Pros fic: Betwixt and Between by JoJo - Pros Bingo Challenge 2016 - individual card

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Doyle had doubted once, what he felt.

Not quite friendship, not quite love.  A halfway emotion without definition.  Neither here nor there.

Being very drunk and encircled in strong arms had made him say foolish things back then.

“Bloody love you, mate.”

That one he remembered, faintly.  The words had been thick with boozy comradeship, the world spinning furiously as they stumbled about outside The Red Lion, trying to keep upright.

And Bodie had clutched him tight and laughed so hard Doyle had thought he might throw up.

“Yes, and I bloody love Liverpool Football Club, sunshine,” had been the response, light as air, accompanying a fond pat to the back of his neck.  “Wouldn’t want to go to bed with it though.”

Doyle had no idea either then or now why Bodie had mentioned bed.   He feared he’d said something else foolish at some point on that same long and sozzled evening.  Some daft proposition that had popped out in that unremembered country between inebriation and sobriety, never to be recalled.

And here Bodie was, between Here and There himself.  ‘Hovering’, as the headlines often said.  Between life and death. Showing every inclination, if the doctors’ increasingly coded statements were to be believed, of being a right plonker at any moment and snatching disaster from the jaws of hope.

Doyle had no doubts anymore.  To be honest, he hadn’t had any for months, although he cursed himself for not saying sober what he’d garbled drunk.  For not returning the favour and encircling Bodie in the strongest of strong arms.

There could be no encircling here, though.  Much as he burned to, Bodie was imprisoned by a fearsome enclosure of lines and tubes instead.  He looked fragile, as if any touch would tip him over. His hair was slick with fever, black against the pillows.  The long, downswept lashes were damp too, as if somewhere, far away, he’d wept in fury and hopelessness.

Needing to hear foolish things.

“Mate,” Doyle said.  It was the only part he could get out.




Title: Betwixt and Between
Author: JoJo
Slash/Gen: Slash
Archive at ProsLib/Circuit: Yes please
Disclaimer: No money made, no infringement intended

A/n: for the top horizontal line of my Pros Bingo card, for the square 'betwixt and between', and the second of three short parts/fills!

Comments

[cloudless-9193.livejournal.com]

“Mate,” Doyle said. It was the only part he could get out. :-)

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

:-))

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

*gulp*

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Luckily it all worked out in the end :)

(and sorry for late response!)

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

Ahh, poor Doyle! Here's hoping he gets to say it!

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

He did \o/

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

loving it , thankyou so much .

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

thank you!

(and sorry for late response!)

[sw33n3y.livejournal.com]

I loved the (for want of a better term) beautiful awkwardness that makes their relationship believable, in this part. Doyle watching Bodie teetering on the edge, about to take all that might have been with him, is a potent mix of warmth and sadness.

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

I can't think of a better term than beautiful awkwardness - perfect for them!

[unbelievable2.livejournal.com]

I love how these fics are progessing things, but taking the roundabout way home.. . :))

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Haha, yes, I thought I might give them just a little bit of a runaround :D

(and sorry for late response!)

[dawnebeth.livejournal.com]

Doyle seeing what is right in front of him and afraid to touch--all he can do is hope. awww.

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Those lads...

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Awww....

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Yep :)

(and sorry for late response!)

[fiorenza-a.livejournal.com]

Favourite lines from this one: The long, downswept lashes were damp too, as if somewhere, far away, he’d wept in fury and hopelessness.
Needing to hear foolish things.


I love all Doyle's 'might have been' pondering in this one, his angsty regret.

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Can't miss any chance to bung Bodie eyelashes and Doyle angst into the same story :)

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

I missed this when it was first posted on live journal and have just seen it at A03 and commented there (At least I *think* I did, I'm getting confused!). Anyway, I loved it!

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Hee, yes thank you, you did comment there! Glad you liked it :)

[freetraveller15.livejournal.com]

I had missed this too when it was first posted here. But I had read it on Proslib's email alerts, though I'd always meant to write to you and say how much I loved it, but forgot to do it...
I couldn't find on A03 either.

It's such a well written piece. Doyle remembering what he'd almost said but never did soberly, now that it might be too late gives this story such poignancy.

Thank you x

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! It's now on AO3 as a chapter in Chambers Wharf Cold Storage - I decided to post the three fills as one fic since they were linked. Sorry for confusion :D

[freetraveller15.livejournal.com]

Oh great, thanks! I've found it now on AO3 too :)