Bodie shut his eyes against the horrible vision confronting him, but when he opened them again, nothing had changed. That was still a bowl of oatmeal and -- Bodie grimaced -- half a grapefruit set out in front of him where he was used to more substantial fare.

"Here, what's this?" he demanded of Ray, who was just seating himself across the table and facing his own disgusting breakfast. Bodie noted resentfully that Ray's oatmeal was swimming in full fat milk and a generous helping of sugar, while he was stuck with skim and a sprinkling of sweetener.

"Doctor's orders," Ray said firmly. "Best way to lower your cholesterol is to lose some weight."

Bodie frowned and sucked in his gut. It made less of a difference than he would have liked. He eyed Ray sullenly. Gray hair suited him and he was still as slender as the day they were partnered together. Just wasn't right. "How come you're still so skinny?"

"Genetics." The old bastard didn't even have the decency to look ashamed at the injustice. "My da was the same way. All the Doyle men have fast metabolisms."

Bloody unfair to be born into the wrong family. Then again, he could still draw the ladies. If he put in the effort. Well, the more mature ones at any rate. It had been a while since a younger bird had given him the eye back.

"Ray, you don't think I'm fat, do you?"

At the plaintive tone, Ray looked up from his oatmeal, examining Bodie with wary concern before breaking into a cheerful leer. "Looks good on you, it does. Nice and cushy when I'm rolling around on top of you."

Not nearly reassuring enough to suit Bodie. "You do think I'm fat," he pouted. "Used to be you raved about my looks, my charm, my manly physique. What a handsome fella I was. You couldn't get enough of me. Guess you've gone off me, then?"

Ray set his spoon down. "You forgot 'engagingly modest'," he pointed out.

"One of my better qualities," Bodie agreed.

Ray sighed ostentatiously, then stood up, leaned over the table and slid one warm hand round the back of Bodie's neck. Glaring down at him, Ray said, "You, mate, have got absolutely nothing to be modest about." Then he pulled Bodie forward into a hard kiss.

Oh, much better. Bodie smugly accepted the kiss as his due and decided he just might concede on the oatmeal. Only to please Ray, of course. The grapefruit, now, that was getting chucked in the bin as soon as Ray's back was turned.

Ray broke off the kiss and smiled, his expression affectionate yet cynical. "Now eat your grapefruit before I shove it down your gob."

Damn.

-- THE END --

September 2005