ten rain-swept minutes later, and Bodie wondered if they were both out of their tiny minds. Actually grateful for the kagool he had mocked Doyle for buying, he pulled the hood a little tighter and angled the torch as yet another icy raindrop skidded off his nose. Christ...

“Come on, Doyle. Bloody hell!” The things he did for love.

“What did you just say?” Doyle looked up from his digging, equally bedraggled, but with a fucking grin plastered across his face.

Bodie froze. Metaphorically as well as physically. He hadn’t said that last bit aloud, had he?

“Nothing. Just get a move on, will you?” He tried to sound fed up, but Doyle was still smiling as he bent down to carry on shovelling. Bodie shook his head anyway. Only Doyle could look happy burying a sheep.

When it was done and the sheep was safely under a couple of feet of unmarked dune, Doyle brushed off his hands and gestured back to their caravan with a tilt of his head.

“Come on, I’m freezing. I need something to warm me up.”

No mistaking the nature of Doyle’s grin this time. Typical.

Bodie grabbed his arm on the way past. It had stopped raining, and there was no reason he couldn’t turn the tables a bit.

“Oi. Not so fast, you. No marker, Raymond? No words of remembrance?”

“It’s a sheep, you twat.”

“It’s a...? Well allow me, then.”

He shone the torch up past his chin and took a deep breath.

“It has passed on. This sheep is no more. It has ceased to be.”

“Bodie, I swear..."

“What? Words from the heart these are, sunshine.”

“Words from the dead parrot sketch more like. You are unbelievable.” But Doyle was smiling again. In fact, Doyle was...

When it was done, Bodie opened his eyes slowly and licked his lips. “I can’t believe you just kissed me over the body of a dead sheep.”

“I can’t believe you reciting Monty Python made me want to.”

Doyle was still nice and close, and Bodie took a moment to enjoy the delicious absurdity of a life that had brought him an ex-copper, a clapped out caravan, and a dead sheep at midnight as the epitome of good times.

Doyle skated a finger down Bodie’s cold, wet nose and stepped back. “Come on, let’s get you inside before something vital freezes up and falls off.”

As they headed back, Bodie couldn’t resist. “It has expired and gone to meet it's maker! This is a late sheep!”

“Yeah, all right, Bodie. Ha-ha. You’ve made your point.”

“It's a stiff! Bereft of life, it rests in peace!”

Bodie broke off, because as much as he was enjoying himself, Doyle had stopped walking. There was enough light spilling out from the caravan now to see the expression on Doyle’s face.

“Too much?” Bodie asked, grinning and unrepentant. He was on holiday after all.

Doyle shook his head in clear despair and started walking again.

“If this is Bolton, I shall return to the pet shop!”

Doyle turned round and pointed a finger at him. “That’s it, I’m cutting you off. And keep your bloody voice down!”

“The palindrome of Bolton would be Notlob! It don’t—

Doyle’s hand arrived flat across his mouth when he whirled on his heels and got back to Bodie in one long step. Doyle was breathing hard, but Bodie reckoned it was with the urge to laugh more than anything.

So Bodie licked his hand.

Just to see.

And yeah, Doyle truly did have one of the best laughs ever.

******


Title: It Is No More
Author: Callisto
Slash or Gen: Slash
Archive at Pros Lib: Sure
Disclaimer: Not mine sadly
Notes: My prompt was 'a sheep' and me oh my, look where I went with this. In my own defence, I will say that this is based on a true story that happened on a family camping holiday many, many moons ago. Minus the Monty Python. That, I'm afraid, is all Bodie...

Date: 2010-07-26 02:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] msmoat.livejournal.com
Heh. Okay, yes, that has definitely brightened up a Monday morning at work! Banter and sex and Monty Python and a poor dead sheep--how could you go wrong? *g* And I can totally hear that laugh at the end. *g*

Thank you!

Date: 2010-07-26 03:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gilda-elise.livejournal.com
Who would have thought I'd enjoy a story written from "sheep" as a prompt, nut I really did. And I loved that last line!

Date: 2010-07-26 03:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hagsrus.livejournal.com
Baaaa ha ha!

Date: 2010-07-26 03:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] etain-antrim.livejournal.com
*Terrific* use of the prompt and the best way to start a new week! Thank you!!

Date: 2010-07-26 04:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] londonronnie.livejournal.com
That was a giggle!

So, Bodie's a Monty Python fan, eh? Who'd a thunk it?

Nice one!

Date: 2010-07-26 05:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] byslantedlight.livejournal.com
Sheep and Monty Python and kisses on holiday - and the lads in kagoules! That might even be the best bit... *g*

And yeay for the first camping story - thank you! *g*

Date: 2010-07-26 05:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] byslantedlight.livejournal.com
Oh, I've seen it a few of those ways - didn't even think to check which you'd used, just picked one! *g* I think it was French to start with, which is probably why there are so many variations! I didn't have one until I was over here, so... *g*

Date: 2010-07-26 07:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sc-fossil.livejournal.com
LOL! What a delightful treat. Bodie and Monty Python. That was great fun, S. Thank you!

