Title: Anniversaries and Other Disasters, Part 2
By: lbc
Bodie sat crouched near Doyle's sleeping figure, gently caressing one sweat-damp curl. Doyle was in a foetal position, looking very vulnerable. Why shouldn't he look vulnerable, he's so emotional sometimes.
Bodie sighed, knowing that this was the calm before the storm. He had mixed up which day was the 25th and had gone out with a bird instead of celebrating the fourth anniversary of their partnership. Doyle's flat looked like a Pacific typhoon had gone through it; a clear indication of Doyle's furore. So far only the Anniversary Swiss Roll, some other food, and some trashed remains of the flat were in evidence; hopefully remains of Bodie's body would not join them in the near future.
Continuing to caress the auburn curls that so fascinated him, Bodie whispered, "Angelfish?"
For a moment nothing happened then the curl-inundated head began to stir. Bodie withdrew his hand but stayed nearby. Finally, Raymond Doyle raised his head and looked around, finding it difficult to focus. The magnificent green eyes blinked several times before they seemed to centre on Bodie.
The broken cheek seemed to be even more prominent than usual, and there was exhaustion in the green orbs. They contained something else as well. For a moment it was puzzlement and then it was recognition, and at that moment they turned icy.
Doyle sat up quickly, total oblivious of his dishevelled appearance. He had stripped to little more than his y-fronts and he looked totally delectable, so edible, and extremely lethal. "Bodie! What you doin' here? Don't you have some bird you're supposed to be with?"
Bodie immediately backed up, falling on his bum. Normally both of the men would have laughed and the tension would have been over, but not this time. Bodie leaned back on his hands, pushing himself to a more defensible position, not being too sure if his partner might retaliate immediately. Swallowing his hesitancy, he blurted out, "It was a mistake, Ray. Listen."
The slender figure left the bed, to come around and stand in front of Bodie's half erect body. "Why should I? You made your decision. Get out, now." Taking a quick look at his watch, Doyle realized that it was past midnight. "You ruined our anniversary; I don't want to hear your excuses."
Carefully, Bodie stood. Deep blue eyes stared directly into icy green ones. Clearing his throat, the ex-merc tried again. "Look, Ray, let me explain. I didn't forget; well, not exactly." Reaching into his pocket, the tall, dark-haired man pulled out a small piece of wire and held it up. "See, I even remembered to bring an anniversary present."
For a moment, Doyle stared at the small strand of wire, as if he didn't realize what it was, but Bodie could see the hysteria in the green eyes when Doyle did indeed realize that it was wire.
William Bodie had seen Raymond Doyle lose his temper many times, but even then he always seemed to hold back some control, but not this time. Fear, panic, and hysteria in that shivering body were mixed with the anger that Doyle was spewing forth.
"Get out! Get out! How dare you? Wasn't it bad enough that you forgot . . ."
Bodie ceased listening at that point because he knew that his very life was in danger. Doyle had just thrown the framed picture of the two men across the room, and seemed intent on doing the same thing to his partner. Bodie decided to leave until Doyle could calm down. Racing to the front door, he turned to look at his partner, but closed the door quickly when a book came flying at him.
Raymond Doyle dropped to the floor in exhaustion. For several minutes he lay there shivering almost sobbing. Finally, he managed to gain control over his body. Looking around the flat, he saw the devastation that his new tantrum had wreaked. He told himself that it was all Bodie's fault. How dare he show up late, with a piece of wire as an anniversary present.
Doyle's exhausted mind recalled the food thrown all over the kitchen. On weak legs he attempted to navigate his way out to the kitchen to begin the clean up, but when he saw the mess that he had wrought, his stomach rebelled so badly that he hurriedly made his way to the bog to empty his stomach.
The next several minutes were painful indeed as he wretched over the bowl until nothing was left. His head was pounding as he rinsed out his mouth and made his way to his bed.
Spotting the anniversary picture, lying strewn near by, he picked it up and held it to his chest as he collapsed on the bed in total exhaustion. Within seconds with the lights on throughout the small flat, Raymond Doyle fell asleep.
Several hours later, William Bodie carefully used the extra key that his partner had given him to sneak into the flat. Keeping his fingers crossed that Doyle was asleep, Bodie snuck into the bedroom and saw the prone figure of the gorgeous Golli, lying on the bed deep in slumber. Bodie quickly withdrew, turning out lights as he went back through the flat.
On a small table in the sitting room, he placed two small figures in porcelain, wrapped with a bright ribbon. One figure was labelled Ray and the other Bodie. He had planned to wrap them in the wire that he had previously shown Ray, but with the Golli's strange reaction, Bodie had found some ribbon wrapped around a pressie that Doyle had given to him earlier. Bodie smiled at the memory. Ray would be surprised to know that I still had the gift wrap for that gift.
Checking the presentation of his anniversary present, Bodie nodded, as he quickly left the flat, hoping that they would do their work.
TBC