[identity profile] probodie.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] discoveredinalj
Well, this was going to be this one part. However, just because I'm like that and wanted to make you all suffer *grins evilly*, I decided to make it a two-parter. I hope you enjoy it.



Summer's sun…

(Bodie's POV)

Seasons come and seasons go,
Summer's sun and winter's snow,
My love for you has always been,
As great and true as the evergreen,
In nights of sickness and days of health,
Family love is your true wealth,
Time is restless and will not wait,
So I must tell you ere it's too late,
These five words so bright and true,
Merry Christmas and I love you,
So, hold me close and hold me dear,
And I will whisper in your ear,
That though time may break us apart,
You are in my thoughts and in my heart,
So, with rich thoughts my Christmas Gift,
I give in hopes to spirits lift,
And bless you for the love you give,
For it will not die, so long as I live.
by Chandra M Talmie




It had been a long, hot summer. The hottest I'd known for a couple of years, which would have been back in 1976. Almost hot enough for the councils to get their standpipes back out.

Of course, because it was me, I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was, to quote various CI5 morons, an ex-SAS bastard, an ex-army tosser and an ex-merc. Even Cowley got in on the act. When I professed not to know that Cowley had to give his permission for any agent to wed, he bluntly told me, "Well, that's not ever likely to affect you, is it?"

He was right. I wasn’t the marrying kind. Oh, I'd had my fair share of romances. Strictly female and strictly one week stands. Well, normally they'd be one week romances. Doyle used to joke that I changed my underpants less frequently than I changed bed partners. He had a point.

But my point was this: I didn’t want to get tied down. I didn’t want to shackle myself to one person and one person only for the rest of my life. I'd looked after number one – me – ever since leaving home and that was the way I liked it. The poet John Donne once said "No man is an island", but he was completely wrong. I was an island. An island called Bodie, and no one was allowed on it.

No one.

Not even a scruffy, ragbag, bad-tempered old sod called Doyle. Raymond Doyle, agent 4.5, to give him his full title. He's my partner, and has been for the past two years.

To be perfectly fair, he isn’t that bad. He is bloody good with a rifle. Not as good as me, though he certainly makes up for it in the handgun ranks. Much as it narks me to say it, he is better than me with one of those. He's certainly saved my hide a few times, as I have his. We're the best the old man's got.

Chalk and cheese, he calls us. Complete opposites, we are. I like my tailored suits, my polo necks, my loose cords. He, on the other hand, could play the role of a cheap rent boy without having to change clothes. Tatty old tee-shirts and the tightest jeans he can find. I have no idea how he gets into them, let alone how to get him out of them.

Ahh.

And there, in between all that lot, is the crux of my problem.

I've fallen in love.

Island Bodie – the man with huge KEEP OUT signs plastered all over him – has fallen in love. Maybe that Donne bloke wasn’t a fool after all.

If Doyle were here now, he'd be laughing like a drain. "Bodie?" he'd say. "In love?" he'd say. And then he'd be like a terrier with a bone. Wanting to know the ins and outs and wherefores, and there would be no way I could tell him.

How can I?

Because it's Doyle I'm in love with.

And of all the certainties in my life, that was the one thing I wasn’t counting on.

Now it's nearing Christmas and Ray'll insist on one of two things. He'll either want to drag me home to his parents' house for Christmas – which isn’t bad, actually. His mum and dad are lovely people, and treat me like a member of the family. The problem is his mum. She is unbelievably perceptive. Must be the Doyle eyes.

Don’t get me started on Ray's slanted, exotic looking eyes.





Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. His mum'll know something's up straight away. She'll only have to take one look at me and know. She did that once when I was slightly injured. Had taken a tumble chasing after some villains and dislocated my shoulder. Ray had reduced it, but it was still very sore. I refused to wear a collar and take any painkillers, and I acted normally – well, I thought I'd acted normally - but she still knew. Wouldn’t let me lift a finger to help and shuffled me upstairs for a lie down. Didn’t have the heart to refuse and I was feeling the effects.

So if she can see when I'm in pain, she'll definitely see when I'm in love, because that's infinitely more painful, you know.

