Ray Doyle pulled his car into the CI5 parking lot, then frowned when he caught sight of the silver Capri his partner usually drove. What the hell was Bodie doing here? Doyle had dropped the other man off at his flat over an hour ago, then had gone home himself. Normally not one to waste a Friday night off, Doyle had wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep off the effects of the stun gas.

Vile stuff that. It was considered a merciful way to deal with opposition, but several hours after getting a lung-full, Doyle still felt luggish and had a bad taste in his mouth. Unfortunately, he also had tickets to a jazz concert tonight and a bird who wouldn't take too kindly to yet another last-minute cancellation. Not quite ready for Shirley to give him the boot, Ray had dragged himself into a shower, dressed, then discovered that he'dleft the tickets in the jacket still hanging in his locker at headquarters. That explained why he'd come back, but not Bodie. His frown deepened. For the trouble he'd put them through, the Controller of CI5 had given them both two days off, but it wouldn't be the first time a terse summons had canceled their leave. But why just Bodie? Though it was unusual, the two of them were occasionally assigned to separate operations -- something that never set well with Doyle. Bodie could be too brash on occasion, too quick to charge into a mess without Doyle there to play the voice of reason. He'd have thought the Cow would've figured that out by now. Worse, the gas had affected his partner far more than Doyle, which made putting him back on the streets dangerous.

Thoughts of Shirley and an evening out vanishing, he headed inside.

William Bodie sat on the settee and glared at the head of CI5. He knew that George Cowley had done his level best to improve the ex-mercenary's mood, but even dinner at Cowley's club hadn't worked. Bodie was just plain furious with the man.

Not being told everything was bad enough, but the Cow's little plan could have gotten Bodie and his partner killed. Just thinking about all the things that had to go exactly right during this one gave him the chills. Still couldn't believe something hadn't gone wrong, but Cowley always had lived a charmed life.

He watched the man pour two glasses of his finest malt scotch. "Come on, laddie, enough is enough," Cowley said, handing Bodie one of the glasses. "You can't waste good scotch on a sulk."

"You could have gotten Ray killed," Bodie answered stubbornly, then instantly regretted the slip. Though Cowley knew just how important Ray was to him, Bodie didn't like to rub the old man's nose in it.

Cowley acted as if he hadn't noticed. "I told you, I --"

"Had us covered." Bodie snorted. "That fancy rifle of yours wouldn't have done Doyle and me much bloody good if the Russians had thrown real grenades."

"They wouldn't have risked killing Drake to get the two of you."

"Unless they'd decided to blow up our car and get Drake out of the police van themselves."

The brief silence spoke louder than words. The possibility had been considered and the risk deemed acceptable. Bodie had known that before he'd started the argument, wasn't even the bit that made him feel so angry. "Dammit!" he snapped, "You could have at least told *me* what you were up to."

"I could have," Cowley answered, "but you were the one who made me swear never to treat you differently than anyone else when it came to the job."

Bodie's angry glare shifted from Cowley's face to the floor. He though Cowley broke it in a hundred different ways almost every day, he'd never done so when it came to the duty roster. Not exactly fair to whine about it when he didn't like the details of an op, but he wasn't quite ready to surrender. "Just wish you didn't enjoy droppin' us in it so much." It wasn't fair or true, but he felt just bad enough that he said it anyway. To his surprise, the Controller did not respond with anger of his own.

"Don't be daft, man. Doyle is like a son to me, and you..." Cowley's voice trailed off, but he caressed Bodie's cheek, letting his touch convey his feelings. "Days like this it gives me no pleasure at all that you two are my finest team."

Despite himself Bodie leaned into the touch and found himself forgiving the old bastard. It had been good plan, and nothing had happened to him that he hadn't agreed to years ago. The smile he started to give Cowley was spoiled by a coughing fit.

Cowley rubbed his back until it stopped, then lifted the glass of scotch to his lips as if Bodie were some sort of invalid.