Date: 2010-07-26 07:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] de-nugis.livejournal.com
This just proves that if there is Python and a dead sheep and a bit of schmoopy smooching it is possible to have a blast with a completely unknown fandom.

Thank you.

Date: 2010-07-26 07:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shooting2kill.livejournal.com
So many great one-liners issued in my favourite, deadpan style:

“It’ll smell,” said Doyle fiercely. As if that were Bodie’s fault too.

And then this classic stop-you-in-your-tracks one-liner:

“Come on, Doyle. Bloody hell!” The things he did for love.

“What did you just say?” Doyle looked up from his digging, equally bedraggled, but with a fucking grin plastered across his face.


Great stuff! Thank you.
Edited Date: 2010-07-26 07:48 pm (UTC)

Date: 2010-07-26 07:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shooting2kill.livejournal.com
Sorry that last bit should be *two-liner*!

Date: 2010-07-26 10:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] potztausend.livejournal.com
“It has passed on. This sheep is no more. It has ceased to be.” *weeps bitterly*
It was fun to read - fluffy, light, funny, and just enough emotion.

Date: 2010-07-27 09:52 am (UTC)
ext_9226: (sheep - snailbones)
From: [identity profile] snailbones.livejournal.com


You're a nut and I love you! That's just the most totally perfect piece of gentle fluff I think I've ever read - I may cease to read fluff because nothing else will ever come close, the fluff will be no more... Hang on, this is starting to sound familiar *g*

Only Doyle could look happy burying a sheep.

That line had me suppressing an embarrassing laughing fit - just wonderful. Thanks for the huge smile, which I'll be wearing the rest of the day, even as I forage through 20 year old planning applications - ayeeee!

Date: 2010-07-27 10:57 am (UTC)
ext_9226: (Default)
From: [identity profile] snailbones.livejournal.com


Yup, still grinning here ::points at face:: Starting to scare people... *hg*

Date: 2010-07-27 12:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] miwahni.livejournal.com
Doyle was still nice and close, and Bodie took a moment to enjoy the delicious absurdity of a life that had brought him an ex-copper, a clapped out caravan, and a dead sheep at midnight as the epitome of good times.

Hee! I was giggling almost from the start, but that's the bit that totally cracked me up. Lovely!

Date: 2010-07-27 09:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] miwahni.livejournal.com
I rarely use it because I didn't make a note of the creator's name and can't remember where I snagged it from. It was perfect for this fic though.

Date: 2010-07-28 12:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] robeau.livejournal.com
What fun! And it just strikes me as so being something that would happen to the two of them while on holiday.

Date: 2010-07-29 08:49 am (UTC)
ext_137604: (determined smile)
From: [identity profile] smirra.livejournal.com
Heh this brought back memories fom a trip to moor/heather landscape where I suddenly discovered a huge skeleton (a sheep too or even a cow) I was so scared I bolted and later still wondered what kind of bones they were...
I love the Monty Python Ref and the lads even kissing goodbeye the dead body. Lot's of English or Scottish houmor in there.
If you could weave the ref into 2 fics I'm sure there's one more to come sooner or later. Thank you!

Date: 2010-07-29 05:21 pm (UTC)
ext_137604: (Default)
From: [identity profile] smirra.livejournal.com
*g* Those are the stories that make material you just HAVE to use.
I look forward to your BB story and art too!

Date: 2010-07-29 11:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] asymphototropic.livejournal.com
Ex-sheep everywhere, stand up and cheer! Okay, so erm, just lie there.

Loved this ficcage.

Date: 2010-08-01 09:56 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] solosundance.livejournal.com
Oh God, this reminds me of two things: a) why I love your lads and b) why I hate camping *g* Lots and lots of lovely bits in it (as well as the old Norwegian Blue, bless its dead little heart *g*) but I really do love Doyle skating his finger down Bodie's cold, wet nose. I really, really do love that!

Date: 2010-08-02 07:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] roven75.livejournal.com
Only just discovered this and it has brightened up my evening, thank you! I absolutely love the dialog. What can I say, it's one of those fics where every sentence is just perfect.

Date: 2010-08-16 10:43 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] saintvic.livejournal.com
Well I am rather late in reading this but couldn't pass by without saying how much I enjoyed it, in fact I grinned my way throughout.

Date: 2010-09-27 05:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] myrebelcat.livejournal.com
I'm late to the party, I know, but I just wanted to let you know that this made me giggle out loud this morning.

Thanks! :-)

Date: 2010-09-29 12:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] myrebelcat.livejournal.com
Unfortunately, I might have killed the Round Robin... :-/

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