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

Thanks
by Slantedlight

For ali15son

Post-Backtrack
Doyle extracted himself with difficulty from Marge’s tender ministrations, catching the amused eye of Herb – or was it Alf? – in the wing mirror as he clambered out. It didn’t help that Bodie and Cowley were a smirking confederacy of two, waiting patiently in front of the railings.

“Ah, Doyle.” Cowley looked him up and down, lingering on his bruised cheek, so that Doyle wanted to reach up in case Marge had smeared lipstick across him, wipe it away like a sulky child. “I thought we’d lost you for a minute there.”

“Bet the pay’s better,” Bodie interrupted irrepressibly, and Doyle glared at him.

Cowley continued to look amused, though he reached down to pick up his briefcase, and half turned towards his car. “Yes, well – reports on my desk by…” He paused again, and gave Doyle another of those looks, almost visibly changed tack. “Och, Monday morning will do, I don’t suppose you’ll be much use to me in four hour’s time. Goodnight gentlemen.” He gave them a nod, and strode off towards his car, where Anson had been commandeered to take him home. Or back to the office – it was nearly four in the morning after all.

Bodie stared after him as he walked away, hands on hips in disbelief. “Did he just say…?”

“Where’s the car, then?”

“Bodie ignored him and shook his head. “You know I could swear that he just gave us the weekend off. A long weekend off.”

“Friday to Sunday, inclusive,” Doyle agreed, feeling too tired to play the clown. “Where’s your car then? All I want is my bed…”

Bodie must have heard something in his voice, because he turned around and did his own version of Cowley’s up-and-down, which involved a lot more promise. “Yeah, come on then,” he said. “All I want is your bed too.”

Doyle frowned, twisting his head quickly to scan the whereabouts of everyone with ears, was only mildly reassured to find that they were alone on the street now. “You berk.” He paused, struck by something. “Isn’t this where we started? Sometime around five this morning?”

Bodie was out and out grinning at him now. “Me reminding you that there were better things to do in bed than waste your time reading?”

“Moron.” He could feel the adrenaline sliding solidly through him and away now, let a yawn take him, stretching his arms upwards with it. He opened his eyes again to find Bodie still watching him. “Come on – fetch the car, James, and we’ll go home. It’s been a long day. Sun’ll be up soon if we’re not careful.” From Cowley’s bleeding Arabs to poor little Sammy Blaydon, from Marge Harper to rooftop chases… He could still feel that moment when he’d realised it was all up, cartridge jamming, nowhere to go, nothing to do… and then the starred splay of the man, felled by Bodie’s clean shot. Could feel the sun-warm metal through his jacket as he slid slowly down the tank to a crouch.

Bodie’s utter rage, his utter relief. They’re supposed to be reliable…

Bodie was reliable, constant as that sun was sure in the sky. Doyle reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, felt the tension singing through him still, knew there was one sure way that they’d both finally get a good night’s kip. “Home, James,” he said again. “An’ if you’re very lucky I’ll read you to sleep.”

21st December 2020

Title: Thanks
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

ali15son's ficlet prompt, which included her screencap at the top of this post, Winter Solstice 2020.