Bodie took a sip to humor him and discovered that scotch felt very good indeed on a dry throat. This time a rather faint smile made it to his face. "Sorry, still a bit done in by that gas. Guess I should head home and sleep it off."

"Right," Cowley agreed, knocking back the last of his own drink. "Home with me where you belong."

Bodie considered that a moment. He was far too knackered to be good company, but he felt just shaky enough that he decided he wouldn't mind a bit of pampering and one of the lavish breakfasts Cowley's housekeeper prepared whenever Bodie was around to appreciate her cooking. He nodded.

His hand still resting against the office door, Doyle stood frozen in shock. He'd gone storming straight to Cowley's office, certain that was where he'd find his partner, but as he'd started to push the door open he'd heard Bodie snapping at the Cow. Feeling that Cowley had gotten off too easy earlier, Doyle had delayed his entrance and prepared to enjoy the show.

What he saw and heard instead had literally caused his jaw to drop. Bodie and Cowley? No, it couldn't be... but... Bodie and Cowley? Doyle didn't know whether to start laughing or shouting, so he opted for a quick retreat down the hall before his presence could be discovered.

Once in the safety of the rest room, he sank into a reasonably comfortable chair and tried to think. Just about everyone knew that Bodie was Cowley's blue-eyed boy, the favorite who could do no real wrong. Doyle had seen Bodie get away with things that would have landed anyone else, including himself, on a few days suspension without pay.

"Just my natural charm, mate," Bodie had once said, when Doyle had shaken his head in amazement after a particularly heated exchange that had ended with Cowley giving Bodie an indulgent smile along with orders to do whatever he wanted just as long as he got out of Cowley's office. "I'm irresistible, aren't I?"

Charm and a bit of coming across. Doyle shook his head at that mental image. Hard to imagine the Cow with anyone, but Bodie? Bodie, his big, bad, lady-killer partner? Damned sod, hadn't even told Doyle he fancied it with a fella from time to time. He didn't like the idea of Bodie keeping secrets from him.

And why the Cow? Why not...? Doyle's mind froze for a moment, just as his body had earlier. Mentally he circled the notion that wouldn't quite pop into his consciousness, but a few adventures during a wild youth made it fairly easy to poke at it until he got used to the idea. Only then did he allow himself to think, *why not with me?*

Bodie and Doyle. Now that had a ring to it that Bodie and Cowley never would. He sniffed in distaste. Destiny, the first was. The second, a right bad joke.

Doyle stood up, then returned to the hallway outside the now empty Controller's office. "He's mine," he told the door, as if practicing for the man who usually lurked behind it. "Damn you, he's mine."

The cab dropped Bodie off in front of his flat just a bit short of lunchtime. Or rather it would have been time for lunch if his stomach hadn't been blissfully full of a late breakfast. Estelle had really outdone herself this time. Clucking over him like a hen with a wounded chick, she'd cooked enough for three men, and Bodie had happily eaten every bit. Good job that she was pleasant company as well as a fantastic cook, since Cowley hadn't given himself two days off and had been long gone by the time Bodie had woke up. Still the old man had left money for a cab home and orders for Bodie to meet him for dinner at the club tomorrow night.

Bodie patted his stomach, then sighed. Have to go on a run later or all this wining and dining would put on an extra bit of weight. Doyle would have his head if he earned them another session with Macklin because of his eating habits. Bit of Machiavellian peer pressure that. Bodie might consider an extra sausage or six worth it, but Doyle wouldn't. Kept Bodie fairly honest.

He let himself into his flat, then reset the double alarm system.

"It's about bloody time you got home!"

Bodie started a bit, wondered how he'd got up Doyle's nose this time, then turned to face his partner. "Ray, what are you doing here?" he asked, trying to remember if they'd made some plans for the day.

"Waiting for you," Doyle answered, his green eyes fairly flashing with anger, then he pounced.