Alternatively, if Ray doesn’t invite me to his parents', he'll offer to have me over all Christmas and cook me some proper home cooked food. I can never resist his food. Cooks like a dream. Mind you, I do offer to help. Hindering, he calls it, though. How can tasting be hindering, I ask you?

Shit. That's the doorbell. I'll have to answer it.

"Hello?"

"'Lo Bodie, let me in."

As I press the release button I have to wonder what he's doing here at this time of night, when he said he was going to be tucked up in bed by 10pm. It's already 11.15.

He's slammed the door. Again! Told him about doing that. I get it in the neck from the neighbours all the time. Be glad when I get shifted, quite frankly. I open the door, just in time to see him leap up the last few steps.

"Hi Doyle. What's up?" I ask him, turning around and walking back into the lounge, knowing he's going to follow me. Which he does, at least part way.

He doesn’t answer, just leans against the lounge door like he usually does. One foot over the other; arms folded; hips canted. Looks a sight for sore eyes, he does. How am I supposed to resist temptation like that? Tell me. Please!

Very much aware of my body's immediate reaction, I turn away. Luckily the window is nearby and I lean my forehead against it as I watch the world and its family disappear off to their neat semi's without a care.

The next thing I feel is a hot body leaning against my back, ostensibly peering over my shoulder. I try to make myself relax, but my heart is pounding so loudly it's a wonder Doyle can't hear it, not to mention those people in the street.

Shit.

My heart is going to stop.

Really, it is. Cardiac arrest, here I come.

He puts his arm around my waist. Don’t move, Bodie. Don’t say anything. But of course my brain and mouth are way ahead of me.

"Doyle? Wha…what're you doing?"

He pulls me closer and nuzzles my neck before replying. "What does it look like, you dumb crud?"

More nuzzles and I'm melting.

Argh, what am I saying? I'm tough. I'm a CI5 agent. Stronger men than me have crumbled before me, and here I am turning into a puddle of mush just from one…several…nuzzles.

"Bodie. Turn around. I need to see you. Talk to you."

The words hit my ears but they don't actually register.

I don’t get much choice anyway. He spins me around and presses himself against me, shoving me up against the window.

"Bodie," he whispers huskily. "Bodie, I've got to tell you something, mate."

He hasn’t a clue what that voice does to me. He will in a minute though. If he doesn’t move off…oh fuck…think he felt it.

Oh. Oh! I think…I think Ray's in love.

His face just lit up like some z-list star turning on the Christmas lights at Harrods. Those glorious eyes are glowing. Pah, shut up Bodie. Now I'm sounding like a bad Mills 'n' Boon book. You know the ones – boy meets girl, boy falls out with girl, girl pines, boy makes up with girl when he realises that she is the love of his life. Except this time its boy meets boy, boy doesn’t realise he has fallen in love with boy, boy mphmmmmmmmm…








I open my eyes and glance across at the alarm clock. Bloody hell, it's already 06.55am. Not that I'm really complaining, you understand.

If ever there was a heaven, and if by some exceedingly slim chance I went there, then this is it.

I have that fiery ball of passion in my arms. He's been there since last night.
No. I'm not going to tell you what happened, although you can probably guess at the what, but not at what was said.

I've never felt this much possession over anything or anyone before. So much power to hurt; to soothe; to keep safe. I've never been scared before either but I am now.

Still, we both know what's at stake and we're willing to work at it.

Look after number one? Phooey. Look after number one and two, that's my new motto.

Us against the world. Eh, Ray?

Us against the world. That's how it's always been though, and now it looks like it always will be.

What a bloody wonderful Christmas present.

Santa must have thought I've been a good boy this year. He only went and brought me my heart's desire.

Next year he can have a bloody huge bottle of Glenmorangie.





Title: (complete) Summer's Sun and Winter's Snow
Author: Zoe
Slash or Gen: Slash
Archive at ProsLib/Circuit/Hatstand: Yes please
Disclaimer: Sadly the boys aren’t mine, but I like to play with them occasionally
Notes: Thanks to the wonderful Mel, Annette and Chris…*bows down before their greatness*

Date: 2007-01-02 01:33 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] msmoat.livejournal.com
Hey, cool, I love this whole posting-after-midnight-and-it-is-early-evening-for-me thing! *g* Okay, I've only read this one so far and must go on to the next. But thank you! I enjoyed this--island Bodie, who is completely caught off-guard. *g* I liked this line very much:

So if she can see when I'm in pain, she'll definitely see when I'm in love, because that's infinitely more painful, you know.
Well, yes, Bodie would think that, wouldn't he? *g*

Date: 2007-01-02 02:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] the-cornettist.livejournal.com
Very nicely done. Your writing continues to excel.

