discoveredinalj | Discovered in a Box of Baubles - Day 21 - Prosfic

When the Heat is Cooling
by Slantedlight

for macklingirl

post-When the Heat Cools Off
Doyle stalked straight past Bodie, standing waiting for him in the early evening light. He hadn’t wanted him to come, had known he’d be in a foul, vindictive temper after seeing Haydon.

Bodie followed him anyway, back to where they’d left the vehicle, sliding smoothly into the driver’s seat and not saying anything when Doyle slammed the passenger door hard enough to rock the whole car.

They sat there, the sky still a clear summer blue above them, the rush of workers home in time to enjoy it barely a trickle now, most of them off enjoying their salads or barbeques or beer gardens.

Bodie said nothing.

Eventually Doyle struck out at the door with his elbow, because if he didn’t hit something he’d hit Bodie, and then looked up at the car roof, letting out a stream of breath in the hope that he’d let out all his frustration too. It was always him, always the patsy, always the pigeon, always the soft-hearted idiot who fell for them every time.

Bodie was looking cautiously sideways at him now, and at least Doyle didn’t want to punch him anymore.

“Where to, Batman? Pub?”

Doyle shook his head. “Nah.” He wanted to go home, to sit in the quiet of his flat and let the whole fucked-up situation work its way through his head and away. People had died - that janitor had died, because a crook like Haydon couldn’t take his punishment like a man. Because Jill Haydon… No, don’t think about her. Another pretty face offering love, offering affection, offering… something. “Nah – just take me home.”

“Alright,” Bodie said briefly, looking away into the side mirror, and the non-existent traffic, and turning the ignition.

Doyle watched his profile as they pulled away from the curb, eyes hooded and dark, concentrating on the road. It wasn’t Bodie’s fault – he’d been there with him the whole way. “I’m lousy company.”

“You’re always lousy company.” The expected response, automatic.

Well, it wasn’t as if Bodie was anyone. He didn’t make a lot of noise, didn’t pull at your thoughts to try and make you believe one thing or the other. Unless he wanted you to, of course.

“You can stop at that Chinese on my corner,” he instructed. “I fancy chow mein.”

Bodie grunted, eyes ahead.

“I suppose you’ll have Peking duck and half of everything I have, so you’d better get extra spring rolls.”

He was on the wrong side of the car to see Bodie’s eyebrow lift, but he saw the quirk of his lips, caught the flick of his eyes to Doyle and then back to the road, heard Bodie’s own quiet breath between them in the car.

“An’ it’s your turn to pay for the beers,” he added, because that was bound to get his attention. “I got them when we watched Liverpool die against Nottingham Forest the other week. If you ‘urry up we might even make kick off.”

Bodie looked at him again, and this time he smiled properly, leaned forward to the steering wheel a bit as if it would make the car go faster, then took his hands off the wheel to rub them joyously together.

“Oh my gawd…” Doyle said, because he knew he was supposed to. It wasn’t always bad, to be the soft-hearted idiot who fell for them every time. “Well go on then, Nigel Mansell, put your foot down.”

And Bodie did.

21st December, 2020

Title: When the Heat is Cooling
Author: Slantedlight
Slash or Gen: Always slash
Archive at ProsLib: Certainly
Disclaimer: Bodie, Doyle, and the CI5 universe don't belong to me, although I do enjoying playing with them.
Notes: For

macklingirl's ficlet prompt, Winter Solstice 2020.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

macklingirl.livejournal.com

Thank you very much, I really enjoyed it. It is so our lads.

tinturtle

The line in this fic that really charms me is "he was on the wrong side of the car to see Bodie’s eyebrow lift." I love the idea that Doyle knows Bodie's expressions so well that he doesn't actually have to see them to know which one is there.

sc-fossil.livejournal.com

They are always there for the other, no matter what. That's the best part! Thank you!

milomaus.livejournal.com

And another perfect Lads moment in time. I love them so much!
And you write them so perfect!

heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com

This is a really great glimpse of them-in-a-nutshell, the way Bodie is simply there for Doyle - ready to wait and be what he needs without demanding anything (just now!) and Doyle knows it. And the way Doyle moves on from fury ...to accepting a lift home ... to food, to food and drink, to food and drink and a match - lovely! *vbg*