The full-body impact sent Bodie slamming back into the door. Busy trying to get air back into his lungs, it took him a moment to realize that he was being kissed, and none too gently. He squirmed against the smaller body that had him rather effectively pinned unless he was willing to inflict some serious bodily injury. "Ray," he protested, but the evil little sod just used the opportunity to thrust his tongue into Bodie's mouth.

Surprise plus more than a few unpleasant memories about being at a disadvantage had made Bodie struggle at first, but the tongue ravaging his mouth and the hardness throbbing against his thigh brought him back to his senses. What the bleeding hell was he doing? Bodie had wanted Doyle for years, but had never dared hope...

Bodie relaxed into the arms holding him, his mouth opening wider as he moaned his appreciation. "Ray," he repeated when his lips were released, this time his voice full of pleasure, not shock.

A hungry look in his feral green eyes, Doyle gave Bodie's bum a hard squeeze. "You want it here or in the bedroom," he growled, the push of his fingers leaving no doubt at all what 'it' was.

Bodie swallowed hard, his heart pounding. "Bedroom," he croaked.

"Then move it, mate," Doyle ordered, yanking Bodie away from the wall.

Walking the relatively short distance from the front hall to the bedroom proved quite difficult as Doyle used the journey to strip Bodie of his clothing in between kisses that made the younger man's knees tremble.

A slight sigh of relief escaped his bruised lips when Bodie felt the back of his legs hit the mattress during a particularly searing kiss. A push against his chest sent him sprawling backwards onto the firm mattress, then hands pulled apart legs that were still dangling over the edge of the bed. Bodie cried out as a warm mouth engulfed his cock. Ray's clever tongue and skilled fingers quickly brought Bodie to the brink, but before he could tumble over it, Ray stopped.

"Liked that, didn't you, sunshine," Doyle said, sitting back on his heels to survey his handiwork with unreadable eyes.

Though long starved for his partner's touch and his body currently on fire, Bodie looked into those eyes and felt a stab of something close to fear.

Anger seemed to radiate from the man -- not exactly what Bodie looked for in a bed partner --, but he'd learned long ago not to argue when the stroppy sod was in this sort of mood. "Ray?" he asked, easing away from him and further back onto the bed in the process. "What's going on, mate?"

Doyle waited until Bodie had retreated far enough to be totally stretched out on the bed, then he pounced again.

"Oof," the sound burst from Bodie's lungs as Doyle's weight slammed down onto him, then the tongue invaded his mouth again. Confused, Bodie tried not to respond, but the press of Ray's fully-clothed body against him and the hunger in the kiss consuming him soon had him groaning in appreciation.

He reached to embrace the source of his delicious torment, but Doyle seized his wrists, then pinned them against the pillow on either side of his head.

"Mustn't touch, sweetheart," he was told.

Though a simple enough hold to break, especially for someone bigger and stronger than the one doing the holding, Bodie looked into green eyes and stayed still. "Whatever you want," he finally said, closing his own eyes to concentrate on the feel of the body holding him.

"No!" Doyle snapped, increasing the pressure on his wrists. "You look at me, damn you. You see *me*!"

The penny dropped on the reason for the anger then. Dozy bastard was jealous of someone -- actually thought Bodie would think of someone else while they were making love. He almost laughed at that, having spent all but the first few months of their partnership fantasizing he was with Ray when he was with anyone else. Instead he promised, "I see you. Just you."

His answer seemed to mollify Doyle a bit, for the next kiss he gave Bodie was gentle, almost loving. Another followed it, then another, each kiss falling a bit to the side of the last, until Bodie's entire face had been explored by the feathery touches.

The lips shifted downwards to map his neck, but when they reached the soft flesh between his neck and shoulder, they fastened down tight and sucked hard, marking him. *Good job I wear polo necks,* he'd joke with Ray later, after any nonsense about another lover had been straightened out, but for the moment the sensation made him want to purr.