Date: 2007-01-02 04:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bistokidsfan77.livejournal.com
Just as good as the first time I eyed it! Lovely inner dialogue that captures Bodie so well! You build the suspense, the conflicted feelings he has - then have Doyle trips in & give him everything he ever wanted. Bodie must have been a *very* good boy this year :D Well done, and off to read part two.

Date: 2007-01-02 05:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] callistosh65.livejournal.com
Very nice. Lovely bounce and rhythm to Bodie's inner voice here. Island-Bodie is the perfect way to describe him - and then of course, thanks to Doyle, it all falls apart. I loved the way you wrote this part, where Doyle presumably kisses him *g*:
Pah, shut up Bodie. Now I'm sounding like a bad Mills 'n' Boon book. You know the ones – boy meets girl, boy falls out with girl, girl pines, boy makes up with girl when he realises that she is the love of his life. Except this time its boy meets boy, boy doesn’t realise he has fallen in love with boy, boy mphmmmmmmmm…

Date: 2007-01-02 07:54 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] byslantedlight.livejournal.com
Oh bless, poor old Bodie all fretting! Though I think my favourite line was a bit less fretting a bit more...

I have no idea how he gets into them, let alone how to get him out of them.

*g* Thank you!
(deleted comment)

Date: 2007-01-02 09:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shooting2kill.livejournal.com
Sorry! I kept seeing typing errors in my original post and correcting what I'd written, hence the deleted post. Apologies.

Date: 2007-01-02 02:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shooting2kill.livejournal.com
I’m not sure if I’m lazy or impatient (probably both) because I always need a good, punchy introduction to a story, one which immediately captures my interest and attention; which intrigues and invites me to find out more about a story - and in this case about the long, hot summer - and your excellent introduction succeeded in drawing me straight in. Plus it had the added allure of an image of sultry heat combined with Bodie - perfect! And I loved the intimate angle of both stories with each character voicing their thoughts about the other.

It had been a long, hot summer. The hottest I'd known for a couple of years, which would have been back in 1976. Almost hot enough for the councils to get their standpipes back out.

You’ve got some lovely lines here, very perceptive and written in an interesting, original way. Not sure of the word I'm looking for but I really like the pattern (or maybe even beat) of the sentences and the way Bodie seems to be talking or debating with himself - it's sweet.

The poet John Donne once said "No man is an island", but he was completely wrong. I was an island. An island called Bodie, and no one was allowed on .............

So if she can see when I'm in pain, she'll definitely see when I'm in love, because that's infinitely more painful, you know.


And I absolutely loved your Bodie: big, bad and terrified! (what comes first, the exclamation mark or the semi-colon?):

So much power to hurt; to soothe; to keep safe. I've never been scared before either but I am now.

That's my Bodie and that’s exactly how I think he *would* react!

Thanks so much for sharing your writing.

Date: 2007-01-02 10:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] crimson-37.livejournal.com
Still loving this. This line makes me smile everytime I see it.

'Hindering, he calls it, though. How can tasting be hindering, I ask you?'

I can so imagine him saying in that wide innocent way of his...lol

Thanks honey!

Date: 2007-01-03 06:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ancastar.livejournal.com
Oh! Island Bodie realizes he's not as invulnerable as he thought. Well, of course not. No mere mortal could resist Ray in full seduction mode. Great fun this. I always get a kick out of one of the lads being driven from his high horse. It's healthy to keep their egos in check. Thanks!

Date: 2007-01-22 03:43 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] myrebelcat.livejournal.com
Late feedback! :-)

I just wanted to say that this line made me laugh out loud...

"Except this time its boy meets boy, boy doesn’t realise he has fallen in love with boy, boy mphmmmmmmmm…"

Very like Bodie - when he gets flustered he starts talking too much. And I love the fact that even in his internal dialog he's the same. I also enjoyed the brief glimpse of Doyle's family life.

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