Bodie emerged from his bathroom still mostly wet and drying his hair with the towel. He dripped unconcernedly down the short hall and entered the open door of his bedroom, ready to make an inane comment, then stopped at the sight of his partner.

Ray, who as guest had copped the shower first, sat naked, slumped on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor, his face shiney with sweat. He looked, Bodie thought suddenly...scared.

"Ray?"

Doyle straightened, a slow move, old.

"You all right?"

"I think it just hit me," Ray chewed his lip. "Do you ever...think about dying?"

"No," Bodie crossed the room and sat on the bed beside him. "'S bad medicine."

"But you told that...."

"Samael."

"Yeh...that you believe in the devil."

"Chalk it up to a childhood in church."

Doyle was distracted, "Church? You?"

"Warmest place in the town in winter. Very small, very enthusiastic. Very easy to imprint ideas on a young mind. Some of 'em stuck, I guess."

Ray absently took the towel and dried Bodie's back. "He was real, then."

"Looked it anyway. And Cowley seemed to think so."

"Doesn't it bother you? He came for my soul!" Ray shivered.

"He didn't get it."

"Thanks to you."

"Not really. I called him in the first place. Thank the Cow."

"Sounds weird."

Bodie finished drying his legs and clambered over the bed to the far side. "'S over. Don't think about it."

Doyle gazed at him, liking the way the light cast shadows along his body. "Thanks."

"'S all right. Go to sleep."

"Thanks for the bed, too. I didn't feel like going back to the flat alone...."

"I can understand that."

Doyle reached to turn out the lights. "I meant what I said back there, you know. At Cowley's."

"What's that?" Bodie climbed under the duvet and felt Doyle do the same.

"That I care about you."

"I know."

"'S that all you can say?"

Bodie rolled to look at him in the moonlight. "So it's mutual, okay? We've been partners a long time, 4.5. I didn't think I had to say it."

"Okay."

There was a long silence and Bodie was almost asleep when Doyle spoke into the darkness. "I wonder what he meant."

"Hmmm?"

"Samael. About 'temptation'."

"Look in the mirror, sunshine."

"You're the good looking one. I oughtta know, you've told me enough. There's nothing special about me."

Bodie sighed and opened his eyes. "You never lack for birds."

"I never can keep 'em either."

"It's the job. Nobody can keep a bird with our hours."

Doyle didn't answer.

"Look at it this way, Ray--I'm still here."

"Great." Doyle shifted and when his leg slid against Bodie's he didn't pull away. "Wonder who I was supposed to tempt into what?"

"Leave it, Ray."

"It's like something out of The Twilight Zone."

"Ray, for god's sake!" Bodie raised up and leaned over his partner. "If you're so bloody anxious to lead somebody into evil ways, do it to me."

Doyle's eyes opened wide. The moon had moved, Bodie's face and body were indistinct, but he knew without light exactly what his partner looked like--the teasing upturned lips, the left eyebrow barely raised, the sleekness of his muscled chest...he reached to touch that eyebrow, felt it smooth into place under his fingers. Without really thinking he slid his hands into Bodie's hair, enjoying the wavey feel. "Could I do that? Tempt you?"

"Anytime," Bodie said lightly.

"How about now?" Doyle asked, not knowing why, but unable to stop himself. He pulled Bodie closer.

His partner came willingly into the embrace. Their lips met, soft at first, tentatively dealing with the unknown, then harder as they gave into the sensations sweeping over them. Doyle's tongue probed, demanded, and entered the tangy depths of his partner's mouth. The taste was of Cowley's scotch and the thought made him pull Bodie closer into a desperate grip.

"Hey!" Bodie was half laughing, "Relax, mate. You want to stop this now, then go ahead...if not, I'm not going anywhere."

"I want you," Ray almost gasped the words as the warmth of his partner's body, the rising hardness against his belly that Bodie made no attempt to hide, made him thrust upwards. "Bodie...."

"Yeh," Bodie said. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"Yes, damnit! And don't tell me you don't want it...I can feel you."

"I never said I didn't," Bodie nuzzled him. "You idiot, I always have...but first...."

His mouth was captured in an almost ruthless kiss and this time Bodie tasted, then began a slow exploration of lips and tongue over his face. Bodie stretched out full length on top of him and sucked at the pulse in his throat until he moaned.

"You like that?"

Bodie didn't wait for an answer, but slid lower, barely touching the mat of chest hair, following the lines of growth around aroused nipples and down to Doyle's waist. The feeling was incredible and Ray twisted, wanting more.

Bodie lifted, ignoring his partner's inarticulate protest. Strong hands parted his legs, swept over soft inner thighs and cupped his taut genitals. Doyle braced his feet on the bed and lifted, wordlessly demanding the pleasure of Bodie's mouth.

Then warm wetness engulfed him as lips closed around his shaft, sucking him into a maelstrom of feeling--sucking him....

He gripped at the pillow beneath his head and thrust again and again, deeper into his partner's mouth until he felt the ball of fire gather and burst. With a sharp cry he came.

He was still panting when Bodie lifted his head. "God, Bodie...."

"Yeh?" Bodie, too, was breathing hard, his pent-up reaction painful as he waited for Ray to recover.

"Com'mere," Doyle gripped his shoulders and pulled him into a sweat slick embrace.

"Like I said," Bodie whispered in his ear, "I'm not going anywhere."

Ray's hand found his engorged shaft and gripped it, enjoying the involuntary tremor that ran through his partner. "See that you don't," he said softly and slid his fingers up and down the long rod, learning the feel, pleased when Bodie reacted to his touch. He teased the base, rubbed the sac lightly, "Tired, Bodie? Want to stop?"

Bodie managed to answer pleasantly, "Want to die?"

Ray laughed, a low seductive sound that sent a quiver down his partner's spine. "I like your body."

"Good," Bodie arched forward. "Ray...."

"Now who's eager?" But Doyle stopped teasing and pushed his lover to his back. He lay on top of him, shifting sensually until the hard rod was between his thighs, riding Bodie's thrusts with instinctive ease.

Bodie groaned and buried his face in Doyle's shoulder to muffle the triumphant cry as he climaxed.

Doyle soothed his lover's body, replete in aftermath, then rolled to his side. "That was...."

"Yeh," Bodie's reply was fervent.

"I wish...I wish we'd done it before. 'S good."

When Bodie didn't answer Ray snuggled against him and closed his eyes, soon lulled asleep by warmth, release, sanctuary. He didn't know for sure what had caused this sudden aching need for his partner, didn't particularly care, because Bodie too shared the feeling. Besides, after tonight's events at Cowley's anything else was normal.

Bodie waited until his partner's breathing was regular, soft against his neck. "You little temptation, you," he murmured and smiled. "But just for me."

Outside the breeze sighed for lost chances and went about its business. Tomorrow maybe...or maybe never....

-- THE END --