Having branded Bodie, Doyle shifted his kiss to Bodie's right nipple. The lips suckled and teased in between gentle bites until Bodie moaned, no longer certain if he felt pleasure or pain. At that point, the rotten sod abandoned the nipple, only to start all over again with the other.

By the time Doyle's talented mouth reached his navel, Bodie was once again on the brink of orgasm, and once again Ray just stopped, leaving him gasping in frustration. "Ray, please."

Ignoring him, Doyle stood up. "Look at me, Bodie," he ordered, then began a slow strip tease.

Bodie had seen his partner naked several times, but this time he could actually look. Just the sight of the strong, slender body slowly appearing kept him painfully aroused, and it was all Bodie could do not to start whimpering.

When he'd finished, his own arousal on delicious display, Doyle held up a tube he must have put in the room before Bodie came home.

His stomach fluttering hungrily at the sight of it, Bodie spread his legs wide in invitation, then managed to spread them even wider as Doyle rubbed KY onto his own cock.

Ready, Doyle returned to the bed, then kissed Bodie to distraction, while lube-slick fingers coaxed the puckered muscle guarding entry into his body to relax. First one finger, then two, and finally a third, pushed into him. Bodie pushed back against the fingers, while trying to arch up against the cock he actually hungered for, then moaned in frustration when neither got him what he needed.

"Tell me what you want, Bodie," Doyle murmured into his ear.

The words were soft, but he could hear the demand as well. "Fuck me, Ray," he begged. "Fuck me, please."

Doyle shifted, then helped Bodie arrange his legs properly. For a long moment, he stared into Bodie's eyes, then with a quick thrust he pushed inside.

A brief moment of discomfort yielded to an intense pleasure beyond any Bodie had ever known as his body was given what he'd craved for almost five years. He writhed with each slow, deep thrust, while the sheer freedom of being able to actually use Ray's name had him making a right fool of himself as he moaned it over and over again.

"You ready to fly, lover?" Doyle asked, his hand moving between their bodies to begin stroking Bodie's cock.

Bodie looked into those marvelous green eyes and whispered, "Love you, Ray."

That got him kissed senseless, then Doyle began to move harder and faster, his hand matching the rhythm of his thrusts.

"Ray!" Bodie screamed, his release bursting over their chests a moment before Doyle's spurted up into him.

Exhausted and utterly sated, Bodie didn't move, leaving it to Doyle to arrange them more comfortably in the bed, Bodie nestled up against him.

"Bodie..."

talk, wanna just glow.*

"Love you."

"You're mine."

"That means no birds..."

"No other blokes..."

"And especially no more Cowley."

managed to work up enough energy to ask, "Ray, what *are* you going on about?"

"Don't try to deny it, Bodie," Ray answered sharply. "I heard everything you said last night."

"Last night? When?" he asked, utterly confused.

"Outside the office."

Bodie thought a moment, his mind flashing over the conversation Doyle must have overheard, and he realized... It started deep in his belly. A spasm he couldn't hope to contain, but for his lover's sake he tried. Still, weak bastard that he was, he failed. His body shook violently, tears filled his eyes, then as Doyle reached for him to offer comfort, the laughter broke through.

He struggled for breath, helpless in the grips of his near hysteria, his ribs ached, but still he laughed and laughed. It wasn't until Doyle grabbed him, twisted, then pinned Bodie beneath him, that Bodie managed to control himself.

Green eyes flashed with anger, but Doyle nearly set him off again by growling, "Dammit, Bodie, I'm not sharing you with anyone, least of all George bloody Cowley!"

Bodie bit his lip, nearly doing himself an injury, but he managed to do nothing more than giggle. Finally he found his voice. "Ray, you're a beautiful sod, and I'll love you forever, but you've an evil mind."

"Bodie--"

Bodie arched up enough to silence his lover with a kiss, then with the sweetest of smiles, he said, "Ray, George 'bloody' Cowley is my father."

-- THE END --